Yoshi-P: "If you want more engaging content, go play Ultimate"

[Valence]

But I'm saying that no amount of simplifying draws in enough people in that hypothetical. The state of DF gets critical due to lack of healer participation because almost no one is willing to put up with the boring gameplay.

Counterpoint: why are they all flocking to SMN which is essentially the same boring gameplay? Why the most played healer by far has always consistently been WhM, the most boring of them all? Why every time something gets dumbed down to oblivion, the playing rates dramatically increase?

( the questions are rhetorical )

[HappyHubris]

Counterpoint: why are they all flocking to SMN which is essentially the same boring gameplay? Why the most played healer by far has always consistently been WhM, the most boring of them all? Why every time something gets dumbed down to oblivion, the playing rates dramatically increase?

( the questions are rhetorical )

Honestly, I preferred healing on WHM, because it scratched that Final Fantasy / generic fantasy aesthetic so, so much better than the other classes. Mechanical complexity didn't have much to do with it, and SCH never felt like it had enough extra complexity over WHM to use it instead. When the fights mean that you're mostly blasting your 1 key, it's sort of moot.

[ZiraZ]

Counterpoint: why are they all flocking to SMN which is essentially the same boring gameplay? Why the most played healer by far has always consistently been WhM, the most boring of them all? Why every time something gets dumbed down to oblivion, the playing rates dramatically increase?

( the questions are rhetorical )

Because once a healer gives up on healing they can pick SMN and it's like playing healing but without worrying about the health bars. Similar situation when a melee player gives up on crit savage and just chooses a phys range so they can autopilot and brain off.
Also WHM is not the most played healer by far, its barely above the rest in TOP, 2nd in DSR, 3rd on Savage raids, and equal to Sage in easier stuff like Zeromus.

[ty_taurus]

Counterpoint: why are they all flocking to SMN which is essentially the same boring gameplay? Why the most played healer by far has always consistently been WhM, the most boring of them all? Why every time something gets dumbed down to oblivion, the playing rates dramatically increase?

( the questions are rhetorical )

I imagine the jobs we'd see in influx of would be red mage and dancer the most. Not because they're easy, but because they offer a taste of support-oriented gameplay. Red Mage has Magick Barrier and can instant raise in a pinch, and Dancer has Curing Waltz, Shield Samba, and Improvisation.