White Mage: You should DPS and here's why.

[Zanika]

But I think it's mildly hypocritical to say "SCH can keep DPS'ing, and SMN's can off-heal, but don't expect a WHM to do it!" This just puts me of the impression that you play a White Mage only.

ARC is the only DoM I have yet to reach lvl 50 on, but I've seen what they're capable of. WHM's don't have a near inexaustable mana pool, a little fairy summon that's capable of healing everyone, or a minature primal that can tank/dps for them. WHM may be seen as a better healer overall, but their resources are limited. And I've never took a pre-made party into dungeon runs. Random parties make things intresting in my opinion, and that's where my cautious insight comes from. If I ever were with a group that I KNOW can hande what's comming, then I'll dust off my Stone II spell. But until then, I'm going to stick with Heals and non-agressive Support. Where I feel I belong.
But to answer your qusetion, my overall glvl as a WHM is 54. Not too high, I know.

[Zanika]

You're assuming the tank sucks and everyone is taking hits.

I'm not assuming anything. I prefer the safe than sorry aproach. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

[Tanaya]

I'm not assuming anything. I prefer the safe than sorry aproach. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

So I should renew Stoneskin on the DPS who hasn't taken a hit while it still has a 20 minute timer?

[Zanika]

So I should renew Stoneskin on the DPS who hasn't taken a hit while it still has a 20 minute timer?

If Stoneskin is not on them, put it on! If you see them get hit(and no one needs to be healed), put it on! If you even supect that they've been hit, put it on! And until SE makes a way to check the Integrity of Stoneskin, put it on! I've never seen anyone avoid taking damage for ten minutes, so yes, put it on! So long as you don't spam it, you're good! Better to be safe than sorry!

*Edit* Despite what this post implies, I don't burn mana keeping this spell up.

[Eidolon]

I'm going to stick with Heals and non-agressive Support. Where I feel I belong.
But to answer your qusetion, my overall glvl as a WHM is 54. Not too high, I know.

That may be the difference. As you get more and more geared as a white mage, your mana becomes more flexibile. But early on, I agree - our mana isn't as free. You are fully in the right to focus on heals at that point due to being entry-level in gear, and it's not lazy. But at the level a lot of other white mages are talking about - Full Darklight, Artifact+1 weapon, there is the ability to branch out and do more and more. The same goes for SCH's - they won't be able to have their Fairy solo-heal early on, because the fairy takes a snap shot of their character when summoned and its stats are based upon them.

[Tanaya]

But at the level a lot of other white mages are talking about - Full Darklight, Artifact+1 weapon, there is the ability to branch out and do more and more.

I agree and disagree with this. Like I said, I've been going DPS WHM ever since Haukke Manor. The only dungeons I haven't DPS'd in was Stone Vigil (because holy shit everything hits hard there), and Amdapor Keep when I was a fresh level 50. Now I can run Amdapor Keep without a relic and in Spiritbond gear. To me, it's less about your gear, and more about knowing your limitations and getting the experience.

[Krisstina]

I agree and disagree with this. Like I said, I've been going DPS WHM ever since Haukke Manor. The only dungeons I haven't DPS'd in was Stone Vigil (because holy shit everything hits hard there), and Amdapor Keep when I was a fresh level 50. Now I can run Amdapor Keep without a relic and in Spiritbond gear. To me, it's less about your gear, and more about knowing your limitations and getting the experience.

u must be lucky that alway get a good tank and no warriors~When I did AK with AF and lv49 quest weapon, I cant stop healing.
Only when I got my ifrit weapon, I began to feel a bit easier and started getting chance to DPS with AK gears...

[Tanaya]

When I ran AK the first few times, I was in full AF with GC weapon. I was a mess and nervous as hell. The trash was simple. Just do what I've always been doing. Once I got to Psycheflayer though I just always fell apart. I didn't know about disease, and Obliterate would always wreck me. I even forgot I had Cleric Stance up at one point and the tank complained that my cures were too weak (he obv didn't know about CS). Now that I've got the experience, I've had no problems since then.

I had my fair share of bad tanks, though I will say the majority I've had were at least decent. Honestly, I don't find the "bad tank" reason to be a good one. Everyone is hindered by a bad tank, but that doesn't mean we should hold ourselves back just to compensate for that tank's flaws. We tell him to man up instead.

[LiadansWhisper]

Stupid text limits.


It's all subjective and opinion based. I do view them as lazy - if they are capable of doing, and the situation permits, and they choose not to, then they are opting out of additional work because they see it as 'not their job.' To me, this is lazy. This is like having a Co-Worker who says it's 'Not in their pay grade', or purposely acts in a way that tries to bypass having to do a specific job (I've worked in Pharmacies where the other techs try to do something else after sitting around looking at shoes to avoid getting the register, for example - another point of 'being lazy.')

This isn't a job. This is a video game. And yeah, sometimes it is above my freaking pay level.

As I said, it's not a bad thing. It IS just an action, and I'm not using a negative connotation for it. I respect your choice, as you believe that is the way the class should be played. But I think it's mildly hypocritical to say "SCH can keep DPS'ing, and SMN's can off-heal, but don't expect a WHM to do it!" This just puts me of the impression that you play a White Mage only.

You "respect" other people's choices on one side of your mouth, then call them lazy on the other side of your mouth. So which is it? Do you respect them, or are they lazy? You can't have it both ways.

Now, you did mention to renew stoneskin on 'everyone that has been hit', but very rarely in my parties will anyone save the tank take a hit in my parties. The only time I really use stoneskin in such scenarios is right before a boss pull - because then I can DPS at the start of the fight (All three bosses of AK. I even throw out DPS on the dragon boss most the time, because it downs the statues faster to have a ranged caster on them.)

Wait wait wait...

No one but the tank gets hit in your parties? Really.

So even though you have undoubtedly awesome parties (because most of mine have turned into madness as one DPS or the other decides to ignore marks and just DPS whatever the hell they want, or the tank overpulls and can't hold threat, or the DPS (or tank) are breaking CC that CAN be used for funsies), you feel that everyone else - regardless of their party makeup or circumstances - should be doing exactly as you do, and if they don't, they're lazy?

You realize everyone isn't you?

I do want to ask - what kind of gear are you going into these instances with? If you're still a bit newer / early on, it may well be a comfort thing that has made you believe this. But if it's just because you want to have YouTube up on your other screen without worrying about cycles, then you're purposely not playing to your maximum potential - and that, in and of itself, is lazy.

It's a 5 man. Why the hell does it matter if someone isn't "playing to their maximum"? It's a 5 man. 5 mans are vapor. They are pointless and I don't see why anyone should be judged by a 5 man. Ye gods...

[Krisstina]

I had my fair share of bad tanks, though I will say the majority I've had were at least decent. Honestly, I don't find the "bad tank" reason to be a good one. Everyone is hindered by a bad tank, but that doesn't mean we should hold ourselves back just to compensate for that tank's flaws. We tell him to man up instead.

And hence this macro come in handy: