Healer identity in 5.0

[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..."