But...I...I don't wanna DPS, I'm a healer...

[Cynfael]

I can't help but worry all this passionate arguing is just going to scare the OP away from the game (sounds like he was almost gone from the beginning...)

I have faith that the OP is a big boy or girl and wouldn't be turned off of enjoying a game simply because official forums get a little contentious. If people didn't have strong opinions, we wouldn't have much to discuss.

[Raminax]

I can't help but worry all this passionate arguing is just going to scare the OP away from the game (sounds like he was almost gone from the beginning...)

I'm finding this thread positively tame compared to what we've had in the past (and I could say something that could jinx it, but I won't!). Suppose we should wait for the usual WHM vs SCH wars in 3.1 (now with a three-front war of the newly crowned nation of AST)!

I also find that the forums and the general game are significantly different in my experience. Sometimes I even wonder if FFXIV is the game being discussed here. <.<

And I'll be going back to lurking now, because I dun have anything new or interesting to add, really.

[Risvertasashi]

Fair enough.

I'll just quietly add, then, it *is* possible to play a mitigation/healing focused scholar and they get some very good tools for doing so (that feeling when a big raid hit/tankbuster does 0 damage...). But, as others have said, SCHs do deal with the expectation to DPS a lot more.

[pushin_tin]

Until SE flat-out disables Cleric Stance in all instanced group content (and if PVP is any indication, they certainly can), then I will consider any healer who sits on his thumbs at level 60 during downtime without even trying to contribute DPS a lazy healer.

[bounddreamer]

Literally one of my raise macros is "I wasn't dpsing, I swear!" Most memorable use was raising the other healer three times in a trial when they kept dying because they were dpsing instead of healing.

When you start out, and in your early healing, you will not be expected to dps. You will only be expected to heal. If you find yourself literally standing around doing nothing that's when you may want to try out switching to Cleric Stance and putting dots on the mobs. Just stick to what you're comfortable with and how you want to play.

I tanked a run of Tam Tara where the healer complained at the end he had nothing to do and it was a boring run bc I didn't need heals. (High level tank in high level gear using cooldowns.) That entire run I saw him standing around doing nothing, not even putting dots on the mobs. It would probably have been less boring for him if he'd at least been doing that.

By no means will you ever be asked to prioritize dps over healing. But if you want to be a pure healer you may want to grab AST when you get to Heavensward. It's the healing job with the weakest, least effective dps and the most support utility. Instead of dps you'd be managing your cards and occasionally doing dots if you can.

[Eloah]

TL: DR

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this, though I have seen them mention you play as a Scholar, yay; anyway, has anyone mentioned to you that Scholar is a mitigation healer, so by default the job doesn't call for "topping" off like the others might. As a Scholar myself I enjoy DPSing, since its something to do when no "major" heals are required. But in some instances, whether based on gear or the other players skill levels, I'll need to minimize my DPS because of them. Not saying those players are bad, but sometimes we forget to repair, we had a bad day and its effecting us more than we realize, etc.

I will say on a personal note, because I main as a healer; whenever i play as a DPS, if I see another healer just standing around when everyone is topped off, I find it mildly irritating. I don't say anything because they can play however they want. But even healers can have the mentality that other healers should DPS. Now I should clarify that it depends on the healer as to how irritated I am, lol. If its a Scholar, yeah , standing around doing nothing while your fairy does all the healing, no. If its a White Mage or an Astrologian, I am not as irritated, because I know they are just waiting to heal. And especially with Astro since they have the card mechanic to work with. I am however understanding when their mana is low, for most healers you have no choice but to stand around.

But, the bottom line is play however you like. Not DPSing might irritate some people, but depending on the situation it is accepted. And most people are probably like me, may wonder why you aren't DPSing but wont say anything, as it us your right.

[Nyalia]

And most people are probably like me, may wonder why you aren't DPSing but wont say anything, as it us your right.

Unless you autofollow and let the fairy do all the healing while you're AFK. Almost anyone will call you out on that one :P (And yes, people HAVE done this)

[Scalizor]

If there are large periods of time where you don't have to heal or do anything, please DPS. Dealing some damage instead of healing the tank even when he's almost full HP is more recommended, otherwise you're just being lazy. Why stand there doing nothing or overhealing when you can contribute to the overall damage? I've played all 3 roles (even though my CNJ is only 27) and I've always tried to DPS as much as I could. That means optimizing my damage/rotation as a DPS, using DPS stance as a tank on bosses and using DPS skills when I don't have to heal as a healer. It's not that I like it, but why not do it if it saves you time?

[raela]

Sure, you don't have to, and not dpsing is recommended if you're not comfortable healing. But, as a healer main, I do find if frustrating for a healer to be there doing nothing.

Had a tam Tara nm run recently with a 54 sch, who linked his coil body armor shortly after starting (who cares, dude). Fairy healed 99% of the dungeon and he literally just jumped circles around the dps the whole time. No healing or dpsing. Wanted to throw him off the cliff.

[PriestAlseid]

I'm definitely not scared off the game by the posts, and I appreciate the fact that there's differing opinions. However, I'm not level 60 yet, I'm not raiding, but maybe by that time maybe I'll be more comfortable.

A post mentioned before about switching into CS and selecting targets on the PS3, which I personally am finding extremely tedious, so maybe when my laptop is fixed and ready to go I'll be able to.

I've never played a game where a healer DPS'd aside from a Disc Priest in WoW, but even atonement healing (Where you DPS and the skill triggers a heal) was considered lazy and that character was expected to use their actual heals. I'm not really sure where that statement about never playing a game where a healer didn't DPS came from, and I'm not knocking that comment, I've just never experienced that. Aside from, again, classes with a separate "leave it" mechanic or a damage heal. Then again, I wasn't a hardcore raider so maybe it was the case in upper difficulties.