Dawntrail Healer Change Predicitons

[Renathras]

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Honestly, I do agree the Devs have become somewhat bland in healer thinking. We'll see what they do with AST - we really need to know what that rework looks like since that will signal where they're likely taking the other healers; will it be making it more like WHM/SGE, or more making it like SB AST/SCH? - but I think MOST of what you said could be correct. The specific things I think you aren't right on:

Aero III - They'd more likely call this Banish or something instead, saves them having to rename Wind Lily later.

Afflatus Shelter would NOT come at level 76, it'd be the level 94 or 100 ability. Something I've noticed, even when it would make sense to do so, absent a total rework (like SMN), they do not give new abilities at lower levels than the entering level of the new expansion. Like Afflatus Solace is level 52 now, but when it was added in ShB, wasn't it a higher level? Stoneskin was removed in SB to replace with Benison, but Benison wasn't gained at level 12 or whenever you got old Stoneskin, it was added at 66 or so.

Point is, while possible, I feel like they'd make Shelter the level cap ability, either as new ability or a Trait upgrade of Rapture.

Florescense I could 100% see them doing, though it'd probably be a 60 sec CD, not sure.

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Not sure it's what they will do - when we get some words about the AST rework, we'll have a better idea - but I can agree with that. That and the "new ability for the latest gimmick" like how EW gave us "multi-hit attack" Lilybell, Panhamia, and arguably Macrocosmos (SCH was already pre-ready for this with Seraph...sorta)

EDIT:

Oh, that's the somewhat black pilled take. I'm honestly not really sure what they'll do. That or Rein's predictions would be the "standard" per EW, but I'm not sure if that'll be what they go with or not.

It's also not a "what I would like to see", as I'm honestly not entirely sure on that. My personal desires have more to do with changing up encounter design than healer kits, per se, and abilities added/changed would need to reflect whatever encounter design is changed to. And I'm not sure any such change will be happening.

[ty_taurus]

Aero III - They'd more likely call this Banish or something instead, saves them having to rename Wind Lily later.

Banish would require new assets. All of Aero III's assets already exist, the animation, the particle effects, the action icon... It's more economical to reuse it for something you're just replacing at a later level anyway. The only thing that might be added would be recoloring the blood lily green during early levels. Although they could also just not care and make it "blood lily" all the way through. But changing text is something doable in minutes. Take Monk for example and how several formerly cut resources were restored in EW as precursors to new, more flashy tools at later levels. Like how Steel Peak was returned as a precursor to Forbidden Chakra.

Afflatus Shelter would NOT come at level 76

Astrologian has regularly gained new actions at levels lower than the former level cap. Divination was added at level 50 during Shadowbringers. Astrodyne was added at level 50 this expansion. But there's also the flaw in my logic. I'm using Astrologian as an example. There's no way White Mage would get Astro privilege's.

Florescense I could 100% see them doing, though it'd probably be a 60 sec CD, not sure.

Rhizomata is 90 seconds. They're the same action. If anything, that means it could actually be 120 seconds because it's White Mage.

[ForsakenRoe]

Banish would require new assets. All of Aero III's assets already exist, the animation, the particle effects, the action icon... It's more economical to reuse it for something you're just replacing at a later level anyway. The only thing that might be added would be recoloring the blood lily green during early levels. Although they could also just not care and make it "blood lily" all the way through. But changing text is something doable in minutes. Take Monk for example and how several formerly cut resources were restored in EW as precursors to new, more flashy tools at later levels. Like how Steel Peak was returned as a precursor to Forbidden Chakra.

Banish exists in Bozja as a Lost Action, they can reuse that. After all, there's Bloodbath L in Eureka, and that is able to exist alongside Bloodbath on Melee.

[ty_taurus]

Banish exists in Bozja as a Lost Action, they can reuse that. After all, there's Bloodbath L in Eureka, and that is able to exist alongside Bloodbath on Melee.

So it does.

[Silver-Strider]

Apart from the AST rework, I am far too pessimistic to think that SE will change any of the other healers to any significant extent.

We'll get the obligatory trait upgrade to our 2 damage spells at 92.
At 94/95, we'll get another trait that either reduces the CD on one of our oGCDs or increases the potency of an oGCD
96 will be another charge added to an oGCD
98 will be another pointless healing oGCD that does nothing that we didn't already have.
100 will be some random skill that SE will design fights around to make it seem like it's actually useful but is just a smokescreen.

I would be legitimately surprised if SE does deviate from that asinine design but again, I am far too pessimistic about that happening.

[Aravell]

It's likely going to be more of the same. They've given no inclination that they care or even know about healer issues, so I wouldn't expect them to suddenly change course. I'm expecting AST to be even more simplified because there are people who say it's hard to play.

My most cynical expectation is that BLU's Mortal Flame is a preview of what our DoT is to become in Dawntrail, just a set once and forget for the rest of the fight button.

[ASkellington]

Apart from the AST rework, I am far too pessimistic to think that SE will change any of the other healers to any significant extent.

You're more optimistic than me because I think they'll make AST worse. SOMEHOW.

For general healer "updates" we don't need I agree with everything else you've said.

MAYBE they'll do something with WHM not having a gauge until early 50s (doubt it).

Oh and add "oh hey, remember this skill you had back in HW/SB its back now at lv-whatever".

[Supersnow845]

Something I desperately want that I think could actually be added because it doesn’t require changing philosophy is please give WHM back its CNJ roots, I’m so sick of white sparkly stuff, holy is already the light spell, why did we have to lose both our earth spells and our air spells

Return glare to stone and dia to aero pls

Even if you do nothing to actually fix WHM pls do that

[Emitans]

2 DotS on SCH with different durations. Deployment Tactics changes to "Your next Adloquium is instant cast and applies its shield to allies in a X yalm radius."

[Raikai]

My prediction is that part the AST rework will make either Draw or Play (or both?) a GCD, to alleviate the hectic burst windows, much like they did with Ninja's mudras.