Dear Healers who don't DPS

[Elamys]

I'm usually contributing somewhere between 20 to 30% of the group's overall DPS across the run in solo queue roulettes. It's very dooable to save as much as 10 minutes if you get unlucky on the DPS.

If your DPS are this terrible, it's not the not-DPSing healer's fault for the run taking so long.

[Maeka]

TBH when I'm pushing max DPS I'll actually get less commends

I will second this, or at least the flipside: I only do a minimum amount of DPS, but I keep the tank above 50% most of the dungeon, I don't wait until he's 30% or less to start casting, and I only throw some stones during the last 2 or so mobs and only an Aero III near the beginning (I usually Benison the tank to give me enough time to safely land Aero III before the Cure spam starts) and I routinely walk away with 3/3 or 2/3 comms (unless the tank is exceptional, that is).

People in random DF groups seem to enjoy a healer who pays more attention to HP meters than their personal DPS parses. Now, granted, I don't do absolutely zero damage at all, I try to get at least a little in, but I'm not trying to maximize or any of that crap. I'm just keeping people alive and helping out wherever I deem it is safe to which is, you know, my job?

[Alisi]

A non-DPSing healer is almost always an idle/inactive healer. When you observe these players sitting on their hands while healing requirements are low, you know they are the problem.

That's a HUGE brush to paint with there and I disagree with it. I've spent many, many dungeons not DPSing purely because I couldn't. I was too busy spam healing. And groups simply don't understand this. They read a statement like 'almost always inactive/idle if not DPSing' and than they transfer that onto those of use who can't DPS and say we're just being lazy. I've used almost all my MP on pulls just spam healing and I've still been called lazy for not DPSing. If I can't put regen on a tank without fear of him dying in the GCD, why would I be DPSing?

I think this whole attitude needs to die in a fire. Dungeons don't *need* healer DPS. It's the icing on the cake, if we can give it.

[Cynfael]

That's a HUGE brush to paint with there and I disagree with it. I've spent many, many dungeons not DPSing purely because I couldn't. I was too busy spam healing.

I covered this in my comments.

[BorisDaBlade]

I really think this whole arguement could be squashed if SE just removed dps spell cast bars from the party list. I don't get to see what skills and abilities the tanks and melee dps are using, the rest of them shouldn't be able to see what spells I'm casting as a healer.

You not ded? You should be happy, lol.

[Cynfael]

I'm usually contributing somewhere between 20 to 30% of the group's overall DPS across the run in solo queue roulettes. It's very dooable to save as much as 10 minutes if you get unlucky on the DPS.

If your DPS are this terrible, it's not the not-DPSing healer's fault for the run taking so long.

The example Sebazy provided isn't necessarily either an exaggeration or an isolated incidence of DPS being unusually awful.

Healers really can carry a huge amount of AoE DPS relative to some dedicated DPS Jobs just because their AoE kits are simple, strong, and fairly bursty (WHM obviously shines here in a big way). If the tank rotates CDs well and is otherwise skilled and geared, the healer can do a lot to speed up trash pulls in particular.

Anyway, we would have a lot less debate about healers doing damage if more players would simply accept a few notions:

1. It's possible, feasible, and effective to weave healing and damage-dealing actions together in the same encounter, as the situation calls for it. It's even perfectly possible to do this while keeping everyone at a very comfortable HP threshold (i.e. not scaring random players who aren't familiar with your playstyle).

2. There is nothing wrong with doubling down on healing if you need to; conversely, there is nothing wrong with focusing on damage-dealing where healing requirements are light and you know the encounter. The beauty of playing a healer is that you have great power and flexibility to adapt to situations.

3. Allowing uninformed feedback to affect your gameplay is a mistake. Your undergeared tank pulls half the dungeon, neglects his CDs, and then gets on your case for your failure to AoE the mobs? Big deal; you know you aren't at fault. Your DPS whines because you leave him at 75% HP for a few GCDs to focus down an important add in a boss fight while no damage is going out? Why would you entertain this person's opinion when they clearly have no idea what's going on?

[cgbspender]

<sarcasm> It's because it's too risky switching on and off cleric stance </sarcasm>

At the opposite side, OP, what I see often these days, is healers who do DPS (myself included) and constantly witness Red mages and Paladins use their Clemency and Vercure for e-ve-ry sin-gle hit.

When asked about why they would do that when the healer isn't dead, they reply " I wasn't sure you were gonna heal"

I can't even begin to count how many times I wasted Tetras / Benediction on guys who healed themselves rather than focusing on their tasks.

[Kitfox]

Always Be Casting.

[Destatiredux]

I'm going to preface this by saying that I enjoy dpsing as a healer, if only because the effects are shiny and many dps abilities can be tied into how you heal effectively. However, I think it should only be fair to mention that for some people dps'ing as a healer can be difficult with a controller setting, as ability bloat is felt much more acutely in this setting. For example, as a Scholar, I rarely use dps abilities outside of Shadow Flare and Broil because of how many slots on my hotbars are taken by fairy micromanagement. This is less true for Astro and pretty much a non issue for White Mage though.

[Phoenicia]

It's not a DPS's responsibility to heal or tank (some of them do have the kit for it), so how is it that a healer HAS to DPS just because it's available to them. First and foremost the healer has to heal, with DPS being optional. Also how is it being lazy just because you want to be selfish and have "faster runs"? It's not difficult to ask a healer when a duty starts if they can DPS more, but they are under no obligation to be dictated by the tank. Heal yourself if you want faster runs or use Party Finder, simple stuff bub.

I was bored and browsing this thread, then I came with this post with rather... backwards logic (no offence meant to poster in any form).

So, it is not a DPS's responsibility to manage aggro or help the group's survival.. Hence, I won't use Deiversion/Lucid Dreaming, I will run ahead of tank and pull because it increases MY DPS!!! I won't dodge any AoE because it reduces MY DPS!! And since MY DPS is MY RESPONSIBILITY, I will kick the healer and tank that don't adjust to my DPS needs. I won't adjust to mechanics even if it wipes the group because it would lower my DPS which is my sole responsibility.

See how idiotic that sounds?

Just as group survival is a "group effort", group aggro and fight mechanics are "group efforts", so should killing things faster be a "group effort". The whole group should contribute towards the objective of "winning".

~ Phoenicia ~