Concerned about changes to healers

[Katz_McKatz]

So I'm new to FFXIV (played a couple of months now). This may just be rumors or may be the norm here so forgive any ignorance on my part.

I've been leveling all three of the healers because I enjoy playing them. I do MSQ and most other quests mostly with my DPS. I do dungeons, trials, and raids with my healers. I've found that I enjoy my Astrologian the most. I enjoy that I can change my emphasis from rejuvenation to shields depending on if the other healer is a white mage or a scholar. I enjoy that if it is another Astrologian, we can coordinate which one uses the regen and which the shields. I'm working on learning how to use the cards and other skills effectively as I want to become proficient.

I've read that they are taking shields away from the Astrologian. Do we know that is happening? I almost always play with using shields unless I'm paired with a scholar.

I'm asking because I may want to stop concentrating on gearing/leveling the Astrologian if it is becoming less useful or fun to play.

What I would like to know is this: going forward, what is the role for each of the healers?

It was clear to me before, white mage was regen, scholar was shields, and astrologian could move between those. I realize that they have other skills and that is a simplified description but I'm unclear of how it will work out.

[ICountFrom0]

Check the live letters.

Yes, astrologian is being stripped down, it's joining WHM as the regen based healer.
It's going to be 2 shield healers and 2 regen healers.

The good news is, other then the main equipped weapon, anything you equip as a healer, will be fine on any healer, once you level them.


And yes, you are not the only one worried, they've been taking away more and more from healers over the years, asking less and less of them, it's a diminishment that can be easily felt.

[Grimoire-M]

Yes, astrologian is being stripped down, it's joining sage as the other shield only healer.

This is flat out wrong. It’s White Mage that AST will be emulating. Sage has been announced as a shield healer while Scholar is remaining as one as well. SE does want a 2/2 split so Nocturnal Sect’s shield effects are going away entirely so that AST can become a Regen healer like WHM. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see a card rework either.

[Katz_McKatz]

So they are reworking Astrologians and Scholars (pets are being changed?). Are they changing White Mages too? I'm not sure where to find the live letters talking about the classes. The ones I've looked at were talking about other things.

[Acece]

So they are reworking Astrologians and Scholars (pets are being changed?). Are they changing White Mages too? I'm not sure where to find the live letters talking about the classes. The ones I've looked at were talking about other things.

I'm 90% sure that they'll just leave whm as it is. Much to my disappointment.

[Aarchie]

So they are reworking Astrologians and Scholars (pets are being changed?). Are they changing White Mages too? I'm not sure where to find the live letters talking about the classes. The ones I've looked at were talking about other things.

It's because it didn't happen yet.
At this moment, we have just some pieces of information (i.e. Astro being reworked to be a regen healer, sage as a shield healer). Any other thing is merely speculation (how shields will work, how the separation will work, and even how the AST rework will be).

Battle Changes Live Letter happens on the 18th of September, with English translation available. The media tour will start right after, which might include more information.

[FoxCh40s]

Except based off of previous experiences, we will have absolutely zero Healer Influencers, and people who know very little about the Role will say, "Its fine, no worries." Square Enix will continue to downplay the problems, and not really give us much information.

We'll finally see the patch notes, and people will be, "It's not that bad! Wait till it releases!"

Then it will be that bad; it'll be, "Wait till .1 patch! Raids haven't even come out!"

Raids will come out and we get no fixes or acknowledgement, and then it will be, "Wait till .3 for balance changes!"

.3 will come with no changes, and it will be, "Just wait till the next expansion!"

And we start the cycle all over again.

[Deceptus]

Except based off of previous experiences, we will have absolutely zero Healer Influencers, and people who know very little about the Role will say, "Its fine, no worries." Square Enix will continue to downplay the problems, and not really give us much information.

We'll finally see the patch notes, and people will be, "It's not that bad! Wait till it releases!"

Then it will be that bad; it'll be, "Wait till .1 patch! Raids haven't even come out!"

Raids will come out and we get no fixes or acknowledgement, and then it will be, "Wait till .3 for balance changes!"

.3 will come with no changes, and it will be, "Just wait till the next expansion!"

And we start the cycle all over again.

I've said a variation of this before and yes this will absolutely happen.

How do we know this? Because the exact same situation has happened since Heavensward.

[Mesarthim]

They'll find a new way to nerf Fluid Aura.