Healers losing popularity?

[ariaandkia]

y'know, I think kids on their PS4s are rolling gladiator because they want to play with swords more than healing losing popularity. I'm sure it'll pass by the end of summer.

That said, everyone in here has been talking about under-geared tanks in end-game dungeons. It works in reverse, too. I recently was running Brayflox normal, pugged and ended up with a tank who was srsbsnss end-game raider. It was a rough run all around, but it was when the tank pulled two sets of mobs - the sets with the Ashdrakes - that we wiped. Rather than dusting off and going in again, the tank says some passive aggressive shit about how the healer can't keep up with "normal sized" pulls. I called her an ass and quit group. I hate raegquitting, but I also wasn't going to stand for someone blaming me for their poor decisions. I guess she was used to endgaming with her FC, but we were a pug from duty finder on a mid-level dungeon. I expect this kind of shit from WoW, not here.

Yeah, I often find that tanks like to blame the healers. I play a bit of everything, but I've definitely noticed that tanks tend to either be undergeared or overgeared. However, both cases tend to expect the party to be overgearred and high aoe dps. Of course, when things go wrong, "Oh, I guess the healer is undergeared and can't do normal pulls." Including when it was completely the tank's fault. (Had three tanks that didn't grab aggro up until he died-I personally refused to heal until they had at least basic aggro on the enemies (aka: at least an overpower or flash or circle of scorn). Had several tanks now that a SINGLE NON-CRIT UNBUFFED Cure took aggro on ALL the enemies from the tank except MAYBE one. Maybe. Obviously, all of them blamed me for being undergeared, a newb healer, and a worthless ____.)

I've seen this both as a healer and as a DPS. That isn't to say that I'm spotless as a tank-if I get hostility from the party, I will match it more often than not. This could include stealthing essentially the entire dungeon-I've done this in Brayflox before and needless to say, party wasn't happy. If the people that wanted to insult me don't like it, tough. I can wait for them to catch up.

Thing is, while I've also seen healers that blame the tanks really fast. And usually these healers are the ones pulling mobs that the tank then has to pull off the healer, who aren't healing, or who are just plain barely geared for the dungeon. You can tell that they aren't healing usually by cleric stance and the fact that when the tank dies, only one enemy aggros the healer (sometimes none).
Generally I see it from the tanks more often. I might be slightly biased seeing as how I'm a healer, and thus I'll see more tanks, but... Just what I've seen. Now, I've also seen some healers blame the other healers as well as Tanks blaming the other tank.

But I've seen healers get very upset because of their party harassing them for being "poor healers" despite it often not being the healer's fault. I think I can honestly call it harassment at that point. And needless to say, that doesn't help with having healers. On top of that, because of the tank favoritism right now, many players are jumping on the tanking bandwagon. Most of these players are bad at their class but won't admit it and instead blame the party, especially healers, which makes things worse. I mean, I'll admit that I'm a horrible DPS. I'm a good healer, but I'm only an ok tank (well, I've had a lot of people say that I'm a good tank, but at the same time, I know I'm nowhere near where I should be).

[HolyGlassofWater]

On top of that, because of the tank favoritism right now, many players are jumping on the tanking bandwagon.

In relation to your horror stories, If you go to the tank forums, you will see tanks saying the exact same thing about tanking, quitting tanking because it's too stressful and people are blaming them too much. I believe nowadays healers are starting to get this attitude as well (with all these brayflox hm speedruns and what not) which is leaving both a lower number of both tanks and healers.

I know when I made my OP I was just upset because my ques weren't as instant as I thought they would be, but now that I cooled off, played both my SCH and my WAR some more, I can definately see that there is a shortage of both roles because these roles have the most blame thrust upon them a lot as you guys have been saying. I'm still getting all the instant ques on my tank, and I'm getting instant que on my healer as well, but there is that occasional time where I do have to wait on both my tank and my healer, so there's that. Healers may be losing popularity, and I could see why, but I think tanks are in the same boat

[Auntie_A]

...If you go to the tank forums, you will see tanks saying the exact same thing about tanking, quitting tanking because it's too stressful and people are blaming them too much.

This is definitely true. I think huge problem is that tanks don't know how healers work and vice versa. There needs to be a synchronicity between the tank and healer. The healer needs to know how Warrior tanking differs from Paladin tanking. And the tank needs to know how a Scholar heals versus how a White Mage heals. It requires some research in the other's thread and walking a malm in their shoes. Pick up coj or gla or mar on your main, even if it's only for 20 levels.

There's a thread of communication that's not easily opened with a new PS4 player without a keypad. The best you can do is gently guide them in party chat. If they're receptive, they will oblige. This game is really full of wonderful, patient players who are eager to learn and to teach.

[ariaandkia]

This is definitely true. I think huge problem is that tanks don't know how healers work and vice versa. There needs to be a synchronicity between the tank and healer. The healer needs to know how Warrior tanking differs from Paladin tanking. And the tank needs to know how a Scholar heals versus how a White Mage heals. It requires some research in the other's thread and walking a malm in their shoes. Pick up coj or gla or mar on your main, even if it's only for 20 levels.

There's a thread of communication that's not easily opened with a new PS4 player without a keypad. The best you can do is gently guide them in party chat. If they're receptive, they will oblige. This game is really full of wonderful, patient players who are eager to learn and to teach.

Definitely agree that we need to play the other roles. If you look at my stats, you'll notice I play a bit of everything.g. I favor healers obviously and Tanks are kind of my secondary, but I play the other roles as well. In personal opinion, I think that to really be able to understand how things work, you need to do a bit of everything.