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

[Fevelle]

WHM or AST taking the main healer role normally handles the bulk of the healing. Assuming the off-healer role, you're most likely going to be the SCH DPSing most of the time with well-timed shields and pet abilities to help your main healer. If you really want to heal for the majority of end-game fights, go WHM or AST (to take the main healer position).

Explain "off-healer" to me outside of savage enviroment. Because if I notice that my CO-HEALER is giving priority to DPS while I struggle to keep up with the damage, shots will be fired.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

Explain "off-healer" to me outside of savage enviroment. Because if I notice that my CO-HEALER is giving priority to DPS while I struggle to keep up with the damage, shots will be fired.

Why would you think "off-healer" has a different concept outside savage content in the first place?

[416to305]

Explain "off-healer" to me outside of savage enviroment. Because if I notice that my CO-HEALER is giving priority to DPS while I struggle to keep up with the damage, shots will be fired.

Trials, Main Story Dungeons, 24 man raids? Even A1 normal at Faust usually one person handles healing and the other just does DPS to get it down since at least until 30% or so give or take, no one really takes big damage other than the main tank. On anything level 50 like WoD, Trials etc there's plenty of downtime where if I see the other healer is doing a lot of DPS then I pay extra attention to healing and vice versa. If you are struggling to keep up with healing then it's an issue, but in most 8 person trials usually there's plenty of time to solo heal while the other person goes DPS crazy.

[SaitoHikari]

Um... Hi guys. I'm actually somewhat new to the game, only started playing about 2 months ago. I had a much more eloquent post prepared but apparently the forum logged me out while I was typing it up and there was no option to restore it.

Reading through this thread is making me re-evaluate how I play. I main White Mage, and I duty finder'd almost everything. I just feel as if I do whatever I can. It's just that, I never really noticed many windows where I could safely DPS without fear of the tank suddenly dying in most of my parties. I do switch to DPS sometimes, but I don't really do it like 70% of the time (I only feel it's safe to DPS in EX roulette dungeons in the majority of situations after mobs numbers are reduced to 4 or below during a very big pull), because I kinda panic when I see the tank losing like 40% of their HP over a very sustained period of time.

(This forum has a 1000 character limit too? Forgive me, because I'm about to make like 4 more posts at this rate.)

[SaitoHikari]

My usual start of fight rotation is Divine Seal -> Regen after tank takes aggro -> Medica II -> Asylum -> Cleric Stance -> Holy -> all three Aero's -> Holy and then see what happens from there (usually swapping back to heal mode because the tank suddenly lost half their HP from something). What I want to know is, is that even recommended, and when should I really use Eye for an Eye during most fights?

Also, I'm the sort of person that tries to think about how I could have handled certain situations regardless of party setup/whatever the party may be doing. I had two particular things happen over the past two days that I need advice on.

[Fevelle]

Trials, Main Story Dungeons, 24 man raids? Even A1 normal at Faust usually one person handles healing and the other just does DPS to get it down since at least until 30% or so give or take, no one really takes big damage other than the main tank. On anything level 50 like WoD, Trials etc there's plenty of downtime where if I see the other healer is doing a lot of DPS then I pay extra attention to healing and vice versa. If you are struggling to keep up with healing then it's an issue, but in most 8 person trials usually there's plenty of time to solo heal while the other person goes DPS crazy.

That's just the normal healing etiquette for me. You watch the fight enviroment and go into offense or support depending on what's happening. Both healers have to work together, I don't know how a title like "off-healer" can exist since the responsabilities of both healers are the same.

[SaitoHikari]

The first was that I was in a Trial Roulette and got Titan HM about two nights ago. Other healer was Astrologian, and I mention this only because I don't really know what their healing capabilities are like. At some point after the second set of outer rings collapsed, the tanks lost aggro and couldn't regain it before Titan knocked me out. I was revived, but because of that, I would spend the rest of the fight with low MP, even with casting Shroud of Saints immediately. Tanks were getting wrecked. Party members were telling me to esuna those freely broken out of Gaol, and everyone was getting hit by AoEs. I decided to go with the AoE healing route. It didn't work out very well, judging from the amount of deaths in the party. We still cleared that attempt, but I still feel really bad about it.

In that situation, what should I have done, with my limited MP?

-> Heal tanks only
-> AoE healing anyway
-> Immediately revive anyone that dies
-> Esuna away the Determination Down debuff

[SaitoHikari]

The second scenario involved EX roulette yesterday in Neverreap. Warrior tank with two Bards as DPS. The tank tried to do that massive pull before the first boss. Divine Seal heals over time wore off with only one enemy dying, and the tank was taking so much damage even with the heals over time on him that I thought I couldn't safely DPS. Then I decided I'd try to blow open a strategic window by going into Cleric Stance -> Swiftcast Holy and Assize. It backfired. Tank took huge damage and ended up dying a split second before Benediction went off.

What should I have done in that situation?

-> Just stick to heal mode anyway?
-> Maybe used swiftcast Holy without going into Cleric Stance?

And finally, probably the most important question: Should I REALLY be using Regen that much? I refresh it all the time during fights, but I'm starting to think doing that is a bad thing (it's probably why Titan went after me).

(This is my last post on this subject, I swear.)

