Leveling a WHM

[Risvertasashi]

Already I’m worried about the journey. Dungeons and trials will be instant queue, so that I’m not worried about. What has me worried is how long it takes to kill stuff while doing all the solo quests, which is a good portion of the MSQ. (I created a brand new character)

For anything that doesn't have healer-specific tunings, it can take a long time. Even with good gear and doing the optimal rotation (Assize, PoM, etc etc).

Sorry. It's part of the healer life.

Square Enix removed so much from our dps kits it's ridiculous. I honestly hate where the Scholar is right now...so boring. It's basically just mashing the same button a million times while juggling a single, low damage dot.

This has nothing to do with DPS output, however. Several skills or few skills, solo duties not specifically tuned for healers will be slow. The most recent expac has nothing to do with that.

[Saefinn]

Honestly, I want to say "it gets better" like I can do with any DPS or tank who starts slow, but IMO playing a healer is only fun once you're being pushed because healer downtime is ridiculously dull. It used to be passable enough to not get bored. Sadly much of the game's content doesn't push, though how much of that content pushes you of course depends entirely on how much you're optimising your heals and that really depends on your own skill, experience and gear. But it's there where healing can be fun. But I am also a "judge for yourself" kinda person and some people praise how healers play so continue giving it a chance if your wish, but from your current experience, it doesn't really get that much alleviated until the content is more challenging.

But if healer downtime being boring is your main issue and if WHM does end up being too boring for you. AST is another option, it isn't any more interesting from a DPS perspective and it too has a low damage output (they all do), but it has cards. Cards break up your downtime. If you've not got the old card system to compare against, you're much less likely to complain than old AST's. But out of the healers it's the busiest with the most to do.

This has nothing to do with DPS output, however. Several skills or few skills, solo duties not specifically tuned for healers will be slow. The most recent expac has nothing to do with that.

In fairness OP also said they're bored out of their mind too and not just about the damage output. Lower damage output is expected of healer life, but being boring with little to do, that has plenty to do with the most recent expac.