Do I Want To Be A Red Mage?

[Akisohida]

Right now, I am a summoner; DoT DPS with Ifrit summoned.
My attacking primary skills are:
Ruin, Bio, Bio 2, Miasma
I also drop Shadow Flare when I can
For Ifrit, I have Enkindle, Spur, Rouse, & Sustain
I also have Aetherflow & Bane & Fester
For more damage, I can pop Raging Strikes, which does make the DoT's hurt more

I ALSO have Physick
I off-heal; I can keep myself healed, or help heal others to take some of the load from Healer
I can also rez people during a fight, which means the Healer don't have to stop healing.

I consider myself 'DPS with an Off-Heal'.

Now, I know I have to go Red Mage if I want to continue that..but is it that cut & dried?
I don't want to be THE Healer in a group. I am a backup healer. I want to be DPS first.
I had friends I used to WoW with who forced me into the Healer roll and would blame me when they pulled half a raid, so I LOATHE being a main Healer.

So can I keep being a 'DPS with Off-Heals'? or will RDM's be more healing-focused?

[Vidu]

Is this yet another troll-thread about "healers shouldnt have to dps"?

As a SMN you're clearly not an Off-healer, past level 50 your physick is basically useless, so please dont waste mana on that.
Both SMN and RDM are DPS, not healing-classes...

[Shiro--Tsubasa]

Red Mage is ranged magic dps don't let anybody tell you otherwise. There are only two healer spells one being a combat rez. The only time you should ever use either is if the healer screwed up and you can try to keep the tank up and dual cast rez making it instant. In other words even though it does have a couple healing skills they are highly situational in group play.

[Nerisu]

RDM will primarily be a DPS job with an emergency resurrection. You can pretty much just let the healers do all the healing during group content and focus more on dealing damage.

[Rawrz]

You don't off heal as a SMN, since physick is based on mind. As an SCH you can. Off healers actively heal, usually ogcd. RDM can be emergency or recovery healers, but they aren't intended to be a healer role. I am excited to preform and heal some nub [54+] content in place of a healer for lulz.

[SenorPatty]

Why Ifrit?

Also, just play RDM like how its designed. SMNs have access to physick and raise but you don't see any of them using those unless the situation becomes dire.

[MomomiMomi]

Physick on SMN is pretty much worthless, should almost never be used.

Vercure on RDM won't be worthless, but that cure is in most cases an emergency cure. Most of the time you shouldn't be using it.

[Akisohida]

Why Ifrit?

Also, just play RDM like how its designed. SMNs have access to physick and raise but you don't see any of them using those unless the situation becomes dire.

Because Ifrit seems to have more DPS than Garuda and I don't want Titan pulling aggro off the tank?

Is this yet another troll-thread about "healers shouldnt have to dps"?

As a SMN you're clearly not an Off-healer, past level 50 your physick is basically useless, so please dont waste mana on that.
Both SMN and RDM are DPS, not healing-classes...

Umm..no? That is actually my setup; I was looking for opinions.

I do heal because the Healer is usually a friend in Discord. If he starts flagging, I pop a heal..a band-aid.
If the Tank loses aggro (we get BAD tanks) and healing makes WHM a threat, he can keep moving to avoid being attacked & I can heal him until Tank re-pulls aggro.
Because if the Healer stops to heal & dies, we all die.

[MomomiMomi]

If the Tank loses aggro (we get BAD tanks) and healing makes WHM a threat, he can keep moving to avoid being attacked & I can heal him until Tank re-pulls aggro.

Please tell your friend not to do this. Please.

You take the enemy to the tank if you get aggro, not run around like a chicken without a head.

[Vidu]

Because Ifrit seems to have more DPS than Garuda and I don't want Titan pulling aggro off the tank?




Umm..no? That is actually my setup; I was looking for opinions.

Here is my opionion then: Its a pretty bad and sub-optimal set-up. Depending on the situation, Garuda is the better choice (she extends the duration of your dots and doesnt always moves back and forth between mobs).
As people already said: Your Physick is, sorry to say that, pretty much useless.

If tanks struggle to hold aggro, WHMs have skills on their disposal to help: Shroud (halves their aggro); Holy (stuns all enemies, so a tank has a chance of getting them back+them taking damage); or simply slashing a regen on themself (that regen still does more healing than your SMN physick)
You are not a healer in any sort of way, you're a dps.