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

[Tanathya]

You can argue all you want, but if you're not dealing damage, you're outright ignoring a good portion of a healer's kit, on top of being a straight detriment to the rest, *especially*, but not only, considering how little actual healing is needed. You wanna make it your playstyle? You're also making it a good reason to be kicked out. Cry me a river, it is what it is.

On a personal note, thank God healers are versatile enough to deal damage, it makes them so much fun to play with.

[Taika]

I think what this argument comes down to is if it should be considered acceptable to only effectively participate in the content for the minimum amount possible to complete the instance - and if so, should it be accepted for everyone or only healers. A healer who only heals is covering the minimum requirement of keeping everyone alive, but considering the healing requirements of the game, this makes them effectively active for maybe up to 20% of the content (probably less), and for the rest of the time they're being effectively useless to their group (overhealing, unnecessary buffing or "watching health bars" is not effective participation).

Now the question is, is this acceptable level of effective contribution? If it is, is it acceptable only for healers or should the same level of effective activity be allowed for all other jobs as well (if not, why)?

My view still is that all group members should be expected to participate in advancing the group's goal as effectively as they can and healers shouldn't get a free pass on this.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

I just don't understand why it has to be one or the other. The developers of the game have done many innovative things in the past; why can't we add accomodating the playstyles of all players to this list?

I suspect it stems from them not wanting any one healer to be left out and are too afraid to up the healing requirement. Unfortunately, the latter is what has resulted in such a massive skill gap between all jobs. Newer players stepping into harder content are wholly unprepared since everything prior is generally laughable. Stormblood will hopefully start to remedy this, especially the devs can finally figure out how to balance all three healers.

[Legion88]

I think what this argument comes down to is if it should be considered acceptable to only effectively participate in the content for the minimum amount possible to complete the instance - and if so, should it be accepted for everyone or only healers. A healer who only heals is covering the minimum requirement of keeping everyone alive, but considering the healing requirements of the game, this makes them effectively active for maybe up to 20% of the content (probably less), and for the rest of the time they're being effectively useless to their group (overhealing, unnecessary buffing or "watching health bars" is not effective participation).

Now the question is, is this acceptable level of effective contribution? If it is, is it acceptable only for healers or should the same level of effective activity be allowed for all other jobs as well (if not, why)?

This is a so good point i want to give some examples for the other roles to bring in the minimum effort to completing their role requirement. Equal rights for everyone!!! As a reminder i will give you the minimum requirements to fullfil the role.

Tank: Holding hate so only he gets damage for easier healing.
Just holding hate, only use a skill to generate hate if anyone other is about to take hate. No CDs or other skills needed, maybe tank stance on, but that wouldn't be the minimum.

Damage Dealer (DPS is not a role description, it is a unit of measurement): Dealing damage and killing stuff.
Using AA only or maybe 1-2-3-combo or anything what makes some damage, cause things are dieing. This would make Ice Mages, Pet-only-SMNs, Ninjutsu-only-NINs and many more abstract forms acceptable.

This is super sarcastic, but i think this equals a healing only healer, especialy the tanks, cause they have to watch all the hatebars to see, when to use another hate skill. For DDs it is more complicate to find the right point for minimum effort by fullfilling the role requirement.

[Gemina]

You can argue all you want, but if you're not dealing damage, you're outright ignoring a good portion of a healer's kit, on top of being a straight detriment to the rest, *especially*, but not only, considering how little actual healing is needed. You wanna make it your playstyle? You're also making it a good reason to be kicked out. Cry me a river, it is what it is.

This is where the healer DPS pushing loses weight. You believe that heals only healers are a detriment to the party. It's ludicrous. I am sorry that healers are designed in a way that gives them downtime. I am sorry that despite a completely and totally different dynamic to tanking and DPSing, this role allows that downtime in order to be reactive to the most effin vital role of the freakin game... keeping everyone alive. Do DPS have to worry about this? No. Do tanks have to worry about this? No. Neither of them do, but this meta continuously pushes that not only do healers have to worry about this, they also have to utilize every single freakin GCD towards damage to prove their worth. To the point that they are compared with AFK scholars. Are you effin kidding me?

Does not anyone see the elusive middle ground here? And this is coming from someone diagnosed with a 'supposed' inability to see grey areas. Cry me a river? Dude, who's crying? I see far more complaints about healers not DPSing than from healers who choose to only heal. I'd think there is a deductive, logical reason for that. The latter only comes forth with failed attempts at understanding why they get bitched at for doing the main principle of their role.

