Add Shell, and don't make it stackable with protect.

[DamianFatale]

It would be really cool if there were more than one type of protect. It would allow parties to think carefully on which type of attack they want to be shielded against, rather than just casting the same protect every time. Personally I feel like it's kinda useless, unless they expand on it more. It feels like SE could just lower all enemies attacks, by the percentage of protect, and it wouldn't even matter if it were there. Give us some diffident types of protective magic.

[Jybril]

Isn't that what Protect is in this game?
Shell in FF series - Increases Magic defense. (There's another small alteration in FF6 but still the same thing.)
Protect in FF series - Generally halves all physical damage dealt to the target.
Protect in XIV - Increases the physical and magic defense of target and all party members nearby target.

They basically merged Shell into Protect.
Actually they made Protect, Proshell.

[Dualgunner]

First necessity before we can have that is we need to be able to definitively discern magic attacks from physical attacks. They're pretty nebulous as is.

[Ameela]

I'd still like to see Reflect at some point, IMO it's much more iconic than both Protect and Shell and I'm surprised they haven't done anything with it yet.

[Bacent]

Isn't that what Protect is in this game?
Shell in FF series - Increases Magic defense. (There's another small alteration in FF6 but still the same thing.)
Protect in FF series - Generally halves all physical damage dealt to the target.
Protect in XIV - Increases the physical and magic defense of target and all party members nearby target.

They basically merged Shell into Protect.
Actually they made Protect, Proshell.

Don't forget at the launch of XIV only White Mage had Protect with Proshell, any other healer had to make due with only a physical defensive boost instead.

[MisterLucie]

And then half the raid dies at the end of V3S library phase because half the party takes huge physical damage and half takes huge magical.

[Nestama]

I'd still like to see Reflect at some point, IMO it's much more iconic than both Protect and Shell and I'm surprised they haven't done anything with it yet.

Reflect has made an appearance once or twice... but as monster abilities.

[Phafi]

First necessity before we can have that is we need to be able to definitively discern magic attacks from physical attacks. They're pretty nebulous as is.

Assume the attack is magic until you see it can be parried.

[SilverObi]

Multiple spells for situational use? You're asking them to think of us as intelligent video game players now.

Honestly though I'd love more spells and abilities with niche applications but the direction this game has gone since 2.0 has made it very clear they don't want things too complicated for us. Even our selection of role abilities are a core of must-haves with a smattering of maybe's. For healers it's even worse.

[Daralii]

Reflect has made an appearance once or twice... but as monster abilities.

And it will probably remain a monster ability, because it would be extremely hard to balance if we could get it. If it were to function like it does in the rest of the series, it'd basically be giving healers a targeted Shelltron that's also a huge nuke.