A: Tank mass-pulls but is a bit under geared, although using cooldowns on a fairly solid rotation. As such, healing required is a bit more than usual, and dps opportunities are fewer.

B: Tank mass-pulls and is appropriately or over-geared for the content, and using cooldowns appropriately. Almost like he'd need no healing at all, and you can camp Cleric 99% of the duty.

I guess to put simply, do you like being "challenged" as a healer? I realize, like with many things healing-related, that perspectives will differ, even to the point of what the line is between the tank in A being "good" or "bad".

I just got out of a Dzemael Darkhold run that sparked this question. 45 minutes to maintenance, and my friend goes as SCH to help me (SMN) get through roulettes quicker. My friend doesn't have much SCH experience, but I've tried to go over some of the main points of both dps and healing, including using the healing toolkit effectively to reduce the stress of healing. I didn't examine the tank until later on, but he was was in level-appropriate gear for the most part, with the Brayflox Belt and lvl 1 rings being the weakest pieces. From the start I can tell the tank is going to try to rush this, but he was courteous enough to split up the first run to the boss into two pulls instead of common single mass pull (that even then isn't too hard to deal with IMO).

So far things are going smooth and DPS is killing it (two SMNs rock) until just before the second boss when the last two packs are pulled together. My friend for some reason isn't able to catch up (LoS, possibly) and the tank dies, followed by the pack turning on me. My friend raises the tank, and things are mostly stable after I die. So I respawn at the entrance, and from looking at health bars there weren't any issues. After the second boss goes down I make the comment in party chat that I love when groups make DD go quick when my friend comments to me via linkshell that he doesn't like the tank. I'm shocked and he explains that the tank is pulling too much for him and mentions the tank is undergeared.

This is apparently the point where my friend and I differ and I talk about how we've only had issues with the one pull, at which point I eat my words and again, the tank dies on the last two packs before the final boss (two drakes and 3 skeleton warriors). Needless to say, my friend comes back with "You were saying?", but one resurrection later and we finish.

After we exit my friend goes into hyperbolic mode, calling the tank "worst tank ever" and "I had to stay on him the entire time".

So, commentary on my scenario is appreciated (not mincing words here: I know friend could have done better), but I'm more interested in what the healer forums prefer when it comes to DF: tanks that force full-time healing, or tanks that allow for full-time DPS?