~Poll~ Longer fights <Do you want it?>

[Jocko]

Debuffing has to get away from the asinine design of FFXI, and that requires re-imagining a whole bunch of the spells. Paralyze preventing actions on proc is OP'd. Silence preventing spell casting is OP'd. Amnesia as we knew it in XI was OP'd from a player character perspective (hence why players never got access to it).

Paralyze does not have to prevent actions on proc, rather, giving each action a chance to be interrupted on use seems perfectly reasonable [Edit: I just realized how dumb what I said was ]. Preventing spell casting isn't OP at all, really. Not every mob has to be susceptible to every debuff, and those that are can have differing amounts of resistance. Bringing a class with silence to a boss that is somewhat susceptible is a valid strategy, sacrificing potential dps for potential utility. Another example, if mobs could be grouped (Much like they are in traditional FF titles), debuffs like silence could be used to CC certain mobs while others are taken out first, having a class' playstyle revolve around keeping specific mobs locked down.

Say you don't have a DRK but have a DNC instead in that DPS slot; then you can have them use Box step to help your group reach that Defense Down cap on a boss level mob.

To me, that sounds like the homogenization of classes that we're trying to avoid. Not every class needs to be good (Or even viable) at every facet of the game. Having classes excel in particular areas creates class uniqueness and elements of strategy with class formation. You can argue that people disliked being locked out of content due to elitism in XI, but XIV is designed around having multiple capped jobs fairly quickly, so I don't find that an issue. An area where debuffs shine, and an area where they don't. Bring a Green Mage to one, and something else to the other. I don't see a problem with this.

It would have to be (IMO) designed as a HoT-focused healer to enter the healer roster alongside WHM, with some buffs to help the group out (+Attack, +Spell Power).

Then it's not a Green Mage