Another Post About Healer Dps

[Tridus]

Would love to DPS, but this tank thinks that strength gear and sword oath are the way to go, so I'm kinda busy frantically keeping him alive. :P

[Skye_]

Would love to DPS, but this tank thinks that strength gear and sword oath are the way to go, so I'm kinda busy frantically keeping him alive. :P

Yup Tanks are so clueless. Str gear, dps stance, no CDs.... let me just take that raw damage for a 20% buff; max its 600ish dps. Meanwhile, I lose 1k dps in having to heal him not to mention my healing partner who loses the same due to our heals overlapping. Then when I try to explain it say tank stance is for bads.

[Renryuu]

Man, reading this topic has made me lost what confidence I had built as a new healer.

I guess I could try and use less heals and let my tank hover around 15-25% health so I can try and fit in a lot more dps. I mean, if the tank isn't willing to use defensive cooldowns, I guess I shouldn't be willing to keep them healed above 50% and focus more on dps. I don't know anymore, maybe I should just give up being a healer and go back to dps since dps is all that matters apparently. *sigh* now I don't know anything anymore and feel so confused and conflicted. ;_;

[MoroMurasaki]

Man, reading this topic has made me lost what confidence I had built as a new healer.

I feel like this is needlessly dramatic.

Yes, all sources of DPS matter, even healers. You should already know that as a level 70 AST. It only becomes more important as a SCH or WHM because without bringing the utility of cards to the table those jobs rely more on personal DPS to help their groups.

I can say AST is harder to DPS on consistantly as you're managing cards adds an extra layer of complexity that other healers don't have to contend with. Try DPSing as SCH or WHM before getting discouraged, it's actually quite fun.

There is a difference between actively looking for opportunities to DPS in content that you're comfortable with and the hyperbole you suggest with your post that you would need to leave your tank so low all the time just to find the time.

[Renryuu]

I feel like this is needlessly dramatic.

Yes, all sources of DPS matter, even healers. You should already know that as a level 70 AST. It only becomes more important as a SCH or WHM because without bringing the utility of cards to the table those jobs rely more on personal DPS to help their groups.

I can say AST is harder to DPS on consistantly as you're managing cards adds an extra layer of complexity that other healers don't have to contend with. Try DPSing as SCH or WHM before getting discouraged, it's actually quite fun.

There is a difference between actively looking for opportunities to DPS in content that you're comfortable with and the hyperbole you suggest with your post that you would need to leave your tank so low all the time just to find the time.

I didn't intend for it to sound dramatic, it's just I had made another topic in which I was having issues leveling as an Ast due to having tanks that would take tons of damage, leaving me no time to really throw out any damage spells (heck, I barely had time to throw a card out).In that topic I was told not to worry about dpsing and to focus on healing and throw out a damage spell when I can. Now I see this topic and people saying that dps is mandatory for healers, which now makes me worry because with the groups I tend to end up with, that means letting the tank (and even the dps) fall to critically low levels of HP just so I can have time to dps and considering that at my gear I do about 5k every couple seconds or so, that makes me feel like I'm constantly risking a group wipe for dealing damage that feels extremely trivial compared to the tank and dps. As for trying Sch or Whm, the issue with that is that I had intended to be a Rdm main for SB, but went healer because we have no healer in my group of friends and 4 dps doesn't make it easy for doing content together so I went healer and Ast is the only I can really enjoy since Whm's heals look visually boring and Sch has far too many buttons for me to comfortably play on a PS4 controller.

[MoroMurasaki]

It sounds like you still need to get comfortable with the healing side of things personally. AST definitely doesn't have the personal DPS of WHM or even SCH but your cards are definitely a form of DPS you're contributing even if you aren't casting Malefic III all the time.

I would start with just managing your DoT. You've only got one if memory serves. Also you have a stun built into Celistial Opposition, you can use the window that opens up to do some damage as well.

Personally while I think it's nice from a friendship standpoint to play something to help your friends if you aren't comfortable healing I would say that's something to bring up with them. If you are but you find your tank/group too squishy that is also something you should talk to them about. Just because AST doesn't bring stellar (lol, very punny) personal DPS to the table doesn't mean they should be getting lazy with keeping their gear updated or dodging AoE's and expect you to make up the difference with heals. The way you describe your healing experience though makes it sound to me like there is some kind of gear issue - if people are taking so much damage you truly can't DPS that is a problem and you should address it with them.

