Healer kit adjustment idea, 40% dps to 60% heals/utility

[Katish]

The problem is encounters that allow us to use our overpowered ogcd spells and the fact that as the expansion continues we get higher ilvl gear.

Turning a healer class into Dps is not the answer, otherwise we might aswell remove the trinity and only have Dps.

Encounter design isn't the true issue, but just one piece of the puzzle and does not answer healer boredom as a normal healer [not even an exceptional one] can keep up with the damage and still, guess what, do dps. (This is argumentative as well on how much the damage taken should be raised..as by the end of it, it will mostly become a mitigation check if you really think about it and not all healers can answer that... [in fact most mitigation is allocated outside of the role ironically enough.])

So continuing on, plot twist, we already are one...just a glorified one with heal bloating. But as we do however do both healing and dps (mostly dps if optimized), it becomes prevalent quickly if you play healers that the damage side of things is stale, not sure why that's very hard to make out. lel
Also, adding dps skills to a class doesn't make that class forgo its existence, that's not how that works. [Are tanks only enmity generators(?) No? Okay.] (Healing will still be done as that's the job of the healer primarily, although one could also argue most of the healing has been side-lined to other classes which further proves that should they keep this, that healers should have more to do as our role in the trinity becomes for naught...)

The best solution imo is to consolidate healing skills as we have too many (then allocate other heal skills to answer more unique mechanics so it's not just thinking on what heals to use but rather what tools do what, which makes us have to use our brains in that department, i.e the job's premise of "healing", where we no longer do). Then increase the things we lack in (dps, buffing, mitigation, etc).
(this while rethinking other classes that also heal and provide mitigation besides just the healer)...

Answering: too many strong heals (and options on what to use) and also answering what we do in the downtime, as this is a whole role [and cross role] issue not just one and done I'm afraid. The design as it stands is too uninspired...

[TheDustyOne]

Technically speaking, from skills you use, we are already at or are near the 30/70 as whm assuming you removed cure and medica I from your hotkeys and don't consider cross class skills.

Dmg: POM, Afflatus Misery, Holy, Assize, Dia, Glare (6)
Heal: Liturgy, Aquaveil, Temperance, Rapture, PI, Divine Bension, TA, Tetra, Assylum, Solace, Medica II, Cure II, Cure III, Regen, Benediction, Res. (16)

For a total of 22 buttons. 6/22 being damage = 0.2727^- or roughly 27%

Personally we need more than what we have and 30% isn't going to cut it and it is also dependent on what they do if they were to add them. Like for example, a followup to Holy would still be technically a damage skill but it would have limited niche cases outside of dungeons. The 40% split definitely could work because 40% of 22 would be ~9 which is three more buttons (and would allot buttons for one niche use case skill, and two primary use case skills)...Personally could probably do for five more instead of three..so we start getting closer to 1:1 (11::16 could also rid or consolidate five healing skills in general to be perfect 1:1 [or reimagine some to answer new things so they have reason to exist])

Talking in fixed numbers gives a better ideology then looking at percentiles sometimes.

it's also worth adding in Role actions here, which would add another 6 buttons not dedicated to damage, I'll be generous and remove Repose and Rescue. So that's 26 WHM abilities and only 6 being damage oriented, making it closer to 23/77 split. To put it above that 30/70, we'd need 2 more abilities, which for WHM is probably enough; an ability to build towards after x Glare casts and a buff or cooldown to keep an eye on at all times. 35/65 is probably a better split, but it's all dependent on the kits and it's likely better to just worry about how a kit works as a whole rather than how it's split.

[Katish]

it's also worth adding in Role actions here, which would add another 6 buttons not dedicated to damage, I'll be generous and remove Repose and Rescue. So that's 26 WHM abilities and only 6 being damage oriented, making it closer to 23/77 split. To put it above that 30/70, we'd need 2 more abilities, which for WHM is probably enough; an ability to build towards after x Glare casts and a buff or cooldown to keep an eye on at all times. 35/65 is probably a better split, but it's all dependent on the kits and it's likely better to just worry about how a kit works as a whole rather than how it's split.

Technically you can also remove surecast as nothing really needs it (you just move into position), and maybe even esuna depending on what content you do. Leaving only two Lucid and Swift which are a must. Personally would forgo role actions given they aren't independent per the job and are across roles (healer, tank, ranged, melee).
As for two, I don't think two would be enough tbh, because one would probably have a niche attached to it while the other would be the standalone which wouldn't really differentiate our gameplay meaningfully unless both are niche then that wouldn't be solving anything really. I'd say a minimum of 3 is needed where niche can fill one or two but the third should definitely add something meaningful.

The one you recommended really wouldn't impact our gameplay meaningfully cause it would fall under the same issue as a dot does. Use it when available, otherwise 1-1-1-1-1.....same with the buff (use within two minute meta) [specific cases]. I think a more meaningful change, for example, would be a system that feeds into itself.. by moving whm's heal kit solely to its lily gauge and then letting glares generate lilies (not just having it generate a skill to do more damage as this unlocks options) while having an optional spender on just adding onto damage while also contributing to the lily gauge. The finality of the lily gauge, Afflatus Misery could have an ender skill on top of that (that being two). Then perhaps a follow up to holy so in dungeons you are also not spamming one button. Then having more versatile skills that answer new problems other than just healing to fill the heals that were removed for the redefined system. This giving synergy within the kit with 1 skill being game changing because now your lilies can be manually procked, the afflatus ender skill being as use-case, and the holy followup being more niche but directed to more specific scenarios (2 niche or specific use cases, 1 game changing) (You could also add synergy with the holy followup generating lilies but you get the point.) [As this only being idealistic and used to serve as an example, don't take this as what I would truly want (I just want change), this was primarily to use as an example.]

