Which do you prefer?

[Ninster]

A: Tank mass-pulls but is a bit under geared, although using cooldowns on a fairly solid rotation. As such, healing required is a bit more than usual, and dps opportunities are fewer.

B: Tank mass-pulls and is appropriately or over-geared for the content, and using cooldowns appropriately. Almost like he'd need no healing at all, and you can camp Cleric 99% of the duty.

I guess to put simply, do you like being "challenged" as a healer? I realize, like with many things healing-related, that perspectives will differ, even to the point of what the line is between the tank in A being "good" or "bad".

I just got out of a Dzemael Darkhold run that sparked this question. 45 minutes to maintenance, and my friend goes as SCH to help me (SMN) get through roulettes quicker. My friend doesn't have much SCH experience, but I've tried to go over some of the main points of both dps and healing, including using the healing toolkit effectively to reduce the stress of healing. I didn't examine the tank until later on, but he was was in level-appropriate gear for the most part, with the Brayflox Belt and lvl 1 rings being the weakest pieces. From the start I can tell the tank is going to try to rush this, but he was courteous enough to split up the first run to the boss into two pulls instead of common single mass pull (that even then isn't too hard to deal with IMO).

So far things are going smooth and DPS is killing it (two SMNs rock) until just before the second boss when the last two packs are pulled together. My friend for some reason isn't able to catch up (LoS, possibly) and the tank dies, followed by the pack turning on me. My friend raises the tank, and things are mostly stable after I die. So I respawn at the entrance, and from looking at health bars there weren't any issues. After the second boss goes down I make the comment in party chat that I love when groups make DD go quick when my friend comments to me via linkshell that he doesn't like the tank. I'm shocked and he explains that the tank is pulling too much for him and mentions the tank is undergeared.

This is apparently the point where my friend and I differ and I talk about how we've only had issues with the one pull, at which point I eat my words and again, the tank dies on the last two packs before the final boss (two drakes and 3 skeleton warriors). Needless to say, my friend comes back with "You were saying?", but one resurrection later and we finish.

After we exit my friend goes into hyperbolic mode, calling the tank "worst tank ever" and "I had to stay on him the entire time".

So, commentary on my scenario is appreciated (not mincing words here: I know friend could have done better), but I'm more interested in what the healer forums prefer when it comes to DF: tanks that force full-time healing, or tanks that allow for full-time DPS?

[Shougun]

As tank if I know I'm undergeared I just go in smaller groups, unless there is a specific mechanic that begs for it (like an NPC bombing an area you could take advantage of). I'd rather get through the dungeon deathless then test the healer, unless they ask for it (but then I'm expecting them to be ready to abandon cleric like a hot popoto and heal me). If I'm overgeared then I just assume the healer can take time out of their busy day to heal me once or twice haha (or sometimes just clemencying myself is fine).

I used to be annoyed by the gates SE put up because when I was always overgeared for content I just wanted to take everything in giant packs. Now that I know what it's like to be undergeared, I greatly see the value in the gates and would actually encourage SE to do more interesting gated content and less miles of trash.

Like a number of mini bosses between bosses, and less and less trash or at least less trash that you can mass pull - if it's meant to be mass pulled the game does it for you and is balanced for that expectation. And of course mini bosses/rooms doesn't only mean one or two monsters at a time, just meaning like little mini-trial rooms, burning circles (FFXI fans?).

The "option" to mass pull isn't really an interesting one, if they want to add options in dungeons it should be more like some of the WoW stuff with extra rooms, side chests, optional bosses, and one way routes. (Haven't played WoW recently so I'm not sure if that near Vanilla stuff still exists or if they made it a one way like FFXIV is doing).

[Thrivaios]

It really depends on my mood.

