Healer DPS - enjoyable or a chore?

[Tharnor]

My view on the matter is rather simple, it is something to do while not healing. As a white mage holy spam feels right with weaving heals in. I just wish there was more to the single target part of it. Not as in more abilities to do damage but more integration with healing. Like hitting an enemy with stone having a small chance to cause the target the enemy is hitting to get a stone skin like effect and aero 2/3 a very small chance to proc a lily.

[Selvokaz]

To be honest, I didn't like the idea of healers HAVING to dps while they heal, when the other two roles do dps automatically while doing their roles. It seemed like a unfair burden, and I heard people saying that the producer intended for the healers to just focus on healing, and in a way I still feel that should always be the case. Then of course I heard the other roles saying things like, "If you're just standing there throw out a attack spell" or "Healer we need you to dps or we won't clear." then the changes to healer roles damage came about, and I knew then that yeah, they want us to dps and heal, I don't like it, one of the three roles should feel like the relaxed but focused role, but apparently it's not meant to be the healer.

Overall, I've learned to accept it, though it does cause the healer more stress than I think the other two roles. I used to be poor tanks and their forced leadership role, but at least that's all they had to worry about, now im more like, "poor healers, we gotta dps and heal despite neither being woven directly into anyone set of our abilities." and yes im aware AST and WHM both have at least one ability that heals and damages though their uses limited.

The next healer job should be a job where you can dps and heal simultaneously throughout a instance, like every time you attack a enemy a small portion of that damage is also healing that goes to the person with the most hp missing, and it could have big heals that happen when you do big hits, and aoe healing when you use a aoe attack. And the single or group specific heals are the ones on CD's, of course this healer would likely become the most sought after healer since its bringing the dps more so than the others and also healing at the same time, but hey fairs fair stress diversity.

[Brightamethyst]

Then of course I heard the other roles saying things like, "If you're just standing there throw out a attack spell" or "Healer we need you to dps or we won't clear."

Those are two completely different issues. One is valid, one is not.

"If you're just standing there throw out a attack spell" is a valid statement. That comment isn't about DPS specifically. It's about the fact that ANYTHING is better than standing around doing nothing, and until and unless SE invents some new healer gimmick, DPS is the only other option there.

"Healer we need you to dps or we won't clear" on the other hand is a problem. SE doesn't design fights around healer DPS (or so they claim) but DPS is DPS. When you're on the cutting edge of progression and any small amount of DPS could make or break a fight, you use what you have even if it's not ideal. I'm not sure that SE can really prevent or stop that though. I suppose they could design fights where the healing requirements are so tight that DPS is impossible, but that would be even MORE stressful for the healers. There's no win scenario on this one.

[Gemina]

Healer DPS by itself is not really engaging. There are no specific rotations or DMG+ buffs given for doing it. What makes DPSing as a healer engaging, is weaving it in between heals. I'd put two months pay that every hardcore healer here is LOVING it when they do this in content. Is it a AoE Balance followed by x4 light speed+gravity then helios? Is it shadow flare + bane inflicted on 10 mobs plus a indom after a big attack? Is it x8 Holy with no MP drained from the WHM and a Bene bringing the tank back to full health on a massive pull?

Healers are ridiculously powerful in this game, and when played optimally, which includes maximum DPS uptime plus timely heals and shields pretty much makes a party invincible. Nothing save a one shot or a tank tossing their keyboard/controller in the air can kill a skilled and experienced healer.

[Rongway]

I find healer DPS boring and unengaging, most of all because it involves spending 90% of the time hitting a single button and it often feels I'm trying to be a subpar DPS than a healer.

But would it be less boring to stand there pressing zero buttons 90% of the time?
If not filling down time with offensive spells, the other option is to overheal or to do nothing; and if the healer is overhealing, he might as well be doing nothing with his down time -- the outcome would be the same.

[Lunaxia]

But would it be less boring to stand there pressing zero buttons 90% of the time?
If not filling down time with offensive spells, the other option is to overheal or to do nothing; and if the healer is overhealing, he might as well be doing nothing with his down time -- the outcome would be the same.

It would, and that's why I do it. My opinion isn't "DPS isn't fun therefore we shouldn't do it", just that I wish there was more to it either through more DPS options or give healers more to actually buff/ heal.

[Squintina]

I find it very enjoyable (SCH and AST at least), especially when I'm progging. When something's new and still relatively difficult because of having to learn the fight, the balance between healing, rezzing, and doing damage can actually lead to MP getting low. The worse the party as a whole is doing, the more balance is needed and it's honestly just so much fun to try to figure out when I can push, and when I can't. Then starting out farm mode, to try to maximize the dps while minimizing the heals, is also a fun little puzzle.

Once it's reached though, it's whatev-.

Because of this, I find terrible pugs in easier content somewhat enjoyable. The worse the players are, the more balancing is needed to carry them. Nothing like helping out a friend with sigma normals, but it's only 3 of us so we have to DF the rest and you know you end up with at least 1 person whose mission seems to be eating every missile. Ah, balancing people like that for heals/rez/dps is just so much fun <3

Am I a masochist?

[Canadane]

I find healer DPS boring and unengaging, most of all because it involves spending 90% of the time hitting a single button and it often feels I'm trying to be a subpar DPS than a healer.

I don't quite follow the logic.
You're not against it, but you claim it to be boring when the alternative is to be doing overall less things. And generally speaking, less things is more boring. More things is less boring.

[Kabooa]

I don't quite follow the logic.
You're not against it, but you claim it to be boring when the alternative is to be doing overall less things. And generally speaking, less things is more boring. More things is less boring.

If your threshold is 7, and option A is 0 and option B is 3, both options still suck, but option B sucks less.

That's the logic.

[Lunaxia]

I don't quite follow the logic.
You're not against it, but you claim it to be boring when the alternative is to be doing overall less things. And generally speaking, less things is more boring. More things is less boring.

To me, DPS is a non-negotiable part of healing in FFXIV. Not doing anything isn't an option, unless you enjoy being a deadweight. That being the case, I wish there were more interesting alternatives, because it's still dull. Not doing anything being more boring doesn't change the fact I find DPSing boring.