Do i need to DPS?

[Raminax]

Thank you all for the very helpful feedback i will try and get better at this. If anyone has helpful tips or anything i will be more then happy to read them.

Start out slowly. While healer damage outside of Cleric Stance borders on a waste of MP with the current differences between Intelligence and Mind, it might be reassuring to do something like setting up DoTs and throwing in a few filler nukes outside of Cleric Stance. This way, you get to gauge how much damage the tank and/or group can take before you need to begin healing without feeling the pressure of remembering to turn off Cleric Stance.

Once you're comfortable with that, begin using Cleric Stance to set up your DoTs instead, then switch out and watch how the situation unfolds. Just as an example, simply knowing that the Phantom Ray always performs two Double Sever after the super AoE (usual cones+tons of circles) will greatly affect how comfortable you are with stance dancing. Extend Cleric Stance uptime with some filler nukes as you grow more accustomed to the damage flow, and watch your DPS beats the dirty Bard into the ground (and they aren't even singing Foe Requiem for you. Aren't you awesome?)!

After that point, I feel it's more or less time to just get used to it, while adapting to the situation and encounter in question. Sometimes you get groups that suck which makes stance dancing more dangerous than usual, while other times you'll get excellent runs where you barely have to heal at all. Some bosses make stance dancing difficult, some barely have any dangerous mechanics at all.

Anyway, that's how I learned how to healer DPS. I'd DoT things up without Cleric Stance early on as I got used to healing, and sooner or later I began using them with Cleric Stance up, before switching out of it and begin healing the group. At the same time I'd observe the encounter and see what skills did what and slowly learn when it was safe to squeeze in some more Aero. Circa Wanderer's Palace (dear lord, some DPS were awful at AoEing, talk about rough introduction) I was a full fledged Holy spamming stance dancing machine.

[Ninimo_Babamo]

Thankfully, you picked a class that requires no accuracy to DoT up a target. Astrologian is great for that. My advice would be to set your UI up for a third hot bar and assign them all quick keys if you use keyboard for the spells. If you're on PS, you might be a little limited in space so that could be something, but I don't play there, so I wouldn't know. When I only had 2 hot bars on PC, DPSing was a huge pain, but it's much easier with a third hot bar.

DoTs are where you should start. Throw on Cleric Stance, Combust1 and Combust2, drop cleric stance, and continue healing. You'll eventually get very comfortable with it and that is when things get fun.

[Lastelli]

You don't need to, just like dps or tanks don't need to do good dps, they could simply do the bare minimum to finish the encounter in 90 minutes. But this is what differentiate good healers from bad/lazy healers.
If you're a healer and you only heal and do nothing when you don't have to heal, then you're doing the bare minimum.

[Stupiduglytaru]

Ideally its expected to dps however it's not necessary to clear normal runs etc, it helps clear things faster no end.

I'm now leveling dark up to 60 and I see such a mix bunch, I personally do not care if you do or don't as long as I remain vertical.

If a healer does dps I stay in tank stance alot longer.

If a healer doesn't dps I stay majority dps stance to make up the difference.

[Ghishlain]

Just to add on a small point that hasn't been touched upon yet - sometimes the only thing you CAN do is heal until you're sucked dry in MP. This is usually the case in synced dungeons with under geared and/or under performing players or non-synced dungeons where players are over exerting the party (usually pulling more than they should for their gear level).

The best healers will see the DPS opportunities and capitalize on it. The best healers will also know when its a near impossibility to DPS and do their best to maintain forward momentum by ensuring the health and well being of their party. This comes with experience, so don't get discouraged initially.

[FunkYeahDragons]

This is really a situational thing. It's not necessary, but it does help.

However, if you're:
1) Uncertain about how to manage your mana or if you'll have enough.
2) Uncertain about how fast you can get back to healing.
3) Unfamiliar with a fight.

Then it's better not to.

