Do i need to DPS?

[Sleigh]

Sounds like you are in hurry to clear the content. Why not role with 5 dps's, 1 healer and 2 tanks if you feel that the dps checks are to difficult to get past. A healers main job is to heal anything else is just sprinkles on the cup cakes.

If "in a hurry" is before they raise the iLVL cap or add echo, then sure. Otherwise it's not really in the cards to beat something like A4S with just the hopes and dreams of 4 DPS.

It sounds like in your universe only DPS should do good damage and SE has molded their raids around this fact ... unfortunately for the less stoic healers/tanks out there, that's not what the devs went for, this time around.

[Astral145]

If "in a hurry" is before they raise the iLVL cap or add echo, then sure. Otherwise it's not really in the cards to beat something like A4S with just the hopes and dreams of 4 DPS.

It sounds like in your universe only DPS should do good damage and SE has molded their raids around this fact ... unfortunately for the less stoic healers/tanks out there, that's not what the devs went for, this time around.

Well dps's main job is to dps. A dead dps cannot dps. You can always save your i190 - i210 gear if you want hardcore mode. BTW echo will not be added to savage for a long while and who knows if the devs will add echo to savage this time around. The devs are creating 2 modes for each raid (story and savage). So echo may not be added... nobody knows at this point in time. All I'm saying is if the healers in your group feel comfortable throwing down the deeps then by all means dps away. There is no wrong or right... play the way you feel like playing.

[technole]

Well dps's main job is to dps. A dead dps cannot dps.

Yeah, and the raid dying to enrage doesn't get free loot.

More like damage is a party-wide responsibility. Nothing is limited to what color your job role is, stance dancing is real and needed for savage progression.

[Negafox]

I was looking at other threads and i seen people talking about healers being "lazy" for not dpsing any. And I am not being lazy just don't want people to die also I want to save as much mana as I can. So I want to know am I just being a bad healer or people just being upset that things are not dying a few seconds faster?

No. But you should help out for DPS intensive triggers which can wipe a party member or the entire party if the DPSes fail, if possible. For example, Nidhogg.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

This is about to turn into a debate that started a few months back where "casuals" branded those who put in some extra effort as "elitist" and/or "nerds" (or whatever negative image you can imagine for either group).

As for the query from the OP:
If you're not DPSing and there's no need to heal within a certain time frame, what else do you plan to do? There is no single encounter where you are required to keep any HP bar at 100% at all time. Here's a bit from the healer handbook I wrote for my FC

2.1 Primary- and secondary objectives as a healer
Your primary objective as a healer is to keep your party in good shape, not as black and white as keeping them alive. Staying alive is an individual job, rather than yours. Keeping your party in good shape involves:

• Having sufficient HP at the right time

• Is free of most, if not all, negative status effects

• Being prepared for sure-kill attacks unless properly mitigated

Your secondary objective would be to make the encounter as forgiving as possible, although opinions on this may vary. Making an encounter more forgiving involves handling mechanics or contributing with damage. For most encounters, especially when progressing, the dps checks is one of the main causes for failures. Assuming your primary objective is achieved till the dps check fails. By taking duties handling mechanics from other players would improve the overal damage output. Alternatively you could help contribute with some damage as a healer.

Obviously, you should focus on your primary objective. While secondary objectives are optional, it may make or break an encounter depending on the amount of time and effort you (the healer) put into it.

[Arkenne]

you don't need to DPS but if you ever find that you're not spam healing the tank, throwing in some DPS won't hurt anyone.

Objection!!


You will hurt the monster, monsters have feelings too!

[Selli]

Objection!!


You will hurt the monster, monsters have feelings too!

Lies! Living Liquid has no feelings! >:c

He simply has the desire to crush dreams to death... +sobs

[DawnSolaria]

Before you enter CS to dps make sure you have something to save tank. Tetra for whm, lustrate for sch and ED for Astrologian. Let tank drop as low as he can go, pop out of CS then use those instant heal.

[Cynfael]

Yes, you should DPS when you can do so without letting someone die.

This topic comes up frequently, and the few circumstances under which a healer should consider abstaining from DPS include...

- Being completely unfamiliar with a challenging encounter (i.e. you are forced to react rather than to anticipate since you have no idea what is going on)

- Being stuck with a party that excessively taxes your resources

Under average conditions it takes little MP to heal an encounter (even most raids), especially when you meet or exceed the expected minimum ilvl. There's rarely any need to purposefully hoard your MP; intelligent use of CDs is generally enough to allow you to more or less always be casting.

[Whiteroom]

On AST, I'll dps just so I can see the animation for Gravity.

Gravity-Swiftcast-Gravity makes me smile twice as much.