Do i need to DPS?

[Iriri]

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.

[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.

[Kuwagami]

snip

what this guy said. Any day.

(but don't forget that outside of savage Alexander, you DON'T NEED to dps. You CAN do it. The difference is huge.)

[AskaRay]

If you aren't comfortable DPSing don't do it. I do recommend practicing of course, but take it slow.

I love to DPS when healing..mostly because I hate standing there with nothing to do. Usually what I do on each healer, if it's my first time healing a piece of content with that job, I won't DPS. I'll stand back and watch how just my healing affects the flow; if the first few pulls go smooth then I may add a bit of DPS here and there. '

As for MP, I play SCH enough to know when I'm going to need more. Usually, unless I know I'll need the aetherflow stacks for something, I'll just use Aetherflow whenever it's ready. On my AST I'm still getting a feel for my MP usage, but I use Luminiferous Aether the first time around 80%, then whenever it's ready...

It also took me a LOOONG time to stance dance comfortably, I recommend practicing stance dancing in lower level dungeons if you need that practice.

[DarkerOrange]

I DPS heavily on my SCH, both in end-game progression (A3S is hard, haha) and in ex roulette level stuff. I find that as long as the tank isn't awful, I can sit in cleric stance for the whole of Neverreap and Fractal, and manage my fairy for any healing needed.

Basically, you don't need to DPS, but healing non end-game stuff in this game is so pathetically easy that DPSing gives you something interesting to do.

[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.