Quote Originally Posted by Semirhage View Post
I still don't get this fantasy of healer-as-pacifist-heal-spammer comes from. It's the same as the DPS fantasy, but inverted and focused on healing, a capability with sharply diminishing returns. I don't play healers to constantly heal as much as I can. I play support roles because they often engage my brain with multitasking. Healing is on the list, as are buffs and debuffs and damage and so on. I like the juggle. And that juggling act is the core of support classes in many an RPG, single and multiplayer.
I agree, but it's not necessary for you to understand where a class fantasy comes from to respect the fact that a lot of players do have that fantasy.

"I play a HEALer to HEAL!" is the phrase that makes me think, if you want such straightforward focused gameplay, try a DPS. FF14 doesn't really have that juggle anymore; hell, RDM plays more like an actual support than a healer does. At least I have a wide (if not exhaustive) bag of tricks and I can't perform the rotation with my eyes closed.

I come from a largely D&D and cRPG background. Healers heal....as a mostly last resort because buffing and crowd control etc al is much more interesting than Push Healthbars Rightward Spell Number Six.
Missing the point again. 'Healing and buffing allies' class fantasy and 'doing damage to enemy' class fantasy are not interchangeable. I can't just flip a switch on my brain and start to find one enjoyable when I didn't before, superficial similarities of focus notwithstanding.

Though, I concur that buffing and encounter control are more interesting. Certainly more interesting than 'Push Enemy Healthbar Leftward Spell Number Eight (of Twelve)'. CBU3 doesn't seem to agree with us, though; they seem to be absolutely terrified of players being able to interface with their encounters beyond 'make bar go up or down'.