A summary of healer issues

[Saefinn]

The really sad part is SE, for some unknown reason, decided that AST was the DPS model they wanted all healers to emulate. SCH were very complex in the DPS department, WHM was decently complex and then there was AST.

I know career Astrologians. They wouldn't have wished their Pre-Shadowbringer DPS rotation on ANYONE. Yet somehow the SE healer designer thought this was the pinnacle of healer DPS play.

I suppose the main justification of AST's DPS model is that AST has a whole other system in their downtime and this was fine, it meant all 3 healers contributed to rDPS differently to suit different tastes. AST for me is the best of the 3 healers to play these days because they've not scrapped cards, which means they have more to do. That said, the cards aren't as fun as they used to be as they feel a little more dumbed down...but it is still better than how things are with my SCH.

[Crushnight]

Healers do seem to be largely ignored by the dev team, I doubt anyone on the team really plays a healer consistently. I would love another direction in gear design rather than the standard voluminous robes or strangely designed academic gear healers normally get, but not sure that full suit armor is the direction to take it. Glamour issues are really the bottom of the list though, and to be honest if healers were engaging and fun to play people probably wouldn't be very worried about their glamour anyway.I am curious to see how the new expansion plays out with healers, but also pretty sure they are going to not only leave the current ones as they are but also not add a new one citing balance issues again.

Honestly that should be the goal of any job designer.

When you done a such a good job people are only complaining about aesthetics is a very good thing. It's when you get constant gameplay complaints you should be looking at what went wrong.

[Recon1o6]

Healers do seem to be largely ignored by the dev team, I doubt anyone on the team really plays a healer consistently. I would love another direction in gear design rather than the standard voluminous robes or strangely designed academic gear healers normally get, but not sure that full suit armor is the direction to take it. Glamour issues are really the bottom of the list though, and to be honest if healers were engaging and fun to play people probably wouldn't be very worried about their glamour anyway.I am curious to see how the new expansion plays out with healers, but also pretty sure they are going to not only leave the current ones as they are but also not add a new one citing balance issues again.

This is why I put the glamour issues at the absolute bottom of the list (number 10 was added later)
If the job is functional and fun, then glamour is the next issue

but if the job isn't fun, then I won't care about glamour as I won't be playing it

[einschwartz]

This is such a good post, OP. The summary is so accurate I could not have done it better.

Originally a WHM, I picked up AST after realizing how dumb the Lily system back in Stormblood. Leveled it to max, and have since been proud to call it a main. While I did consider expanding my healing career by trying SCH, I never went with it because I was perfectly content playing AST.

Then Shadowbringers came.
AST card changes and removal of time extend buffs has soured my excitement for the job. I still leveled it to 80 first. Forced myself to run instances with it for a while. But in the end I just couldn't go on. That was also before AST received plentiful of potency buff so I 'gladly' transition to WHM since it's the only other healing job I have. At least the Lily system works better this time, heh.

Now, after almost a year mourning over the state of healers, I decided to pick up SCH. I switch between SCH and SMN during the leveling process and boy... I regret not picking the job before it gets butchered in ShB. I have come across SCH posts many times in healer threads about how previously they would need to manage dots, have 2 fairies with different functions, etc. I could only guess how it feels through playing SMN but still, it was so unfortunate that I missed those good stuff in SCH.

SE wants healers to do more healing? Well, even while leveling SCH I still use most of my aetherflow for ED rather than healing even accounting Art of War spam.
Also, AoW during trash makes me feel like a WHM wannabe and it doesn't even have CC to be using it upclose. -_-

[Recon1o6]

thanks for keeping this thread going folks

between this and the thread "general community resistant to healers" it sure seems that healers doing dps is the majority which is good news because pure healing is unfit for this game

[Lola_bunny]

Just wanted to toss my 2 gil in and give praise to the well constructed list. My greatest wish would be to just have some level of understanding from the dev team anything at all, even a boiler plate "we're aware of the feedback" some tiny recognition of the unrest felt among the healing community. If I could be a touch selfish it'd be nice to see some of those cheevo mounts or titles the tanks get some consolation of sorry healers. Regardless I don't think the continued disconnect can go on much longer I myself am barely holding on to my healer love.

[Yuella]

Urianger looks ridiculous in that robe. They wanted him to be an AST but didnt bother to give him a proper armor

[Mimilu]

Urianger looks ridiculous in that robe. They wanted him to be an AST but didnt bother to give him a proper armor

All of Urianger's robes look kind of silly to me.
I would actually say that his AST robe is the least silly. The neckline is very flattering. >w>

[Recon1o6]

Of course Urianger looks silly in that constellation attire, the devs explicitly said in the shadowbringers design series its intended for females. At least it fits his story role as dad 2, though he functions more like a mother at times x3

one of several reasons I put the healer glamours problem on the list

[Rasikko]

Where's the Borg Queen when you need her. I need her to personally assimulate me so I can be part of this collective.