Every problem with the current iteration of healers.

[Arale]

Honestly I feel like each healer actually heals fine. I've played WHM and AST both in every Savage and I didn't feel at a disadvantage at all in either case, I actually felt like AST heals were built better for a raid environment while WHM is better at unplanned healing.

The main difference really is how much is healer has to juggle in-between healing. WHM just has to DPS. AST is expected to DPS, while managing a card system in-between casts and not clipping and for a controller player like me, scrolling through the party list to find the right DPS to throw the card on. It's too much work.
For me it's not that AST is weak, it's simply too hectic to play efficiently enough when I can just grab WHM and DPS normally or SCH and be....well almost perfect.

New system screwing controller people aside (I know it sucks), I think old AST got around this because it wasn't nearly as hectic, but more importantly it was a far stronger job overall. pDPS was fairly high, and cards were stronger. Any unoptimal cards could be RR, either saving you a heal so you can DPS more or just giving you a new DPS move. Now it feels like the cards can't quite keep up with the hectic schedule of playing the job optimally, whereas before you could brute force that due to raw potency and other things. I personally love the job, and feel that the hectic nature fades a bit as I learn a fight but it's undeniably easier to just go on WHM and spam Glare, or SCH and spam Broil III while tossing CS out on cooldown. If cards/divination were buffed, I feel like some of these problems would be fixed. Maybe 10 potency increase on Malefic IV and Combust to round it out. This of course assumes no major card changes are coming, which given their LL answer seems to be the case.

[Saefinn]

I've elaborated plenty on what I don't like, but I've not given much in the way of what I do like, because there are things they got right or lay the groundworks for getting it right. I make no secret that my biggest gripes are in how much downtime for most content we get and how boring that down time is. I think if SE can address that problem, we'll be in a much better place and heading in the right direction. However, I am coming at this as a SCH.

I think in terms of the actual healing tool kit, I like what they've given us, I like the new spells and I like there is new stuff for faeries and additional mitigation (whilst I miss Selene). I like having Seraph once in a while, I think that's kinda cool and I like that she can help mitigate damage. When I have to focus on healing in content where I'm not getting downtime as a Scholar, I'm not bored and I think we have good tools for it to be enjoyable when I need to use them.

Being able to guarantee a critlo is nice, it removes a little RNG in favour of a little strategic use of Recitation. I used to try to get crit gear for a good Adlo crit rate. So this kinda helps further satisfy me getting a nice Critlo.
Other spells I think play nice to the job's tactical aspect, like Deployment Tactics, Emergency Tactics and Excogitation, which of course are all pre-existing to ShB and lend to how I feel SCH should be more pro-active and prepared.
Fey Blessing adds a little extra to insta heals or just adding that little bit extra to heals in general. I think in terms of healing toolkit, I prefer what we have now compared to what we had in Stormblood from a healing perspective. So I think SE has done well in this respect.

Of course, the problem is with how often I need to use the above. When I was levelling, I barely had to use my kit and it feels like it is the case for the majority of content. Levelling it was a little misleading, I got to level 75, did Qitana Ravel and was like "hey, this is pretty fun now", then Malikah's Well, "All right, SCH'll be fun in later levels it seems." Then I got to Mt Gulg and it was a lot of Art of War repetition again. And I realised this is because everybody in Mt Gulg was in proper gear levels for it, but weren't for the others.


I'd be happy for the healing toolkit to remain as is, but for SCH to feel fun, to reiterate I think one of 3 things would need to happen.
1) Content needs to fit how healers heal and push them better to use their available toolkit
2) The healing tool kits and its potencies need to be adjusted for content so they get more use.
3) We accept down time is a thing as it always has been and make the downtime more interesting.

[Verlyn]

Too many superfluous buttons or buttons that downplay the need to use any of my existing buttons. SCH is a fine example of this, with so many healing options that are sufficient that I don't ever need to think about or utilize spells like Deployment Tactics or Emergency Tactics or Chain Stratagem. And then I have Dissipation which has no real niche at all.

The kits feel like a mixed bag of tools that past a point have no cohesive purpose. I'd rather have a tighter kit where everything serves a clear purpose for my role and job flavor, rather than having multiple different AoE heal GCDs that only exist because the others can go on cooldown or generate fairy meter or be otherwise made unavailable. If you... say... removed Lustrate and Indomitability, then made Emergency Tactics have no CD but use an Aetherflow stack, I'd be doing the exact same thing but with tools that feel like they belong to Scholar.

It's pretty clear the devs are struggling with how to expand a toolkit that was initially a tight and effective design. Maybe going forward we can focus less on duplication and more on interaction.

And don't get me started on their gutted dps kits. With how much I have to dps, there really is no reason it has to be limited to Broil, Biolysis and Art of War (AKA the most underwhelming AoE). I like the idea proposed earlier of repurposing Selene as a dps fairy. Do that, make fairy summoning instant ala Summoner (so we can switch as needed), and then give us Bane and Miasma back.

[nalol]

Too many superfluous buttons or buttons that downplay the need to use any of my existing buttons. SCH is a fine example of this, with so many healing options that are sufficient that I don't ever need to think about or utilize spells like Deployment Tactics or Emergency Tactics or Chain Stratagem. And then I have Dissipation which has no real niche at all.

mmmh chain is a dps tool ... not a healing one.

