As a healer, is it my job to DPS? A new perspective.

[Stormbad]

As a furiously button mashing dragoon main, a job I chose so I can mash all the buttons non-stop, I find myself bored to absolute tears when I heal. This is my motivation to dps as a healer so I don't have to die of boredom. I can do fun things like dps, timed pre-pull mitigation, balance mana for healing/dpsing, pre-timing heals for incoming damage, pre-timing esunas.

If I am not button mashing or managing resources beyond a HP bar, I'd rather play some other game. I thought many people game like I do.

Come to think of it, healers who refuse to dps are probably generally new to FFXIV or just new to gaming in general and their comfort level isn't as high. It might not always be the case of being lazy.

[Feyona]

Who are you defending, though? Yourself? If so, from what or whom - since you've made it clear that you are willing to work for your team and you DPS when asked and so on, and everyone here has made it clear they don't have anything against a healer who tries to be helpful?

Everyone here has not had that view at all like ' if I see a healer not dpsing I will vote kick' etc. I am defending healers that feel they cant do it in circumstance and also those that just like healing because they want to enjoy the game doing that job and tbh if they keep people alive they are doing just what the clear requires and to some they dont want the added pressure of optimal play its a game to them and dont want it to be too serious. Ive even seen posts here that say theyed rather a healer keep the party alive than risk a wipe by stance dancing. Some other people Ive spoken to say healer is ahealer you need healing to clear, healer dps is optional, healing isnt

[Neela]

Come to think of it, healers who refuse to dps are probably generally new to FFXIV or just new to gaming in general and their comfort level isn't as high. It might not always be the case of being lazy.

yeah I said that around the 80-85's pages of this thread more than once - but somehow the discussion just focused on the "no dps = lazy" part ^^'

[Lambdafish]

Im not on either side tbh in that way, I m defending against people being harrassed to do somthing either because they hate it or because they feel nervous about it. After I was booted, which was someone using a parser against me, on a10s while I was learning the fight together with a9s where i had to main heal, cos my co healer was dpsing. I was told Im not playing sch properly and was given a week to learn it. This put alot of pressure on me and I felt I couldnt play how others wanted until I had practiced but still couldnt get the space while learng a10s I was mis interpreted as 'refusing' The whole thing is not just personal to me but know how it feels to be pressured when your a nervous or cautious player. And at that time look up fflogs a9s scholar healing 4500hps and 95% active a9s. I had to main heal. Cos no one else was keeping party up and might add we were really just starting savage at that time. So yes I was bulied with a parser even though Im using one here to validate what I say is correct. Thats apart from someone's political maneovering to get someone else in the static as the co healer as well had to justify why she couldnt give me space to dps as ast. But this is more on the social side of things

Honestly? Situations like that are so rare that your "championing" of the cause is irrelevant and is the primary reason you are causing confusion. The appropriate response in that situation is either a 10 foot pole or if you are drastic, a report. What you are protesting is not even a problem within the game, only with certain select individuals. Unfortunately it seems to have formed your basis for what the "pro-dps" argument looks like, and that is not the attitude that anyone in these 100 pages has had.

- Cleric stance isn't at fault
- Your healing/DPSing ability isn't at fault
- The pro-DPS argument isn't at fault
- Assholes are at fault

I'll relink my post about attitude, because that is how you should respond to people like that:

I slightly disagree that respect is earned, no matter how people play in content you should respect them. However, bad attitude is a very quick way to lose respect, and on the internet, lack of respect leads to you being called a "lazy noob" (it's the internet, theres not much that can be said other than suck it up). The bad attitude in play here is the refusal to communicate. If someone expects you to DPS, then you do your best, if you struggle, then say "sorry, I struggle with healing and DPS right now, and I'd rather focus on keeping the party alive", see how that sounds much better than "I'm not a DPS". Be the better person if you don't want to DPS, don't act hostile when someone wants you to play differently, because your playstyle is the one in question, and you are the one that needs to defend yourself. You are right that respect goes both ways, so why don't you start by setting the bar where you want it.

Oh and if they give advice, please listen to it even if you don't use it, I have found that players are generally helpful if you let them be. How many mentors have said "they just stay silent while spamming 1-2-3, and ignore everything I say"? Right now, I could pick out people in this thread who that logic applies to.

If that doesn't work and you get kicked, then you are justified in thinking they are an asshole.

[Feyona]

Honestly?

