Any tips for dodging AOEs as a healer?

[FengPopo]

I always loved playing the healer role in every MMORPG that I've played. I can say that I'm a fairly good healer. I started my WHM job in FFXIV thinking it'd be a similar type of play style as other games, but I got a rough awakening when it came time for Titan. FFXIV has a ton of movement and AOE dodging during fights that is unlike other games I have played before. I've never had to move or dodge so much as a healer before.

No matter how hard I try, I just cannot avoid dodging at least one AOE. I've fallen off the ledge in Titan many times to my utter embarrassment. I would see him put down landslide but I would just be a second too slow to react. I feel like maybe my reaction time is too slow. But what can I do if my reaction processing is a few seconds slower than the average person? Am I doomed to just keep getting eaten by AOE and failing my party members?

This has become very frustrating for me because I WANT to be a good player and do harder content, but I'm just inherently a slow reactor.

Does anyone have any tips/advice on how to deal with dodging AOEs in time?

[Riepah]

If your reaction time is really consistently slower than it should be and you can't change it, try learning the boss patterns by heart. You don't have to "react to" as much as "anticipate" the attacks, then.

[Selli]

You have to dodge AoEs as soon as you see them, even if that means interrupting your cast.

Also check your graphics settings. I had 0 issues until I got into Titan as well and for some reason Titan makes my frames drop by a good 40-50 FPS.

[Quinna]

IMO the best thing you can do is practice the content, watch different videos and really focus on patterns and learn the fights so you are up and moving before the AOEs even hit the floor. :3

[Gillionaire]

Just be ready to move instead of being focused on your cast bar. Even if it's 85% filled, just move and lose the cast.
It's not like your tank's going to die because you didn't get that one cast of heal off, but if you die, the tank WILL die.

And.. yes, unfortunately, if your reaction is just too slow, not much can be done about that
Since Tex is one of those things where you can't recover, once you're knocked out, it's over kind of deal. Also, no amount of gear will save you from it either, so it's a true skill check in that sense.

Also, check your play style and see if you're unable to move AND cast skills at the same time.. I've noticed that some people have trouble doing both at the same time, if that's the case, you could practice it. maybe try playing BRD or something and be constantly on the move without stopping at any time.

[baopee]

try either enlarge the party list or move it a bit closer to the center of screen, this way your eyes can focus on you character instead of glancing back and forth on the party list. It give might give you the half second that you need to dodge the aoes.

Also are you playing on PS3? I had some problem to dodge wotl when I still had PS3. Therefore it might not be you can't dodge the aoes, it is simply display lag.

[Cynfael]

Keep in mind that ground-telegraphed AoEs determine successful hits before the indicator vanishes. If you fail to move completely out of the yellow area before it vanishes, you will be hit even if the attack animation appears to miss you.

You can also clip your casts and still complete them while moving depending on latency. If I start moving when a cast has ~.4 seconds left, I can move while completing it.

[Byonka]

You have to dodge AoEs as soon as you see them, even if that means interrupting your cast.

Also check your graphics settings. I had 0 issues until I got into Titan as well and for some reason Titan makes my frames drop by a good 40-50 FPS.

This helped me a great deal too.

IMO the best thing you can do is practice the content, watch different videos and really focus on patterns and learn the fights so you are up and moving before the AOEs even hit the floor. :3

^ And this. You'll be much faster at dodging once you've memorized the dance/ know what to expect.


Another thing is not allowing yourself to get tunnel vision. (staring at party list health bars.) Actively recheck the situation, try to watch what the party is doing. This to me was and still can be the hardest thing to over come.

Practice really does make perfect. Good luck!

[Phileas]

The trick i found with titan in the post heart phases is that he often follows up stomps with weight of the earth. Stomps will often trick you into starting medica 2 but really u should be ready to run even if ur medoca cast is nearly done. Bombs are often the worst too. You need to watch the last set that drop, run near it then run towards the clear area as they explode in sequence.

Its also best to stack as close to titans butt as you can . If u accidentallly get hit by his knockback attack there is less chance u will falll. This doesnt really work for ex titan tho

[MXMoondoggie]

A combination of using the focus target feature to see important attacks charging and just learning the fight. Bosses like Primals have a very set in stone rotation especially Titan in each phase he will do attacks in the exact order without anything being random so after a while you just know what is coming next and prepare for it. Watch how attacks fall and the pattern they usually hit and position yourself on edges of consistent ones to be ready to move slightly to avoid it. You can be standing just outside the AoE and be fine i often see people running all over and they end up running into something else.

Some attacks like Titan's circle bombs and Shiva's ice AoE's fall in a particular pattern for these just look for the last to fall and go to it then when the first explodes run to the safe areas. Also for something like Shiva she does her attacks in twos so you know when you see one attack the next one will be a particular mechanic so you can be ready to avoid it like the circle of AoE's immediately comes before her arrows so you know to get behind her. Healing and staying alive is all about anticipation over reaction.

Think of a fight as a game of Chess you need to be thinking 2-3 moves ahead and you need to watch the board to know what your opponent will do next.