Heyo, FFXIV community. I just wanted to share my experience as someone who has invested a fairly significant amount of time in the game playing all three roles. While I'm not at max level yet for any of them (still working my way through ShB and am also attempting to level them simultaneously..RIP), they're all at 70+ so I do think I am qualified to offer some thoughts.
I started out as a pure DPS only player who refused to touch healing or tanking - I was terrified of having so much responsibility heaped on my shoulders. One day, curiosity simply took over and I tried out healing for the first time as a WHM and loved it until I had my first bad experience in a dungeon. The entire party wiped and anxiety + guilt had a field day in my head and I swore off healing for a very, very long time. Then I reached Heavensward and AST suddenly looked really appealing and I jumped back into it - reading up on guides, learning to pace myself, seeking constructive advice and accepting criticism wherever possible. But somehow a mental barrier had formed in my head regarding tanking - didn't wanna touch it, it just seemed clunky to me, I didn't want to lead a group (imagine the responsibility!!) Took me about 7-8 months to try tanking (began with DRK because edgy aesthetic) and it really took me by surprise. Leading the group in content was not only fun, but it also instilled a sense of confidence in me that DPS and healer did not.
Playing all three roles has really expanded the horizons of my experience - when playing as a tank now, I make sure to pop all my CDs for the healer and adjust the number of mobs I pull based on their skill, because I know exactly what it's like to panic-heal or deal with a tank who doesn't use mitigation. As a healer, I draw on my tanking experience to know when to use the correct kinds of heals and to spot when the tank is in need of immediate assistance or if they can hang in there for a bit longer. And when playing as a DPS, I make sure I know my rotation to burst down the enemies ASAP to make the tank and healer's lives easier. At the end of the day, learning how to play all three roles has significantly improved my experience of the game, plus I think it has also made me more empathetic towards players who screw up in content - when you've been there and done that, it just makes it so much more relatable.
Just wanted to encourage anyone afraid of trying out different roles to give it a shot! You don't have to excel immediately - a learning experience is always going to be uncomfortable and scary, but it definitely pays off. I wouldn't say I'm the best tank/healer/dps out there, but imo the diversity in gameplay has definitely made me a better player in general.
To others in the community who are also triple role players - how has playing all three roles changed your experience of the game? To players who are hesitant about playing one or more of the roles - what's stopping you? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Continue reading...
I started out as a pure DPS only player who refused to touch healing or tanking - I was terrified of having so much responsibility heaped on my shoulders. One day, curiosity simply took over and I tried out healing for the first time as a WHM and loved it until I had my first bad experience in a dungeon. The entire party wiped and anxiety + guilt had a field day in my head and I swore off healing for a very, very long time. Then I reached Heavensward and AST suddenly looked really appealing and I jumped back into it - reading up on guides, learning to pace myself, seeking constructive advice and accepting criticism wherever possible. But somehow a mental barrier had formed in my head regarding tanking - didn't wanna touch it, it just seemed clunky to me, I didn't want to lead a group (imagine the responsibility!!) Took me about 7-8 months to try tanking (began with DRK because edgy aesthetic) and it really took me by surprise. Leading the group in content was not only fun, but it also instilled a sense of confidence in me that DPS and healer did not.
Playing all three roles has really expanded the horizons of my experience - when playing as a tank now, I make sure to pop all my CDs for the healer and adjust the number of mobs I pull based on their skill, because I know exactly what it's like to panic-heal or deal with a tank who doesn't use mitigation. As a healer, I draw on my tanking experience to know when to use the correct kinds of heals and to spot when the tank is in need of immediate assistance or if they can hang in there for a bit longer. And when playing as a DPS, I make sure I know my rotation to burst down the enemies ASAP to make the tank and healer's lives easier. At the end of the day, learning how to play all three roles has significantly improved my experience of the game, plus I think it has also made me more empathetic towards players who screw up in content - when you've been there and done that, it just makes it so much more relatable.
Just wanted to encourage anyone afraid of trying out different roles to give it a shot! You don't have to excel immediately - a learning experience is always going to be uncomfortable and scary, but it definitely pays off. I wouldn't say I'm the best tank/healer/dps out there, but imo the diversity in gameplay has definitely made me a better player in general.
To others in the community who are also triple role players - how has playing all three roles changed your experience of the game? To players who are hesitant about playing one or more of the roles - what's stopping you? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Continue reading...