How can we really define Healers?

[Rithy255]

I would argue that the ability to change your job takes the place of your ability to choose different specs within your class. A WoW class offers different paths to choose from, but in FFXIV, every job is available to you and that takes the place of your ability to spec. The issue is moreso that we're not taking advantage of that concept as effectively as we should be with the healers, and it's not just within the healer job design. Gear is shared between each healer, but what gear, and what materia each healer wants differs since each healer has a different preference for spell speed. As for kits, there are small strengths each healer does offer that give them minor advantages for certain fights and mechanics. AST has Macrocosmos and raid buffs, SCH has expedient and raid buffs, SGE has the largest amount of mitigation, including Panhaima, and WHM has the strongest burst window for damage contributions. It could definitely be more defined, and this doesn't take into consideration how gameplay feels, but I don't think each job having a fixed toolkit is a bad thing inandof itself.

I think jobs having a fixed tool kit in general is a bad thing personally, I understand your argument and we're at a point where it would be hard to even design one different spec for each job, I prefer more diversity and ways to play the game Instead of "1 job 1 way to play". Of course you can choose a different job but even then a lot of jobs in the same category pretty much play the same with minor differences at this point.

Healer design I feel like suffers the most from it, with no real major designs that "shake up" the healer role, I guess regens vs barriers are good, but that's why I liked how Astro could have the choice between two instead of being stuck as one type of healer, it gives jobs more breathing room for diversity, I generally think Healers haven't been well thought out for a long time

Casual Content healer design is laughable and I don't think healer design should purely be around only the hard content either, even adding some more incoming damage and maybe small rotations would generally help make healers feel a bit more different, they played sage so safely it pretty much shows they have no idea on how they would make a new unique healer have it's own niche (of course theirs differences but sage/sch are very borrowed, ast and white mage feel different enough from each other)

Obviously what I want from the game is going to be different from others and I don't expect people to agree, but I want design that is more flexible.