Wait... I'm getting a mixed message here about White MagesFollow

I haven't started playing just yet, but on the 'New Job Ideas' post, I read the following, the most important parts are bolded.

"The only class belonging specifically to the healer role; the White Mage, also tends to be a taboo in parties, though less so than the Black Mage. White Mages receive spots in parties when no working group of two support jobs is available. Along the same lines of spent MP is wasted MP, White Mages do not offer abilities like refresh or convert to extend their MP pools indefinitely like a Red Mage. The addition of a new healing specific class could alienate the current White Mage community. They already have a difficult time finding merit parties, if their special position in end game was compromised there would likely be a large out cry. Without a system revision making a healing specific class more preferable than dual support jobs, an addition of a new healing specific class seems foolhardy. (Original post, now semi-irrelevant)

SE pulled a power move with the release of Dancer and it turned out quite well. Because Dancer is a TP based healer it does not push White Mage out of its end game role. In addition the ability for White Mages to now sub Scholar enhances the longevity of their MP pools allowing them to be more effective in both end game and party situations."

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I've been wanting to play a healer, and one of the best things about healers in any game is quick parties (of course, I like healer game play in general). Is the White Mage now a viable end game class, like the later part of the message since it is , or is it still 'taboo' endgame. If so, would Dancer then be a more 'viable' healer? If both are lousy endgame choices, should I then just go with Corsair and do ?

It's bitterness, and outdated bitterness at that.

Given that I see far more RDM in merit parties than WHM, I'd say it's not far off. Your invites are based on people's perception, not reality. I will say this though, if we want to be nits about reality (as marginal as it is): RDM are better for merits not because of Convert/Refresh but because of Dia III. A merit healer needs mediocre heals, "unlimited" MP, Haste, and Dia. WHM and RDM share everything except Dia where RDM get III and WHM get II.

My first job was WHM because I love healing and I got it to ~50 before I realized what a dead end it was for xp invites. I switched to RDM and it was like night and day. The healing stayed the same but was so much more useful with better enfeebles, much more MP, dispel, and refresh. That was 5 years ago and it's still pretty much the same.

WHM is great in a lot of endgame stuff where the extra healing matters, just not merits.

lol @ spending 45 MP per bird on Dia III. If the 5% additional defense down over Dia II is what it takes for a merit party to be doing indefinite chains than that's not a merit party I want to be in. The only time I could see Dia III being relevant is if you have to pull Wivres to keep chain, but a WHM's Esuna to remove attack down instantly rather than mucking around with Erase's long recast timer is gunna be more useful there anyway.

I have WHM and RDM (as well as all the support jobs) My WHM has a far easier time healing a meripo than my RDM. However both jobs get ample invites and can do just fine, if the player has an ounce of common sense. WHM/SCH works well with BRD and COR, using sublimation but I rarely find I need both and usually just get the odd ballad II.

Historically, it got to the point where people did start inviting RDMs over WHMs for merits. Then SE decided that it was ridiculous and /SCH was born. Well ok not quite that simple... but these days for merits there is no difference in efficiency in a meripo between the two if the players are equally skilled. They just do things differently. I prefer meriting on COR, BRD or WHM over RDM but that's just me.

That info is all hogwash. If WHM is useless then why is it that in my limbus shell i'm only allowed to go as whm?

I go as whm/sch and most of the times i'min the pure DD pt. I only get a brd if I'm in in there are extra brds that the tanks and blms haven't claimed. I hardly eve rrun out of mp and when I do I use sublimation which is a mini convert. If sublimation isn't up and it's an aspirable mob... guess what? Aspir. No mp, sublimation down and no aspirable mob well... use Martyr. YOu can also give MP to the tanks with Devotion. Shoot I've even had to use devotion on RDMS who were constantly nuking or offfered to take over hasting the pt.

When you do need to rest, and there will come a time when you will, when even RDMs need to rest, there's some awesome hmp gear out there. I have Errant body, pluto, antivenom earring, grandiose chain and hierarch belt, and ariesian grip. That's +25 hp adn I still need the Goliard and Healer's Duckbills. Add in Refresh from RDM (if not /sch) and balled/balled 2, evoker's/healer's roll.. Can't beat that.

I have WHM 75 and RDM72. If I main heal I want ot be on WHM. Esuna is a godsend so is Cura. I've done jailers without a single rest. Dyna is a challenge to the best of whms though.

Who doesn't love a whm who can dispel?

Edited, Jun 3rd 2010 10:43pm by Shastal

Exactly. I spam regen 3 and 2 to avoid the timer delay for regen 3. Cure is a low mp and low hate curaga that I use only when the pt is asleep. I scare people in my endgame shells because I'mnot afraid to get up next to the mob to use AoE spells but at the same time I'm not stupid either I try to time it after the mob does an AoE of its own. The pt knows taht when I run up to them in the middle of a battle to have a voke ready just in case. I also like to repose mobs especially when blms rdms and brds are being resisted.

Cure 5 = a lot of hp recovered
Cure 4 = hate = death
Cure 3 = between cure 5s
Cure 1 & 2 = not worth ith

Honestly I love whm but I do wish my limbus LS would let me bring smn or drk once in a while but we have very few whms in the ls 4 I think.

WHM is the only true healer there is. SCH is good but no 'na' spells unless you use Light ARts or have WHM subbed. Switchign between Light ARts and Dark Arts and waiting for strategem timers is a pain.

With the level cap upgrade, we may get to party with BLM's again. Haste access for everyone!

When I can aspir 100-150 mp in limbus or dyna it can only be a benefit to everyone. I have a full dark magic gear set for rdm and blm which my whm can also wear. Many times Dark Arts + dark gear + aspir has saved more than one person when I was low on mp.

Yes I am very careful of what mobs I aspir. I only aspir on mobs that are aspirable like crabs and elementals. I love the crabs in limbus. And since the amount you aspir varies so widely and you may not even get 10mp back I only aspir when I'm 150 or below.