Healer identity in 5.0

[Mimilu]

This just makes me wonder why you aren't playing an oGCD heavy damage dealer.

I do flip-flop between maining a healer or BRD, actually (I'm currently maining WHM after maining BRD for two patches, which before that I mained AST). >w>
I'm sure it's only going to get worse (not only for me but for others) once DNC comes out. >w>

For me, the idea of just standing around and not contributing to lowering the enemy's/enemies' HP is boring (especially considering the only way to clear a fight is to get said enemy's HP to 0).
Spamming DPS spells then healing a tank that just got tankbustered to below 50% with a oGCD heal just feels way more thrilling (and kind of empowering) to me. ♥

[LadyKairi]

I do flip-flop between maining a healer or BRD, actually (I'm currently maining WHM after maining BRD for two patches, which before that I mained AST). >w>
I'm sure it's only going to get worse (not only for me but for others) once DNC comes out. >w>

For me, the idea of just standing around and not contributing to lowering the enemy's/enemies' HP is boring (especially considering the only way to clear a fight is to get said enemy's HP to 0).
Spamming DPS spells then healing a tank that just got tankbustered to below 50% with a oGCD heal just feels way more thrilling (and kind of empowering) to me. ♥

I agree with this. With how content is designed, just healing is boring. Trying to pump out as much dps and buffs as I can while still keeping people alive is way more fun. I even tried playing healer in WoW recently, but I just couldn’t get into it. I like contributing more than just heals.

[Brandedblade]

To be honest, even in WoW and swtor I've found time to contribute some dps as healers, even if its only maintaining dots between my heals or the occasional aoe channel.

As for what I stated earlier. Something I stand strongly by is that I'd like to see WHM and AST given some level of the flexibility that sch possesses, for WHM that would mean allowing them more options to weave their oGCDs and finally giving them something they can pop on cooldown for boosting their groups dps.

Would more content where casting a Physick or Cure would be nessecary be nice? Sure, but even then I'm willing to bet people will still be trying to minimize their gcd healing even if damage got more demanding.

So overall I'm all for the way healing works now, I would just like to see WHM adjusted to it. Its biggest issue from my perspective is that its design contradicts how high level healing works in this game.

[Brandedblade]

As for the question of "Why dont I just play a gcd heavy dps instead"? I do on occasion, but I find that healers are the closest thing alot of modern mmos have to support classes. And with how hybrid the playstyle of healers are in this game, they manage to have that support feel better then even bards for me

[Coltvoyance]

For me, the idea of just standing around and not contributing to lowering the enemy's/enemies' HP is boring (especially considering the only way to clear a fight is to get said enemy's HP to 0).
Spamming DPS spells then healing a tank that just got tankbustered to below 50% with a oGCD heal just feels way more thrilling (and kind of empowering) to me. ♥

It's boring because it doesn't feel important.

In most MMO's I was proud to say "I make HP bars go up". I'd say it to myself with glee, frequently. Healers are usually highly valued in parties because of the difficulty that comes from healing well. In FFXIV though, healing is trivialized. It's expected. It's a non-factor. They overbuffed healing, and as a result took all the joy/accomplishment out of it. They gave you 10+ "You Win at Healing" buttons for the role and ruined it.

So what were healers left with? Same benchmark for accomplishment as everyone else. Bigger, faster DPS numbers. So you're treated like everyone else that shares that benchmark. You're not you're own role with a different set of requirements for what it means to win, you're judged by the same merit they are: "Do more DPS". The DPS is what's making you feel accomplished in the role. Healing is just the mini-game you're playing on the side.

Other games I'd think "I'm working hard to keep them alive so they can do their job and kill it. This is the part I play." In FFXIV I think "Welp, that healing part is done, I better get back to pulling big deeps so I can prove I'm a good healer..."

[Kacho_Nacho]

It's boring because it doesn't feel important.

In most MMO's I was proud to say "I make HP bars go up". I'd say it to myself with glee, frequently. Healers are usually highly valued in parties because of the difficulty that comes from healing well. In FFXIV though, healing is trivialized. It's expected. It's a non-factor. They overbuffed healing, and as a result took all the joy/accomplishment out of it. They gave you 10+ "You Win at Healing" buttons for the role and ruined it.

So what were healers left with? Same benchmark for accomplishment as everyone else. Bigger, faster DPS numbers. So you're treated like everyone else that shares that benchmark. You're not you're own role with a different set of requirements for what it means to win, you're judged by the same merit they are: "Do more DPS". The DPS is what's making you feel accomplished in the role. Healing is just the mini-game you're playing on the side.

Other games I'd think "I'm working hard to keep them alive so they can do their job and kill it. This is the part I play." In FFXIV I think "Welp, that healing part is done, I better get back to pulling big deeps so I can prove I'm a good healer..."

That is so much more articulate than what I could have wrote. That was exactly what I was attempting to get at. Healing is too powerful to feel important. That power gets in the way of healer identity. Adjust the power of the heals and you will have wiggle room to make every healer unique.