disrespecting healers

said no one ever · March 2025

i have 5 healers, 4 tanks and 1 dd and i must say that the disrespect that is shown to healers is atrocious. Firstly, the main healing sets are just stupid for 4 man dungeons because you will die like a wet noodle in that gear because all the tanks and the dd will run past the mobs and then you're suddenly left with at least 1 probably 4 thugs beating on you that you have to be prepared to contend with until the tank and the dd clear the majority of the mob away to even see that you're there battling 1-4 npc on your own. Doesnt matter if it's a pug or a premade group of guildies, it happens the same every time and the healer is going to have to contend with the dd and the tank abandoning you to deal with these stragglers on your own. For a new healer this can be trickier then an experienced healer that has played the game and has more set options but the reality is you are going to need at least one proper dd set of some type, maybe 2. IN fact for new healers, you're better off building a one bar dd and slotting a restro staff on the back bar because self defense will be needed more than healing will and if you don't build this way you will soon be dead because tank and dd's don't care about keeping you safe.. 2nd point for healers, esp in pugs, everyone will be assuming you're a fake healer even if you have the best aoe heals in the game. Everyone has a group healing on their back bar at least just in case they get a fake healer and that's to be expected BUT what should also be expected is that people shouldn't be using it when they see you are bringing the heals but they ignore you anyway. Nothing to be done. So many fake healers that people just assume you're a fake regardless. Only thing to do in that case is build a one bar dd setup with at least one set of dd gear, if not two so you can do something useful until you see they need some healing and then maybe you can switch to your back bar toi do some heals. These are the two most common situations that healers are snubbed. I hope this info helps out a new or struggling healer. Don't listen to this nonsense about building with two healing sets as you will be dead and not healing anyone because no one cares if you're really healing or not if you're dead.

Hapexamendios · March 2025

If it's happening in a guild, you're in the wrong guild. I haven't had that problem with guild mates. Completely agree on pug groups.

Orbital78 · March 2025

said no one ever wrote: »

Doesnt matter if it's a pug or a premade group of guildies, it happens the same every time and the healer is going to have to contend with the dd and the tank abandoning you to deal with these stragglers on your own.

It sounds like what we have here, is a lack of communication. J/K

In normals it shouldn't be much of an issue, slot some sort of stamina regen selfish skill, mages guild selfish shield, etc. It helps if the group communicates that they are rushing, but they tend to not say anything. Just keep up with the group and worry about yourself until you get situated to worry about the group, that is on them if they are rushing. Keep space and ahead of the tank so the mobs go to them or past and BLOCK and DODGE. If they cannot get aggro sorted before your stamina is gone, then they shouldn't really be rushing with that group.

In vet, this can be a bigger issue. Especially if the tank refuses to taunt the "big" adds, those tend to chunk harder. You could always adapt your playstyle to the pug life if you wanted. I tend to run 5 pcs sergeants, 5 spell power cure, and just hybrid heal. I guess some would say fake, but if you are keeping the group alive and providing some group buffs, meh whatever. Kick me if you want, but don't expect me to stick around next time.

coop500 · March 2025

It's true, as a healer main since before Morrowind chapter, this progressive move towards healers being pointless besides in the upmost hardest of content really sucks, and I've since switched to be a tank main instead cause at least they are still needed a fair amount of the time.

I never liked playing DPS, though I have some DPS characters anyway if being a tank or healer doesn't fit their personality. It's made playing DPS a bit better.

Tanks also suffer the issue if DPS leave them behind, because they can't even really just slot a few damaging skills to get by. So I am usually wasting half my stamina bar sprinting to keep up, while everyone's a super speedy mage/vampire and doesn't care about their stamina/isn't losing much anyway.

But yeah, feeling worthless as a healer because everyone's self buffing and self healing already sucks. I get it, but it sucks.

Renato90085 · March 2025

i just hate since high isle start(oakensoul) dungreon really not need real healer
now meta is 1tank and 3 oakensoul or arc in trifecta

CalamityCat · March 2025

I'm not sure what sets you're using, but I've never had trouble fending off spawn with my healer. She just doesn't do the damage of a pure DD. Having said that, I prefer to stick near the front to middle of the group as we run so I'm within range to buff and support everyone. If you're regularly falling behind, I'd look at ways to speed up your healers, whether through CP or skills/gear as necessary.

As for the respect thing, I think people tend to complain more readily than they say thanks/offer praise. Some players aren't tracking the buffs and heals they receive to realise what a support is contributing. I didn't understand what supports actually provided until I made my first healer, so I don't expect randoms to notice those things and appreciate them. I think players notice the absence of a healer more than when we're there.

Icy_Waffles · March 2025

Other than trials, healers are often not really needed for many groups, so there is that….

Also unsure on your sets but my healer runs light armor and doesn’t really have problems getting past mobs or anything if I need to.

