PLEASE, stop teaching/telling new healers to DPS

[omniwaink]

Having leveled both Warrior and Paladin to 50 using the Duty Finder almost exclusively, I have noticed a sad and frustrating trend, which I call "The Low Level Cleric Stance Hero".




(we wiped)

Healers trying to DPS lower dungeons because they are bored with their spells has become a freaking plague. Practically every other instance I tanked I had to deal with multiple wipes because healers are too busy trying to sleep and resleep mobs (which DPS then proceed to break), or they are trying to go all balls on a mob with their Stone II. What constantly happens is the tanks health drops below 40%, and the healer begins unloading inefficient Cure IIs and Adloquiums while in Cleric Stance to try and react to it. They run out of mana, and either people die or we have to wait before pulling the next set of mobs.

Look, tanking in this game is already boring enough. When you tank with your health constantly hovering around 25%, it becomes stressful and frustrating. When you wipe from not getting heals, it becomes infuriating. Please, healers, and future healers. Focus on healing first. There is a time and a place for you to DPS targets. When you over gear content. Or the content is on farm. Or you are on Demon Wall. No doubt there will be replies to this saying “whatevs bro, I DPS and heal all the time L2P”. And I imagine that’s the same motto engraved on the crest of the Low Level Cleric Stance Hero. But I assure you that wiping on trash mobs or a boss fight greatly outweighs any time you think you are shredding off by DPSing.

If you can't do it while keeping the tank’s health above 50% at all times, just stop. And at lower levels, you don’t have the Lustrates or Divine Seal Regens that make it easier to do at higher levels. As a community, you guys have to stop spreading this message that healers should be attacking or they aren’t playing their class to their full potential.

Thank you for not being a hero.

[Lyrinn]

This has nothing to do with advising healers to DPS when they're momentarily off heal duty. This has to do with bads being bads.

[Dyssyd]

Being able to keep everyone alive while adding dps is the difference between a good healer and a bad healer. Focus too much on damage, people die, focus too much on healing, you're wasting time and only playing half of your class. There's a balance, and you have to get a feel of how good your tank/group is to be able to make proper judgements.

You're right that there is a time and a place, but it's not as you say. There's a time and a place in every encounter, knowing how to take advantage of that will be the thing to brand you as an excellent healer.

Some people are just too ignorant to understand all of that though. I don't like when players don't fulfill the role they signed up for either.

[Urthdigger]

I'll continue to advise healers to DPS, because I always temper it with the lesson that healing takes priority. If they find themselves running into enmity or MP issues, or if the fight is rough on the tank, you shouldn't DPS in those situations. But on trash and weaker bosses a healer can literally find themselves sitting around with nothing to do, which they may as well spend doing some damage.

[Penguinmayhem]

I'll continue to advise healers to DPS, because I always temper it with the lesson that healing takes priority. If they find themselves running into enmity or MP issues, or if the fight is rough on the tank, you shouldn't DPS in those situations. But on trash and weaker bosses a healer can literally find themselves sitting around with nothing to do, which they may as well spend doing some damage.

As a Scholar, I DPS all the time. It's half my job. Though the important part is that most of my DPS is debuffs and dots.

As a White Mage, I run dungeons sitting at the back of the party doing mostly nothing, because being a White Mage is like having a giant neon sign strapped to your ass and every time you do the slightest thing it lights up and fireworks go off. It's absurd how much enmity WHM generates, and I've found people plenty happy to let me do fuck all for most of the dungeon as long as I keep everyone alive.

[Heofonum]

There is mentality here that makes it more bias against heals that can't seem to find the skill the dps when they can- As a healer main, I can confirm for you all: there is much rage from dps and tanks if Holy is not used on Plumes, fast WP/AK runs, etc. You can assume what you like which type of healer I am. Doesn't matter since you're focusing on the wrong point and trying to troll.

Back to the OP and his point is that new healers, not new players, are the guilty party in thinking they have to dps. This idea is wrong. It's a warped, brainless THING crawling around in peoples heads that heals have to dps.

We do not have to. No mechanic, boss fight, encounter, primal, raid, trash or dungeon is designed that heals have to contribute in damage. It is NOT a defining line between good healers and bad healers. I laughed at this.

We heal, you're alive. That's all you need to concern about with us.

[Sirantha]

While I will always DPS when I can, and have no trouble doing so (except the odd minor slip-up where I accidentally forget to disable CS, cough) and keeping everyone alive, I do think it's ridiculous that healers are expected to DPS or they're considered "bad". Worse still that the people perpetuating this are usually DPS mains. Even those who have well-geared 50 WHMs or SCHs and say this, will almost always seemingly have a DPS main.

I am not saying don't DPS if you feel capable, but seriously, if you're not the one currently working your butt off (or not, as the case may be) to keep the party alive, you probably shouldn't dictate how the healer does it, assuming they're doing just that: keeping you alive.

[dragonflyseksparade]

I have dpsed dungeons all day long as WHM in full i55 spiritbind gear (full left side and right side) and still know how and when to dps in a manner that doesn't cause me to go OOM. As Lyrinn accurately stated - you're simply experiencing bad healers.

[Ryuko]

Hmm... I can SORT OF see where OP is coming from. I have seen WP/AK runs that specifically advertise saying, "If you, a WHM, does not holy spam, you will be kicked. Oh, and you better not let us die either!" DPSing is an added challenge to a healer, which I personally find fun... buuuuuut, it requires a healer knowing how to prioritize healing and throw in the occasional Holy or two when it is warranted. On the contrary, I've had tanks tell me NOT to Holy because they are concerned I will go OOM (even though I've done the run many times and never let anyone die or even came close to OOM).

The pressure to dps as a healer usually comes at the later levels... when people want to rush through 'speed runs' in higher level dungeons. If a healer is DPSing too often at a low level, they simply don't understand what their job should be, or they don't yet have the experience to know how to prioritize healing and dps. Tanks don't have a lot of utility at that point to hold hate super well, DPS don't know how to hold back... there's a lot of 'on the fly' healing that needs to be done. There is a timer to Cleric stance so you cannot switch back and forth instantly, despite what some may think. So... throwing in dps should be more of a supplemental thing at the lower levels, once someone is comfortable doing it. Healing is the much more important job.

[Lyrinn]

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That pressure comes primarily from speed runners and is not representative of general attitudes. But if you are sitting at close to full MP with Shroud/Aetherflow up with a Regen or shield on the tank and you're just standing around and twiddling your thumbs, you're not using your time wisely. Plus Holy actually saves you a bit of healing because of the stun.

Again, the OP's issue is with bads being bads. If you're playing a healer and you prioritize DPS first, you're bad and you signed up for the wrong job. End of story. To say otherwise is the equivalent of telling people that exercise is good for you, some idiot overdoing it and passing out from exhaustion or dehydration, and then telling people to stop saying exercise is healthy (see how ridiculous that sounds?).