Macro for "Stance Dancing"?

[RogueJawa]

I'm just gonna be honest here. I hate stance dancing. I've played a DPS in every other MMO I played and when I came to FFXIV I wanted to heal. That's basically what I want my primary function to be. I feel like I suck at stance dancing. It seems like every time I try it someone in my party dies, I realize that sounds like an exaggeration but it's seriously what it feels like. While my FC seems to be of the opinion that I'm a healer I should be healing.. I'm starting to feel some pressure from other sources. Mostly just stuff I've read, like, "You're not a true WHM if you don't DPS too" and "You don't roll a WHM just to heal."

Well.. I did.. but I'm willing to give this a full shot. So.. are there any macros that can make me not suck at stance dancing? Maybe something I can hotkey that basically puts CS on, casts Aero, maybe a Stone II, and then takes CS back off? Basically I'm looking for a stance dance easy mode because I'm horrible at it.

[radioactive_lego]

Can I ask; What level are you? Do you use a gamepad or m/k? If you have the means, post a screenshot of your hotbars?

[Parawill]

Random Tip! (Kinda not really).

You can queue a Cleric Stance during the cast of a skill by pressing it once (and it will "auto" remove or turn on when you cast your next spell). It doesn't really help when you mash it nonstop, but for those who just press 1, 2, 3 instead of 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 during a GCD it helps a little :0

[Shem]

I think that any macro like you describe would add a lot of unneeded delay into your actions. I understand that you don't want to deal with the switching, but placing the buttons/keybinding them in a way that feels more natural is always going to be better than an omnibus macro where you're wasting time after GCD each time it waits to cast a new ability.

I'd also say to just DPS when you feel like you can comfortably and not give in to the pressure. I play a SCH main and I wont swap unless I know I can get off some DoTs and spread them without my tank going much below half. If I don't think I can make it I don't.

I think it might be a fair amount easier to manage on SCH actually; we have more DoT skills that tick while we're healing once placed, we have lustrate which heals for 20% regardless of stance up to three times in a row, and we have pet support.

I know it's not a solution to your exact problem, but if WHM doesn't feel right maybe another healer job will. Good luck!

[RogueJawa]

Can I ask; What level are you? Do you use a gamepad or m/k? If you have the means, post a screenshot of your hotbars?

Currently level 44, almost 45. I use a M/K.

The only screenshot I have available at the moment is from Lvl 39 because I'm at work and stealing this one off of FB. I could post another one when I get home tomorrow. When healing I've switched Hotbar 1 to another set that has all of my healing spells lined up on it, along with Esuna, Swiftcast, then Raise to start.

[RogueJawa]

Thanks!

It's not that WHM doesn't feel right. I love WHM. I just hate stance dancing.

I'm sure at some point I'll get the BLM, SMN, and SCH crystals but.. honestly.. I wasn't too thrilled with Arcanist but I have to concede I really like the idea of a grimoire for a main hand weapon.

[Nutz]

I can't really speak from a healer's perspective, but as a DPS I really only expect the healer to chip in after 50 and basically just on dungeon trash. Tanking up through 47 I've felt about the same way. If the run is actually going slowly for any reason other than people dropping dead it's probably not the healer's fault. That said, come 50 just running into a group of trash, switching to CS, and tossing out Holy a couple times is incredibly useful and I'd think fairly simple to pull off. Tank will likely take almost no damage since you're stunning everything while you do it.

[ChiiSoSeriouz]

As a WHM macros aren't really necessary. You just have to be careful when toggling cleric on as you may already know, doing it at a bad time can leave you stuck in cd while someone desperately needs your attention.

As far as peer pressure for you to dps, ignore it. Are the DPS going to help you heal the party? i mean, since you're doing their job for them are they going to help you do yours? Quick answer is no. Don't carry anyone, if their dps is too low that's on them, when something goes wrong it's going to be your fault you were in cleric, no matter how good your intentions.

If and when you start healing end game just leave the dps to the professionals. Again, if they're making you dps to meet a check that's them being sub par dps. The only healer that should be in cleric is your sch, and even that i'm somewhat opposed to.

[Saseal]

Honestly, if and when I jump on a DPS job (kinda rare these days), I'd rather the healer be ready and prepared for healing my ass or our tank, even if it means they don't DPS. I'm not saying I prefer the healer to sit on their hands when there's nothing to do, but I'd rather they be prepared more than not. Ready healer > DPSing. I don't see that as a detriment (....unless people die in preventative situations anyway. Then I think we have a different problem ;p).
I'll admit that I'll kinda tilt my head when I see a healer idle in an easily DPS'ed moment but hey, to each their own. I don't say anything as long as everyone's healthy. My play style is just 'always be busy' ("Full HP bars? dps ALL the things!") - but thats not everyone's play style. Like ChiiSoSeriouz said, ignore peer pressure. Do what you feel comfortable with.

......and when I have a healer partner in 8-mans, I get incredibly irked if I see them mainly in cleric more than not. *Twitch* This means I'm doing all their work =_= But anyway.

I've gotten lazy on the stance dancing, just a bit, as of late - just DPSing without it on while weaving in heals (someone's going to scream, now, but whatever. I'm doing both without wasting much time!). I'll also DPS off cleric if I'm definitely not confident with the situation or if it's just sneaking in a stone II/DoT between heals in a situation where I don't want to commit to DPSing for any length of time (Heal, aero2, heal, etc). I'd rather be ready to chain a meaty heal in after smaller DPS chip than a meaty DPS chipping (that will never be as good as a regular DPS class, regardless) and then chain a derpy heal in an ohshit moment that could can cause deaths... and we all know how someone ALWAYS gets whacked hard right when you're caught in the Cleric cooldown. -3-
Only time I require myself to be in Cleric is if there's a definite lull in damage being received/not much to fear/confident, I'm holy-ing, or in some tight DPS checks like the outer platform ADDs for Glasya (after a medica 2) and Xande's meteors in Syrcus Tower. There's really nothing to heal during then anyway.

Things like T5 of coils, you couldn't get me to touch Cleric even if you begged.

You can try what I do if you want - just DPS while off Cleric stance (so you can safely heal or cast-cancel a dps spell to heal) until you get comfortable of when/where to safely enter cleric (if you decide to dps at all, that is!).
If people complain about you not being in Cleric then thats their problem. You're still technically helping to DPS (which is their job) while still prepared to do YOUR job on the fly. Like was said before - DPS gunna help you heal? Pffft. xD (well, some SMNs do.... but not all)

[RogueJawa]

I do from time to time drop an Aero or a Stone II without cleric on. I don't mind to do that if I've got everyone, but most importantly my tank, topped off. It's easier for me to Tab > Aero > F2/3/4 > Cure/Regen than to Tab > Cleric > Aero > Wait an Age > Cleric > F2/3/4 > Cure + Crossed Fingers. That's what it feels like every time I try to stance dance. I tried to alleviate the problem by popping Swiftcast and hitting a Cure/Cure II on my tank.. but Murphy's Law kicked in and one of my DPS KO'd.