Ultimately you pay your sub but I don't think it's fair to put that kind of needless stress on a healer when they could just gear up/not stand in the orange circles.

[Renryuu]

It sounds like you still need to get comfortable with the healing side of things personally. AST definitely doesn't have the personal DPS of WHM or even SCH but your cards are definitely a form of DPS you're contributing even if you aren't casting Malefic III all the time.

I would start with just managing your DoT. You've only got one if memory serves. Also you have a stun built into Celistial Opposition, you can use the window that opens up to do some damage as well.

Personally while I think it's nice from a friendship standpoint to play something to help your friends if you aren't comfortable healing I would say that's something to bring up with them. If you are but you find your tank/group too squishy that is also something you should talk to them about. Just because AST doesn't bring stellar (lol, very punny) personal DPS to the table doesn't mean they should be getting lazy with keeping their gear updated or dodging AoE's and expect you to make up the difference with heals. The way you describe your healing experience though makes it sound to me like there is some kind of gear issue - if people are taking so much damage you truly can't DPS that is a problem and you should address it with them.

Ultimately you pay your sub but I don't think it's fair to put that kind of needless stress on a healer when they could just gear up/not stand in the orange circles.

Oh, trust me, I've made it perfectly clear since swapping to Ast that I'd rather be a Rdm, however my friends don't really care, it's either be a healer and be able to run content with them (well 2 of them since all 3 are dps) or not run content at all with them and just do stuff on my own in an all but dead FC. Don't get me wrong though, I've gotten over my initial bitterness of going healer am now willing to stay as one (though I will still miss being Rdm) and even find enjoyment in it (well when I get super lucky and get a super awesome group where I can do everything beside just spam heal).

As for the group stuff, it's not my friends that are the issue (when playing with them things are actually quite nice and I am able to fit in some dps with them), it's the random groups I get via DF. Between tanks that use no defensive cooldowns and tanks that don't tank in tank stance, I end up burning through MP and spamming the strongest of my heals as they pull everything they are able until the dungeon physically prevents them from doing so or we get to a boss.

Throw in SAMs that refuse to move out of aoes and lots and lots of dps that refuse to aoe even when we have like a third of a dungeon's mobs on the tank, I'm left with an empty MP bar and praying Lucid Dream comes off cooldown before the tank pulls the next group. Heck now I'm getting tanks that keep on going even when I've died and respawned and trying to catch up while getting precious MP back. It really makes me envious of those that say they have no trouble as a healer and here I am dealing with all these "gotta go fast" people who don't want to use cooldowns or dodge things and would rather I spend all my MP just to keep them alive instead of striking a balance where I can focus on the tank only while throwing out a damage spell ever other cast (or whatever combo ends up working).

[Ghishlain]

I didn't intend for it to sound dramatic, it's just I had made another topic in which I was having issues leveling as an Ast due to having tanks that would take tons of damage, leaving me no time to really throw out any damage spells (heck, I barely had time to throw a card out).In that topic I was told not to worry about dpsing and to focus on healing and throw out a damage spell when I can. Now I see this topic and people saying that dps is mandatory for healers, which now makes me worry because with the groups I tend to end up with, that means letting the tank (and even the dps) fall to critically low levels of HP just so I can have time to dps and considering that at my gear I do about 5k every couple seconds or so, that makes me feel like I'm constantly risking a group wipe for dealing damage that feels extremely trivial compared to the tank and dps. As for trying Sch or Whm, the issue with that is that I had intended to be a Rdm main for SB, but went healer because we have no healer in my group of friends and 4 dps doesn't make it easy for doing content together so I went healer and Ast is the only I can really enjoy since Whm's heals look visually boring and Sch has far too many buttons for me to comfortably play on a PS4 controller.

I'm going to direct this to you because I want to alleviate some of your fears and the game is always in need of more healers.

DPSing as a healer is not mandatory. Your primary function is to ensure the party doesn't die (outside of one-shot mechanics of course)

With that being said, good healers will be using their kit to the fullest. Healers are a bit different from DPS and Tanks because your decisions are a function of how well you and your party can play. Your contribution can include but not limited to the following:

1. Healing Injured Party Members
2. Provide Buffs (job dependent) to your Party to Assist in the Fight
3. Providing Additional DPS to Ensure Mobs Die Faster
4. Conserving MP to Prepare for an Upcoming Mechanic

You may need to do more of #1 if people are taking more damage due to failing mechanics, you might not be able to do #2 at all if your job doesn't give you many options to do so, #3 is generally a good place to aim towards once #1 become a non-issue, etc etc.