I agree though .. the more tools we get .. the more some feel unneeded. Deploy it still good oz that way the shield is better and more efficient than succor. too bad they didn't put catalyze before galvanize.
but emergeny tactics becomes way less usefull. Fey blessing, recit/indom, seraph ... I yet didn't feel the need to use it in group content or in raid. since always paired with another healer in raid, u don't feel the need to use Etactics ..

think we have enough tools as SCH now ... adding more heals would make some others obsolete

[ZaqueXIII]

Just adding my bit for scholar, gotta fight the good fight.

First, my level of experience. Notably I have leveled to 80 and cleared normal eden but have not attempted extreme trials or eden savage.

One particular issue I have run into constantly is with Seraph. Normally I try to get the most out of her resulting in some last minute usage of fairy abilities. However despite being able to proc multiple at a time they are all tied to animations meaning they an aoe regen press could take potentially 5 seconds to actually execute depending on other abilities. Also when seraph is near the end of her existence she will prioritize despawning meaning that If I use a fairy ability somewhere around 2-3seconds remaining it will not activate, seraph will not heal instead and I will lose the cooldown for the full duration effectively gutting a good deal of healing. I believe the same happens with bahamut but generally he prioritizes ahkmorn and has a much shorter despawn time, also ahkmorn doesnt intefere with wyrmwave from what ive seen.

Another healing kit issue I have is with dissipation while the fairy returning is nice it still collides with alot of the kit removing a good deal of utility making it feel like a loss in amy big fight. That as well as deployment feeling severly undertuned due to eye 4 an eye removal and crit adlo changes.

I feel like the combat kit is lack luster and unrewarding but the same could be said of basically all healers currently.

[Verlyn]

Animation lock and lack of responsiveness is a game-wide problem with pets and I agree it needs to go. They've already removed everything else that distinguishes the pet as a separate entity from you, they really might as well make response-times instant. Also, remove animation lock on the skill commands themselves too. It should ideally work like "I push a button, I get immediate response, I can move onto something else." Not this "It's not an oGCD, but you're going to waste so much time pointing like a Pokemon Trainer that it might as well be one. And *maybe* the pet might actually do it?"

I think Dissipation should be reworked. Seraph is functionally more what they were going for (You lose your fairy commands in exchange for something way stronger) so Dissipation can either be removed or should interact with the fairy in some way. Maybe it sacrifices all of your fairy meter or disables Seraph for 30 seconds instead (but cannot be used while Seraph is on CD).

[Nhala_Levee]

Astro's Healing is actually pretty good. it feels great. it feels rewarding almost. what they currently lack is MP regen for their shield stance which takes a lot out of them and even if they want to contribute with Damage dealing. their current reworks of cards does not need a reversal. We are intended to heal more thus less damage from us healers as a whole handing out a card thats always a Damage buff is need not just a want. However in saying this. the card system feels a bit clunky. and the redraw mechanic and trying to optimize your divination is NOT fun. its a chore. they are way to occupied with their cards half the time trying to get the most out of them.

so what needs to be done? simple. some gentleman had a great idea over in the Astrologian thread in terms of a Solar, Lunar and Celestial draw method having more control over the cards you can draw. while they share recast timers. this guy has the right idea. because you can still get all 3 Symbols going for AOE buffs, this might be the possible best way to get the old card buffs back. but they said they wont bring them back.. so.. lets try and slam an idea on the table. i think the new draw idea from ty_taurus (#559 post over in http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...cussion/page56 good suggestion imo) should be used. 1 its still more control then we currently have. 2 we need different playing methods. Spire and Ewer should give mana back flat out, Balance and Spear should give a critical buff, Bole and arrow should be healing based (kinda the same from his post but just less added effects) . 1 this gives control to us if we need an extra spot heal at a moments notice or if we need mana back BAD, then the crit buff is an added bonus. we still get our symbols set for divination while we play our cards differently for that damage buff. i wish i could come up with better names rather then call it Defensive play and Offensive play. Defensive play giving all of the effects i mentioned earlier while Offensive play gives Astrologians other options for instant/Free cast Attacks. just like the old Lord card did. Spire and Ewer Should be Celestial strike for single target, Balance and spear Solar burn for a Dot, Bole and Arrow Lunar burst for AOE.

IMO, i think that would fix things if not definitely what ty_taurus said in his post.

You cant be serious. AST is a trash, the most useless character in the whole game right now. And not even fun but boring as hell and its cards are just cant do anything. I think you didnt played the real Astrologian class.

[Brandedblade]

You cant be serious. AST is a trash, the most useless character in the whole game right now. And not even fun but boring as hell and its cards are just cant do anything. I think you didnt played the real Astrologian class.

Red Mage would like a word with you. AST heals very well, it's just people don't like its cards.

[Nhala_Levee]

Red Mage would like a word with you. AST heals very well, it's just people don't like its cards.

Have cards? :O
Oh you mean the 6 diferent colored random same dmg buff what is not worth anything? I forgot those sorry.
And no, its not heals very well. I tested it in many dungeon and on many levels. Its simply useless if you dont have a professional team with you.
And well, you dont always get one. O.o

So please leave this lies behind already and dont try to paint false truth on the realy thing.
AST is a trash not JUST cause of its cards are useless anymore, but cause cant even heal without another heal. Maybe in hardcore pro raiding its fine for some dmg boost dynamo, but nothing more for sure.

Anyway, AST was never meant to be a pure healer as it is now. Its strenght was the cards combined power AND some heal.

[Corbeau]

My complaint about healing is that mouseover macros are an efficiency loss. Please don't make me fight the interface.

AST has been fun so far though, since the cards give it a more involved DPS rotation than WHM (which was pure torture to the point where I abandoned it at 50).