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

[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.