How to have fun healing in normal content?

[Striker44]

Okay so why does playing a tank and DPS not make me want to rip my hair out in casual content

Because you have your own preferences? For the same reason I enjoy playing Tank and Healer in casual content, but don't particularly like playing as DPS (I like DPS for questing and FATEs mainly)? Imagine the thought that different people could like different things - what a concept!

[Kandraxx]

Play another role

Unironically, we’ve been fighting a losing battle around healer design since ShB

TBF, I'd rather spam 1 button than a redundant and absolutely brainless 100% scripted back and forth rotation that does nothing but make my hands hurt. It's not with healers, the whole game, class and combat system needs a huge overhaul.

[BlisteringFrost]

Have fun healing?

You don't.

Yoshi even said it himself, he doesn't like healers. So..... the role is literally designed to be not enjoyable. Deliberately.

[WaxSw]

Doesn't baffle me at all. First of all, that comment would only apply to certain people, not everyone (for example, I have a lot of fun healing on Normal). Second, it's a logical matter of skill. How much fun would an NBA player have constantly playing against random guys at a pick-up game? Or how much fun would a chess GM have playing people over 1000 points below them? Maybe a few will, but most likely those people will have more fun playing against opponents that are actually around their own skill level. Same goes with video games - when you get really skilled at them, it's logical that lower-level content could easily become boring, and the natural solution is that you'll probably have more fun doing higher-level content more appropriate to your skill.

If the nature of the game is to repeat scripted content of various difficulties, being the easier of them over 80% of the whole game, you can't afford having jobs that are considered boring there, regardless of player skill. Good systems are fun by the nature of how they interact and how they give players means for skill expression and XIV healers fail at both.

If healers were moderately properly designed a newbie would find in casual content an appropiate challenge for their skill level and a decent tutorial while an experienced player would find a playground in which they can interact with their skills. To follow up with your NBA paralelism, a random pick up game for a rookie is a great learning experience and a way to challenge themselves while for an NBA player is a good time to try tricks, shots and plays that they woudn't use in a official match since it has low stakes but the game allows them to interact with it in many ways. XIV on the other hand offer the newbie an experience so neutered that it doesn't foster any kind of growth or challenge and offers the experienced player an experience so dull that it pushes them away from the role. Its a design disaster.

[Yeonhee]

If the nature of the game is to repeat scripted content of various difficulties, being the easier of them over 80% of the whole game, you can't afford having jobs that are considered boring there, regardless of player skill. Good systems are fun by the nature of how they interact and how they give players means for skill expression and XIV healers fail at both.

If healers were moderately properly designed a newbie would find in casual content an appropiate challenge for their skill level and a decent tutorial while an experienced player would find a playground in which they can interact with their skills. To follow up with your NBA paralelism, a random pick up game for a rookie is a great learning experience and a way to challenge themselves while for an NBA player is a good time to try tricks, shots and plays that they woudn't use in a official match since it has low stakes but the game allows them to interact with it in many ways. XIV on the other hand offer the newbie an experience so neutered that it doesn't foster any kind of growth or challenge and offers the experienced player an experience so dull that it pushes them away from the role. Its a design disaster.

I couldn't agree more with this. There's no reason for healers to not at least have an actual damage rotation instead of spamming 1 for about 90% of the fight.

[Valence]

I'm kinda baffled some people finds it normal that you get to have fun as healer only in Savage and Ultimate content.

Don't tell those people some players would even not have any more fun in savage and ultimate content since that type of content doesn't magically make the job toolkits more engaging or interesting anyway. They may not recover.

Make the casual content at higher levels harder?

No..... That couldn't POSSIBLY be the answer.... Right....?

It definitely is not the answer for the aforementioned reason (on top of locking the content to its actual audience).

Okay so why does playing a tank and DPS not make me want to rip my hair out in casual content

Probably because you're very open minded. Personally it does make me want to rip it out all the same

[Minarisweet]

Hey yall i dont know how to close a thread and i was genuinely just asking for advice and i took notes of everything yall said, dont let this be another fight thread.

Thanks for all the input even the unsavory ones since it helps me make up my mind on what to do.

Let it now fade into obscurity.

[Valence]

Sorry I couldn't help you. I wish I had the answer myself since I'm in a similar spot.

[BlisteringFrost]

It definitely is not the answer for the aforementioned reason (on top of locking the content to its actual audience).

I understand reading intended sarcasm might be difficult, so, to clarify, it was intended to be sarcastic.

But also, we're level 100 now. Act like it.

[Xurtan]

Can confirm, 'you don't' is the answer. Truthfully even Savage content isn't particularly interesting anymore with how scripted it is, it's easy to fall into a sort of walking doze/meditation. Like Yoshi said, if you want actual healing, do Ultimates. Just.. ignore the no-healer runs people have done. :v)