The reason we healers DPS

[Videra]

So a healer that isn't DPSing is AFK now? Keep digging that hole.

I mean with how non-threatening everything outside of Savage is, you have to have some -real- bad luck to be constantly healing. Try again.

[CazzT]

I mean with how non-threatening everything outside of Savage is, you have to have some -real- bad luck to be constantly healing. Try again.

Oh look, a red herring! Because I said nothing about needing to constantly heal.

[Urthdigger]

Oh look, a red herring! Because I said nothing about needing to constantly heal.

Well, if you're not healing, and you're not DPSing... what ARE you doing? Either your gear is awful so you need to constantly heal, you're DPSing, or you're just sitting around for the majority of the fight. That's just how it is in this game, even in hard content like Savage.

[CazzT]

Well, if you're not healing, and you're not DPSing... what ARE you doing? Either your gear is awful so you need to constantly heal, you're DPSing, or you're just sitting around for the majority of the fight. That's just how it is in this game, even in hard content like Savage.

I rarely get to sit around for the majority of any fight. I'm usually healing. Either because the Tank is taking enough damage for me to cast heals/regens or because the DPS need to be healed. The only time I ever get to really slack off (and even then I don't) is in Alliance roulette, where there's several other healers. It's not an issue of gear (I've healed while under geared and over geared).

This assumption that a healer that isn't DPSing is lazy is why there's a growing animosity from healers to the rest of the community. It is OK to not DPS as a non-DPS class.

Like I said before, FFXIV is the only MMO where parts of the community get bent out of shape if the Healer doesn't DPS. It's really kinda sad that people are so mad about this.

[Skivvy]

I'm not arguing that Healers should never DPS. There seems to be a misunderstanding there. I'm pointing out that it should not be expected, even that it's a double standard to expect it of Healers and not expect non-role actions from DPS and Tanks.

Something I haven't mentioned before now, because I have no doubt that it will result in "then why are you arguing", is that I do DPS on my healers. I'm pretty sure people think, because I'm saying Healers should not be expected to, that I'm not. And nowhere have I given the impression that I don't. I have said I play Healer to chill and relax, not to DPS. That is not saying I don't DPS on Healer, but I'm pretty sure that's how it was misinterpreted.

If a Healer is DPSing, cool deal. But expecting them to while not expecting DPS to tank or Tanks to heal is hypocritical.

It is a double standard to expect one role to do non-role actions but not expecting any other role to do the same. That is the very definition of double standard. Double standard: a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups.

DPS are an offensive role with just about no down-time at all. As soon as a mob/pack is pulled, they're doing their rotations and that is about it. Of course each of those have some various support type skills (goad, pelaton, mana shift, raise, etc), and these should be used when appropriate.
Tanks are also an offensive role - activity pulling/controlling the crowds. They also have a pretty steady/constant rotation that they have to keep up while activity fighting.
Healers are on the defense and reactionary. If looking at healing skills only, we have no set rotation that we have to keep up in order to do our job well. There can be a of downtime with healing where as the other jobs do not have this luxury.

To be hyperbolic for a moment, should tanks and DPS start complaining about double-standards because they don't get to lounge around for half the fight like healers do? For better or worse, SE has designed healers and their content in such a way that gives healers a lot of idle time. I would expect any role to try and be as useful as possible to the party, and a healer that refuses to DPS is not doing that. To not require healers to be as effective as their role allows....I would say THAT is the double-standard.

For what it's worth, I'm in the camp that is quite excited to potentially have more actual healing in Shadowbringers. I tend to default to healing/support jobs in most games I play. I would be thrilled if the jobs in this game were fleshed out enough to let me just focus on that, with little time for anything else, but that is not how XIV currently works.

[Melichoir]

.... but that is not how XIV currently works.

Keypoint. The changes dont make as good a sense in our current model, but we dont know if thatll remain the same in ShB. People need to get to 80, do some harder content, then come back and see if its bad or not. Judging the changes based solely on what we are currently doing is silly.

[althenawhm]

we dont know if thatll remain the same in ShB.

The older content will still be there, and they rarely go back and balance it. Also, people still need to do solo instances and such things, so forgive me if I dont think mashing one button to be ideal or fun.

[Reiryuu]

Keypoint. The changes dont make as good a sense in our current model, but we dont know if thatll remain the same in ShB. People need to get to 80, do some harder content, then come back and see if its bad or not. Judging the changes based solely on what we are currently doing is silly.

I'm getting an odd feeling of deja vu. I know it's the moving the goalposts game we played last expansion.

Pre-Stormblood: "Shut up, it's not out yet. You know nothing."
Stormblood: "Shut up, you're not 70 yet. You know nothing."
Level 70: "Shut up, raid tiers aren't out yet. You know nothing."
Raid Tiers: "Maybe they'll make adjustments"

level = level + 10, Repeat next expansion

[Videra]

Oh look, a red herring! Because I said nothing about needing to constantly heal.

So if you're not constantly healing, and you're not keeping the GCD rolling? I can only surmise that you're watching Netflix.

Yes, a healer is AFK if they're not either constantly healing or DPSing. Or you might as well be. Is it so much to ask that you contribute the bare minimum effort of remembering your ABC rule?

[CazzT]

So if you're not constantly healing, and you're not keeping the GCD rolling? I can only surmise that you're watching Netflix.

Yes, a healer is AFK if they're not either constantly healing or DPSing. Or you might as well be. Is it so much to ask that you contribute the bare minimum effort of remembering your ABC rule?

AFK = Away From Keyboard
It's clear you're just making stuff up at this point.

It is OK for someone to not do something with every GCD. As several have pointed out, anything short of EX/Savage isn't that big a deal. But people like yourself seem to think it's the end of the world if the Healer is not doing something with absolutely every single GCD. So which is it: non-EX/Savage is not a big deal or it's cutting edge and must be approached the same way EX/Savage content is? It can't be both.