How scared should I be about DPS?

[HPDelron]

So I have to admit, I'm coming from the steam forums where people ~ frankly in roulettes sometimes even when I focus on healing it's all I can do to keep groups up, let alone worrying about trying to put out top DPS.

Healer DPS is nice, but it doesn't make or break a group. You should do what you're comfortable with. If you can work on finding larger comfort zone that's great. That said, if you're struggling to keep groups up regularly something is likely going wrong. Even on AST it should only take a handful of GCDs to keep everyone alive. All matters of DPS aside, there may be some value in working out why you're on the razor's edge so much.

[Taika]

Healer DPS is nice, but it doesn't make or break a group.

This is not really true in the context of content with challenging enrages where healer DPS is required to beat the DPS. And even in content in which healer DPS is not required, it makes sense to expect healers to participate at the same level of effort than the rest of their team members (not allowing healers to participate at 40% activity/effort level while asking your DDs and tanks to participate with 90% activity/effort level, for example).

[Malkria]

All matters of DPS aside, there may be some value in working out why you're on the razor's edge so much.

That would usually be either people standing in the fire, tanks not using defensive CDs when they pull multiple mobs, and sometimes having to cover both my and my co-healer's portion of healing. I've had plenty of WHM who focus on doing DPS over healing and it leaves me constantly running 30-50% MP while I struggle to keep a whole team up.

Honestly the most stressful thing about healing in this game has been the multi-pulls from tanks. Because 8/10 times the tanks who do it either don't use CDs or are really to squishy to be doing it. I know if you are doing the latest razor edge content that everyone needs to push DPS. But I don't plan on doing the latest razor content, especially since with my schedule most of the time I barely have time for doing all the roulettes each day.

[MoroMurasaki]

That would usually be either people standing in the fire, tanks not using defensive CDs when they pull multiple mobs, and sometimes having to cover both my and my co-healer's portion of healing. I've had plenty of WHM who focus on doing DPS over healing and it leaves me constantly running 30-50% MP while I struggle to keep a whole team up.

Honestly the most stressful thing about healing in this game has been the multi-pulls from tanks. Because 8/10 times the tanks who do it either don't use CDs or are really to squishy to be doing it. I know if you are doing the latest razor edge content that everyone needs to push DPS. But I don't plan on doing the latest razor content, especially since with my schedule most of the time I barely have time for doing all the roulettes each day.

Some general AST dungeoning tips from me though I am not an AST main by any stretch of the imagination...

Mainly heal in Dirnal. The thoroughput of a regen will beat the pants off of a shield every time. More HP per MP despite the Noct healing potency buff.

Swap to Noct between pulls/before a boss and toss a shield on the tank when you can. It will likely get eaten while he runs but better that than his health.

Use Collective Unconscious. It isn't just for the 10% mitigation the regen it applies is hefty. It's also a regen available to you in Noct stance if you insist on healing in Noct.

Speak up for yourself if you can, spend your MP wisely. If a dps is eating tons of AoE to a point where you're healing them like they're another tank let them die. You can raise them but maybe the death will get their attention since the flasy orange circles apparently didnt.

Use the direct heals (Benefic/Benefic II/Helios) more than the Aspected versions in general. Aspected Benefic specifically can be a huge MP sink.

In a situation with an AST and a WHM I am usually the WHM. WHM is better equipped to handle things like stack markers (with Cure III) and raidwide damage where as AST (in this situation) is the better choice for a tank healer. Keep Earthly Star active to heal through tankbusters when you can, between that and ED you should be able to baby the tank. You have to trust your WHM cohealer's regens as well though - plenty of time I heal through something like Diffractive Plasma in O7n with a Medica II and see an AST/SCH pop Aspected Helios/Succor after the damage comes out. Why? People aren't topped up but there also isn't more incoming damage so let Medica II tick and bring them up naturally.

If you still feel like your cohealer is dps-happy maybe say something? At the end of the day none of us are mind readers and Stone IV is a potency gain from Malefic III so the WHM's dps should be higher than yours.

[Valmaxian]

Snip

I swear you're a mind reader... This is EXACTLY what to do as an AST in dungeons. For me, the healing portion of my group contribution is a very "fix-it-and-forget-it" approach. Each of the three healers has plenty of options to set the tank/group up to survive while you blow things up:

WHM: Regen, Medica II, Asylum, Divine Bennie, Holy stun
SCH: Adlo, Excog, Tether, Sacred Soil, Whispering DAMN, Eye for an Eye (I still use it!)
AST: Bole, Asp. Bennie, Asp. Heli, Collective Unc, Earthly Awesome

The game gives us plenty of options to keep people alive and do other things. Start slow if you're feeling overwhelmed, and don't worry about beating out the DPS. Any damage is helpful. If you find the confidence to rock out the nukes, DO EEEEET!

[Capn_Goggles]

Healer DPS in casual content really, really isn't so important as to stress about it, and if you're raiding or doing savage then you're at least familiar enough with the game by that point where DPS is second-nature. Okay that latter part might be an exaggeration, since I've raided with some truly, TRULY awful people, but you get the idea.

[MoroMurasaki]

Healer DPS in casual content really, really isn't so important as to stress about it, and if you're raiding or doing savage then you're at least familiar enough with the game by that point where DPS is second-nature. Okay that latter part might be an exaggeration, since I've raided with some truly, TRULY awful people, but you get the idea.

Healer DPS in casual content can be viewed as unimportant in the same way as dps rotations, tank CDs and pretty much everything can be viewed as unimportant because not having it isn't going to wipe you it's just going to slow you down.

That being said casual content is certainly a place where strong healer DPS can make up a considerable portion of group dps. I have been second in DPS throughout a run of Ala Mhigo on WHM - while my dps there did not make or break the run (except perhaps on the sword phase of the final boss) I think calling it unimportant is selling it short.

If I perform to the best of my ability in a mildly competent Byakko EX run I doubt I'm contributing a large portion of the group's damage as a WHM. In a dungeon though? Or a non-ex trial even? It's all proportional and when you're doing content with people who may not know what they're doing (hence 'casual content') a dpsing healer may very well outdps some of their dps counterparts. That's not a small contribution.

OP - don't freak out about dps as a healer. It's all gravy. That being said... who eats mashed potatoes without gravy? It is most definitely important if you care about doing your best for your group which it seems like you do.

As everyone has said I think you've got a great mindset going into this and nothing to worry about. Checking out fflogs could certainly help you fine tune things though.

[Elamys]

I do everything Moro suggested except swapping stances constantly, I just find it annoying and also don't like the possibility of getting stuck in the wrong sect on accident. It doesn't make the biggest difference to me AST may not have as many emergency tools as WHM but it can still be really strong when things hit the fan!

[Awful]

Swapping stances in dungeons is good, going Noct to put up a shield, then swap to Dinural so you can DPS while that delicious shield is up. I don't find it annoying just comes second nature as I sometimes que as an Ast when I get bored of tanking sometimes.

[Transient_Shadow]

Just do what your comfortable with. We all start at different paces. I really sturggled to dps as a healer when starting (this was back when stance dancing was still a thing mind you) but I eventually became skilled enough to gauge how much my tank could take before needing to heal him again.

My general rule is if there's little to no healing to be done then its time to dps. if your team is getting thrashed or the tank is pulling so much that you need to keep him from dying then its time to heal.