I have mentioned the issue is the entire job and not just dps skills. DPS skills would just be the start of undoing uninspired job design the next step would be incorporating them into how the job as a whole functions.

[TheDustyOne]

I'd still keep Surecast and Esuna, even if content doesn't demand it that often, they're still useful abilities unlike Repose and don't have the issues that Rescue entails. I also don't need Benediction 90% of the time, but I still count it as part of the WHM kit. We still count Rampart and Provoke as essential parts of the tank kit alongside Shirk, even if Shirk sees less use outside raids.

I can agree with the criticisms over a buff/cooldown, in that we're still doing primarily Glare casts, but the main thing really is to bring something that breaks the Glare monotony, so a 15s buff/cooldown with a 21s DoT + a Super Glare every 3 Glare casts can be enough. If that cooldown also unlocks the Super Glare by giving the extra stacks or by removing the Super Glare cost, then it further adds to that engagement of the kit. WHM doesn't need much to be engaging, have lilies offer more interesting heal options apart from Afflatus Cure II and Afflatus Medica (at least put some Regens under the lily system Square), and you have a simple kit that has at least 4 things to watch out for (Super Glare stacks, buff/cooldown, DoT, Lilies). Add some longer cast times and now we're adding elements of good positioning, weave window creation, and the resource management required to make those things to watch out for too, unlike always having the 1.5s cast times we have now. An example would be having that cooldown with 2 charges (I'm thinking of it being an instant cast GCD cooldown ala Sonic Break) and it's now a movement/weave tool as well as a Super Glare charger and a cooldown to keep rolling.

It's super simple and so long as Square makes the GCD heals an actual part of the kit, we can cut out oGCDs (which is part of what makes the nuke spam so dull, oGCDs just let you nuke more) and the kit may actually have some meat to it. It's also worth remembering people were happy with healers back in SB where we didn't actually have a huge DPS kit; WHM had 2 DoTs with the longest being 18s long, SCH had 3 DoTs (4 with Shadowflare on a 60s cooldown, and Miasma II was more movement/weave tool than a maintainable DoT) and Bane was only useful in dungeons, AST had the Nuke + DoT we had now but more interesting cards. We legitimately don't need much to make healer DPS engaging.

[ForsakenRoe]

WHM had 2 DoTs with the longest being 18s long

Aero 3 was 24s, let's not get things mixed up, you're thinking of HW

That aside, I do feel like the constant extending of DOTs has diminished their importance as part of the gameplay (used to have to IJ on BRD every 18s in HW, then 30 in SB, now 45), and because of that, its actually EASIER to forget to refresh them now than previously. Additionally, the constant increasing of duration allows SE to more easily justify their removal, since 'its just a boring 1400p total (SCH numbers) you press twice a minute, might as well remove it and make Broil stronger' kind of deal. I'd like to see us go back a bit, to the times of eg: Dia is 12s duration but hits harder to compensate, as I think that fits WHM aesthetic (bursty) a lot more than the current Dia does. SCH is the prime example, where we could have eg a 15s DOT, a 24s DOT and Bio can stay at 30s. They're all divisible by 120 so they all line up for burst window. AST, ironically, I'd like to see them either go all in on the DOT and have gameplay centered around it, or just remove it to make more mental load available for a more indepth card system.

But what I'd like, and what we'll get, are two different things. I wouldn't be surprised if the DOTs got extended again, or even pruned with no replacement, and the cards to be even more brain-off

[TheDustyOne]

My mistake, yeah Aero 3 was longer.

I agree, the constant increase in DoT duration is what's making us forget about them, I hate that Bards last 45s since I keep forgetting about them. I already had that problem at 30s, whereas I never had as much trouble with SCH back in SB because I knew that one of them was going to fall off soon. I've had to drill the habit back then to press Iron Jaws just before changing songs, only now 45s is making me forget the songs too.

Also in regards to simple kits and engagement, Warrior is a good example; 2 combos where one generates gauge quickly and the other provides a buff, a spender in fell cleave, and 4 cooldowns to watch. One of those cooldowns also decreases as you spend your gauge, it's a very simple kit not too dissimilar to the WHM I just offered above. Taking Assize and PoM into account, and the only difference would be a gap closer, a 1-2 part of the combo (which is inconsequential anyway, the choice of combo is made based on what finisher effect you want), and a big finisher with Primal Rend (which isn't a particularly thoughtful skill, but is nice to have).

[IDontPetLalas]

I'd be fine with SCH having dots and a return of bane, in fact I'd welcome that, it used to be enjoyable. I definitely would not want to see dots on AST For multiple reasons: there's no connection to the job as there is with SCH (job identity), if I have a job where I would be centered around tracking dots (SCH) - I don't want another one, and if I would prefer to have a mix of DPS skills (some of which could have time delays, macro comes to mind) and selecting/tracking buffs.

I hope that's comprehensible.

[TheDustyOne]

I don't think a DoT is entirely uncharacteristic for AST, but should instead focus on different interactions to go with its theming. I suggested in my AST theorycraft having a "fast-forward" effect where it dispels the DoT and triggers all remaining damage immediately in a single burst (or more fittingly, having the dispel tick several times at once, so dispelling the DoT at 27s would cause 9 separate instances of damage), which fits in with AST as a pseudo Time Mage.

Let Combust provide a chance to proc something per tick and it would be great.

[AmiableApkallu]

"Proximity of a theoretical sun is causing damage over time." This must be preserved.

[Aravell]

Having a high amount of buttons isn't strictly necessary for a cohesive damage kit. We want a breakup of the filler spam, yes? We really only need 4-6 buttons that we press regularly that also have heavy kit interaction.

I'd personally rather have 4 buttons that I press regularly to build up to something than have 10 buttons and 8 of those are on timers of 60-120s.