What the term "healer" means to me

[Sebazy]

This entire discussion could have probably been avoided if SE called the role 'Support' instead.

[ColaSama]

This entire discussion could have probably been avoided if SE called the role 'Support' instead.

Even a "support" tag would not change a thing. Support doesn't sound like "I'm helping my team with my whole kit", but like "I'm helping my team with heals and buffs" for most people.

It has nothing to do with SE or whatever, more like with people lacking common sense.

Example : a dungeon run in Aurum Vale. The tank keeps dying by staying in yellow goo, the healer sucks and doesn't use most of his spells. And for once, they blamed me, the dps (I was on my drg). After I asked them both to step it up, the healer said "Your dps sucks (for a sprout with 1 job above 40 and a first time in this dungeon who doesn't use AoE spells, he sure knew a lot), I should not use my dps spells to speed the run because of your bad dps". For this guy, dpsing was more of a kind favor he did to us, the bad dps, and not something normal. I wanted to say "YOUR WHOLE LVL5-50 CLASS QUESTS ARE ABOUT A GIRL WHO STUBBORNLY DON'T WANT TO USE DAMAGE SPELLS BUT ONLY HEALS YOU FUCKING SON OF A HORSE, AND SHE WAS AT LEAST TALENTED AT HEALING" but hey whatever.

No amount of anything will change the fact that some people are terribad. Or name this role "use your whole fucking kit".

[Sloprano]

I started playing this wanting to be a healer, but also remember exactly where in my Scholar career I had to stop and take a hard look at the skills I had. On the level 30 quest "The Lominsian Way". You need to break a boulder in a race. I didn't do it fast enough, I blew up and failed. I stopped, remembered the chastizing words of the Arcanist guildmaster if I only were using Ruin, looked on all my dots and spells, found I had Cleric Stance, thought about the best way to use all of this and did it on the second try.

It wasn't much, but having to take a step back, revise, plan, execute and then seeing it coming to frutition was very gratifying. I more fond memories of the Duties I failed and floors of Deep Dungeons I wiped on (Sandworms, Garms, Godfather), before I came back trying and trying. Finally clearing it felt so much better than the fights I did on first try.

Maybe if the concept of using your whole kit was not only encouraged, but introduced more gradually as necessary everyone might natually start to use everything. Taking Healer job and Role Quest example: Giott takes you fighting a Sin Eater and starts off as "You just hang back. Just heal me when I need it.", then it suddenly starts charging an ultimate attack and Giott tells you "Crap, that ain't good. I can't finish in time myself, I need you to use your offensive skills!" and you need to use both your dot and Broil/Malefic/Glare to help do it in time. (fun Healer job offensive skillset notwithstanding)

Or in a job quest, finely tuned you can just do it if you got current level vendor gear and full aresenal.

Unless... SE made the offensive Healer skills boring to exactly discourage healers doing damage!

That would be a hyperbole, but above is the idea of letting the game make you aware of everything you have at your disposal and making you use them would be key to making all Healers be aware and wanting to use everything available. They could bring back Guildhests and Battleleves for pointing out mechanics and skills.