Ok... so it's not for that, it's because they are not utilizing their downtime? Fine. But call it for what it is, and stop sounding like an elitist. Have you ever had to merge into traffic knowing that proceeding will slightly slow down incoming traffic, but not doing so will frustrate those behind you who would have said effit and go? Healing in this game is constantly like that, especially when running with strangers.

Many healers in this game want to make the best decision for each possible moment during an instance. The problem with this, is the microscopic insight into healer derps. Often times, the ideal choice in GCD is also the most risky. So many times in this game have I equated a healer GCD with a crucial decision to make when free crafting. The right one, and you win. The wrong one and you lose with your HQ attempt, along with your mats. But you can always play it safe, and 'get by' with NQ. But with crafting, I can sit there for a really long time trying to equate risk vs reward. A healer, even with a 10 second downtime does not have this luxury. There are three to seven other players there, making decisions BASED off of the decisions YOU make. You best make the right one, or you suck at heals. Yeah... no pressure.

Why succumb to it when you can get by playing it safe? I am not saying it is ok to do so. Anyone who knows me and has read my posts here will know that I HIGHLY encourage healers to utilize their entire toolkits, and contribute to damage, as it benefits everyone. The problem is because you can get by this way, it is taken advantage of by those who know, and simply do not care.

So how do we fix it? Not by tearing each other's throats out, that's for damn sure. We need to recognize it as a community, and take the appropriate action. Are you not sure how to differentiate an AFK SCH from a heals only one who really does want to help? Ask. It doesn't have to be during the instance. Utilize the damn forums in a positive way and ask those who feel they know, how they know? Boxing players in a pincushion only to insert the needles yourself isn't helping.

I am fine for tar and feathering the truly lazy healers of this game. Those that simply don't give a shit, and use the lack of healing needed in this game to their advantage. But ever consider that overheals happen because a healer simply want to effin heal, or in my case with a video I posted, I was left with no choice to do so because I could not predict incoming damage from the PUG? Wanna know how many times I've looked at my cure II and cure III crossbar selections and wondered why they are even there?

I think a huge difference is there are those who post their arguments with the most ideal situation in mind, and there are those (like me) who post with the least ideal. But from my perspective, I would rather play with the least ideal expectation as to avoid constant disappointment. But this, my friend, is my play style. I can understand yours, and I do hope you understand mine.

[Tanathya]

You are wrong; I don't believe heal-only healers are a detriment, I know it for a fact.

My second main is WHM, and let me tell you, I can react as good as you, if not better, while I keep dealing damage. So it may be a 'you' problem rather than a damaging-healers one. Why do I say I may react better? Because dealing damage helps me be on my toes rather than staring at HP bars, amongst other things.

And yeah, cry me a river, or should I point out who started this thread to begin with?
You guys are the ones who are complaining about something and expect the rest of us to just follow you.

[Urthdigger]

If I played BRD the way the "heals only" crowd would prefer healers to be played, I'd just be slapping windbite on a single mob without wanderer's minuet up and sitting idle until it needs to be refreshed. I'm not AFK, I'm performing my role, who cares if the run takes longer?

Especially considering a WHM literally can get away with just using regen for the tank on a lot of content.

[Tanathya]

Okay, I just read another portion of that text wall. Used the word elitist. Can close the thread already, there's no turning back from that.

[Legion88]

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

Short answer: NO!

Long answer: No, healers should play like they can and have to adapt to the situation with a focus on a smooth run.

I give this answer to everyone who asks if he can play like he wants, just exchanging "healers" with an other fitting descriptive word for the asking person.

[Feyona]

I think what this argument comes down to is if it should be considered acceptable to only effectively participate in the content for the minimum amount possible to complete the instance - and if so, should it be accepted for everyone or only healers. A

This thread was started with the intention of having a choice other than dps, otherwise there isnt one, and most other games like this do have that choice. It isnt about people wanting to do the bare minimum either, as I for one do everything I can given the situation. Its about being given a choice too. In terms of overhealing, I do that myself but it isnt a concious decision to over heal, in new content my priority is to keep people alive and go on healing at the end of fights just to make sure they stay alive, it may be excitement or whatever but find that hard to just relax and ease off I also over heal in cases of heavy incoming damage and sometimes get the timing wrong. Must add there too Im a cautious player I wont risk a wipe or anyone dying. Am I nervous going in cleric on savage? yes takes me time