The Healer Double Standard

[Urthdigger]

Sorry, but the ways healer contribute DPS have never struck me as an identity, so it’s quite honestly never influenced my choice. I contribute DPS as my healing kit allows, and which skills I use to do that are well...inconsequential to me. I’m sorry a wide variety of healers are upset with the DPS changes.

As healers get better at their role, they will invariably shift from time spent healing to time spent DPSing. This is simply due to the fact that incoming damage is constant, and a better healer is one able to keep up with damage faster and more efficiently, which leaves time for DPS. In a way, having time to DPS can be seen as a reward for healing well. Thus, it is upsetting when the thing that's our "reward" for doing well, the thing we'll do more and more as we get better, gets dumbed down and made more boring.

[Granyala]

The healer DPS mentality exists because of the way the game has been designed for the last 6 years.
Apply Dot, Spam filler 9 times, repeat until dead just isn't fun.

DPS mentality exists because incoming DPS is insufficient to keep us busy. We fill downtime with DPS because mana allows it.
Agreed on the second point. While I do not want some hyper complex DPS rotation (that I wouldn't manage to keep up with anyway), a little more variety than massaging my Dia button while trying to not fall asleep would be most welcome.

[Cyrocco]

Is a kit with more buttons and lower potencies better than a kit with higher damage and fewer buttons?

How many DPS options are required to make an entertaining kit?

Would people accept a kit that required more work, if it gave us generally the same DPS output as now?

[althenawhm]

Is a kit with more buttons and lower potencies better than a kit with higher damage and fewer buttons?

How many DPS options are required to make an entertaining kit?

Would people accept a kit that required more work, if it gave us generally the same DPS output as now?

Well, it would make me feel less bad when my WHM nearly reaches DNC and NIN damage. I definitely dont feel like I earn that damage level just by pressing Glare.

[Hatstand]

Is a kit with more buttons and lower potencies better than a kit with higher damage and fewer buttons?

How many DPS options are required to make an entertaining kit?

7-10. Current WHM falls just under that range, and imo a Lily damage option would make that a good kit. Prime SCH fell into that range.

Would people accept a kit that required more work, if it gave us generally the same DPS output as now?

I would. I would accept more work for less dps output if it was fun.

[Billythepancake]

Is a kit with more buttons and lower potencies better than a kit with higher damage and fewer buttons?

How many DPS options are required to make an entertaining kit?

Would people accept a kit that required more work, if it gave us generally the same DPS output as now?

Absolutely yes, it would be better to have a dps kit with roughly the same damage just with more buttons, because then there's more to do. If I wanted to play a game that only needed 2 buttons I'd go dust off my old NES, not play a modern game.

As for the amount required, I'd say 4-5 single target and 4-5 in aoe (preferably some, if not all, useable in both situations. I cannot stand tools that are only good in certain situations. Looking at you art of war)

Would everyone accept it? Probably not, thousands, if not millions, of people play this game everyday, and no matter what you do, people will not be happy, but a lot of the current scholars seem to have the same complaint of "not enough buttons to press" in downtime, so I'd imagine, if a bigger portion of your fanbase is having the same problem, if it's and 80-20 split, wouldn't it be better to go on the side of the 80? Democracy and what not. If other people enjoy scholar as is, more power to them, but most people who have been playing scholar, even as recently as me (I didnt start until 4.2/4.3) all have similar grievances. we want more to do, 2-3 dots to manage, all with different timers, some sort of dps aetheflow use, and the ability to use aetherflow out of combat. While that wouldn't be the perfect scholar, in my opinion the more complex the better, it would at least feel like scholar, it'd at least have the same identity. And, realistically, is that REALLY asking that much, for 2-3 dots, a dps aetherflow ability, and to be able to use aetherflow out of combat, when that is stuff we have ALWAYS had?

[Cyrocco]

Well, it would make me feel less bad when my WHM nearly reaches DNC and NIN damage. I definitely dont feel like I earn that damage level just by pressing Glare.

I would. I would accept more work for less dps output if it was fun.

Absolutely yes, it would be better to have a dps kit with roughly the same damage just with more buttons, because then there's more to do. If I wanted to play a game that only needed 2 buttons I'd go dust off my old NES, not play a modern game.

Then I don't really have an argument with you guys, whether they boost or decrease the amount of buttons, I really won't feel too effected.

But, to others who quote replied me, because I feel this way, I'll likely never feel DPS is a part of a healers identity, so I won't really hold a debate with people that do, I just don't see the kits as vital as you do, I dunno.

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My heart goes out to those upset with the changes, it really does, but at the same time, please don't talk down to me because I care differently about the DPS parts of healer kits.

[Reiryuu]

Would people accept a kit that required more work, if it gave us generally the same DPS output as now?

Hell yes. Especially consider all the options that could be available in a combination or something like kit: Maybe you could have a single spell series that the 3 spell did a small PBAoE heal for the combo reward. Perhaps another route that gave you some MP back like PLD's lines. Maybe an AoE one could give some damage reduction to everyone in the area of effect or make the mobs do less damage (like reprisal) for 10 seconds. The devs just clearly do not have ANY desire to even think of stuff like this for healers.

[Kabooa]

Hell yes. Especially consider all the options that could be available in a combination or something like kit: Maybe you could have a single spell series that the 3 spell did a small PBAoE heal for the combo reward. Perhaps another route that gave you some MP back like PLD's lines. Maybe an AoE one could give some damage reduction to everyone in the area of effect or make the mobs do less damage (like reprisal) for 10 seconds. The devs just clearly do not have ANY desire to even think of stuff like this for healers.

Probably because nobody has a consensus on what they want.

Given that you have people arguing against button consolidation, I doubt you're going to see "Combos" on casters. Trust me, they're not really that interesting either, if you use the rest of the jobs as examples.

[Reiryuu]

Probably because nobody has a consensus on what they want.

Given that you have people arguing against button consolidation, I doubt you're going to see "Combos" on casters. Trust me, they're not really that interesting either, if you use the rest of the jobs as examples.

Oh, I totally agree with you there on the no consensus thing. As for combos on other DPS? Sure, they're not as interesting as say PLD or some tanks, but again, why can't/couldn't they be? I'd love to see more expansion on the combo bonuses all around. I'm just trying to toss some ideas out there. I'd really like more than glare spam peppered in with dia and a misery on occasion for dps and for... well... more things to do than just heal or to make healing more interesting-- combos, interactions, more ways to heal besides direct heal, barrier heal, weak HoT, etc.