I don't want the devs to give up on Chemist

[Ashennae]

But we already have Alchemist as a Disciple of the Hand class. A non-magical healer wouldn't be bad or anything, but maybe they might wanna pick a different name for it to avoid confusion. Like Scientist, Doctor, or Chirurgeon.

[Saefinn]

I don't think they'll add another healer job, they've struggled with the ones they do have and it seems adding the 4th here is part of their aim to ease the problems so they can balance between 2 healer types but we shall see on that front.

But we already have Alchemist as a Disciple of the Hand class. A non-magical healer wouldn't be bad or anything, but maybe they might wanna pick a different name for it to avoid confusion. Like Scientist, Doctor, or Chirurgeon.

This is an argument I don't get. I mean, Alchemist and Chemist are two different concepts. And it works here, because we have a mix of magic and science in this world, with alchemy having more magical properties and chemistry would be more scientific, which is why it would make sense from a Garlean perspective. We have cues from Aulus, for example.

But putting that all aside...

They were originally working on a Chemist job for Heavensward but ended up switching what they had to making Astrologian and some of the concepts went to MCH. They thought AST suited the lore of Ishgard better, so that's what they went with. So I don't think the existence of Alchemist is what'd stop them from doing it.

I don't think they would add a non-magic healer without changing a lot of battle system in the previous and current expansion.
A lot of healer combat-related things, like role actions, boss mechs, duty specific skills, even specific buffs like lost essences, revolves around healers being a disciple of magic utilizing MP.
If they were to make a non-magic healer then those things would not apply to the new healer.

Given my previous point about some of the Chemist concept going to MCH, MCH used to have Gauss barrel which functionally turned it into a caster, but thematically it wasn't. I feel like something like this would be their work around of keeping it within theme without breaking anything mechanical. But yeah they would still need to justify MP use, but non-casters still use it.

[Cidel]

Sage and its circumstances surrounding it sort of comes off as the final nail in the coffin for Chemist, truth be told. It thematically fills the science-esque look a Chemist probably would have had. Yet it still retains some semblance of "magic" in the DoM that I would expect something being associated with the other healers (casters) to have. The fact that they said they couldn't figure out a suitable weapon for Chemist (honestly, things like daggers and any firearm are redundant) and didn't get behind the idea of something throwing potions around yet still made a more technological-based healer with Sage effectively puts it in the same boat that people like to put Geomancer in when it comes to Conjurer Whitemage existing.

For all intents and purposes I would consider XIV's Sage the closest thing to Chemist the devs are willing to make. Not unlike how Astrologian for the longest time is/was Timemage's distant cousin.

[Fland]

Given my previous point about some of the Chemist concept going to MCH, MCH used to have Gauss barrel which functionally turned it into a caster, but thematically it wasn't. I feel like something like this would be their work around of keeping it within theme without breaking anything mechanical. But yeah they would still need to justify MP use, but non-casters still use it.

Back then MCH and BRD has "casting" yeah, tho that doesn't make them "casters". It's akin more to "charging" I guess.
Some DoW jobs like PLD and DRK utilize MP, but the tank battle system does not revolve around MP like the DoM jobs do.

Let's say we go into A4S, there's MP purge mechanic there. PLD and DRK can still perform their basic function without their MP, but healers and casters almost could not and have to time their MP regen CDs.
Imagine if we have a healer that is barely affected by this mechanic at that time, it'd be unfair to them no?

Then we have all of those logos, lost actions and essences in Eureka and Bozja. The healer ones are made specifically for healer stat. For example, DoM always have more magical defense than physical defense, so the Essence of Veteran for healers have more buff to their physical defense than magical ones. Then we have Lost Burst that increases magic damage taken by enemy. If we have a non-magical healer then those essence and action will work differently for them.

All these things need to be adjusted if they were to add a non-magical DoW healer like people want Chemist to be.

[Saefinn]

Back then MCH and BRD has "casting" yeah, tho that doesn't make them "casters". It's akin more to "charging" I guess.
Some DoW jobs like PLD and DRK utilize MP, but the tank battle system does not revolve around MP like the DoM jobs do.

Let's say we go into A4S, there's MP purge mechanic there. PLD and DRK can still perform their basic function without their MP, but healers and casters almost could not and have to time their MP regen CDs.
Imagine if we have a healer that is barely affected by this mechanic at that time, it'd be unfair to them no?

Then we have all of those logos, lost actions and essences in Eureka and Bozja. The healer ones are made specifically for healer stat. For example, DoM always have more magical defense than physical defense, so the Essence of Veteran for healers have more buff to their physical defense than magical ones. Then we have Lost Burst that increases magic damage taken by enemy. If we have a non-magical healer then those essence and action will work differently for them.

All these things need to be adjusted if they were to add a non-magical DoW healer like people want Chemist to be.

Yeah, I don't think there's any way they could keep it balanced by removing any MP aspect, they'd have to technically be casters, but the flavour and lore explanation/background could be what sets it apart here.

In a way, Sage looks like it able to fulfill a technological aesthetic whilst technically being magical.