WHM getting progressively more unnecessary in content?

[Rennies]

At level 35, you actually have a lot of tools readily available on AST compared to WHM at the same level. This includes:

• Luminiferous Aether (which already has the boosted duration)
• Essential Dignity
• Draw and Royal Road for buffs (minor but it's there)
• A more potent HoT via Aspected Benefic

While already having Cure, Cure II, and Esuna equivalents at their disposal at a lower MP cost to boot.

It's actually pretty busted how many tools AST have at their disposal at low level compared to WHM.

To be fair, I'll still take White Mage over Ast at 35-50 any day for higher damage with Holy and Stone II.

[Ghishlain]

To be fair, I'll still take White Mage over Ast at 35-50 any day for higher damage with Holy and Stone II.

I'm the opposite probably up to level 45, where Holy is there for everyone's shining explosive ball of death, lol.

I know it's a matter of play style and opinion but I personally like AST's kit offers me more options and longevity thus giving me more DPS uptime versus WHMs kit in all the dungeons between 15 to 45. Essential Dignity gives some gigantic windows of opportunity at those levels.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

At level 35, you actually have a lot of tools readily available on AST compared to WHM at the same level. This includes:

• Luminiferous Aether (which already has the boosted duration)
• Essential Dignity
• Draw and Royal Road for buffs (minor but it's there)
• A more potent HoT via Aspected Benefic

While already having Cure, Cure II, and Esuna equivalents at their disposal at a lower MP cost to boot.

It's actually pretty busted how many tools AST have at their disposal at low level compared to WHM.

Having a OGCD healing bomb at level 30 is indeed surprising. That's usually saved for the last piece of your kit, as shown by WHMs Benediction/Tetragrammaton and SCHs Lustrate.
Though it does become lacking at level 50 where you have no access to aoes, Synastry or Card extensions.

[Warr_of_Lint]

If damage dealing is the main concern, a simple buff may work. Add a trait that gives WHM a %dmg buff to WHM for each HoT she casts on her party, 10% for medica II, 15% for regen. The buff would only apply on the first respective HoT for each party member, so it doesn't result in ridiculous party compositions. Granted, I'm throwing out sample numbers and I'm in favor of much tweaking.

I expect it would do the following:
-re-establish WHM as the plain but powerful healer
-not increase the complexity of the job, unless players are trying to maximize dps (balancing mp, emnity, and timing)
-medica II dmg buff would scale heavily with full parties, which I believe was the main grievance of this thread

#
#makeWHMsgreatagain

[Cynfael]

snip

I'm happy with simple solutions, but the reason I wouldn't go this route is that the average WHM already overheals like a crazy bish, and I don't want to see WHMs maintaining 100% uptime on Medica II and Regens to get a damage buff. I think healing skills should stay in the category of rewarding efficient, timely use rather than spam.

[Warr_of_Lint]

I wouldn't go this route is that the average WHM already overheals like a crazy bish, and I don't want to see WHMs maintaining 100% uptime on Medica II and Regens to get a damage buff.

But it would be impossible to maintain 100% on medica and regen and still dps spam. Any fool who tried that would find herself at the top of the enmity list and without mp. All I'm suggesting is a pathway for the WHM at the top of their games to become the among the most desirable healers for raids, but they would still need to make judicious use of medica, regen, dps skills, and shroud to maximize their dps without screwing everything up.

Your run of the mill WHM would get a moderate dps boost, which they probably need at this point, without changing what they do now. Sure, some mediocre players will start spamming medica thinking that's what they're supposed to do, but we can't go about banning scissors just because some people run with them.

#makeWHMsgreatagain

[Cynfael]

But it would be impossible to maintain 100% on medica and regen and still dps spam. Any fool who tried that would find herself at the top of the enmity list and without mp.

This is where your faith in the average fool is misplaced. You can bet your ass that WHMs everywhere would be fighting tanks for enmity even more than the really bad ones are now. Besides, a strong WHM already produces a great deal of enmity between Shroud uses if they are keeping up DPS while healing responsibly. A 10 or 15% buff to their damage output connected to a high-enmity skill like Medica II would almost be a tease of sorts ("Enjoy this great DPS buff, but have fun managing your enmity against a crappy tank with your regens and your even higher DPS.")

I don't disagree with the idea that WHM needs a little something, but I'd prefer not to risk training up-and-coming WHMs to develop more bad healing habits. For example, I'd rather that a DPS buff be attached to the use of an offensive skill or at least to a comparatively minor healing effect without a regen attached.

[Warr_of_Lint]

This is where your faith in the average fool is misplaced..

I suppose you're right. I've been walking around this game for over a year, thinking its strange there are so many nice things that we ought to have (butt size slider). And I don't single out healers as the reason we don't have them.

Still #makeWHMsgreatagain

[Exiled_Tonberry]

But it would be impossible to maintain 100% on medica and regen and still dps spam. Any fool who tried that would find herself at the top of the enmity list and without mp.

Ohhhhh buddy, do I have news for you.

In a raid scenario, a WHM that can gain a buff from keeping regens up will no doubt 100% absolutely keep them up for that buff. Even if it means stealing aggro. All they'll do is blame tank aggro, and tanks will ask for aggro buffs they don't actually need, and Ninjas will become even more prominent for their aggro utility.

Not to mention WHM will go from a healer to a regen spammer that slaps on regens and watches everyone die to deal dmg.
Of we're going to add dmg utility to WHM, it's can't be tied to it's heals. It either had to play off of Cleric Stance or the DPS skills themselves (ex Aero ticks have a chance of making Fluid Aura reset).

[Warr_of_Lint]

(ex Aero ticks have a chance of making Fluid Aura reset).

I see where you're going with this. An interesting example, I'm more interested in a dps bonus though. I would prefer a lowering of wind & earth resistance just because random OCD recharges are going to be impossible to maximize with cleric stance cycles.

#makeWHMsgreatagain