Harry_Toes · March 2025

I used to run a healer who actually healed - then I learned nobody wants that in a PUG, especially a normal dungeon PUG.

They want a 3rd DD or a DPS buffer, not a healer.

Vet dungeons usually put a higher value on healers - but even there the emphasis is still on healers DPS buffing at least 50% of the time.

dosco · March 2025

Harry_Toes wrote: »

but even there the emphasis is still on healers DPS buffing at least 50% of the time.

because that's what the role is in eso in almost every content, think of it not just as a healbot but more of a general support role. Usually not much is needed to keep everyone alive (if they follow mechanics etc) so as healers we have a ton of free time and capacity to buff the group.

alpha_synuclein · March 2025

DDs survivability became so over the top that barely anyone needs a true healer aside from DLC hms.

From the practical side though, either don't pug or get yourself a speedbuff (never stay behind fighting stuff alone), keep some damage skills (even just unstable wall of elements) and don't cast anything until the rest of your team catch most of the aggro when they pull.

Juomuuri · March 2025

If I pug, it's exclusively as a healer since then I'll be able to deal damage if my group can't. I run builds where my backbar has damage adjacent skills so I can contribute into killing stuff if needed. But, I pug so rarely that I don't run into these issues mentioned often. It sucks that healers "aren't needed", like yeah I can self sustain as a tank/dd but having a healer around makes stuff smoother and more lax.

Sallymen · March 2025

@said no one ever
PC/NA Tank main here, come heal for me. I promise to treat you right!

frogthroat · March 2025

Harry_Toes wrote: »

a DPS buffer, not a healer.

DPS buffing is the healer's job. Sometimes debuffing the boss, although that is usually the tank's job. Besides the obvious, healing, buffing the group is a vital part of a healer's job.

And it is exactly because of this why some classes are preferred over others.

GloatingSwine · March 2025

Harry_Toes wrote: »

I used to run a healer who actually healed - then I learned nobody wants that in a PUG, especially a normal dungeon PUG.

They want a 3rd DD or a DPS buffer, not a healer.

Vet dungeons usually put a higher value on healers - but even there the emphasis is still on healers DPS buffing at least 50% of the time.

Whatever content they're doing the main thing a healer brings is buffs and resource recovery. There aren't enough group heal checks in the game really. (A group heal check is something like the gas room in Scalecaller where everyone is going to take some damage over time not just "can the DPS avoid the lure of red circles")

Jaimeh · March 2025

said no one ever wrote: »

Doesnt matter if it's a pug or a premade group of guildies, it happens the same every time and the healer is going to have to contend with the dd and the tank abandoning you to deal with these stragglers on your own. For a new healer this can be trickier then an experienced healer that has played the game and has more set options but the reality is you are going to need at least one proper dd set of some type, maybe 2. IN fact for new healers, you're better off building a one bar dd and slotting a restro staff on the back bar because self defense will be needed more than healing will and if you don't build this way you will soon be dead because tank and dd's don't care about keeping you safe.. 2nd point for healers, esp in pugs, everyone will be assuming you're a fake healer even if you have the best aoe heals in the game. Everyone has a group healing on their back bar at least just in case they get a fake healer and that's to be expected BUT what should also be expected is that people shouldn't be using it when they see you are bringing the heals but they ignore you anyway. Nothing to be done. So many fake healers that people just assume you're a fake regardless. Only thing to do in that case is build a one bar dd setup with at least one set of dd gear, if not two so you can do something useful until you see they need some healing and then maybe you can switch to your back bar toi do some heals.

In PUGs anything goes, but in organized groups you shouldn't be seeing the situation you are describing, not because of the group, but because of your own positioning. First of all, healers are not abandoned: tanks have to move ahead from everybody so they can aggro things properly (and this does get messed up if DDs jump in first, but in premade groups it usually doesn't happen), but the rest of the group also has to keep up, because even if the tank is the first to aggro, depending on the number of mobs in a trash pack, they can't always grab or CC all of them, and the ones that are unaggroed will run to the person in the back, so make sure you stay with the group. Secondly, if adds do aggro on you, assuming you are by the rest of your group members, all you have to do is bring them to the tank. That's it, just bring them to the tank. If you kite them out you are compounding the problem, because then they might be out of range taunt distance for the tank to grab them, and the tank can't run far out because he will be then moving the rest of the adds he has taunted out of the ground AoEs. Also, adds in trash packs, even in vet DLC dungeons, are not hard to deal with, especially if you know when to block or roll, so just roll closer to the tank and they can grab them. Secondly, you should definitely have some DPS skills on your bar, because unless you are running a DLC hard mode, most of them time you will be over-healing anyway, so while your buffs and debuffs are placed and running, you can do some damage in the meantime. In my experience, DPSing also helps you to become a better healer overall: you learn rotation and improve your APM, which is not something the vast majority of healers in the game have, but it's actually really important.