How can we really define Healers?

[T-Owl]

Perhaps we ought to look at how healers could work within the mechanics-based system we have. For example, white mage could create a stone encasement that would absorb a ground-based AOE hit or even cast "Float" to make an AOE mechanic miss. AST could roll back time on an AOE hit or even, if we want to get overpowered, even roll back the boss's mechanics script a step or increase the cast time for the mechanic. Sage could disrupt the next script step. Scholar could use the fairy to pester the boss to make the next AOE hit itself instead of casting. Healers may prove to be more interesting if they could influence the script mechanics directly. Perhaps the a shield that halves the next aoe damage at the cost of dps output for the player it is cast upon. The balance could come at a cost to dps output in some way or maybe the next attack by the enemy will have 2x damage. There's a lot SE could do beyond the standard healing and buffing methods.

Wouldn't that just lead back towards tactics in which partys let certain dps, back in the day I think it was BLM, ignore mechanics to fish for higher dps output?

[Anxin]

Wouldn't that just lead back towards tactics in which partys let certain dps, back in the day I think it was BLM, ignore mechanics to fish for higher dps output?

Perhaps, but this would require the DPS and the healers to coordinate again. People always fish for higher dps output; that is, after all, part of the puzzle of encounters. I can also see healers griefing parties by disrupting the boss's script in ways to get "lols". However, I just wanted to point out that there is a lot more SE could do beyond the current range of thinking without changing their encounter design philosophy. Namely, introduce control-skills that have impact. That said, I believe that philosophy is part of the problem.