Quote Originally Posted by Brightshadow View Post
And who would you blame for everyone dying, due to you not being comfortable DPSing, yes the healer. Not only is it unnecessary for the healer to DPS but its also an extra. And people that push for the healers to DPS are going to cause a shortage in the role which is really counterproductive look at how many tanks actually play. We don't need people to avoid playing healers because the community demanded that they DPS.
The only "demand" is that players strive to play well, and learning how and when to provide supporting DPS as a healer is part of that.

Standing around doing nothing when healing support isn't required is playing poorly; healers who are very good not only take advantage of obvious lulls to DPS, but also anticipate or create windows in which to safely apply further DPS.

The concept is really much simpler than a lot of people on forums make it out to be. No one advocates healers DPSing to the exclusion of their primary responsibility of healing, and there are times when you simply cannot help DPS. However, DPS is a responsibility shared throughout the party, as there are no duties that grant you completion for most damage mitigated or highest HPS. Good players actively support this goal, regardless of their primary role, by doing the best they can at all times so long as it doesn't interfere with their ability to perform their role correctly; tanks maximize DPS when enmity is secure, healers off-DPS when it is safe to do so, and DPS provide utility and perform mechanics as needed while still maintaining their optimal rotations.