Thread: Healers in 5.0

The only healer I really play is AST, but it is my main and so far I'm disappointed with the changes I see.

I know that the changes aren't final, and I also don't know how it will feel playing it until I actually get to play it. It took me a while to want to try the current AST because people kept spooking me with its complexity. It certainly seemed overwhelming to me too when I watched videos. But once I actually started to play it, I began to love it. Perhaps I'll end up feeling the same way once I play 5.0's AST, especially if they change encounter designs.

I also understand why they changed the card system. A lot of ASTs just fished for balances anyways, might as well make all cards increase DPS.

But the content I most regularly do is dungeons, not high-end raids (which I've yet to dip my toes into). So fishing for RR Balances wasn't always what I cared about. Enhanced Balance, sure, but most of the other cards had their uses too. I find the current card system extremely fun and engaging. Furthermore, I've always loved the Time Mage aspects/buff extensions that AST can utilize. So when I watched the video, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that the things I love about AST are either getting changed considerably or removed altogether.

I hope that I will still love AST in 5.0. I guess only time will tell.

Well, I guess we know now why Y'shtola switched to BLM in the ShB trailer.

Personally I like the AST changes, while this new system might not be perfect, it's definitely better than waiting 5 mins between parse runs because the AST can't get a balance or screwing up boss phases because of rdps differences. I think the seal system has potential, hopefully with 6.0 it'll be made a bit more interesting.

I wait and see how it actually feel to play. I really hoped to do more actually healing than just throwing stones in most dungeons but I also would have liked a bit new spice to my main (WHM). For AST and SCH I can't really say I'm hyped about the changes but I would like to try them out first before I throw a tantrum.

It’s really sad honestly. They kept each jobs “identity” in the most literal sense; aesthetically.

Other than that they are essentially all the same. As an AST main whose been around since a realm reborn back when I was a whm and an AST when we super sucked during heavensward I think I might try to dps

I've just seen the changes and I am super disappointed. I mean no new healer was already sad, and now they do this.

I've played all healers basically and WHM seems to have gotten some good things and the least changes. They drastically changed SCH dps and pet management and then just (imo) gutted AST.
I mained AST since its release, through the very bad and good times, and I actually enjoyed making decisions. Now I look at these "cards" and it feels like they just kept them because they were already there. I really dislike it. It was RNG before and probably suboptimal, but it was fun and engaging and what made it different. Now it's probably dead for me and am glad I already decided to not main healer this expac. Sad, but also glad.

Players, unsurprisingly, are over-reacting. Tremendously. Every accusation of "loss of identity" is nothing short of hyperbole. Yes, the DPS toolkits are simplified and homogenized—which isn't exactly a bad thing, given how many healers outright refuse to DPS, and the difficulty ceiling of DPSing optimally and healing simultaneously is much higher than anything else in the game. That being said, look at the healing toolkits, there are similarities but there are job defining characteristics that clearly distinguish them from the others. Job identity is intact, just not in the DPS repertoire.


Overall, I do like the changes. The needlessly complicated aspects of healers have been quashed, and redundant utility (looking at you AST, and how every card but Balance got re-drawn or royal roaded) has been eliminated.


More than anything, wait to play the changes. DPSing is going to be ... less than fun, but we really need to see encounter design before we make too many judgments.