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

[Shurrikhan]

Because there job is to heal. Not dps.

Funny how they once both had more dps skills, more complexity in said damage-dealing, and yet often had to spend more of their time healing...

[Melorie]

Yah SCH plays so boring now...I actually hate it. Went from my favorite to worst. The ridiculous notion of a "pure healer" needs to go away forever. We waited. We tried it. It sucks.

Being a pure-healer sucks. Unless I'm trying to do an ultimate or a particular unknown extreme/savage, 99% of the game is a snooze fest. I'm so tired of this. Give me something else useful to do instead of spamming 1 skill 1 dot or change design encounter. it doesn't NEED to be dps, stop giving utility to DPS classes instead of us. I don't even care if now everyone is "balanced", of course they're balanced, they're BORING.

[Eclesis]

Yeah it doesn't have to be DPS, the point is agency - something you do proactively on your own rather than reactively when someone loses HP, whether that was SCH's dot management or AST's cards back in SB; WHM needed more in this department, not less. Unlike the current cards SB cards allowed you to choose how to play on your own initiative, rather than having the system insist you do certain things like buff that guy who stood in the fire and died 3 times because they're the only ranged (with a buff which, TBH, is completely unnoticeable and irrelevant unless you're running a parser, outside of racing DPS checks in Savage). Having some degree of agency in how and when you do things, and being able to see the results, makes cleaning up after goofs tolerable. Merely being a passive healbot DPS accessory should not be the sole focus of the job.

[NYCLouisGamer]

...Unlike the current cards SB cards allowed you to choose how to play on your own initiative, rather than having the system insist you do certain things like buff that guy who stood in the fire and died 3 times because they're the only ranged (with a buff which, TBH, is completely unnoticeable and irrelevant unless you're running a parser, outside of racing DPS checks in Savage). Having some degree of agency in how and when you do things, and being able to see the results, makes cleaning up after goofs tolerable.

The invisible nature of AST cards. We don't talk about this nearly enough. I would love some sort of persistent visual effect when a person has a card played on them, along with a noticeable game effect. It can be utility or some sort of buff other than direct damage. Cool new strategies open up if you can look at the battlefield and see who has a card on them and the nature of the card, just by looking at their character. Maybe a hasted character glows green or defense-up character glows blue? Imagine a gauge that pops up on the screen when an Astrologian alters time & space by playing a card on you.

If a banned parser is needed to appreciate receiving AST cards, something is very wrong.

[Eclesis]

If a banned parser is needed to appreciate receiving AST cards, something is very wrong.

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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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