Dear Healers that don't DPS in dungeons

[Ralemont]

You get "comfortable" by running with a static group. Which most players don't end up doing until they hit 50.

I did the opposite. I got comfortable by running with DF groups so that I got used to healing in non-ideal situations, which made the ideal situations just that much easier.

[Nichigo]

As a scholar, opening with Adlo pre-pull, then spamming EOS' Embrace at teh beginning of the fight leaves a TON of time for me to Cleric stance and cycle through my DOTs/Bane before I have to actually start healing. Healing is the priority, yes, but there is always alot of downtime between heals...esp for Scholar.

[Rhindas]

In some situations, I end up mitigating the outright *need* to heal more by DPSing. It sometimes happens where I am the top DPS too. SCH is...it's surprisingly powerful.

It's much, much more common for Eos to be able to main heal a WP/AK group than for me to have to spam heal the tank. It happens, it absolutely happens, where the tank can't handle it and needs more loving, and in those cases, yep, I abstain from DPS. In cases where Eos is totally on top of it? I'm not going to stand there and twiddle my thumbs. It's really that simple. If I did that, I would be standing there with full HP and MP because I literally have to do nothing.


It's already been said, but the hallmark of a good healer is precision adaptability. The best healer is one that can change to react to any situation at a moment's notice. Titan HM is a good benchmark for that kind of healer.

I think the bigger problem is that, unfortunately, this game makes it way too easy on healers until about Brayflox...and then if you can surpass THAT, Stone Vigil is your next wakeup call if you ignore the optional dungeons and that's not until around level 40! The game isn't teaching healers reactionary skills, and they NEED those. And that's why topics like this keep popping up; there are just way too many healers that had no idea what they were in for at the late to end game and parties suffer for it.

[LiadansWhisper]

I think the reverse to that is that you're also advocating a one-size fits all by promoting a pure healing aspect of healers.

No, what I'm saying is that it's perfectly fine for a healer to do nothing but heal in a dungeon. That the choice to DPS should be left solely to the healer (outside of gimmick raid strats, of course), due to the differences in skill levels, gear, and experience between both healers and the groups they're in.

I think the bigger problem is that, unfortunately, this game makes it way too easy on healers until about Brayflox...and then if you can surpass THAT, Stone Vigil is your next wakeup call if you ignore the optional dungeons and that's not until around level 40! The game isn't teaching healers reactionary skills, and they NEED those. And that's why topics like this keep popping up; there are just way too many healers that had no idea what they were in for at the late to end game and parties suffer for it.

I'm generally too busy tanking everything that the tank apparently can't keep threat on to worry about "reaction times" in those lower level dungeons. I'm not sure that they could make those dungeons any harder without making them impossible for many groups, given the behavior on the part of tanks, DPS, AND healers in lower level dungeons.

BTW, Brayflox isn't a difficult dungeon. It's the people you run with who make that place difficult.

[Waam]

I'll DPS if the Tank is controlling threat enmity well enough.

[Lionsden]

At L50 content - If I feel the threat/healing is being managed fine. I'll swap into Cleric stance and dps. In some cases, such as Holy in WP, I am actually saving on the need to heal by dpsing and AoE stunning mobs.

Yes, healing should be your main priority, but any decent healer is dpsing as much as they can to hasten the completion of the content.

[Karyou]

As a Scholar I think it's really up to the healer to determine if they can handle it. If you are doing a speedrun where the tank is grabbing three stacks of enemies, you don't have time. Sometimes you need to be a dedicated healer. But if the tank isn't taking damage, it'd be silly not to DPS. I have access to all the skills I had as an Arcanist and stuff from WHM & BLM. Some of those are instant cast. It only takes a bit to throw up Cleric Stance, cast three instant spells, take off CS, and heal the one or two hits the Tank just took. This works really well against some bosses and casual enemies. Sometimes when there is only one or two enemies left, the Tank won't even take any damage. I like to DPS when I have that kind of downtime, otherwise I'd just be standing there doing nothing. Of course those players who refuse to heal give us all a bad name. If the party is taking damage, your job is ALWAYS to heal that damage. If you wanted to play a BLM or a SMN, then go play BLM or SMN.

[Taruranto]

Why do you want me to use Psyduck and Adlo in WP and AK when a manually embraced Eos can keep you topped just fine? Are you that bad?

[Aedra]

Actually, when the game was first launched, healer have to DPS in WP for group to get away from Tonberry Slasher (before changes since Early Access till mid september) since you will almost 100% doing WP with Full AF + weapon ilv<50 (new players) or ilv52 (legacy players).

[spaace]

I only dps when the tanks aren't terrible.. (why do people not like to use cooldowns?)