[Ghishlain]

So, I started a couple weeks back. NIN to 50/51 ( to unlock HW ) and get AST. I knew I wanted to heal since the beginning, but I saw the deck mechanic for AST and decided -that- would be my healing class. After reading all 28 pages of this, I'm kind of disappointed. I don't mind DPSing - in fact, I thought that was one of the coolest things ever when I saw CS for the first time ( CNJ to get Protect, woo CS! ) so, yeah, super excited about being able to DPS.

The way everyone talks, it seems more like healers are a necessity, but only grudgingly so. To read what some of the other players have put, they spend upwards of 70% of their time doing DPS.

I liked healing in other games because it gave me this sense of urgency and need, but it seems that this game doesn't really have that? Which is fine, it just makes me think I should go SMN or another DPS class. Maybe Bard - or stick with Nin.

Is the end game really only about having an extra DPS who occasionally keeps people alive?

Healer's will always be a necessity because no one can recover damage as consistently and strongly as one with that green icon. The thing you have to consider is that the healing output these healers can use usually far exceed the amount of damage a pack of monsters / boss may inflict in a single auto attack round / ability. This leaves a window of opportunity for healers to use the DPS part of their kit to help supplement the damage of the party and just make things faster. A dead mob can't hurt your tank anymore. DPSing is indirectly reducing your HPS requirement for the fight by causing things to die faster.

With that being said, DPS on a healer isn't a necessity to clearing content short of Savage. But once you hit a certain gear and/or skill threshold, you won't need to use your cure spells except for perhaps once ever 10 seconds or so - allowing a skilled healer to add more to their party via DPS.

However, if you're looking for a sense of urgency, you might not find that very often in this game short of Savage runs or undergeared tanks pulling much more than they should. You aren't necessarily another DPS who occasionally heals - you're a powerful healer who can supplement your party with subpar DPS (though if you do manage to match anyone's DPS on AST without overly outgearing them, shame on them..). A party won't function without that green icon there so a healer is still a necessary backbone.

Explain "off-healer" to me outside of savage enviroment. Because if I notice that my CO-HEALER is giving priority to DPS while I struggle to keep up with the damage, shots will be fired.

Outside of a select few fights *Looks at Bismark duing P2 / final phase A4*, HPS requirement in this game is often very light. It's easy to get away with a solo heal in most non-Savage content and two skilled healers weaving stance dancing in their healing can easily do 800 to 1,200 DPS combined in most trials / Alex Normal.

Um... Hi guys. I'm actually somewhat new to the game, only started playing about 2 months ago. I had a much more eloquent post prepared but apparently the forum logged me out while I was typing it up and there was no option to restore it.

Reading through this thread is making me re-evaluate how I play. I main White Mage, and I duty finder'd almost everything. I just feel as if I do whatever I can. It's just that, I never really noticed many windows where I could safely DPS without fear of the tank suddenly dying in most of my parties. I do switch to DPS sometimes, but I don't really do it like 70% of the time (I only feel it's safe to DPS in EX roulette dungeons in the majority of situations after mobs numbers are reduced to 4 or below during a very big pull), because I kinda panic when I see the tank losing like 40% of their HP over a very sustained period of time.

(This forum has a 1000 character limit too? Forgive me, because I'm about to make like 4 more posts at this rate.)

You can bypass the character limit by editting your post. I'd recommend typing it out then cutting out the bits that exceed then 1,000 limit than edit and paste the words back. It's bit archaic but oh well.

In terms of your opportunities to DPS, as a WHM you get one of the best tools to DPS trash with - Holy. Pop Asylum + Regen or Divine Seal Regen on your tank and then get in Cleric's and hit Holy >> Aero III >> Holy >> Holy. This will give you 7 seconds of stun and then you can resume healing, while providing some DPS to your group. Just be aware of what mobs may be immune to stun so you don't put yourself in a bad spot!

Also, sometimes the best thing to do is just Cleric's than hit Aero III + Aero / Aero II then get out and keep healing. It takes practice and comfort and not everyone will be able to get it instantly. Still, if you want to improve as a healer, I highly recommend practicing and see what limits you can and cannot hit. Make sure to take into account your tank's gear and what cooldowns they're using to help YOU in the healing department.

[EDIT] Just seeing some of the posts your putting up - in some cases the only thing you can do is healing. The best healers are those who can adapt to the situation and make the best decisions for their party. As a healer, your priority is always the party's health first. Once that's at a comfortable level, then you can bring the pain to your enemies. If that comfort level is never achieved to a myriad of inept play from the party, then so be it - grit your teeth and heal on.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

Snip

Well, the most compact answer for your situation would most likely be "Overhealing". You're healing more than necessary, thus you're generating more hate than necessary. For a more numerical example: If the tank takes 1000 points of damage, but you decide to use an AoE heal and entire party recovers 9000 points combined, that's 8000 points worth of recovery that's generating hate you could have avoided generating.

There are generally two things you can do as a White Mage:
Keep the overhealing to a minimum. There will always be overhealing, but whether you overheal for 10% or overheal for 70% is quite a difference. Especially in the enmity department
Use Shroud of Saints early. It sheds half your build up hate with a single press of a button

As for the other side of the story (the DPS side); I think you've pretty much decided on this part while reading your post.