Role change anxiety is maybe a thing?

[Selova]

I think this is s normal feeling to have with any job/class role that you aren't experienced with, Moro.

As someone that's mained dps classes for over 14 years, I actually find healing to be incredibly intimidating, at least until I started healing more on FFXIV, so I'm slowly adjusting to it.


I think RDM is the perfect class yoy could start with so that you gain more experience and hopefully it won't be as intimidating to you later. All the best of luck to you.

[Rosentretter]

Before FFXIV I used to play healer or supportive roles but I actually wanted to try my hand at tanking here and I definitely love it. But imo you shouldn't be afraid to try other experiences, in the end it will make it funnier. Sometimes I can get really tired of tanking, and I switch to my AST. In fact I feel way more comfortable farming Byakko Ex (for example) as healer than as tank. Of course in the beginning it may seem scary, but practice makes you better.

[Maeka]

I've felt similar.

I almost always tank or heal in dungeons, but every now and then I'll Q up as a DPS and I'm thinking on-and-off, "I hope I'm doing this right. I hope I'm not the worst DPS in the group." "I hope I'm not screwing up too many maintenance buffs/debuffs".

I know there are some sort of parsing programs or something that people use, and I don't like the idea of them because I'm always thinking that one of these days I'll get yelled at for not being good enough.

I won't use 3rd party programs though because they are against the ToS. I play by the rules and I play fair so I have no idea who is doing what.

[KaivaC]

I understand where you're coming from, Moro. I started FFXIV as a pugilist, and back then, I thought I was doing pretty good (turns out, I wasn't because I ignored positionals). Then I switched to a DRK. Got into an argument here on the forums, learned the hard way through dungeons after the Vault that I was a trash tank, then got completely spanked by O3S, switched to AST. The anxiety I felt as a healer was maddening - not helped by choosing a more advanced healing class that had RNG buffs thrown in. Learning what all six cards did, which ones did what in Royal Road, how to efficiently use Earthly Star, what Sects to use...

It was all very overwhelming to me. I actually almost quit AST entirely. As you may know, I don't have premade groups to call upon (or, I didn't until recently). Most of my experience has been with randoms. But I've gotten comfortable in all roles - part of that is that I'm a competitive spirit. I also actively ask groups in endgame content what my parse was, so I can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Case in point - I grinded DRG from 60-70 (sadly, I did jump potion that as I don't have that much patience) within a week, and jumped straight into Byakko Ex. My parse was 1.9K,

1.9K.

With only one death for me.

We ran it a few more times, and each time, I asked was my numbers were because, while I got extremely anxious about not having good numbers, every time we started a new fight, I asked for my numbers again at the end - and my DPS numbers went up. A week ago, I was barely clearing Byakko with a 2.8k.

This week, I cleared O6S with a 4.1k. (which is, sadly, not even hitting the 10th percentile right now, but that's another story)

Personally, I put more of a focus on learning when to do my burst, and when to hold back, where to hit my positionals, and of course, always keeping up heavy thrust (this is my biggest hurdle at the moment). My best advice to you is to not be afraid of the challenge. Tackle adversity head on. Personally, I don't move onto another class til I feel I have some kind of mastery of it. I'm most certainly not the most perfect player, and I'm definitely not a 75th percentile player by a long shot, or, to be honest, a 50th percentile player. But I just push myself to get better.

Side note: that run we did on Sigmascape normal was actually the first time I've been able to keep up heavy thrust, hit half of my positionals, and actually be a good DPS.

[Xelanar]

I had the same anxiety when I first started healing. You will start feeling more confident the more you play DPS. As soon as you can pull off your rotation by muscle memory, even when under stress, you'll no longer feel anxious at all. DPS is more about memorization compared to healing, where your playstyle is leaning more towards adaptability and reaction, as soon as something goes wrong.

[Destati]

I feel anxious no matter what class I am. I'm always afraid I'm not using the right skills or rotations. But then again, anxiety is just my perpetual state of being, so...

