What would bring me back to Scholar

[inhaledcorn]

When I first started this game in 2.1, I started the game and mained Scholar. It was my favorite job. Even during times when I wasn't using it to raid, I still considered it my main job. However, in the middle of Shadowbringers, I had (mostly) quit Scholar, opting instead for Astrologian due to the minor grievances I had about the job come to an annoying head. I did play it on-and-off during the Eden's Promise tier, but I still found myself preferring how Astrologian played during that time.

Since the transition to Endwalker, I have exclusively played Sage. having not leveled any of the other healers in protest. Yes, before you come in here and tell me that Scholar is "fine", many of the minor grievances are still there that turned me off of the job. However, with some of White Mage's major problems addressed, maybe some of Scholar's problems can be, too. Anyway, here my list of things I want to see change:

1) Dissipation needs to go. My lord, the fact that this thing has been around for 4 expansions and the only thing it got to improve it was the resummoning of the fairy is absolutely insane. This skill has been the absolute anthesis to what Scholar is since it's inception. I don't want this skill. I don't want to see this skill. This skill should have never existed. Fey's Union and Seraph can each move a capstone down (it will allow it to be slightly better aligned with Sage's lv60 and lv70 kits), and 80 can get something new in its place. My desire is Fairies/Seraph get replaced with Titania/Innocence (It would mostly be glamour, but they also have an extra damaging attack that's basically Shadow Flare as another attack for Scholar to use during their burst window).

2) Energy Drain. Right now, Energy Drain, as it exists, discourages Scholar from actually using its kit to heal. However, Energy Drain needs to exist or else Scholar doesn't function properly. So, my proposition is to make Energy Drain a GCD skill that always remains equal in potency to Ruin/Broils as they get stronger. This still allows Energy Drain to be the stack dump it needs to be, but, since there is no DPS loss from using Aetherflow to heal, Scholar is more encouraged to use the healing parts of their kit. This also still allows for skill expression as this still encourages good stack planning and usage to maintain uptime while not being left dry. Preferably, if this change were to happen, I would like to see Ruin II go as Ruin II isn't really a Scholar spell.

While there are still some things I would like to see, these are the two major things that keep me away from Scholar.

[YusiKha]

Best way to solve both issues is change Dissipation i think.
Imagine this:
Emergency Reserves: 60s recast, 3charge ability. Grants Depletion Tactics and Emergency Reserves for 10s. Extends Depletion Tactics and Emergency Reserves duration by 10s to a maximum of 30s. Effects can be stacked up to 3 times.
Depletion Tactics effect: Increased Healing Magic Potency by 7%.
Emergency Reserves effect: Allows the execution of Lustrate, Sacred Soil, Indomitability, or Excogitation without consuming Aetherflow.

Adding a way to better ration free aetherflow heal uses can allow scholar more chances to contribute healing without the worries of lost energy drains, and it synergises with all capstone skills besides Expedient (It provides aetherflow for Soil, Fey gauge for Aetherpact, the buffed healing magic affects both Embrace and Seraphic Veil)
I do agree with the idea of making Energy Drain a GCD, but I feel like it should still be a damage gain over Ruin/Broil, as that is one of the few ways that healers can optimise their gameplay currently.

[Calysto]

I agree with that ; haven't played SCH in EW and went SGE.

1) Remove Dissipation, yes ; and allow us to glam Fairies.
2) Making ED a gcd dps neutral nuke is probably one of the most boring possibility. I'd rather they make it an eukrasia-lite that make your next gcd heal/nuke instacast. There are a lot of interesting things that could be nice and work with the kit as an AF dump.
I'd keep Ruin2 (or a scholarified version like dropping a book of the target head) as a mobility tool.

[UkcsAlias]

2) Energy Drain. Right now, Energy Drain, as it exists, discourages Scholar from actually using its kit to heal. However, Energy Drain needs to exist or else Scholar doesn't function properly. So, my proposition is to make Energy Drain a GCD skill that always remains equal in potency to Ruin/Broils as they get stronger. This still allows Energy Drain to be the stack dump it needs to be, but, since there is no DPS loss from using Aetherflow to heal, Scholar is more encouraged to use the healing parts of their kit. This also still allows for skill expression as this still encourages good stack planning and usage to maintain uptime while not being left dry. Preferably, if this change were to happen, I would like to see Ruin II go as Ruin II isn't really a Scholar spell.

This is the same issue as WHM and AST have, using GCD healing prevented you from dealing extra damage. Which in such heavy DPS oriented game already gives a conflict. Healer efficiency is generaly decided by the DPS the healer can perform. And while it can be anoying because this measurement as healer doesnt realy make sense, to some degree it simply is needed to reward the more efficient healers.

To me a few issues exist.
- As DPS is considered that important. A 10% damage mitigation feels underwhelming.
- As healer its considered more rewarding to put players at a higher risk.

I think aetherflow as ability does have a few issues, but its design in general has some interesting designs which i think should remain. What i think would be a good change:
- Energy drain replaces Aetherflow when you have stacks remaining and can use the next aetherflow. In this case Energy drain will do both deal damage, heal, and grant the new charges. (this means you can no longer cast it 3 times, and the time is generaly fixed)
- Energy drain gets its damage decided by the health of the teammates over time. The higher their health, the more damage (essentialy the healthier a player, the more aether they can charge).
- Remaining charges will be automaticly converted to some damage, which is generaly going to be lower than the aether that was charged by healing (avoids usage to overheal, and places that task to other heals).