[Astral145]

I only dps if the tank is rotating cd's properly, dps's avoiding aoes or during certain phases in a boss fight. A healer DOES NOT have to dps. If groups are not clearing content due to dps checks then the group needs to look at the dps's... That's with ALL content including savage raids.... either GET GOOD or GEAR UP. Not all content is suppose to be cleared the same day it comes out. Too many players are in a hurry to clear all content ASAP then are left standing around with their thumbs up their butts.

Play the way you feel you need to play. If you like to be conservative with mp to make sure the party is still standing at the end of the dungeon then by all means play that way. A dead dps cant dps and if the party wipes bc the healer had no mp well that will make the run last a lot longer. So do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

[DarkerOrange]

If groups are not clearing content due to dps checks then the group needs to look at the dps's... That's with ALL content including savage raids.... either GET GOOD or GEAR UP. Not all content is suppose to be cleared the same day it comes out. Too many players are in a hurry to clear all content ASAP then are left standing around with their thumbs up their butts.

Ahaha...ahahaha. Oh man, thanks for a great laugh. The idea that Elysium's DPS need to get good is priceless

Healer dps is not required for casual play, but there is content for which it is currently required, (I.e. Alex Savage), so telling someone that it is always the DPS's fault if you don't meet a DPS check is garbage. If you don't like the challenge of end-game content when it is freshly released, then that is fine, but please do not go around telling people that healer DPS is never required, because I am currently working on A3S, and I can assure you that healer DPS is most definitely a requirement to clear that fight.

[Sleigh]

In low level content, sub-Stone Vigil normal mode: PLEASE DPS. Healers can do extremely competitive DPS at that point, single target or multi-DoT, to the point where it's not uncommon to beat PUGs with just Stone spam in CS. SCH is straight up one of the top DPS of anyone from Haukke on with Bane.
Stone Vigil - level 50 dungeons: dependent on what healer you are and speed of the run but yes unless your tank is woefully bad or undergeared you can at least get a little bit off.
Level 50 dungeons on: yes, DPS, even in big full pulls. AST starts really losing its edge and you won't be able to do too terribly much without good CDs from your tank, but it's still doable.

Any dungeon boss you can Regen/AB the tank or Embrace spam the tank and DPS about 70% of the time. It won't be incredible DPS but you can knock off 15% of the boss's HP that otherwise would have been untouched.
For raids, serious raiding, the damage output on the MT is usually very low ... as we approach i210 once again Regen + forced Embrace spam + tank CDs virtually cancels out the majority of AAs. You can and should DPS, especially in A2-4 Savage.

Tips for DPSing? It's pretty easy actually. Identify the times when a tank or the raid will get bopped by mechanics or a tank buster/cleaves. Use E4E/Virus to help counteract those things. Keep Regen/AB/Embrace spams up fulltime, buffing them if you don't need DS/Syn/Rouse for anything else. If in an 8 man, if you as the main healer would like to get up your DoTs but there's some dedicated healing required, tell your off healer (SCH almost always) to take over so you can get your stuff up then take over healing once they're up. Ride HoTs out, they're godly in FFXIV ... don't be a lamer who stands there with HoTs that negate AAs and Cure spam on the tank or stand there. That's not cool.

[Astral145]

Ahaha...ahahaha. Oh man, thanks for a great laugh. The idea that Elysium's DPS need to get good is priceless

Healer dps is not required for casual play, but there is content for which it is currently required, (I.e. Alex Savage), so telling someone that it is always the DPS's fault if you don't meet a DPS check is garbage. If you don't like the challenge of end-game content when it is freshly released, then that is fine, but please do not go around telling people that healer DPS is never required, because I am currently working on A3S, and I can assure you that healer DPS is most definitely a requirement to clear that fight.

Sounds like you are in hurry to clear the content. Why not role with 5 dps's, 1 healer and 2 tanks if you feel that the dps checks are to difficult to get past. A healers main job is to heal anything else is just sprinkles on the cup cakes.

There are many types of players out there and not all players can multitask or at least feel comfortable with multitasking. Personally I like to throw some dps when I can as a healer or stance dance as a tank during certain phases of a boss fight but not all players will feel comfortable doing that. The best thing any player can do is to be patient and understanding toward other players abilities.