{White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

[hongman]

I dont know if its just Bahamut, or all sever's, but white mages always seem to be in shortage.

Even more noticeable in the 40+ range, and since lvl 50 I have had maybe 30% of parties that have a white mage. And even then, its always the same one!

This can be seen as good for me - as Red Mage I am getting invites left right and centre, asked by the same people every night, even if I am not lfp or not on RDM.

But, frankly, I am getting sick of main healing. Once in a while fine, backup healing fine, but main healing ALL the time is just getting on my nerves now. Plus my only real sub is BLM, and whilst they all know that, i still get "XXX-na plz"

So, where are all the WHM's? I personally hated playing the job, but its growing on me. I have to lvl it up as a fully lvled sub, as I am suffering becuase of it.

Anyways, just a short blurb.

[fencingkitty]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

Yep, know what you mean. On Alexander I'm a 38 WHM w/a semi-static of linkshell members right now and I typically can't spend 5 minutes outside my party or /anon without getting a party invite. On the other hand, leveling all my other jobs gets painful looking for WHM for the party.

I love my linkshell and our static, but sometimes I feel a little bad having to turn down those party invites and wonder if I'm crazy.

It just seems to be that WHMs are high demand I guess.

[hongman]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

This goes great while Im lvling my WHM as well, of course, as I get invites so quick. But yeah, frustratin when I end up disbanding a PT and pissin everyone off coz I just cant stand it anymore

[BurningPanther]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

It's not just on your servers, it's common among the entire player base. I play RDM as well, and am one of the archaic few who still loathes and resists main healing except(and even during the direst circumstances).

WHMs are in high demand simply for the fact that not many like to play them, and so they are low in number. Add to that the fact that it seems like over 75% or the player population is pure melee, and what you get is anyone with a curative ability being thrust into a main healer role.

[Icemage]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

Most established players who have the mindset to play WHM have already reached level 75, so it's only newer players you generally see levelling WHM beyond 37 (and only a small minority of new players want to play WHM, just as it was with the rest of us).


Icemage

[Auron517]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

White Mage are still around, but like Icemage said, usually people are just taking it to level 37 and quitting. Loads of players are leveling Red Mage because it's a very sought after job in group settings, specifically merit parties. You'll end up being main healer more often as you get closer to level 75, because in the ToAU mindset, Red Mages are preferred.

White Mage is "overkill" on healing magic, and lacks things like Refresh and Convert that makes Red Mage more desireable. I really don't get many invites unless there're no other mages in my range. SE should do something to give WHM/ a boost to Healing, but that's a completely different topic.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

SE should do something to give WHM/ a boost to Healing, but that's a completely different topic.

Cure V, Regen II/II, Raise II/III, Protectra III/IV, Shellra III/IV, and Flash... On top of all that, also get merit Regen potency upgrade and Cure cast time reduction, Shellra/Protectra V, and more...

How much more boost to WHM's healing/damage mitigation abilities do you need?

[Auron517]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

I never said White Mage was useless, or had nothing to bring to the table, just that later on, Red Mages are preferred to heal in Exp and Merit groups, because of Refresh and Convert, which is the truth. Cure III from a RDM/WHM will heal for the same amount as WHM/XX (considering that the White Mage doesn't have a Noble's Tunic or Templar's Mace). Which doesn't make sense, if i'm subbing BLM I can't come close to nuking effectively at all.

From my observation, Healing Magic skill really doesn't do anything, besides maybe pushing up your cures 2 or 3 points. In merit groups, everyone is /NIN, so Cure V and Higher Tier Regens take a back seat. Red Mage also has access to Protect IV. You gain experience at such quick rates nowadays, plus with the buff to Raise I, having Raise III isn't as essential, but parties would rather invite a Red Mage and /sea the zone to beg a White Mage to come raise.

According to players I speak with, Protect/Shell V is nothing more than a pretty light show... Are White Mages an asset to exp/merit sessions? Yes. But most NA would still rather grab a Red Mage, a Bard and fill the empty slot with another DPS.

[Kirsteena]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

Shellra V is godly tbh. Pro V is bleh.

