Biggest disappointment as a Scholar.

[Kikoten]

I like the people who scorn me for not DPSing up to their standard as I heal them through duties. They can slam their face into the keyboard all they want, and keep coming up with more shite to throw at me, but the fact of the matter is they kept me around and I kept them alive .

I haven't been kicked for poor DPS yet, but even if I do get kicked, well, I hope they have a healer friend on deck, or else they just screwed their whole run, assuming it's not a raid where other healers can pick up the slack.

They'd be stuck waiting, and I'd get to join another run almost instantly, because healing is life in the fast lane.

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

Wow. Reading comprehension, people actually grasping what it is specifically I was unhappy about. That's a rare sight.

[MidnightTundra]

You had to level a DPS class to 30 in order to gain access to SCH so I'm not sure what you expected.

If you're throwing out random Adlos, you sound like an inexperienced SCH anyways. If you don't like the SCH playstyle, find another job to play.

[Priya]

Snip.

This is exactly why I no longer play a SCH. I stick to being the "main healer" class now; I play trinity MMOs specifically because I want to heal. If I didn't, there are plenty of non-trinity MMOs out there to choose from.

Yes, I still DPS as a healer; I follow the meta even though I wish SE would change it: It's on SE to either create raid fights that require constant healing or rework their healer classes in such a way that healers can contribute in other meaningful ways that aren't DPS-based.

[Chione]

I follow the meta even though I wish SE would change it...

Removing our accuracy was their attempt at changing the meta I think, but it only made playing a healer more frustrating because the meta remained. Short of taking away our offensive skills completely, the die has been cast. Players of all roles are now judged by how much damage they dish out.

Stance dancer, myself. I'm constantly casting if mp allows, and what I decide to do always depends on whether my team is shielded when they need to be and healthy. If so, then I fire away, if not I fix it. Unfortunately this probably makes me a bad scholar to most these days, since I don't allow my tank's hp fall under 50% and I'll even let dps have a ss or two in 4-man content.

Scholar is my favorite job, but lately I wonder if I shouldn't just play a dps main instead. When a player's merit is decided only on dps numbers, might as well play a job that was primarily designed to bring them, no?

[AriKitae]

As a baby scholar all I want is for people to be able to commend Eos or Selene. They make me look so good!

More on topic: Scholar is fine, IMO. The Job was never intended to be heals heals heals all the time. It was always Heals/Support. Now the Meta is Heals/Support/DPS, which just means you are not as limited as before. If no one is dying and you're using your shielding stuff correctly, you can and should DPS. There's nothing wrong with helping your party in more than just one way.

[HPDelron]

As a baby scholar all I want is for people to be able to commend Eos or Selene. They make me look so good!

More on topic: Scholar is fine, IMO. The Job was never intended to be heals heals heals all the time. It was always Heals/Support. Now the Meta is Heals/Support/DPS, which just means you are not as limited as before. If no one is dying and your use your shielding stuff correctly, you can and should DPS. There's nothing wrong with helping your party in more than just one way.

Scholar can be "fine" and have comfortable, well-balanced and important niche in the game, while still being presented & introduced in a way that can feel misleading or disappointing to newcomers. If scholar had purple icon the label "Support" and was grouped with another class that had a similar play style (A hypothetical Red Mage, Geomancer?), rather than being a healer presented as in the same category as White Mage that would go miles to set expectations.

The Ninja, Monk & Dragoon are all grouped together as melee dps, and they're all primarily focused on hitting things first and foremost even if they have a sliding scale of secondary utility in addition to hitting things. They really in the same category and fill the same role.

The Paladin, Warrior & Dark knight are all grouped together as tanks and they're all primarily focused on tanking things first and foremost, even if Paladin & Dark knight have a secondary focus of being jealous of warriors. They really are in the same category and fill the same role.

The Black Mage & Summoner are both grouped together as caster DPS and they're both primarly focused on casting spells to hurt things. Even if there are huge differences in approach and style. They really in the same category and fill the same role.

The White Mage, Scholar & Astrologian are grouped together as healers. Healing is the primary focus of White Mage and Astrologian and the Scholar kind off doing in their own thing. They aren't really in the same category filling the same role. It doesn't matter if the Scholar role is unique, essential, engaging and rewarding if someone came to looking for something else.

[Rawrz]

General duties of a scholar (to me):

• If Immediate AOE after pull, Spread Crit aldoquiem if possible with Deployment Tactics to give the WHM/AST and yourself some time for a DPS opener, (if not just try to shield the tank with the crit adlo.)
  
• Micormanage Selene (Placing, Manually Embracing and CD usage. Her skills ARE your skills. Also, I say Selene, because most content can be done with her, which is why recovery can be a little harder on the SCH, since his Steriod healer is locked behind a summon)
  
• Handle any mechanics that do not need the Off Tank, that can be done by you effectively, (Example: Bombs in A5s)
  
• Watch your cohealer. If you see them Medica-ing and a tank buster is about to land. Get the tank topped off. Virus. Shield. Heal.
  
• DPS whenever you can. contributing 5% of the raids damage on the boss is 5% off of the enrage for everyone else.

Your role is to make the healing portion manageable. You are watching everyone's health and going:

Can we survive the upcoming AOE without my help AND make a recovery before the next? If Yes, let the regens get it. If no, pop indom or succor.

A large physical AOE is coming up. The Black Mage looks about the same health as the other DPS, but typically have less defense than other classes. I should lustrate them before the impact of this AOE to ensure their survival.

Calculating survival and necessary healing is how you play a Scholar. Survival is worth more than your own DPS, but your own DPS is worth more than overhealing.

[AriKitae]

Perhaps I am not understanding OP's aim with this thread. If you want to play a class like WHM and AST, play WHM and AST. It is easier to buy a horse than it is to try to cover up a zebra's stripes and attempt to ride it.

As demonstrated by other posters, there's still plenty for SCHs to do in raids and all Healers are expected to DPS when possible. Do you want content to require more healing?

[Normalizer]

I think the reason for that is, all fights in game after they are released for awhile can be completely solo healed (or with just a little help now and then). Hence the SCH becomes a "safeguard" healer in such party and only required to heal very little (since they are more suitable to DPS for a long time). And any "safeguard" SCH, who want to optimize what they are doing, will probably aim to maximize their DPS or handle every mechanics they can. Look at any new released content when players are not over geared, the SCH will heal more and dps way less. I see many SCH in practice Seph Ex spamming succor like crazy and release whispering dawn even while the WHM/AST has their HoTs up and running.

That doesn't mean SCH don't have the healing power of WHM or AST. Just google "SCH solo heal xyzw" and normally it will be some amazing videos to watch

IMO the only way we can get out of this is if SE can design such fight with mechanics that can force both healers to heal even when over-geared (not solo-able). I can't think of how they can do it yet though, so SCH will probably keep being a dps with some healing skills for awhile