Why is the healer class basically a one spell dps class?

[Irenia]

Never forget that the issue with old AST cards was the disconnect between fun gameplay and skilled gameplay.

It's why I feel that one of the most important things that the devs need to do is to ensure the optimal gameplay is fun, and is the most fun, in all content.

[Deceptus]

Never forget that the issue with old AST cards was the disconnect between fun gameplay and skilled gameplay.

Partly. The other major issue with the cards is some of them were effectively useless.

EWER redraw EWER redraw BOLE

[IceBlueNinja]

Partly. The other major issue with the cards is some of them were effectively useless.

EWER redraw EWER redraw BOLE

only useless card to me was spire when tp was gone and id just royal it for aoe of next card

arrow= give this to a whm/sch/blm would help with their casting time and blm could save ley lines up for easier crucial needs.

Bole = A 20% migi is nice for contributing dps and I dont need to kill mp on noct field asp spam or can throw it once with bole plenty up time.

ewer= the best and most prefer card that I will say I can be selfish with and loved for myself. if you use luci and died and pull this card and use old light speed 50% less mp.cost spell reduction, was a juicy way to recharge mp especially with old co. Dieing felt not so bad.

Balance = course dont have to explain this one as this one always seem to be the only one people pick where I find all but spire useful.

spear= am sure a bard or monk will love that nice 10% crit increase or if aoed 5% entire party. Crit means bigger damage and heals.

spire = spire was only useful when tp exist and ninja I heard had a use for it.

lady = was okish could be better heal.

lord = was meh weak damage but could be used with old combust 1 and 2 for dps contribution.

[Absurdity]

Partly. The other major issue with the cards is some of them were effectively useless.

EWER redraw EWER redraw BOLE

Not really useless, just incredibly niche. Like I said, I'd take an enhanced bole over a balance any day when I got a tank that wouldn't use mitigation if you replaced every other skill with it.
In savage you don't get those people and even in dungeons they're not all that common, so unfortunately you didn't get a lot of use out of those niche cards.

[IceBlueNinja]

Exactly this. Even if there were an official parser if the only feedback you get from your action is a number then it's unsatisfying from a gameplay "feel" POV. Certainly it has no right to be a core job mechanic, something more like a fire-and-forget button like Battle Litany or Mantra (see also: current BRD).

The core gameplay design for DPS jobs in this game is "if you do your job right a Cool Thing happens"; healers are missing that, it's just more Make Health Bars Go Up. Even "simple" RDM, if you do your melee combo right you get to cast Verflare/Verholy. If you balance your mana right it goes up faster. Things you can see and feel without a number telling you so. I don't touch healers anymore but I can tell when I get a card buff on a DPS job, I can even tell what card it was from the sound effects that I still remember from 2 years ago. And it doesn't matter because it makes no discernable difference to my gameplay experience whatsoever. From a DPS POV, in SB if you got a Spear on BRD or Arrow on BLM you def. noticed the effects. Certainly you noticed old Ewer, even Spire. Now? Ehhh. Where's the satisfaction in handing out buffs that are imperceptible to even the recipient, much less to you?

Arrow was nice for blm as at that point they could properly find a more reasonable and cruicial time to use ley lines.So idk why people who say they dont want storm blood cards back like dancers saying they wouldnt want skill speed. I may not even look at you. If I have no blm for arrow i can use it on a whm or sch since their cast times aint all that or ill royal that bad boy to make the next card last duration. why would I dear arrow any other job cept blm or healer. Dont wanna be chew up about making you clip xd. Your roght you see no huge dif in shadow bring card system vs stormblood been trying to say this forever.

Amma say it whoever likes it or not storm blood cards are beast and it made ast had a identify vs yawn boring annoying dry shadow bringers cards. Get rid of this disgusting shb cards plz. Its probably why after ruining cards why they op our regens and shields. Yes I like the stronger regen and shields but still that was not a wise idea. Ast true power was the cards and be a weaker regen/shielder or least on the same lvl as whm and sch not taking away their jobs and water down ours.

