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(08-13-2016, 08:00 PM)Qwynn Wrote: This is an interesting thread for me, as this is apparently the first game I've come across where the healer is expected to DPS. I play healers because I specifically don't want to DPS. So I guess I'm screwed then.
FFXIV isn't really a true "holy trinity" roles game. The discussions been had on here, likely the official forums, and all over tumblr multiple times, but about 1/3 of your healer abilities are DPS related. They're not just there for solo content!
Of course, as others have already said in this thread, if you're struggling to keep people alive, or the people you're healing are struggling to stay alive, nobody's going to expect you to to use your DPS skills instead of heal. (Though a swiftcasted holy for a quick stun or a shadow flare can help out a party without you needing to switch over to cleric stance).
It's also definitely a balance of priorities. If you haven't already, I'd recommend going through the novice hall for some example gameplay of when it should seem appropriate. If you know you'll have a lot of idle time, like in the starter dungeons, that's a good time to use some DPS skills. As things get more difficult, you'll naturally spend more time healing.
But it's also very party dependant. Have a tank who doesn't use their cooldowns or mitigation skills? Have DPS who seem to enjoy running into AOEs? As the healer, your priority is still keeping them alive. Just like it's the tank's priority to keep enmity, and the DPS's job to kill things. Every role basically has cross-class skills to help take on another role though, whether it's through defensive cooldowns, self-heals or damage increases!