#FFXIVHEALERSTRIKE

[CaptainLagbeard]

I don't think this matters at all. The issue has never been 'how much damage does Healer do in comparison to Tanks', it's 'by what method/rotation does the Healer do the damage'. Healers have never been dealing equal damage to Tanks, outside of SHB, so it seems to be a clear design decision the whole way through the game's lifespan that Healers should not do as much as Tank. The fact we do as much as we currently do (around 50-60% of a DPS's output) is a miracle in itself, given the next closest competitor in the MMO scene has their healers sitting at around 20-25% of a DPS's output

I just don't like the 'healers should do tank level of damage' line, not because I disagree with it (I don't really care if we do or don't), but rather, I don't want the waters to be muddied with 'we should do more damage' because I don't want SE to be given the free 'escape route' of 'well we buffed the healers and now they do the same damage as tanks, why are they still complaining'. I want them to address the actual issue

The thing is, Healers do need to do more damage for non-group content such as the various MSQ solo duties that exist throughout the game, as these bits of content are currently they're ultimately designed with the player doing DPS in mind and so being a role that's by design doing less damage is just the devs punishing players for playing that role.
Now, the discussion should be how they achieve that increase in damage. If they're so afraid of giving healers more gameplay, then just boosting the potency and the dot is one route. But they can always give Healers more of a rotation or other attacks that lets them do more damage.

[Dante131]

The thing is, Healers do need to do more damage for non-group content such as the various MSQ solo duties that exist throughout the game, as these bits of content are currently they're ultimately designed with the player doing DPS in mind and so being a role that's by design doing less damage is just the devs punishing players for playing that role.
Now, the discussion should be how they achieve that increase in damage. If they're so afraid of giving healers more gameplay, then just boosting the potency and the dot is one route. But they can always give Healers more of a rotation or other attacks that lets them do more damage.

The other issue is that if you overdesign a healer by giving them a lot of damage-dealing abilities, many players might question, "Where's the healer part?" At that point, aren’t you more of a sub-DPS than a healer? It’s a tricky situation because, on one hand, you need to make story progression enjoyable, even for a class that deals less damage. While the FFXIV community is often obsessed with optimizing damage across all roles, I feel that if you have a healing role, it should focus on what it’s meant to do heal.

For the story, I don’t know if the solution is to introduce buffs or different NPC interactions to make the experience more engaging for healers. What I do know is that we’ll inevitably see the community split into two factions, both unhappy with any changes. If SE increases damage output for healers, players who enjoy the core healing gameplay will be upset. On the other hand, if they adjust content so healers focus primarily on healing and not damage, those who prefer the sub-DPS playstyle will be just as frustrated.

That said, I don’t often hear players complaining about struggling with story progression as healers. Personally, I only had difficulty once, during the first Zenos fight in Stormblood, back when I had just started playing. But now? I can easily handle it. Ultimately, SE has to choose one of three paths: enhance healer damage, adjust content to prioritize healing, or leave everything as it is. Unfortunately, they risk alienating part of the community with any choice they make.

So, the real question for me is: how can they resolve this issue at all?

[Supersnow845]

Solo duties are fine, the boss has less HP when you queue as a tank or a healer so everyone clears them in roughly the same time (DNC/BRD/AST/SCH are a little slower)

The problem is damage diversity not actual raw damage (though I still think tanks do too much damage compared to healers)

[Dante131]

Solo duties are fine, the boss has less HP when you queue as a tank or a healer so everyone clears them in roughly the same time (DNC/BRD/AST/SCH are a little slower)

The problem is damage diversity not actual raw damage (though I still think tanks do too much damage compared to healers)

Well, yeah, I think solo duties are fine as they are. As for tank damage, I’m not sure where the tank comparison comes from, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable for tanks to deal more damage than healers. In fact, I believe they need to, to make aggro management essentially brain-dead easy. Besides, a tank is literally a DPS that gets punched. Hard. And often.

[Supersnow845]

Well, yeah, I think solo duties are fine as they are. As for tank damage, I’m not sure where the tank comparison comes from, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable for tanks to deal more damage than healers. In fact, I believe they need to, to make aggro management essentially brain-dead easy. Besides, a tank is literally a DPS that gets punched. Hard. And often.

If you can’t make “generate 10* agro from the same damage” braindead I think the tank is the problem there, and a healer is a DPS that heals so that’s a pointless comparison

[CaptainLagbeard]

Well, yeah, I think solo duties are fine as they are. As for tank damage, I’m not sure where the tank comparison comes from, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable for tanks to deal more damage than healers. In fact, I believe they need to, to make aggro management essentially brain-dead easy. Besides, a tank is literally a DPS that gets punched. Hard. And often.