I'm 65 whm atm, and it is on hold till I get myself a new noble's (pride - I won't level into 68 without it). And I know it is going to be hard to get the higher levels, however, my ls drag any whm 70+ along to merit parties, so just gotta hold out till then! Still, I can spend time fishing/farming while lfp!

[Akashimo]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

Uhg, RDM/WHM can heal just... if you already taken whm to 75, it is the LAST thing you want to do in a party. Espically considering refresh/haste cycles, pullers not listening to you with mp and convert not ready, ect. Without the enmity down abilities of Cure V or getting Regen II/II, a AoE of the Pro/Shell 3+ it can be very MP draining trying to do your job right with parties not in your normal pace. (hit 65 last night rdm/whm meleeing and curing, mostly curaga II from bomb tosses unless pld used Rampart.) Even as a DD(Thf or mnk) i'd rather have a whm than another DD in the party if we have a rdm and or brd. Problem with enmity is also cause of lack of Cure V and using 4 which takes hate when 3 isn't enough or using Curaga II. Along with RDM af and most mnd/int/mp gear I've looked at doesn't reduce enmity til the Wise set. RDM was made to be versitle(Look at rdm info at ffxiclopedia.org), but not an easy constant healer with hate problems. (Rarely any thfs anymore pre 75 and most /thf isn't enough to set hate. I have stolen from SATA ws tanks >_>;; )

[Celeal]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

It seems to me that all the healers jobs are in shortage v.v

[Akashimo]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

Its simple, people just 1, already grinded to 75 on a healer job(s), or two just wanna make big numbers so leave being a healer. Or 3, play the tank then turn to war for exp. Peoples logic with TP burns is imho - tank(or another /nin dd) ddx4 rdm(or smn) brd. With many places to camp with little numbers of the supports, the supports are more likely to get to 75 faster than the DDs they partied with the day before. With the supports getting endgame faster, more dds build up lfp in the same level range. More dds means more TP burns and the cycle continues.

Personally, I think just more new support/heal jobs are to be thought up or find some way of making whm extremely favorable so that this wouldn't be the chain of thought for the norm/majority.
Player1>> get the whm
PartyLead>> No rdm
Player2>> zomg convert and refresh we can make infinite chains!
Player3>> lolwhm
Player1>> Ok...
RDM>> /sigh heal again...

[Karinya]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

The basic problem is that not enough players *want* to take a back line role, unless it's nuke-crazy BLM; SE can't change this. You want more healers and support jobs added? We just *had* more healers and support jobs added. Players took one potential healer and turned it into a mediocre DD (BLU) and the support job added at the same time (COR) is, I think, the new rarest job in the game - beating the two previous rarest jobs in the game, BRD and SMN.

Adding more jobs won't help if nobody plays them, or plays them only as DDs. (Which, not so coincidentally, is also what some SMNs want to do more of.)

[Raydeus]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

You'll end up being main healer more often as you get closer to level 75, because in the ToAU mindset, Red Mages are preferred.

White Mage is "overkill" on healing magic, and lacks things like Refresh and Convert that makes Red Mage more desireable. I really don't get many invites unless there're no other mages in my range. SE should do something to give WHM/ a boost to Healing, but that's a completely different topic.

Don't generalize, only NAs don't invite WHMs at higher levels, most of my merit parties have WHM in them as a default job.

SE doesn't need to do anything to fix WHM because they don't need to be fixed, it isn't SE's fault NAs don't know how to play or make efficient parties.

You say WHM is overkill, when in fact WHM means endless MP (and pulling) with the right party setups.

[Akashimo]

Re: {White Mage} {WTF are they}?!

The fact that people don't play back line jobs is because it doesn't appeal to the masses and few that want to do it along with the few that does it for the merrits of their other 75 jobs and/or getting items for not that job in end game. I agree Blu had potentional, but from my limit experiance (mostly solo) of getting to 23, I can see why it is a DD. Stoneskin before rdm and whm, cocoon and pollen makes it self effectiant. Unless they made a DD job that heals party members at the same time heals party members(Highly unlikely due to over powering and put the rest out of the picture), I don't see really any good solutions so far or viable to appeal to people.