Make healers DPS with four or five healing actions

[ty_taurus]

This deserves to stay on the current page and is IMHO the solution SE have been overlooking pretty much since AST didn't go further down the buff rabbit hole after HW.

I still think the simple act of taking a healer's DPS potency, packing it up in buff form and then being able to slap it on someone else is the party trick that would solve a bunch of issues all at once. There absolutely has to be a way to do that in a manner where it doesn't spiral out of control with buffs any more than existing 2 minute buff windows already do.

That's what I've been saying.

The trick is not relying on % boosts to the target's damage, or stats like critical hit. It's creating flat potency damage that technically comes from the caster, but is executed by the target, and to make the job functional in solo, that target can also be the caster. I've beaten my engine building concept to death, but how about a slightly different example.

What if Astro had a spell that summons six stars around the target of the spell. Each time that target attacks an enemy, a star is consumed to deal a 100 potency attack that technically comes from you; this can occur once per 3 seconds. You can only apply this buff on 3 characters at a time. Something like that would make a lot of your GCD gameplay build around targeting other players instead of enemies, and you could try and build on that concept more. Because replacing Malefic spam with this doesn't fix the problem, it just redirects it, so you'd want some other support to give more variety to your gameplay, but that could be a place to start.

[Shurrikhan]

That's what I've been saying.

The trick is not relying on % boosts to the target's damage, or stats like critical hit. It's creating flat potency damage that technically comes from the caster, but is executed by the target, and to make the job functional in solo, that target can also be the caster. I've beaten my engine building concept to death, but how about a slightly different example.

What if Astro had a spell that summons six stars around the target of the spell. Each time that target attacks an enemy, a star is consumed to deal a 100 potency attack that technically comes from you; this can occur once per 3 seconds. You can only apply this buff on 3 characters at a time. Something like that would make a lot of your GCD gameplay build around targeting other players instead of enemies, and you could try and build on that concept more. Because replacing Malefic spam with this doesn't fix the problem, it just redirects it, so you'd want some other support to give more variety to your gameplay, but that could be a place to start.

That... honestly sounds far more dull even than basic single-target damage buffs?

If I deal flat potency each time a target ally attacks, that has no reward for knowing the output dynamics of my team. That seems even less "support"-like. It's like Brotherhood, but without actually getting to actively do anything with the resources the party produces.

And if there's no CD on the star-summoning, then it just gets incredibly spammy if it includes oGCDs, or if triggered by GCDs only, then your choices just become MCH w/ Heat > MNK > NIN > BRD during Paeon > SAM > BLM w/ Lines > the rest.

I'd honestly take a more powerful GCD Draw over that.

[ty_taurus]

That... honestly sounds more dull?

If I deal flat potency each time a target ally attacks, I'm no longer rewarded for knowing the output dynamics of my team. That seems even less "support"-like. It's like Brotherhood, but without actually getting to actively do anything with the resources the party produces.

Then you have 3 spells, one that does more damage when the target inflicts melee physical damage, one for physical ranged damage, and one for magic damage.

[Shurrikhan]

Then you have 3 spells, one that does more damage when the target inflicts melee physical damage, one for physical ranged damage, and one for magic damage.

But that's still timing-insensitive. It's just yet another wonky Ranger/Caster-Healer/Rest distinction. Except, since it's based on the damage type instead of the job's type, it then penalizes any hybrids (DRK, RDM, NIN, PLD, etc.), especially if there's no CD on the star-summoning or they're only active for a short time.

I just don't get how a turret-aura would feel "Support"-like in XIV, regardless of whether that it only fires when an ally does. It's less intuitive despite having a lower reward ceiling for knowledge/awareness than just plain %Damage, %Haste, etc. buffs.



Before attempting turret-reloading GCDs or the like on AST, I'd far rather just revert Cards to a better-balanced version of their Stormblood design concept and then empower them a bit further in compensation for putting Draw (not Play) on the GCD. Buff Astrodyne's output and functionality a bit to make up for the lost APM, with Royal Road, Spread, and returned charges to Redraw (not merely a proc from Draw) taking up the rest.

[ty_taurus]

But that's still timing-insensitive. It's just yet another wonky Ranger/Caster-Healer/Rest distinction. Except, since it's based on the damage type instead of the job's type, it then penalizes any hybrids (DRK, RDM, NIN, PLD, etc.), especially if there's no CD on the star-summoning or they're only active for a short time.

I just don't get how a turret-aura would feel "Support"-like in XIV, regardless of whether that it only fires when an ally does. It's less intuitive despite having a lower reward ceiling for knowledge/awareness than just plain %Damage buffs.

Then you have a spell that puts the symbols of the Twelve on the ground, and whichever one you stand on, your buff enhances the damage dealt by any players who's patron deity matches that symbol. So if for example, two players have the patron deity of Rhalgr in your party, standing on the symbol of Rhalgr will make your spell stronger on those two characters.

[Shurrikhan]

Then you have a spell that puts the symbols of the Twelve on the ground, and whichever one you stand on, your buff enhances the damage dealt by any players who's patron deity matches that symbol. So if for example, two players have the patron deity of Rhalgr in your party, standing on the symbol of Rhalgr will make your spell stronger on those two characters.

...I'm guessing this isn't a serious suggestion, for the simple fact that who tf knows the patron deity of each player in their party...

But, if it is... why would you want a job mechanic that entices statics to have identical role-play choices?

[ty_taurus]

...I'm guessing this isn't a serious suggestion, for the simple fact that who tf knows the patron deity of each player in their party...

But, if it is... why would you want a job mechanic that entices statics to have identical role-play choices?

You could have it appear above characters when the spell is active.

But I'm just throwing stuff at the board. How would you go about improving the concept?