Honestly if disc is to become “competitive”/“balanced for HPS” vs other healers its going to need a rework and some of those who like it how it is now are going to be disappointed.
However, looking at player uptake of the spec (pve) this could be a good thing.
I pesonally prefer how disc played in cata and honestly it would be acceptable in this healing meta (with the absorbs tuned way down) just give it re-skined spells to make it feel different from holy or its own alternatives to some heals.
The version of atonement in cata aligns well with other healers, it was nice and a way to get a healing buff but not op heals (should only tickle). This is vs hots/totems/resource building.
It was still a traditional type healer and players who only heal could ignore atonement (missing out though).
But this is just me, plenty of players who like disc how it is.
I just hope to never see a pw: shield bot spec ever again.
well, actually balance for healers does look at effective HPS (including absorbs and dmg redux), and currently the healer balance is so out of whack that healer checks have been reduced to the point that people clear 25+ keys without a healer, as blizz has needed to reduce healer checks to much since they can’t buff the worst specs to bring them up to par.
Every other class has both mobility and ways to make abilities instant cast, or has most of their kit instant by default. You don’t need to rework everything about Disc, just merge / streamline a couple of abilities to reduce button bloat, give mobility and / or an CD to make some abilities instant and free and you’re golden. Potential is there, but currently we’ll be happy if the 4pc makes Disc vaguely workable in the high mobility environment that we’re having