one thing people and developers should certainly agree on, is that this IS a problem. such threads and posts, as well as rants ingame (even in novice network) are growing and what use have the "right way" of how to play healer if barely anyone follows it due to xyz reasons? in the end it is very hard to find a compromise on this. as i already mentioned - i prefer oldschool healing, without heavy DPS uptime (you'd be suprised how in many old mmos you'd be overoccupied healing the group and finding tactical ways to optimize healing, buffs so everyone survives and raid has maximum DPS output due to buffs management, without as much as having a single offensive skill), but thats just one camp, the other still prefers healers as side DPS with heavy DPS uptime and they of course have a right of thinking so. finally i suppose the only way to somewhat satisfy both, we need a new healer job, that can't DPS, but contributes heavily to the group with buffs. and no, AST is nowhere near the kind of job i am talking about