Should healers now be allowed to play how they choose to play?

[Feyona]

At the moment, no. Healers are not allowed to only heal. This is because current content design offers far too many windows in which to DPS and doesn't give a healer enough to focus on in regards to healing.

I do agree with you. Healer still is on call to watch your health and the fight though doesnt mean they arnt doing anything if they dont cast for 2 seconds, Im not melee dps and I understand from friends that optimum play has alot in terms of rotations and positionals, but Im here to constantly watch incoming damage and lookover each member of the party, I have to think fast on my feet too. Rotationals etc. can become semi automatic if you like, but at any point anyone takes damage situationally I got to be on the ball for it. Its just different. Not saying one has more than other though, just that I find it difficult to focus on dps as well as watch bars and incoming damage at same time until I know the fight

[Feyona]

I agree that viability rises, however you do also have to factor in the fact that tank ilvl also increases

Raid healing is also a lot different from Dungeon healing in that the two healers co-ordinate their heals and often split themselves into main healer and offhealer, and if you aren't DPSing as an off healer then you should probably be the main healer.

Yes there is definitley a big difference between raid healing dps and dungeon healer/dps. Actually, this argument turns more to raid healing, thats why its always better in fixed group or easier to do because as well as the fight and learning where your 'safe' to dps, you get used to your co healer too, and learn to rely on them. Random groups are harder, because as well as this, sometimes, groups do the mechanic differently. Would like more practice, but with the loot restrict thing dont get much. Random groups lack the communication via disc or whatever

[Urthdigger]

I think part of the reason a lot of people dislike the "heals only!" mentality is because of people calling it a playstyle choice. I think you'll find most healers are fine with a healer not contributing to DPS if they're not overgeared, don't know the fight well, and otherwise can't afford to slip up. In that case you're not going heals only because of a playstyle decision, you're going heals only because it is the best option given your situation and ability.

However, if one truly considers it a "playstyle", that would mean never touching DPS spells under any circumstance due to some "healer purity" or whatever reason. And all fights eventually hit a point where the tank and healer's combined item levels and the healer's familiarity with the fight leads to excess downtime. In cases like this, the healer is deliberately deciding not to help when it is clearly in their ability to do so.

In addition, pushing healer DPS encourages players to improve their playstyle, learn what times have less damage, how to make the best use of their cooldowns, regens, and shields, to open up opportunities for them to attack. Without this incentive there is little reason for a player to improve themselves past the bare minimum required to keep the tank upright, as overhealing is completely worthless. Sure, they could add support options to help the rest of the party deal more damage so one could stay 100% pure support, but that does little to change what you're doing or why you're doing it, and merely changes what you're targeting.

[Feyona]

I think part of the reason a lot of people dislike the "heals only!" mentality is because of people calling it a playstyle choice. I think you'll find most healers are fine with a healer not contributing to DPS if they're not overgeared, don't know the fight well, and otherwise can't afford to slip up. In that case you're not going heals only because of a playstyle decision, you're going heals only because it is the best option given your situation and ability.

I agree with all your points. Although in the case of scholar its more a dps, and I like healing with it. This may be my person objection though, and others level it to dps. Not just that but other healers may not want the pressure. just done zurvanN,as wmg, I tried to dps as much as I could but tank's health went low twice, managed to get out cleric first time, second time he died other healer, ast, didnt even put shield on him. I think cleric is the problem.

[Kitfox]

I think cleric is the problem.

I don't think cleric is the problem there.

[Feyona]

I don't think cleric is the problem there.

yes you could say that the other healer who wasnt in cleric should have healed him, or that he was dodging but I feel its my resonsibility to to keep tank up, and simply couldnt get out and castanother heal in time.

[AlphaSonic]

Tank bursters in Zurvan don't require a shield if tank uses cooldowns and is topped before the tank burster (not even topped since the tank burster is a barrage of attacks that you can even heal between them). I would say it's tank fault, there aren't many tank bursters in that fight.

[Lambdafish]

I think cleric is the problem.

I think players are the problem.

[Feyona]

Tank bursters in Zurvan don't require a shield if tank uses cooldowns and is topped before the tank burster (not even topped since the tank burster is a barrage of attacks that you can even heal between them). I would say it's tank fault, there aren't many tank bursters in that fight.

Still think it was my fault though, tank at third health, ' why isnt the other healer topping him up?" get out cler ic fast, retarget dead. He was lingering for a while at third health. Didnt wipe though, but reasonably often other healer doesnt heal the tanks, and I should have been more careful after first time. and the shield is instant on ast. Still think would help if cleric be removed and dps spells be automatically intel. Not really sure why people disagree that cleric holds you up for few seconds from healing

[bloodSp3c]

they should make it so claric stance is disabled when we enter a dungeon/trial/raid and only used in open world/solo content


on another note some punk Japanese player demanded i dps. was like 'No Cure' 'Thanks' - 'Regen' 'Holy' in auto translate.

how dare u tell me how to play, too bad there's no stfu in auto translate!!!