Pipe Dreams: Expanding the healer pool

[Duelle]

Putting the tank debate to the side, something I see we haven't exactly covered is healers.

As we all know, White Mage has been the sole healing job in Final Fantasy since pretty much the beginning of the series. Others have been introduced or tweaked throughout the years, or healing was spread around to allow better balance (Summoners in FFIX having access to White Magic, Dancers in FFXI being able to heal), but the constant has been White Mage.

Much like with tanks and DPS, we need a healer roster, as funneling all healing into one job is not smart on the long run.

The main problem I see is that White Magic is pretty restrictive, specially when taking the job description for WHM into account. Looking at how healing is done elsewhere and how it is spread about in a way that gameplay varies per class but the result is the same (which means that all healers should be able to perform equally or near equally in all content), we might be able to expand the healer pool in a way that makes sense without taking anything from White Mage.

Looking at how healing is approached in MMORPGs, we know the following types of heals exist:

- "Traditional" heals: Single-target and group heals that have to be cast and heal allies for a set amount.
- HoTs: Heals that take place over time as set values over X seconds (unlike FFXIV's and FFXI's Regen) and are usually instant-cast.
- "Smart" heals: Heals that are set to hit X number of targets, always prioritizing the party members with the lowest HP.
- Heal Auras: Recover a small amount of HP per tick for everyone in range.
- Heal "Zones": Laying an object or marker on the ground, causing anyone that steps in the zone to heal while the zone is active.
- Transfusion Heals: Deal a small amount of damage or hinder the enemy's resources and apply a multiplier that heals party members.
- "Attack" Heals: What would be your regular attack can be used to heal a target party member.

WHM is (and should be) built around traditional heals. You can really add whatever you want for utility and so on, but at the end of the day the job is a healer built around spells that have to be cast and heal for certain amounts. With that in mind, we can have healers that focus on or use the other heal types as part of their arsenal, with a traditional heal somewhere in there as filler.

Some examples of what I'd like to see:

Green Mage: Emphasis on HoT's, with possibly a smart heal. Can do whatever with utility.
Chemist: Emphasis on attack heals (CHM with a pistol or a shotgun that shoots pellets filled with healing salve? ), heal zones and a traditional single-target heal. Can do whatever with utility.
Oracle: Emphasis on transfusion and smart heals, with maybe a HoT. Can do whatever with utility.

Of course, status removal and ability to raise would be available to all healers. Can't have a healer that can't cleanse debuffs and raise the dead, after all.

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Before the "if this wasn't in FFXI we don't want it" brigade comes in to (try to) shut me down, we really should stop to think about mechanics and playstyle differences. Much like tanking, different people are drawn to different types of gameplay for healing. Some may be drawn to spreading HoTs, some may be into smart heals or transfusion heals. I personally hate healing, yet attack heals found their way into my heart to the point I am willing to heal a group if the healer roster has a class built around that mechanic. Just goes to show variety is a good thing, and may help in putting groups together.

Questions, comments, flames, death threats and so on are welcome.

[Merc]

It has been said that Arcanist can aid the party. They will have different color carby's to either aid the party or deal damage.

[Reika]

It has been said that Arcanist can aid the party. They will have different color carby's to either aid the party or deal damage.

Well, WTB healing carby.

[SkyeWindbinder]

MNK is built around the very act of doing DPS. it should continue to be the sole dominent DPS role.
DRG is built around the act of doing DPS. it should continue to be the sole dominant DPS role.
What do either of those jobs do when they are not doing dps? they have only one role in a party DPS.

But the thing is, they are not the ONLY classes that specialize solely in DPS. Also, they do have abilities that are monk and dragoon specific. DPS though they may be, they are not built completely from head to toe for it. DPS is not their sole definitive specialty. Healing is a WHM's sole definitive specialty. (Why must I have to continue explaining this? lol) You can't expect another class of the existing classes to outheal or compare with the healing of the WHM. As I said, it wouldn't make a lick of sense. Just as you couldn 't expect a monk to outdo a BLM at offensive magic. WHM is unique from other classes in that what it does (not just how it does it). Yuo can't expect someone who specializes in martial arts yet may have some decent healing powers to outheal a friggin mage who's very powers are built solely around buff and heal.

Built for healing VIA CURATIVE MAGIC

LOL But in all seriousness, I don't see your point. My point is, WHM is built completely around healing. Unless another class is built the same way, it shouldn't be able to outheal a WHM.

