Mogtalk interview with yoshi p

[RiyahArp]

Put another way. Do you prefer the current system where healers are expected to DPS or a system that encourages healing and fights don't have to rely on OHKO mechanics to be threatening?

Yeah, I'd rather have the current system. You're asking for it to be made dramatically harder for one single class by forcing GCDs that are optional and can be used either for DPS or healing into pure healing. We have an example of that in Feast, and even though you can't one hit someone in Feast without proper timing and coordination, it's horrid to play as a healer in it. If you need two healers at full output to handle encounters in this game, you've just reduced their ability to slip up, regardless of lack of one hits. If you only have one, well, good luck with that, get used to wiping and being kicked as a dps because I can't cover for you when you stand in the bad.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Yeah, I'd rather have the current system. You're asking for it to be made dramatically harder for one single class by forcing GCDs that are optional and can be used either for DPS or healing into pure healing. We have an example of that in Feast, and even though you can't one hit someone in Feast without proper timing and coordination, it's horrid to play as a healer in it. If you need two healers at full output to handle encounters in this game, you've just reduced their ability to slip up, regardless of lack of one hits. If you only have one, well, good luck with that, get used to wiping and being kicked as a dps because I can't cover for you when you stand in the bad.

You realize in the average dungeon, I will spend upwards of 80% casting Stone IV, Holy, Aero II or Aero III, yes? Both the healers in my static spend over 60% of their time casting DPS spells. No other MMO has its healers play pseudo-DPS who occasionally heals yet that is precisely how healers in FFXIV operate. Reducing their potency won't make healing "dramatically harder." It will make it so you have to spend more time healing than DPSing.

[RiyahArp]

You realize in the average dungeon, I will spend upwards of 80% casting Stone IV, Holy, Aero II or Aero III, yes? Both the healers in my static spend over 60% of their time casting DPS spells. No other MMO has its healers play pseudo-DPS who occasionally heals yet that is precisely how healers in FFXIV operate. Reducing their potency won't make healing "dramatically harder." It will make it so you have to spend more time healing than DPSing.

Of course it will make it harder.

Let's say there's a period of time where I have 20 GCDS as a healer. 60% DPS means about 8 casts mitigate the incoming damage raid wide. Now lets halve potency overall. That means I need 16 casts to cover raid damage.

Now imagine what happens if I get hit by a mechanic that paralyzes me, and I lose 4 GCDs. I have to be perfect with normal casts to still cover incoming damage. Now imagine if I die.

Let's say I'm raised really fast, up in 2 GCDs. Ok, that's cool. Let's say I have good MP management, so lack of MP doesn't factor in. Ok. Problem is though I now have a 25% potency hit from the raise for one minute, which may mean I need at least one more GCD every 4 for every minute. So I'm probably going to wipe the raid because I died; my casts are too few that I won't be able to keep up with damage. This is because the amount of GCDs that are required not to wipe the raid that only I can do are very high and make me vulnerable to disruption much more like a DPS is, and we all know how hard it can be for DPS.

In FFXI you were more of a pure healer, but you didn't nonstop heal either. You spent time casting debuffs (dia, para, slow) and buffs (barspells.) You spent a lot of time not even healing, you took a knee to regen MP, and you had a lot of things that helped you minimize that time spent resting, as well as a cohealer that healed while you did. And FFXI healing was pretty hard overall. FFXIV doesnt have anywhere near this depth, so we'd just be nonstop curing if they made us more pure healers, and there's no real way to balance this; we have no haste, or no buffs for short term potency up for all but one healer. Our tools are mostly for MP management, designed to have us keep casting.

I think it would be much harder as the game is now. You'd need to change a lot to make it the same difficulty.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Of course it will make it harder.

Let's say there's a period of time where I have 20 GCDS as a healer. 60% DPS means about 8 casts mitigate the incoming damage raid wide. Now lets halve potency overall. That means I need 16 casts to cover raid damage.

Now imagine what happens if I get hit by a mechanic that paralyzes me, and I lose 4 GCDs. I have to be perfect with normal casts to still cover incoming damage. Now imagine if I die.

Let's say I'm raised really fast, up in 2 GCDs. Ok, that's cool. Let's say I have good MP management, so lack of MP doesn't factor in. Ok. Problem is though I now have a 25% potency hit from the raise for one minute, which may mean I need at least one more GCD every 4 for every minute. So I'm probably going to wipe the raid because I died; my casts are too few that I won't be able to keep up with damage. This is because the amount of GCDs that are required not to wipe the raid that only I can do are very high and make me vulnerable to disruption much more like a DPS is, and we all know how hard it can be for DPS.

In FFXI you were more of a pure healer, but you didn't nonstop heal either. You spent time casting debuffs (dia, para, slow) and buffs (barspells.) You spent a lot of time not even healing, you took a knee to regen MP, and you had a lot of things that helped you minimize that time spent resting, as well as a cohealer that healed while you did. And FFXI healing was pretty hard overall. FFXIV doesnt have anywhere near this depth, so we'd just be nonstop curing if they made us more pure healers, and there's no real way to balance this; we have no haste, or no buffs for short term potency up for all but one healer. Our tools are mostly for MP management, designed to have us keep casting.

I think it would be much harder as the game is now. You'd need to change a lot to make it the same difficulty.

Harder, yes. But as per usual, you over-exaggerate things.

First and foremost, those sixteen casts would be split amongst both healers whereas currently one can primarily DPS. Your example also does not account for content not necessitating the sheer amount of healing all in the span of several seconds. Ever single fight has ample downtime, thus even with a healing potency reduction you would still have time to recover. A death puts more pressure on your co-healer and support jobs, however that's the whole point. Let's look at Rabanastre. I can, and have, gone the entire run casting very few healing spells. In this hypothetical, I'd be forced to actually participate as a healer. Assume I died, 75% healing efficiency between both healers remains overkill for everything Rabanastre throws at you. Case in point, people have cleared it on all tanks, red mages or with multiple healers dead. The content simply doesn't demand what you are insinuating hence why pure healing is considered extremely easy.

You have frequently complained about the OHKO mechanics utilized, especially in Rabanastre. They exist because healers are essentially overpowered. Reducing healing potency allows for more varied mechanics, both from bosses and oGCD buffs. Largesse becomes infinitely more useful if you actually had to prioritize more GCD healing.

So add that depth back. Heaven knows Astro could use something beyond Malefic III on an endless loop. I would much prefer more varied gameplay on a healer than Stone IV/Aero II/III spam 60-80% of the time. And this is coming from someone who loves to DPS on healers. I simply find it silly you will always spend more time dealing damage than your primary role.

Most MMO's doesn't even have healers, you gotta take care of your own healing. And if they made healing diffuculty higher than it is now, then a lot and I mean A LOT of people would struggle. Hell, people struggle already now. Yesterday a guy asked a tank or a melee dps to do the pink color in 06s, because he said there is ton of damage to heal when 1 healer is inside the thing that kills the wind spirits. It's just 1 aoe and it's pretty easy to heal...

To be fair, that person has no business anywhere near Savage if they cannot handle that mechanic.

[akaneakki]

To be fair, that person has no business anywhere near Savage if they cannot handle that mechanic.

Ikr, but the issue isn't only mechanics we talking about here. Too many healers struggle healing fights even when their own dps is super low or not even trying to dps.