Tips For A New Healer?

[ROFL-kopter89]

Hey guys. I recently turned to my hands to CNJ after playing THM/BLM since starting. I started playing ARR during PS4 beta 1 and DPS is all I've even known (this is my first MMO). So far, I'm managing well. I've only had 1 tank die on me and that's cause the 2 DPS split away and I followed them thinking that was the way we were going... I even managed Ifrit with no deaths, which came as a shock as when I did it as DPS we had a few wipes.
Currently I'm level 21 and keeping up with my class quests, putting stat points into mind and keeping my gear updated. I always make sure to cast Protect at the start of instances and keep the tank as my main target while keeping an eye on everyone else's health.
What other things should I make sure I do as a healer? So far it seems to be going well for me and I hope to get WHM soon, but would really appreciate some advice from Veteran healers on what and what not to do.

[Ruri]

If you're standing around with nothing to do, stoneskin the tank and dps. Other than that try to dps or put on DOT's when you aren't healing.

[AngelicSence]

If you're standing around with nothing to do, stoneskin the tank and dps. Other than that try to dps or put on DOT's when you aren't healing.

Lol.. I love that vid. Stranger: OH hai gaisi! KO'd. Players: .....

[Ruri]

Lol.. I love that vid. Stranger: OH hai gaisi! KO'd. Players: .....

Whats funny is that's the promo vid from SE lol.

[AngelicSence]

I think it's important to keep those things in mind:

1) when you have a chance, you should dps..
.. You can train yourself to be more flexible this way (trust me, it helps).

2) understand your team..
.. Not everyone is pro, sometimes.. You have to get ready for the bad situation.
Your job here is to minimize the catastrophe and avoid the wipe. If you get aggro, always go near the tank.
Don't run around tank hoping he get aggro off of you. You have to heal yourself too and every spell has 0.10 sec rule.
you can stop casting spell just before it's about to active and successfully perform running heal.

3) positioning..
.. Always look for the safe place to park in. Get close to a tank, but not too close. Don't over heal the team, remember how much healing you do per cast.

I'm sure you will learn more by yourself. Just remember to challenge your skills, do more than usual. You have the potential to be the best healer in game, just challenge more!

[ROFL-kopter89]

I think it's important to keep those things in mind:

1) when you have a chance, you should dps..
.. You can train yourself to be more flexible this way (trust me, it helps).

I do do this sometimes, when I know tank has established agro and know that everyone is safe. I use Cleric Stance and either throw Aero onto adds or a couple Stone before switching back and topping the tank back off.

[ColorOfSakura]

If you're standing around with nothing to do, stoneskin the tank and dps. Other than that try to dps or put on DOT's when you aren't healing.

DPS for sure, be careful with Stoneskin though during boss fights as recasting Stoneskin can sap your MP before you know it. With boss fights, you really only want to cast it once before the fight, and if the boss has a lot of AoEs or attacks that hit random players (like Garuda), go ahead and stoneskin the whole party at the start. Doesn't really hurt to do and it helps keep you from having to panic and heal everyone.

Also, when you get Cure III - it's a spell that has a very specialized usage. The AoE for it is tiny, so it really only works if the party is stacked together or to have the tank and melee DPS all on the same monster and taking damage.

[Thaliss]

Don't put regen before a fight to avoid aggro
Keep your health up, keep tank health up, keep dps health up. that is the usual order with exceptions.

In team fights avoid usually to bump mob even if you get aggro. Team trust you, trust your team

If you don't mind try to learn how the 2 different tank classes/jobsand scholar work and their skills.(all classes even better). So you know who can do what.

As a cnj/whm know that benediction is not really "instant", so when HP too low target will probably be dead before it actually heals

You will meet nasty players, furious and saying "Bad Healer" and leave, take a big breath and forget about it.
Mostly enjoy the game and you will learn while playing. There is not one only way to do things.

[JonBigwood]

A good tip I read is making macros for the attacks so that you attack the target's target and you can keep the tank as target when you cast a quick Aero or Virus, or if you have time, Stone. You can quickly heal the tank without changing targets if needed.

Try to avoid overhealing as much as possible. With a new tank you have to observe a bit how much you can or have to let his health go down before casting your first heal (in low level dungeons especially) and then not cast heals when your heal will overheal him.

Regen is very mp efficient, but don't have regen on the tank before a new pull, you'd have a lot of enmity.

Cure II is much less mp efficient than Cure, so use Cure as much as possible, but also Cure II if necessary, but not all the time.

Divine Seal, when you get it, is great before regen or Medica II, it affects all the clicks even if Divine Seal is gone. In problematic situations where enmity is not an issue, Divine Seal + Medica II and regen those most needed of health helps a lot. Medica is better for group heals since it has bigger range and costs less mp than Cure III. (Exception: when people are stacked together and you need a quick cast Cure III is better.) Don't spam Medica II, one Medica II for the regen effect if needed, and if needed, Medica for group heal until the Medica II regen is gone.

Shroud of Saints, when you get it, is very good. To keep mp use it when you have spent about 1/3 mp and then when it is available. Also to reduce enmity if you need it.

A swiftcast+raise macro is great for urgent raises. If you have used already your swiftcast, a raise in a problematic situation will take a long time, you might not have time enough and need to heal all the group instead of raising just one member.

[Hulan]

Skills can be learned, technique polished, experience gained, but the only advice you really need is:

No seriously, it's the single biggest thing you can do to be a good healer. Everything else is just experience.