[Absurdity]

That's the interesting thing with old AST cards. Sure, spread Balance was the optimal choice in almost every bossfight, because more dps = shorter fights = less chance for anyone to screw up mechanics. But in those niche scenarios where for example you had a dungeon tank that didn't know what mitigation was then Bole had infinitely more noticeable impact, because you could do the tank's job for them and prevent potential wipes.

[Vyrerus]

I miss being able to give an extended Bole to chowder head tanks.

Help Co-Healer regain MP for possible recovery before soft enrage with Ewer.

Minute long Balance in light party on really good DPS player omnomnomnomnom.

I also always felt like getting Arrow on DRG was kinda cool. Like, felt almost like hitting as fast as Monk but with bigger numbers.

[Eclesis]

They were only "useless" if all you did was Savage where you expect a perfect party. The cards that had the most effect from the healer's POV were, in fact, Ewer and Bole.

[Shurrikhan]

They were only "useless" if all you did was Savage where you expect a perfect party. The cards that had the most effect from the healer's POV were, in fact, Ewer and Bole.

That's just blatantly off, as Savage is the only point at which Ewer and Bole could see competitive value in even typical circumstances.

Outside of Savage, there's no point at which Bole (which provides a 20% eHP increase but, due to multiplicatively diminishing returns with each layer of mitigation, far less actual savings in healing required) would provide a larger healing benefit than Arrow. And even in the very worst of situations, unless Bole just happened to come up in alignment with a tankbuster to which the tank would otherwise die because you've had to heal others from severe avoidable damage taken before soon-incoming unavoidable raid damage, and still have more healing yet to be done and thus cannot otherwise save them... Bole is going to be useless because it lacks the eHP increase in Expand to save anyone from their mistakes and the larger part of damage taken isn't predictable.

Similarly, outside of Savage, one becomes increasingly unlikely to be forced into MP starvation except by such absolute sh*tshows as are probably best, at that point, not to resurrect more than once each. There, too, you'd have been better off with that bit more Haste by which to get someone to sufficient eHP before what would otherwise finish them off, saving you the 3000 MP.

[IceBlueNinja]

That's just blatantly off, as Savage is the only point at which Ewer and Bole could see competitive value in even typical circumstances.

Outside of Savage, there's no point at which Bole (which provides a 20% eHP increase but, due to multiplicatively diminishing returns with each layer of mitigation, far less actual savings in healing required) would provide a larger healing benefit than Arrow. And even in the very worst of situations, unless Bole just happened to come up in alignment with a tankbuster to which the tank would otherwise die because you've had to heal others from severe avoidable damage taken before soon-incoming unavoidable raid damage, and still have more healing yet to be done and thus cannot otherwise save them... Bole is going to be useless because it lacks the eHP increase in Expand to save anyone from their mistakes and the larger part of damage taken isn't predictable.

Similarly, outside of Savage, one becomes increasingly unlikely to be forced into MP starvation except by such absolute sh*tshows as are probably best, at that point, not to resurrect more than once each. There, too, you'd have been better off with that bit more Haste by which to get someone to sufficient eHP before what would otherwise finish them off, saving you the 3000 MP.

Even so the dry 5% or 8% lil damage increase of shadow bringers cards atm is still pointless, I much rather a claimed 20% bole which situational and may not be used alot far more viable than a worthless 5% buff and only single party target vs even a aoe bole that will be cut to 10% migi for entire party, remember there is succor or aspected helios(noct) could stack with bole for better migitation so a dirunal ast using bole with a sch succor or another ast in noct field works wonders. its pretty much now atm co opp is the new and improved bole. Ewer again well it is very viable if you get a party or raid that everyone is clueless and dropping like flies over and over, that is how this mp issue happen on ast when we got this rubbish card system rework before they finally after how much request decide to make draw give back mp and sleeve draw.