Also Indigo is right. I dont anyone think expects any of the existing classes / jobs to become super awesome at healing. i don't know where anyone got that idea from.

Probably an implication Indigo came up with (before the poor dear's brain started hurting, lol) because I put my $0.02 in about the subject, which is that the WHM should definitely remain the best healer until another class is introduced that is built around the power of healing. Likely a huge case of misunderstanding. And headaches. Well, at least for one of us. :P

[Dzian]

<Skipped irrelivant text> which is that the WHM should definitely remain the best healer until another class is introduced that is built around the power of healing. Likely a huge case of misunderstanding. And headaches. Well, at least for one of us. :P

The bold part is key. As I said noone expects a monk to become an awesome healer or even a paladin. (though personally I would like paladin to have a healing buff. even it had the potency of a whms cures it wouldn't have the mp supply to maintain a full party. but i guess thats just my play style try and keep myself standing not rely on others) but yeah of the jobs in 1.0 noone expects any of them to really be a super awesome healer.

The original topic was alternative ideas future jobs that can fill a healers role and the different ways in which they can do it.

I don't want 4 jobs that specialise in healing magic and cure spells, just as i dont want 4 jobs that specialise in hand to hand combat

I'm looking to a future full of mass scale contents and 24 man events with a HUGE selection of jobs to choose from not just the handfull we have now. There is plenty of room for more healers.

If for example XIV had 20 jobs to choose from. how would you spread those jobs amoungst various roles.
I personally would have maybe:-
3 healers- whm, chemist etc
4 tanks- pld war etc
4 support- brd cor maybe arcanist with its enfeebles etc
9 dps- mnk drg sam ranger drk bst etc etc
or something like that. a fairly decent spread across all roles i think.

reading this though it seems some people would have 1 healer 1 tank and 18 dps jobs
side note:- how do you do the click to show thing?

[SkyeWindbinder]

The bold part is key. As I said noone expects a monk to become an awesome healer or even a paladin. (though personally I would like paladin to have a healing buff. even it had the potency of a whms cures it wouldn't have the mp supply to maintain a full party. but i guess thats just my play style try and keep myself standing not rely on others) but yeah of the jobs in 1.0 noone expects any of them to really be a super awesome healer.

The original topic was alternative ideas future jobs that can fill a healers role and the different ways in which they can do it.

I don't want 4 jobs that specialise in healing magic and cure spells, just as i dont want 4 jobs that specialise in hand to hand combat

I'm looking to a future full of mass scale contents and 24 man events with a HUGE selection of jobs to choose from not just the handfull we have now. There is plenty of room for more healers

side note:- how do you do the click to show thing?

Guess we agree on some stuff. Good enough for me.

[IndigoDarkwolf]

how do you do the click to show thing?

HB and /HB in square brackets. If you click the "Go Advanced" button, it's also the speech bubble with the question mark icon.

Example usage (you should be able to see it if you "reply with quote" on this):

This text is hidden until someone clicks the button to show it.

Unfortunately, "Preview Post" in the advanced editor doesn't correctly portray what the hidden areas will look like.

Edit: I really like to use that HB tag when quoting people. Especially people who aren't well-read on their Shakespeare.

[Duelle]

The original topic was alternative ideas future jobs that can fill a healers role and the different ways in which they can do it.

I don't want 4 jobs that specialize in healing magic and cure spells, just as i dont want 4 jobs that specialise in hand to hand combat

As I see it, WHM would still be built around White Magic. CHM would be built around their potions and healing bullets. GRM would be built around their HoTs, which would be considered Green Magic. I don't think there would or should be any true overlaps between them spell-wise or mechanic-wise.

[Niqote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUVI5ukXcRI <- This

I am a career WHM so I am completely biased ... but I do not want to see another class healing just as well as the WHM.

In FFXI Dancer was great, SMN was great, they healed but kept their own Identity.

Those SCHs however just rode on the coat tails of the BLM and WHM... I do not want to see that happen again

[Duelle]

In FFXI Dancer was great, SMN was great, they healed but kept their own Identity.

Dancer was a pseudo healer but was used more as DPS and offtank because of high evasion. SMN was pigeonholed into curebotting because of their larger MP pool. That's very different from a job that is designed to take on the role of healer.

Not to mention, past experience shows those who are not "traditional" healers work under their own set of mechanics, so there is plenty of identity to go around.