Healer's have to be flexible and it shows. The good healers know when to heal and know when the DPS. The bad healers tunnel into either #1 or #3 and then bad juju happens afterwards usually.

There will be times where you can only afford to do #1 (low ilvl tanks not using CDs pulling EVERYTHING in a dungeon) and there will be times where you'll basically be doing #3 almost entirely of the time (good tanks using CDs to reduce healing load and DPS doing mechanics properly). The only way you'll know which to do when is to get experience. This will you as a player to gauge the situation and determine the best course of action.

Once you get more and more comfortable, you'll be doing less of #1 and more of #3 which is the direction you want to go in.

Don't think of healer DPS as a mandatory requirement. Think of it more as a metric of how well you and your party is doing. If you get a lot of DPS uptime that means your party needs very little baby sitting from the healer so you should do your best to contribute further to that end goal.

Don't give up and be discouraged Stay calm and keep healing. Your goal, like any player / role in the game is to optimize your contribution, whatever that may be. We're the shock absorbers of the group and you'll become better at absorbing these shocks the more you play healers and experience more.

I hope this post helps you more than scares you off xD

[Taika]

I was having issues leveling as an Ast due to having tanks that would take tons of damage, leaving me no time to really throw out any damage spells (heck, I barely had time to throw a card out).

I'm pretty sure no one here thinks you should focus on DPS when you're struggling with the healing part. Even though I say DPS is a mandatory part of healer play in this game, I also always say healing comes first and that it's perfectly fine to first get comfortable with the healing part and worry about DPS after you're ok with healing and find those empty GCD slots for DPS. In fact, learning to use your healing abilities correctly is a key to being able to do DPS in the first place.

I've leveled and played my AST almost solely in DF, but my experience is very much the opposite of yours: I have found time to DPS with every single tank I've played with, and most of the time I've been able to DPS significant amounts instead of just a little. Because we all get different tanks and groups it's hard to comment anything useful to your situation. I wonder if you're actually healing as much or more than you'd have to, though. Because often when you're new to healing I've noticed (and personally experienced) that healer tends to imagine the incoming damage is higher than it really is and that they need to cast more heals than they actually do. What has helped me is recording my own healer play, since I've noticed what I experience is happening during a fight is often different than what actually is happening, and watching the recorded run has helped me to spot situations where I'm making silly cooldown choices or timing my abilities badly or casting something far from optimal in each situation. So if you have an opportunity to do so, I recommend recording your own gameplay so you can estimate it more objectively when you're not in the middle of the situation anymore.

[Renryuu]

I wonder if you're actually healing as much or more than you'd have to, though. Because often when you're new to healing I've noticed (and personally experienced) that healer tends to imagine the incoming damage is higher than it really is and that they need to cast more heals than they actually do.

I dunno if it would help to give an idea or not, but typically the more hectic runs tend to go like this:

-Tank is at 100% hp.
-Tank pulls 2-3 groups or pulls as many groups the current section allows.
-Tank starts to lose hp (around 90% now).
-I cast Diurnal AB (Tank at 100%).
-Tank stops and monsters catch up to him (hovering around 90% hp)
-Tank takes hits (dropped from 90% to around 50%).
-I cast Essential Dignity and then start Benefic 2 (Tank up to about 80% hp).
-Tank takes hits (drops from 80% to around 40%).
-Benefic 2 Lands and I refresh AB Regen if needed (Tank at about 75%).
-Tank takes hits (drops from 75% to 40%).
-Benefic 2 Lands and crits and I place Earthly Star (Tank at 100% now).
-Dps stop moving out of aoes (Dps drop to about 50%, Tank down to about 60%)
-Helios lands (Dps up to about 90% and tank up to about 75%).
-Trigger Earthly Star (Dps at 100% and tank up to 80% as they took damage just before the explosion).

And on it goes until the group dies, me cast heals to keep the tank close to 80-90% hp as I can while I deal with dps when they decide that dps is more important than dodging aoe. Eventually once it's down to about 3 or so monsters, I could have time to dps, but at that point the monsters are so low on hp the dps take them out before I can finish a cast of Malefic 3 or Gravity.