We're all DDs now >.>

[MirielleLavandre]

I keep seeing so many posts on the tank forums, healer forums, and general page about how tanks are not 'stance dancing' enough and their dps is low. Also how healers who don't also 'stance dance' and dps enough should/will be kicked. This huge focus on personal dps for every single role in the game is discouraging, and I understand it is due, mainly, to how much everyone overgears everything now. But the mentality will stick, and be detrimental to the game.

I love healing, and I dps as much as I can so I'm not bored, but there are some who choose to not dps as a healer and to me, that's fine. Their role in the game is 'healer' - a spot they chose and one that is meant to heal. Should they dps? Maybe, if efficiency is top priority. But if it isn't fun to them, and this is a GAME, why play something in a way that isn't fun anymore when all they want to do is heal. So, I get those players (though I'd be totally bored if I didn't dps).

The same with tanks -- though to a little lesser degree since dps is built into even their enmity combos to some degree. However, people berating tanks for spending too much time in tank stance and not optimizing their dps are also missing the point. Is aggro held? Do mobs attack anyone but the tank? Does the tank pick up adds (if needed)? Again, as with healers, extra dps is always nice, but really shouldn't be 'expected' of the role.

Indeed, tanks and healers are being called out for lack of dps, when the ACTUAL dps of the game cannot be called out for often sub-par dps since to do so would almost certainly involve parsing and could result in a ban. So here we have tanks and healers who have roles with dps as a merely incidental and extra (mostly - tanks, see above) benefit being harassed for not doing what the true DPS should - and the true DPS being unable to be called out for the exact same thing.

At this point - everyone should play a true dps class as it seems 'damage per second' is all anyone cares about in roles anymore.

[Greedalox]

While it's understandable how people would get the impression that the game only has Tanks, Healers and DPS- all while fitting neatly into the boxes assigned to them, most classes don't actually do just that.

You're playing an online game and therefore are subject to the choice to conform to the communities expectations- or don't. But pretending like communities (That's what online gaming is, particularly MMO's) shouldn't have expectations from individuals is unrealistic of human gatherings.

"At this point - everyone should play a true dps class as it seems 'damage per second' is all anyone cares about in roles anymore."

I know you're venting, but what is this line supposed to bring?

[MirielleLavandre]

I know you're venting, but what is this line supposed to bring?

It is supposed to focus a little attention on how 'dps centered' the game has become, in my mind to it's detriment. I've been playing since beta, and I never have seen such a focus on personal dps. Tanks were never expected to be out of tank stance as much as possible, healers were never expected to dps or be kicked. Extra dps was just that, 'extra and nice to have' but hardly something to be ridiculed or kicked/harassed for not doing. Outside of Coil, these 'healers not dps-ing enough' threads didn't exist, and raid progression is a totally different discussion since of course different expectations should exist there. I'm talking about the general "the healer didn't dps enough in my leveling roulette so let's kick them / the tank was in grit that whole boss fight - he/she sucks" mentality of today.

[ErikMynhier]

We can do both damage and our roles man. Start of the fight, if the tank wants a cushion, start the fight in tank stance and do a round or two of the enmity combo. Then pop over to the dps and help the team out until the Buster comes then pop it on to help the healer not have to heal you as much. Its always called dancing but I don't see it, dancing is fast you know? Its not like we swap back and forth as soon as it comes off cooldown.

Same with healers, come on in swinging in CS, and remember to drop it after the Buster/Boss LB to top us all off then get back to it. Its not all that confusing and is set to be even less so in the future now that CS if Healer-FoF and the DPS can somewhat manage their own enmity a bit.

[Greedalox]

It is supposed to focus a little attention on how 'dps centered' the game has become, in my mind to it's detriment. I've been playing since beta, and I never have seen such a focus on personal dps. Tanks were never expected to be out of tank stance as much as possible, healers were never expected to dps or be kicked. Extra dps was just that, 'extra and nice to have' but hardly something to be ridiculed or kicked/harassed for not doing.

I don't think it brings the light you're trying to shed on it, considering you're not doing any content worth one's salt with only 8 "pure dps". But this topic is just going to be another shit storm like the other multiple first page threads strewn on these forums.

[Faliandra]

It is supposed to focus a little attention on how 'dps centered' the game has become, in my mind to it's detriment. I've been playing since beta, and I never have seen such a focus on personal dps. Tanks were never expected to be out of tank stance as much as possible, healers were never expected to dps or be kicked. Extra dps was just that, 'extra and nice to have' but hardly something to be ridiculed or kicked/harassed for not doing.

its because other games are less scripted, more random, more heal-intense and/or super mp-intense.
Remember those old MMORPGs where healer had to sit down inbetween casts to recover MP faster? Cos I do. Yeah,you werent healing all the time,but boy,you sure had to sit down to get your MP back.

Meanwhile this game gives us POWERFUL heals with less MP costs and less incoming/very predictable damage all at once.

To change the dps meta, youd have to make serious changes to the game's core mechanisms.

[MomomiMomi]

But if it isn't fun to them, and this is a GAME, why play something in a way that isn't fun anymore when all they want to do is heal.

Their fun at the expense of mine. I'm not even talking about just them making runs taking longer, either. If I'm paired up with a healer who only heals, and let's say they manage to do all of the healing. When do I get to heal?

[MirielleLavandre]

I don't think it brings the light you're trying to shed on it, considering you're not doing any content worth one's salt with only 8 "pure dps". But this topic is just going to be another shit storm like the other multiple first page threads strewn on these forums.

The 'We should all just play pure dps classes' was sarcastic and meant to be taken in that sense - I thought it was kind of evident?

[Greedalox]

The 'We should all just play pure dps classes' was sarcastic and meant to be taken in that sense - I thought it was kind of evident?

Exactly, it was just meant to point out that you're being a tad dramatic. Wasn't that evident?

It's just so hard to relate with people who play the "It's just a game" card only to make a big deal out of people telling them how to play. That's more or less where I'm coming from.

[Anarnee]

Many do get a little over zealous about it, but I think that you misunderstand most peoples intention.

Yeah, healers need to heal first and tanking is tanks priority, but doing so while contributing to the DPS and moving the run along quicker is pushing those jobs to do their best, just like when a DPS is pushing to do their rotation to the fullest.

Yes this is a game, but if you don't enjoy doing your best in the game, why waste other peoples time?

I'll never ask a healer to dps if I'm DPS or Tank because I don't know their comfort level and I would never want someone to push me past mine, but there are some players that don't even try, and that is when I get annoyed.

There are always things to consider of course, such a skill and gear, and everyone should be mindful.

BUT I've run into one too many SCH that like to auto follow tanks in early dungeons, and seen quite a few that just stand there and put in one cure everyone once in a while.

D; There was no reason to not throw out some help.

On the flip side I've also seen people that can do those things push others to play their way and cause wipes, then rage quit.

At the end of the day the most important thing to me is that everyone TRIED to do their best.