I just did back to back Haukke HM and then NM. In HM I used the Divine Seal + Regen + Medica II and I DPS'ed my little heart out. In NM I had to heal way more because our tool kits were more limited. In both cases I was fine. I find I can deal with either situation and I usually let the tank know they can pull at their leisure. I feel far more secure in my own skills so I usually let the tank test their limits if they want.

Honestly speaking, if I'm in a hurry, I much prefer situation B. If I can add to the overall dps of the group and make things go more quickly, more often than not I'm happy. Other times I'm happy to just keep healing.

[Rennies]

If I'm farming something like Lore, I want it to be as fast and efficient as possible. If I'm just screwing around and helping someone out, I don't mind a bit of challenge.

[Taika]

I dislike being "challenged" by other party members not being properly equipped for the content they've queued for.

[Lilseph]

I can do anything. Sometimes I'm glad I can actually heal in dungeons. Paying attention to the tank and their CDs, looking for an opportunity to DPS. That's why I like when tanks pull everything in Baelsar's Wall. I enjoy healing and trying to DPS through that. Option B is the ideal option, I think most of us will prefer that if we're in a hurry.

However, when I play tank in dungeons (Which I rarely do, I mostly use it in raid content. I'm tired of healers that won't DPS), I tend to pull everything and manage my CD rotation and DPS output with the highest possible efficiency. I have never found myself in a situation where I was undergeared, so I can't give my opinion about it. If I were undergeared, I'd still mass pull to check what's my limit. If we die, at least I'll call it a "learned lesson", followed by the corresponding apology to my group. I play WAR.

[NorthernLadMSP]

All i have to say is that if you're in a level 44 dungeon, you better not be wearing level 1 accessories. There is literally no excuse as even the generic vendors in the starting cities sell jewelry up to the mid level 30s.

[Spiroglyph]

A: Tank mass-pulls but is a bit under geared, although using cooldowns on a fairly solid rotation. As such, healing required is a bit more than usual, and dps opportunities are fewer.

B: Tank mass-pulls and is appropriately or over-geared for the content, and using cooldowns appropriately. Almost like he'd need no healing at all, and you can camp Cleric 99% of the duty.

WHY would I ever prefer a badly-geared tank? The way you worded your post makes it seem as if the only difference between the two scenarios is the tank's gear. Obviously, the most efficient option is to have a higher ilvl tank so you can burn everything to the ground as fast as possible, specially if you a team that knows when to aoe. Choosing a lower ilvl tank for seemingly no reason but "to heal more" doesn't seem very logical to me, but I might have misunderstood your post, I suppose.

[Shougun]

All i have to say is that if you're in a level 44 dungeon, you better not be wearing level 1 accessories. There is literally no excuse as even the generic vendors in the starting cities sell jewelry up to the mid level 30s.

Sometimes when I hear badly geared, or at least when I think of it because of these people, I assume people are just upset the what have you role isn't over synced and that they can't make everything trivial - so when I say undergeared I mean "I have enough accuracy, none of my gear is more then 10ilvls below the minimum, specifically my weapon isn't awful, dungeon can be done without deaths and am close to minimum".. but then I hear some really wonky stories of like accessories allowing for truly garbage weapon or other combinations lol.

I wish they added a minimum ilvl to gear, like minimum average and gear level. So you can be below say 110 for Y, and the gear itself cant be below 90.

[bounddreamer]

I don't have a preference, I can heal either, and getting one or the other provides variety at least.

Sounds like your friend is still pretty new to healing. Maybe they were used to dpsing more at lower levels. It's still possible to dps at lvl 44 but it really depends on the tank. At level 44 the damage is greater and you don't have some of the quick recovery tools you get at 50+. Also, I wonder if a) she had her fairy on obey, b) she wasn't relying on her fairy enough and c) whether it was Selene or Eos; all of those play a factor in how easy the healing feels and how much a SCH is able to dps.

I personally love running DD on SCH because I can let Eos do the bulk of the work and keep up dps, but once I spread my dots I can be ready to swap out of cleric stance and heal if need be.