This will avoid its usage for pure damage, and promotes using it to get players to remain at higher health (but avoid overhealing). Depending on teams there can be a certain HP value that is considered the optimal charge value (for example when players are above 75% health, its better to use the charge for energy drain, while below that its more efficient to heal), this adds extra complexity into the ability that allows better players to optimize its usage without hindering lesser players too much into learning.

EDIT: it could even be a plain 'for each player above 75% of their HP, this ability deals x% more damage'

[Dzian]

Easy fix to Dissipation, and Fey Illumination for that matter is just make them "healing potency" not healing magic potency". 20% more oomph on a Physick I never cast. how useful /sarcasm

Energy Drain. I dunno personally that ties into issues with the whole fairy guage system as a whole. ED should remain as a gauge boost but the guage itself needs purpose.. one random thought would be tie seraph to the guage more than just a static duration. 100 guage lasts 30 seconds or something.. could create some interesting stuff where you could use ED to extend seraphs duration.

i'd like to see more usefor deployment tactics as well thats felt kinda dead since they scrapped eye for an eye. especially so since they splitt he shields into galvanise and catalyse.. no more super oomph deployed shields

[inhaledcorn]

Easy fix to Dissipation, and Fey Illumination for that matter is just make them "healing potency" not healing magic potency". 20% more oomph on a Physick I never cast. how useful /sarcasm

Energy Drain. I dunno personally that ties into issues with the whole fairy guage system as a whole. ED should remain as a gauge boost but the guage itself needs purpose.. one random thought would be tie seraph to the guage more than just a static duration. 100 guage lasts 30 seconds or something.. could create some interesting stuff where you could use ED to extend seraphs duration.

i'd like to see more usefor deployment tactics as well thats felt kinda dead since they scrapped eye for an eye. especially so since they splitt he shields into galvanise and catalyse.. no more super oomph deployed shields

Making Illumination Healing Potency instead of Healing Magic Potency does fix that skill, but it doesn't fix the fundamental issues with Dissipation essentially locking out major parts of Scholar's kit for what is currently being used as a DPS tool, not a healing one like the Developers intend.

Protraction should work with Deployment Tactics as I agree that Deployment has been rather underwhelming since the loss of E4E.

[Liam_Harper]

SCH's seem to cling to dps taxes and abilities that cut off access to their toolkit in the same way AST clings to having RNG cards that do nothing useful mixed with their good ones instead of separate, and it baffles me, but I've just come to accept it as difference in playstyle.

At least Sage exists as the SCH without clunky gimmicks. Keeps both sides happy I guess.

[HyonaCookie]

They should just rework the Aetherflow gauge. It doesn't work as well for a healer as it does for a DPS. It's already completely different form SMN's anyways.

[Dzian]

SCH's seem to cling to dps taxes and abilities that cut off access to their toolkit in the same way AST clings to having RNG cards that do nothing useful mixed with their good ones instead of separate, and it baffles me, but I've just come to accept it as difference in playstyle.

At least Sage exists as the SCH without clunky gimmicks. Keeps both sides happy I guess.

my beef with ast cards were they could have been cooler.

Spire would have been a better card had they not scrapped TP and resource management.

Ewer could have been an a solid card if it just did what it said on the tin.. tosses MP refresh on a BLM to extend there Astral Fire Phase or on a DRK to open up some serious dark arts chaos. could have been an effect that actually changed how jobs played. which imo would be infinitnely more interesting than like balance. which was your job plays the exact same just now your numbers are 5% or 10% higher...

i dont mind having parts of toolkits restricted but the trade off has to be worthwhile.. which is the big issue with dissipation. losing the fairy temporariliy is fine but the current trade off just isnt worth it. (clunkiness included). if they made healing magic potency straight healing potency dissipation would have a pretty decent pay off. oh and make stacks boost guage even under diisipation. another peeve..

[GrimGale]

Aetherflow system scrapped completely.

Excogitation as a 45s CD same effects and potency. oGCD Generates 10 Fairy Gauge. Upgrades to Protraction at level 86, increasing HP by 10% while effect is active.

Lustrate as a 2 charge skill with 30s CD same potency. oGCD Generates 10 Fairy Gauge. Increases healing recieved by 10% from spells and actions for 10s.

Indomitability as a 30s CD same potency. oGCD Generates 10 Fairy Gauge.

Energy Drain is a 3 charge skill with 20s CD. Deals damage with 100 potency to target. oGCD generates 10 fairy Gauge. Recharges 700 MP.

Ruin II removed.

New Spell: Kaustra- 3s Cast: Deals damage to target and targets around in a radius of 5 yalms with a potency of 180.(Same as AoW) Applies damage over time effect lasting 18 seconds for 60. Increases damage taken by the target by 1% and reduces damage done by 1%. 2000 MP cost. If the target is under the effect of Biolysis and Energy Drain is cast on it, the Kaustra effect reaplies its initial damage and damage over time duration, in addition to applying the Biolisys effect to all enemies within 5yalms.

(The idea is to make Kaustra upkeep part of the DoT juggling of scholar, by making sure to ration your Energy Drain in order to extend the duration of the Kaustra effect as much as possible without having to pay the steep MP cost to re-apply it. It will eventually inevitably fall off, as Energy Drain's CD is too long to fit in the 18s duration of the DoT, ensuring you'd have to re-cast it eventually so as to not be a completely free damage.)