Should healers now be allowed to play how they choose to play?

[HoodRat]

I don't think anyone should be kicked for just healing as long as you clear the dungeon.

Leveling dungeons are different since people are still learning their job, but in level 60 dungeons it's faster to replace a healer who only heals with a 3rd dps. I don't know why this is a hard concept to grasp but this is a group based game. You can play poorly if you want, but be ready for the consequences if you're in a group that doesn't want to play poorly.

[Feyona]

I don't think anyone should be kicked for just healing as long as you clear the dungeon. I don't know why you wouldn't want to. I think stance dancing is fun Until you mess up and wipe lol. It's a DPS tool given to you, might as well use it. Some of the lower level dungeons I just heal from cleric stance cause the tank takes so little damage.

I dont know if you or anyone else has noticed that on these new world wide dfs - great idea. That some people tend to leave if they dont see the healers dpsing, Low level dungeons are quite a different matter, you definitely got the space in them instances. I ve said in other posts that expectations of all healers to be able to pull it off is too high. It may be too hard for some healers in current content, but because this is the consensus there is less and less tolerance of non dpsing healers

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

Yes you are right Lyrica, thanks for your response Maybe someone, somewhere will care if people enjoy the game experience or not, in the way it was designed to be enjoyed. That it was intended for people to have different roles to choose to play. I am sure. You see the posts here that completey insist that you do not really have a choice on whether you dps or not. Your only choice on how to play the game is dps, dps or leave. Well yes ive asked if this is fair and not wanting to head butt I will try not to do that just hope that some people would notice. That it is actually possible to enjoy the game if some do just heal. Hoping that SE will give healers their choice back

This is a case of illusion of choice or Hobson's Fork to be more precise. Hobson's fork was a form of illusion of choice that you either take what was offered or get nothing at all (in it's simplest form). The kind of situation you're experiencing is very similar: You either participate as how majority wants to or you don't participate at all.

While Hobson's Fork is actually a thing, I'd like to re-iterate: There's a good number of players out there that simply don't mind and respect you for it if you're not comfortable doing so. Simply tell them beforehand just so they know what's up. You can't get disappointed for something you can't expect, after all.

The whole Hobson's Fork situation in the community is also very biased. In particular towards Scholars. Scholars have, since the meta have settled in 2.X, been considered the healer with the most reliable and sustainable damage potential while also healing. And rightfully so if you consider the kit Scholars have as a whole, rather than a part of it to either maim or to mend. But that's for another discussion. As you have set Scholar as your main job on your forum profile, this may be the reason why you're experiencing this issue more often than not. If dialog isn't an option, perhaps another healing job may interest you. I don't like recommending others to change jobs, however. I highly suggest you to go for a dialog first or find some good comrades to do content with.

[Juicinators]

Leveling dungeons are different since people are still learning their job, but in level 60 dungeons it's faster to replace a healer who only heals with a 3rd dps. I don't know why this is a hard concept to grasp but this is a group based game. You can play poorly if you want, but be ready for the consequences if you're in a group that doesn't want to play poorly.

I agree healers should DPS, but I also think in duty finder people should be-able to play how they want. I've had my share of mistakes learning how to switch stances even caused some wipes. Every time I try to improve and not let it happen again. I would never yell at a tank for just holding agro because that's there primary job. I don't care if a dungeon takes longer or not. What's an extra 10 minutes. Should a healer DPS. Yes they should. Should they be required definently not. Some people do just play the game for fun, and just want to heal. What is wrong with that.

[Feyona]

This is a case of illusion of choice or Hobson's Fork to be more precise. Hobson's fork was a form of illusion of choice that you either take what was offered or get nothing at all (in it's simplest form). The kind of situation you're experiencing is very similar: You either participate as how majority wants to or you don't participate at all.

The whole Hobson's Fork situation in the community is also very biased. In particular towards Scholars. I highly suggest you to go for a dialog first or find some good comrades to do content with.

Yes got all three healers, still prefer scholar healing. I may be biased but find it the best actual healer. I am in a group and play Ast atm. My group are good people. Its all ok there just want to do other stuff with my scholar too. Mostly be a healer with it and enjoy it 'smiles'

[Hasrat]

Leveling dungeons are different since people are still learning their job, but in level 60 dungeons it's faster to replace a healer who only heals with a 3rd dps. I don't know why this is a hard concept to grasp but this is a group based game. You can play poorly if you want, but be ready for the consequences if you're in a group that doesn't want to play poorly.

Also worth considering that "poorly" is completely subjective. They're actually playing quite well, as long as they're keeping everyone healed. As long as nobody is dying, you can't really argue that they're playing poorly. You can argue that they're not as efficient as you want, or that they're not playing optimally. But that doesn't really translate to "You're a poor healer."

[ADVSS]

look i love dpsing healers, but this is what i care about:
If youre a DPS and not DPSing(mch not using any tp the entire run) then that deservers a kick
Tank not tanking anything, that deserves a kick
Healer not healing, that deserves a kick.

otherwise, i am fine with whatever long as im not having a heart attack scare every 20 seconds,

[Feyona]

look i love dpsing healers, but this is what i care about:
If youre a DPS and not DPSing(mch not using any tp the entire run) then that deservers a kick
Tank not tanking anything, that deserves a kick
Healer not healing, that deserves a kick.

otherwise, i am fine with whatever long as im not having a heart attack scare every 20 seconds,

Yes and I dont want to develop high blood pressure caused by the stress of seeing someone dying cos Ive just gone in cleric and have to wait 5 secs to get out of it.

[Gemina]

I kinda miss things in the early dungeons they put in where you can't cheese mechanics with DPS lol (the slimes in copperbell mines comes to mind. It's boring as hell now because we've all done it a million times, but the first 2 or 3 times was interesting).

You can always run Copperbell Hard. Spriggan boss is pretty much the same mechanic on steroids. From players blowing themselves up trying to place bombs, unavoidable AoE, and a non-telegraphed column attack that hits like a mofo; I've yet to cast one offensive spell during that fight

[Gemina]

I can't speak for everyone, but hope I can speak for those who just don't care. So long as the healer is keeping the group up, including the off-healer should I fall; it's all the matters. What I do care about is getting a clear, and this doesn't happen if the healer doesn't heal. I am ok with either playstyle so long as that requirement is met.

Asking if it should be ok for a healer, or any player really to play how they want is a pretty loaded question. If a DPS minded player chooses to play a tank just so he can get faster queues and eff sh*t up with a big'ol sword, he can DPS stance all the way because that is the 'tank's' choice of how to play. Everyone in their right mind knows these kind of players are truly horrible at what they do.

The problem I have with this whole debate, and why I defend the heals-only healers so passionately, is because they are made to feel just like the player I just mentioned who is deliberately playing poorly, and it directly affects to outcome of the instance. I will always agree that a heals-only healer is playing less than optimal, but to treat them like someone making the instance harder than it has to be is unacceptable.

The minds of these players gravitate towards if a healer doesn't DPS during their downtime, they are adding time to the run. I've seen it mentioned many times on these forums and reddit. I know it is context, and most should know that you can't actually add time to a run. However, the appreciable understand that a healer who does DPS, subtracts time from the instance, if capable of doing so and also keeping everyone alive.