For me it comes from the fact that neither Tank or Healer is intended to be a DPS class first, so they should be equal on that front.

[Dante131]

If you can’t make “generate 10* agro from the same damage” braindead I think the tank is the problem there, and a healer is a DPS that heals so that’s a pointless comparison

That’s exactly the issue I brought up earlier. The healer role is split into two camps: one group wants healing content without having to play as a "DPS in green," while the other prefers to focus on dealing damage while still being a healer.

What I don’t understand is why tanks and healers should deal similar damage. No other game does this. Most tanks have rotations and damage tools because in most games, those are essential for maintaining aggro. Of course, I know that in FFXIV you can just throw out one AoE and go AFK without losing aggro, but that’s another story. This is why I don’t get why tank damage even comes up in discussions about healer roles.

Again, there’s no way to satisfy everyone. No matter what changes are made, one group will end up unhappy. I get that FFXIV is designed for healers to contribute damage in harder content, but that doesn’t turn them into DPS classes. However, I don’t want to start that debate here.

Long story short, in every other major MMO, tanks deal more damage than healers, and FFXIV is no exception. If you look at other big MMOs like WoW, most tanks deal significantly more damage than healers, maybe not Discipline Priests, but overall, the gap is usually around 30–50%. In Guild Wars 2, it’s 30–40%, and in ESO, it’s 20–30%. These numbers are based on general trends and may not be 100% accurate since I don’t play all of these games extensively.

In FFXIV, the difference is something like 25–35%, maybe up to 40%. That’s completely normal and consistent with other MMOs.

[Supersnow845]

That’s exactly the issue I brought up earlier. The healer role is split into two camps: one group wants healing content without having to play as a "DPS in green," while the other prefers to focus on dealing damage while still being a healer.

What I don’t understand is why tanks and healers should deal similar damage. No other game does this. Most tanks have rotations and damage tools because in most games, those are essential for maintaining aggro. Of course, I know that in FFXIV you can just throw out one AoE and go AFK without losing aggro, but that’s another story. This is why I don’t get why tank damage even comes up in discussions about healer roles.

Again, there’s no way to satisfy everyone. No matter what changes are made, one group will end up unhappy. I get that FFXIV is designed for healers to contribute damage in harder content, but that doesn’t turn them into DPS classes. However, I don’t want to start that debate here.

Long story short, in every other major MMO, tanks deal more damage than healers, and FFXIV is no exception. If you look at other big MMOs like WoW, most tanks deal significantly more damage than healers, maybe not Discipline Priests, but overall, the gap is usually around 30–50%. In Guild Wars 2, it’s 30–40%, and in ESO, it’s 20–30%. These numbers are based on general trends and may not be 100% accurate since I don’t play all of these games extensively.

In FFXIV, the difference is something like 25–35%, maybe up to 40%. That’s completely normal and consistent with other MMOs.

Yes because in other MMO’s healers actually heal. In 14 healers play gimped DPS and then just arbitrarily do less damage than tanks that……..also just play gimped DPS

There is no reason for the DPS difference if we are functionally playing the same role of “DPS with some kinda support we barely press on the side”

If I had to heal as much as WOW I’d be fine doing less damage than tanks but I’m barely healing and they are barely tanking

[Dante131]

Yes because in other MMO’s healers actually heal. In 14 healers play gimped DPS and then just arbitrarily do less damage than tanks that……..also just play gimped DPS

There is no reason for the DPS difference if we are functionally playing the same role of “DPS with some kinda support we barely press on the side”

If I had to heal as much as WOW I’d be fine doing less damage than tanks but I’m barely healing and they are barely tanking

Now, we’re definitely talking in the same direction here. In WoW, you lose aggro much faster than in FFXIV. So, the issue isn’t about the damage healers are doing it’s a broader problem with the battle design in general.

For instance, in WoW, you have to be careful and use stuns or interrupts on random mobs during normal pulls. You can’t just mindlessly pull two big groups of trash mobs with no impact, as is common in nearly every dungeon in FFXIV. Additionally, you’re rarely tanking the boss directly in FFXIV because most major bosses are kaiju-sized enemies. (I was genuinely surprised that Lizardman Zerul Ja was a normal-sized enemy!)

But that’s a discussion for another thread, as it’s more about a fundamental flaw in the design itself and not just about healers. In my opinion at least.

[Kohashi]

Generally, fights do have ample windows for dps, only but then again, how would you introduce anything than mashing some extra buttons to feel meaningful in some type of way? At the end of the day mashing 1 or 1-2-3 is not all that different as that 1-2-3 is a reskin of that 1 button.