[Zhamkyong]

I understand the fear perfectly well. When Alexander hit the game for the first time I was playing as Machinist, I admit I was not doing very well but I came from Summoner, so I had to adapt and learn fast, sadly even with a clear I was scolded for my dps score and I only use the class for fun due to the lack of confidence. Now I changed the book of summoning again for another class, Paladin. I am gearing him to do Ex trials and maybe when I get better Savage (and no, I do not have a static).

I have the Ilevel, I can clear the stone sky sea dummy of Byako with 10-12 secs ahead of the end, I practice with roulette but I am feeling unable to take the step and start practicing the fight.

[MoroMurasaki]

I'd like to thank everyone for their understanding and support, it was definitely nice to get up this morning and read the replies here. I don't know how anyone can try to say this community isn't a good one, I left myself way open to criticism and instead you all responded with advice and well wishes.

The trade off is that you don't need to worry as much about the tank getting a buster to the face (healers and tanks managing their cooldowns) or raid-wide damage to heal through, all things other people would find stressful but you're probably used to it.

This is fair. I don't mean to say that dps outright have more responsibility than healers do but I suppose at least I feel on RDM that I've got more on my shoulders than I do as a WHM.

I've thought about this a fair bit and I think part of it is actually related to handling mechanics. As a good healer (please no one start the debate, please) you interrupt your dpsing to heal or handle mechanics. As a dps you only halt your dpsing to handle mechanics. Sure, I Verraise as RDM but that isn't a 'break' from DPSing at all regularly and it really shouldn't be happening very frequently because people shouldn't be dying.

I think as a healer I was taking some extra time handling mechanics/moving that I really didn't need to take and chocking it up to "I'm still DPSing effectively enough," when I should have been minimizing my movement irrespective of the class I'm on for the sake of uptime.

So in a way I guess playing RDM has perhaps helped make me a better healer? Only fflogs will tell.

But I can understand why some people could feel this way, but really in most situations 1 bad DPS won't kill a party.

I certainly agree, at least in the content my RDM is currently engaging in. My issue is that I might not be the only bad dps, at that point I'm contributing to a wipe if I don't put up at least enough damage to cover my portion if not help close the gap left by my co-deeps.

I think RDM is the perfect class yoy could start with so that you gain more experience and hopefully it won't be as intimidating to you later. All the best of luck to you.

Aw, thanks! I do think RDM, as an 'easier' class and still a caster, is the right way to go... >.> I hope.

Totally unrelated but oh. em. gee. Your character creation is spot on! Such a pretty avatar, I just had to say something. Love the purple theme, it's working.

I understand where you're coming from, Moro.

I am legitimately surprised this is a thing you can relate to!

To be honest you're one of the people I was thinking of when I said I know people who seem to swap mains effortlessly, I remember you talking about heavy thrust being an issue for you on DRG but I didn't realize you had had so much trouble. You make it look easy!

It is comforting to know that someone I look up to has had these same sorts of struggles though, thank you for the inspiration!

[VanilleFang]

I certainly agree, at least in the content my RDM is currently engaging in. My issue is that I might not be the only bad dps, at that point I'm contributing to a wipe if I don't put up at least enough damage to cover my portion if not help close the gap left by my co-deeps.

That's fair. But putting so much pressure on yourself isn't! You shouldn't worry that there might be another DPS that's not doing great. It's their responsibility to get better, not your's!

It doesn't seem like you have anything to worry about, from what others have been saying about your DPS exploits in sigma.

Wait... was the run you, Miste, Tridus, AND HyoMin? So, like, forum all-star or what?

[Miste]

Wait... was the run you, Miste, Tridus, AND HyoMin? So, like, forum all-star or what?

Yep! Bourne was also there. I don't know if I was all-star D: but yeah there were at least five of us ^^

I made an alt on Aether so I could play with them all sometimes xD although my main server does keep me occupied a lot ><