Thread: Consolidated White Mage 4.0 Feedback Thread

I too share in the disquiet over the upcoming WHM changes.

I relate with the idea that the lilies are tacked on. That they don't feel rewarding. That they don't promote good gameplay.

I haven't seen the job quests from level 60 to 70 so I cannot make grand claims on how much the Lilies belong on the White Mage. But based on what I remember, the lilies are meant to be a pre-60 mechanic, so they have no relationship with whatever story stuff may happen relating to the WHM job quests.

Which leads me to the following impression: I don't see how it has anything to do with the White Mage, except that the UI element kind of looks like the crook atop some of our staves.

I see Yoshi-P stress on the pure healer angle for White Mage and I don't know how to feel about that. In Final Fantasy, White Mages were the best users of White Magic. The distinction eventually got muddled with the introduction of other jobs, which eventually saw the White Mage set out as holy, saintly. A lot of things could fall under that portmanteau, but unfortunately, the other 2 FF14 healer classes have drawn from some of that.

It doesn't change that I think the pure healer approach is shortsighted. Being the 'saintly' healer still feels like the perception that ought to matter more. as for spells that are missing; Float, Reflect and re-Raise come to mind. do those have a place, considering what I know of FF14 encounter design? Maybe not.

Which then has me delve on what I do know of FF14's conjurer/white mage... and one of the most important story fixtures for them is their connection with the elementals. That they have a prime responsibility in diffusing what angers the elementals. That most of everything we see that's tied to magic in Adampor has some connection to White Mages. That they draw from the aether of their environment and can tap into the Lifestream. That the lifestream can blind (in relation to Y'shtola).

If I would have devised mechanics for the White Mage in 4.0, I would have oriented it towards that connection between Elementals and the Lifestream. Say that a WHM has two gauges representing each, and that they are filled out at the start of a fight. then, if I start healing, my connection with the Lifestream is strong so while I tap into it, the casts of everyone of my healing spells are improved (the way SquareEnix has it set up, this could be spell speed *shrug* ). when my connection to the lifestream petters out, I lose my bonus, but then, I could start using my attack spells like Aero and Stone, tapping into the elemental power instead and enjoying the benefits of a full gauge while my connection to the lifestream rests and improves in the meantime.

I like this idea, because it's incentive to use everyone of your tools. It doesn't mimic other job gimmicks too closely, and actually incentivizes you not just to heal (though nothing stops you from doing just that) but also to DPS. It's an echo of the stance-dancing gameplay that's been centric to White Mages, but without the restrictions of it; only positive reinforcement. Even better: it's strongly thematic.

I also would replace the Repose spell the Conjurer has with Blind to have some form of utility/damage mitigation, while relating to repercussions of contact with the lifestream seen in the Heavensward MSQ.

I suppose having a high elemental or lifestream gauge could be used as currency to cast some of the stronger spells White Mage could have, though I personally would have steered clear of it because I think positive reinforcement of things the WHM could do before is better than adding restrictions. If the gauges are used as fuel, it better be for newly introduced level 60+ abilities (I could totally relate with something as powerful as a Re-Raise drawing a lot from my connection with the lifestream; and it'd be neat to see a powerful connection with the elementals enabling things like Quake or Tornado).

Apologies if these have been mentioned elsewhere in the thread, but there's a lot of stuff to parse through and I don't have time for that. I do have a couple suggestions, though. I'll list them in two sections, a "band-aid" section that can (I think) be done quickly, and an "overhaul" section that would require more time.

Band-Aid

• Have Lily proc chance on all GCD heals.
• Have Confession stacks proc on Regen/Medica II ticks.
• Change the reduction for one Lily stack from 4% to 5%.

Overhaul

• Have the CD reduction for Lily stacks be a spell speed buff that passively applies to all spells with no consumption for GCD healing or damage spells.
• Consume stacked Lilies for 5%/10%/20% potency increase on oGCD heals. Benediction consumes them for same % shields instead, as it's a heal to full.
• Remove Confession stacks altogether, have Plenary use Lilies instead.

Originally Posted by Jxnibbles

100% chance on cure 2 for a Spear.. Wow what a Band-Aid. As a Whm main I just want to travel in time to 4.1 already maybe then they would have something unique for us.

Its more around 4.2 as they don't change very much during a raid tier.