Rotations: Making them DIFFERENT

[Renathras]

As I said in another thread and have some before - replacing effectively identical Healer damage rotations with a different set of equally identical Healer damage rotations doesn't make sense and should be avoided. Copied here in brief is a comparison between the Melee Jobs:

DRG: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-5-4 repeat (or something loosely akin to that)
MNK: 1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-6-4-5-3-1-2-6-4-5-6 repeat (ignoring the Blitz mechanic)
NIN: 1-2-4-1-2-3-...-3-1-2-4 repeat (you can use two -4 combos together and then not have to do another for 60 sec, so there's flexibility, but it's that)
SAM: 1-2-3-1-4-1-5-6 repeat (the order can be changed depending on what you're doing, and Meikyo you use with just -2-4-6, the finishers of each of thethree)
RPR: 1-2-3, it kinda has a -4, but Shadow of Death isn't part of its combo (so is more like Huraijin, except you want to use it) with a bunch of spenders and stuff thrown in, then the burst combos.

Ignoring that one can argue nuance and other GCDs in the mix, the point here is clear: The core rotations themselves are distinct.

Tanks were made off of the Melee model (combos) while Healers are an extension of the Caster model (cast time spells, no specific order), but these rules have been hedged in some cases before - MCH is a Ranged that has a 1-2-3 combo, DNC has a weird hybrid system of combos and procs, RDM has an outright 1-2-3 melee combo for its burst, as well as a de-facto combo via both Dualcast mechanics and Holy/Flare - Scorch - Resolution.

And further note that changes to the game in EW have gotten rid of the old "breaks combos" nature of spellcasts. For example, on PLD, 1-2-Clemency/Holy Spirit-3 can be used and does not break the Royal Authority combo anymore, meaning that isn't a requirement and abilities can be flagged on the coding/developer end to not break combos, which could easily be done for any Healer abilities.

So I hope I've made my point clear: The Healers can and should have different modes of "rotations".

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This thread is an open invitation for people to propose different forms of rotations.

Note that there are more than just the two types - Melee and Caster - though those are probably the most prominent (proc based, variable sequence - which is arguably what RDM and MNK both are, mixes, etc)

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My own proposals:

WHM: 1-2-3 rotation somewhat mirroring PLD, Remove Glare and Dia. Add the following spell lines - Stone 1, 2, 3, 4, Quake; Aero 1, 2, 3, 4, Tornado; Water 1, 2, 3, 4, Flood. Using either a combo or "X Ready" system, establish a combo order between them. Each completed combo generates one "Amdapori Gemstone", enabling the use of Empowered Holy, a ranged AOE attack dealing large damage. Cast times and such may vary to give the spells a different feel to use as well as thematic, such as Stone being a 2 sec cast, Aero being instant, and Water being a 1.5 sec cast. Holy is still the fallback spell for general use AOE. (Presence of Mind and Assize remain as they are. Part of this rework would likely also change a few other things to adjust hotbars, but this is just about the core rotation. I'll consider the more complete kit (healing, Lilies, etc) rework. But the short version is I think I'd remove Lilies/Afflatus abilities AS THEY ARE and shift it to "using a GCD heal generates one Lily, 3 Lilies bloom into a Amdapori Gemstone", meaning every three GCD heals cast generates an Empowered Holy, which would take the place of Misery to make GCD healing damage neutral. But again, that's just prelim - I'll make a writeup on it once I've put it into more depth. I may also make the combo order entirely variable based on player choice, like SMN Primal order is entirely player choice, but...I'll think about it some more.)

SCH: Explained in more depth here along with the more complete changes to the Job ( https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...e-Proposal-SCH ), the core rotation consists of maintaining two DoTs, Miasma and Bio/Biolysis spell lines, spending Energy Drains as Miasma ticks generate them, and employing Broil casts as filler, using Miasma as a movement tool. The rotation would be something of a 2-3-1-1-1-3-1-1-1-2-...with liberal sprinkling of -4 Energy Drains, especially if both Biolysis and Misama are generating Faerie Gauge (what fuels the high ED use in this model)

AST: I honestly have no idea. Maybe it stays as the "nukespam + DoT" thing and has buffs, possibly as GCDs, added to its rotation (since the big request from players in the survey seemed to be more buffing abilities for AST, not more damaging ones); GCD buffs would make the burst more manageable as well, depending on how they were implemented.

SGE: Probably something akin to either RDM or BLM. EuDosis remains as an upkeep DoT (BLM has one), and then using Plegma, Eukrasian Plegma, and (possibly a new ability and Eukrasian version), SGE builds resources like RDM does to then power up its main cannon Pneuma finisher. The rotation would probably be something like Eu Dosis (upkeep), Dosis-Plegma-Dosis-EuPlegma-Dosis-Plegma-Dosis-EuPlegma-Pneuma. If this, E1-1-2-1-E2-1-2-1-E2-3, is too simple an additional ability and Eukrasia version could be added where you alternate like RPR's Giblet/Gallows thing, so you end up with E1-1-2-E3-1-3-E2-1-2-E3-1-3-E2-4 with 3/E3 being the new ability. Finally, Eukrasia Dosis ticks have a chance to make the next Eukrasia Dosis cast cost no MP and do full damage upfront, like Thundercloud procs on BLM.

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With this system, WHM has a 1-2-3-4 sort of "combo" chain and damage neutral GCD healing, SCH has a 2 DoT upkeep and filler nuke system but heavily punctuated with weaving Energy Drains left and right since they will be generated at a far higher rate and one of the DoT abilities is designed to mostly have up-front damage making it a functional movement tool, AST will have a rotation based on a DoT upkeep + buffs upkeep + filler nuke when neither need refreshing, and SGE will have a hybrid RDM/BLM system of upkeeping a DoT and moving back and forth between two types of cast combo chains that alternate themselves like how RPR does along with a Thundercloud proc chance on EuDosis to prevent the rotation from being static.

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Floor's open, what say you?