Quote Originally Posted by Renathras View Post

WHM reached the compromise position in ShB - as I think we can all agree at this point, SB WHM sucked.

Is this not more or less what I've been proposing this entire time? Return SCH and AST to their SB kits (including nAST), and WHM should probably be "ShB WHM + Aero 3". Granted with their EW abilities tacked on and SGE in the game. This would give us a simple healer more or less as it is today with the only big difference being DoT cleave for AOE and macroing Cleric Stance onto Presence of Mind (WHM), a DoT and plate spinning healer (SCH), not one but two buff healers (dAST and nAST for both Pure and Barrier healing spots), and a semi-WHM equivalent barrier healer (SGE). I think that is the ideal solution.

Indeed, when they were adding RDM at that time, I briefly considered it could be the next healer Job. It had White Magic (presumably some heals and a raise) while also having black magic (so substitute Stone, Aero 1, and Aero 2 for Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder). RDM would have fit into SB-era FFXIV healing model as a healer with no one really batting an eye if you think about it.
With all due respect, ShB WHM still sucked. It only sucked less because it was the only job that was uplifted because everyone kept complaining the job gauge still sucked, and the job gauge finally upgraded to get a DPS refund skill. However, if you look at the big picture, WHM gameplay still sucked even in Endwalker 6.0 and only finally got DPS Neutral lilies in later patches (finally making the gauge something you use instead of avoid or use as sparingly as possible). The problem still exists, however. Until lv 74, where you don't want to touch your gauge since regen is more potent than Afflatus Solace per GCD. Even Medica II is probably better than Afflatus Solace in most circumstances until you unlock Afflatus Misery. Doubly so if you need to pop a Confession before Medica II at level 70.

WHM is the only healer that takes until Heavensward to get their job gauge, which is ridiculous in its own right. At the same time, WHM is also the only healer that doesn't want to utilize their job gauge until lv 74. Just because WHM got improvements, it's a far outcry from actually being "good" when you look at its state as a whole. It's just serviceable.