- Cleric stance isn't at fault
- Your healing/DPSing ability isn't at fault
- The pro-DPS argument isn't at fault
- Assholes are at fault

I'll relink my post about attitude, because that is how you should respond to people like that:

No not really thats just one incident. Theres numerous times Ive press wrong button or pressed cs button twice and nothings happened, so Im that much more nervous about it in tight windows. and my post wasnt to describe what happened as a description of an event it was more to illustrate how it feels to be pressured to do something you feel is not possible and how it can be misinterpreted and used to bully someone. As you have already seen posts of how healers can be harrassed or pressured to do it how are you not seeing the point? Plus you asked me why I am taking this view its to try to explain situations that can and do occur plus I almost left the game because of it and literally its not something you can start to do in a week of being told to in a new raid

[Lambdafish]

No not really thats just one incident. Theres numerous times Ive press wrong button or pressed cs button twice and nothings happened, so Im that much more nervous about it in tight windows. and my post wasnt to describe what happened as a description of an event it was more to illustrate how it feels to be pressured to do something you feel is not possible and how it can be misinterpreted and used to bully someone. As you have already seen posts of how healers can be harrassed or pressured to do it how are you not seeing the point? Plus you asked me why I am taking this view its to try to explain situations that can and do occur plus I almost left the game because of it and literally its not something you can start to do in a week of being told to in a new raid

Remind me not to go to Zodiark if thats the case. I have seen healers being cussed out for bad attitudes, but never if they deal with the situation properly. This is not a healer-dps issue, this is a player communication and social issue. I will admit that I'm not very good at DPSing as a healer, even in dungeons I sometimes don't output as much as I should, but if I make a mistake I talk to the party, and throughout I go to the edge of where I am comfortable, and to 99.9999999% of the community, that is what is expected of you, and saying otherwise demonises healer-dps through misinformation.

As I said, if someone is harrassing you about healer DPS when you are doing it, then you and that person will not get along, move on and find someone friendlier, and to the extent where they parsed you as a healer, that is a reportable offence. If you seriously think that anyone is out to get you, as a healer, with a parser, then you have been dealt a very very bad speck of the community.

[Deliciou5]

No not really thats just one incident. Theres numerous times Ive press wrong button or pressed cs button twice and nothings happened, so Im that much more nervous about it in tight windows. and my post wasnt to describe what happened as a description of an event it was more to illustrate how it feels to be pressured to do something you feel is not possible and how it can be misinterpreted and used to bully someone. As you have already seen posts of how healers can be harrassed or pressured to do it how are you not seeing the point? Plus you asked me why I am taking this view its to try to explain situations that can and do occur plus I almost left the game because of it and literally its not something you can start to do in a week of being told to in a new raid

It's called being a healer. You know how many times people tried to blame me for something that wasn't even my fault cause they wanted to save face themselves? People are assholes sometimes, debating on this thread won't make them go away, all you have to do is either ignore them, or kill them with kindness.

Every mmo i ever played iv'e been a healer, Everquest 1999 as druid, WHM on FFXI, and ,etc. Healers have always received the most shit out of anyone. It's par for the course at this point. Not saying their toxic behaviour is right, it just is what it is.

[Feyona]

Remind me not to go to Zodiark if thats the case. I have seen healers being cussed out for bad attitudes, but never if they deal with the situation properly. This is not a healer-dps issue, this is a player communication and social issue.

Yes well Ive made it quite clear that I dont like dpsing but dont refuse as I will alwys try, but it really can be interpretted as refusal if you cant due to situation. Even though I still think some are nervous about it as I was. Im not vindictive enough to report someone either and have little evidence as this was said in voice chat. Yes and many times felt like leaving Zodiark cos the person still continues to tell the community there I refused. I have my static here though and these are nice people. I state this because some are nervous about it so it can be a healer dps issue

[Feyona]

It's called being a healer. You know how many times people tried to blame me for something that wasn't even my fault cause they wanted to save face themselves?

Yes that was it ' saving face' , and scape goating happens alot and another thing that happens is 'I want my best friend to play with in this group we can get rid of this person who isnt that good at what she should do' So therefore gaining another step to securing their own position in group. This is how people are but I still think the heal dps thing is potentially pressurizing but said 20 times already that I do if I can To be honest I could have done exactly the same thing to her to under mine her performance but what sort of asshole does this? Only the insecure are usually bullies though so maybe one can have compassion for them. This game allows for blaming non optimal performance but spotlight is on healer dps atm

[Judge_Xero]

Honestly? Situations like that are so rare that your "championing" of the cause is irrelevant and is the primary reason you are causing confusion.

Those situations are so rare in fact I'm not even sure they happen, so I wouldn't read too much into it TBH.

The only times I've seen that being an issue to what Feyona is describing in Raids is when both healers are 50%+ overheal, while barely meeting HP checks and doing almost 0 DPS. - at least from their available logs of Creator Savage.

i.e.
- Combined HPS 3800
- Party Damage Taken Per Second 4165
- Overheal 48%/50%
- Combined Healer DPS 146

Honestly if I ran with a healer for 2 weeks in a Savage Raid that was not capable of the bare minimum for a levelling dungeon by the end of the 2 weeks, it would unfortunately be for them to pack their bags. I hope that is not an "elitist" attitude but if a player doesn't have those bugs worked out by the end of doing levelling dungeons to 60, it's an uphill battle from there to be a raider.