Is reflect the answer for WHM?

[Gemina]

In another thread, I brought this up while asking about raid utility, and thought I would bring it up in a separate thread. I don't raid, so I can only toss haymakers when it comes to suggestions, but when thinking about how SE wants WHM to stay a pure healer, and the meta wants more utility from WHM that not only competes with SCH and AST, but has its own flavor as well, the iconic spell Reflect came to mind.

Whether to replace the AoE stoneskin, or on its own, how helpful would this be? Especially in accordance to the lily system, which could be implemented to boost what reflect does. There is a myriad of possibilities: Reflecting physical damage, magical damage, both, a percentage based on number of lilies, it goes on and on. Whichever the case, the WHM essentially protects the group be reflecting damage back onto the enemy?

I'm trying and trying to think of something! Maybe this one won't get shot down. Thoughts?

[Hasrat]

Also not a raider, so opinion may be of limited use, but wouldn't that tip the scales too far the other way? If WHM is preventing damage and also putting out damage at the same time, that might feed too much into the "MOAR DPS" mentality of some of those hardcore groups.

[DreamWeaver]

IMO, the first step for healer BALANCE in general, is to remove ALL "utilities" that buffs party damage, Balance/Arrow/Chain Strategem all gotta go.

This is an unhealthy "meta" where the value of a healer is how often they can stroke the DPS's shaft the most. I mean seriously, is that truly what healers are to you? Be the Balance-female dog of the party?

Our utilities should be about boosting the survivability of the party, stuff like CU, DT those are great, and I hope we'll see more skills like those instead of more "press this button to stroke your DPS shaft even harder".

[Gemina]

Also not a raider, so opinion may be of limited use, but wouldn't that tip the scales too far the other way? If WHM is preventing damage and also putting out damage at the same time, that might feed too much into the "MOAR DPS" mentality of some of those hardcore groups.

I dunno. I was even thinking of going as far as restoring HP while reflecting back damage, but wasn't sure if too OP. It seems though that WHM needs something pretty substantial to even compete with AST now.

[Gemina]

IMO, the first step for healer BALANCE in general, is to remove ALL "utilities" that buffs party damage, Balance/Arrow/Chain Strategem all gotta go.

This is an unhealthy "meta" where the value of a healer is how often they can stroke the DPS's shaft the most. I mean seriously, is that truly what healers are to you? Be the Balance-female dog of the party?

Our utilities should be about boosting the survivability of the party, stuff like CU, DT those are great, and I hope we'll see more skills like those instead of more "press this button to stroke your DPS even harder".

I agree, but what can we do? The meta wants damage. The content is geared towards causing damage. WHM is shunned because it can't boost damage. Survivability is based on destroying things quickly. We conform or stay out

This is not a healer to me. Of course not. The only time I feel like a healer is when things go bad, and it is up to me to salvage the situation. When I get to use my LB. When I have to use Cure 2. When Presence of Mind is spent keeping the group up. When my fairy and I have to do doubly duty heals. When the situation calls for fey illumination. These things make me feel like a healer.

I want to be a healer, but the meta won't allow this will it?

[DreamWeaver]

I agree, but what can we do? The meta wants damage. The content is geared towards causing damage. WHM is shunned because it can't boost damage. Survivability is based on destroying things quickly. We conform or stay out

This is not a healer to me. Of course not. The only time I feel like a healer is when things go bad, and it is up to me to salvage the situation. When I get to use my LB. When I have to use Cure 2. When Presence of Mind is spent keeping the group up. When my fairy and I have to do doubly duty heals. When the situation calls for fey illumination. These things make me feel like a healer.

I want to be a healer, but the meta won't allow this will it?

Which is why my very first sentence is to propose the removal of all dps boosting "utilities" from all healers.

[Reiryuu]

Which is why my very first sentence is to propose the removal of all dps boosting "utilities" from all healers.

I kinda agree. Give the DPS buffing abilities to the DPS. Give healers the TP/MP restoration tools instead. You could have WHMs have perhaps TP/MP regen abilities, SCH could have one time MP/TP injections (a TP/MP "cure" if you will) and perhaps AST could lower the cost of TP/MP abilities giving each their single use and together make them stronger. Of course, that would make healers TP/MP -female dogs for the DPS too rather than giving them time to do their own dps but... perhaps this is the answer to those healers that don't want to DPS and would rather heal their raids' TP/MP/etc?

[Javari]

i think reflect would be a good idea. Simply because its something to do as a whm if it was heals only. Whm as it is now is boring as hell. You either help dps which gives you something to do or just throw a medica up and regen and go afk. You only heal a lot in this game if your party sucks. Boring job unless they up damage output a lot.

[KingFrost]

Reflect should just cut a huge chunk of damage, and return it to sender. Have it be guaranteed to reflect, but on a longer CD with a shorter duration that E4aE.

The issue with the "Pure Healer" mentality SE has is that it goes against what the White Mage has been in the franchise.

To list a few ionic spells/abilities outside of healing: Faith, Bravery, Reflect, Berserk, Float, Haste, Arise, Bubble, Shell, Mini, Dispel, and many others I'm sure I'm missing. The actual Whm identity is Healer, Buffer, Debuffer, and Damage in that order. In most FF games you'd be casting Buffs far more than healing with the Job

[Ayer2015]

If we were pure healers I would not be playing the role in 14.
Reflect could add utility; block 1 skill and deal x potency damage to the attacker
Personally I think Protect should be removed from the cross-role system and added as a WHM exclusive party-wide Rampart.