MeinMMO author Fabienne Kissel played only healers in MMORPGs and other games for over 10 years. But now she is finally playing a DPS in Final Fantasy XIV and never wants to go back.
For over 10 years I was the healer friend in MMORPGs and other games. No matter if in World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, League of Legends or Overwatch – my role was clear: I healed, supported, and ensured that my group stayed alive.
But this era has now come to an end. In the new expansion Dawntrail of Final Fantasy XIV, I am now playing a damage dealer (DPS), and I love it!
Spoiler: An image from the first city in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail is shown.
Why I chose to be a healer for years
Honestly, I was drawn to the role of healer and supporter from the very beginning. Maybe it was because I enjoyed helping others and it simply made me happy. In raids, I was the one that other healers could rely on to protect their team.
Saving someone’s life, healing them, or giving them shields just made me feel good.
Whether as a Priest or Druid in WoW, as a Sage in FFXIV, as a supporter in LoL, or even as a cleric of the Life domain in Baldur’s Gate 3 – I was always playing as a healer and felt comfortable with it.
My challenge and the clichés as a healer friend
But this role also brings some challenges and typical clichés. Often I was mocked
, as the typical healer girl
, who doesn’t dare to step into the damage role and prefers to heal her boyfriend.
In Final Fantasy XIV, it is typical that even as a healer, one can deal considerable damage. In battles, you are not only healing but also causing significant damage – and I find that concept really great.
Nevertheless, I sometimes felt like a side character as a healer. Maybe it was just my perspective? But it often seemed to me that the focus was always on the DPS and their performance, while I stood in the shadows as a healer.
Nasty comments and sexist remarks were not absent
In MMORPGs, I have been lucky enough not to have negative experiences with comments from other players as a healer so far. In other games, however, it was unfortunately different.
Woe to anyone who played as the supporter Yuumi
in League of Legends and even used a noticeably female name.
I often received comments like: “You play her because you can’t do anything else,” I hope you die
or I was called a dumb E-girl
and whore
, which compared to other experiences were still mild
.
When I played the support agent Sage in Valorant and spoke in voice chat, there were often sexist and abusive comments. This even led to me losing interest in Valorant.
Often I felt that because of my gender, I was automatically seen as a bad player, even though that was not the case. Even though of course everyone has a bad day or can’t be good at everything. This image
gnawed at me, but I remained loyal to the role for years – until now.
Switching to DPS was the best decision
The turning point came when a DPS spot opened up in my boyfriend’s Final Fantasy XIV
raid group. I desperately wanted to join, but that meant stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on a completely new role.
I immediately worried: “What if I don’t do enough damage? What if I don’t meet the expectations? And how the hell do I play my rotation?!”
But I took the plunge and switched to damage dealer, specifically a physical ranged attacker (Physical Range) in Final Fantasy XIV. I originally leaned towards Machinist or Bard, but ultimately I decided to go for the Dancer first.
Visually, I am most attracted to the skills and animations. Also, I was recommended the Dancer because this job is considered the easiest Physical Range
.
The Dancer not only deals good damage but also comes with supportive abilities. Its big dance (raid cooldown) increases the damage of the entire group for 20 seconds. Additionally, the Dancer can provide its selected dance partner with its own buffs.
I think the concept of a dance partner is great because I support them with my damage buffs while also benefiting from them. My dance partner helps me fill up my resources for strong damage skills. Additionally, as a Dancer, I have a small heal that heals all group members around my dance partner and me.
I am proud when the damage numbers go through the roof
It’s much more fun for me to play as a DPS. Personally, the battles with the Dancer feel more exciting and dynamic than with the Sage (Healer). Even though I completed one of the hardest fights (Dragonsong’s Reprise Ultimate) in Final Fantasy XIV with the Sage, and I had a lot to do there. I really reached my limits in that fight.
But as a DPS, I feel overall freer and even more ambitious because I really want to deal a lot of damage. I am proud when I succeed.
Honestly, the Dancer isn’t among the top DPS. And yes, it supports the group, its dance partner, and itself with buffs – making it definitely more attractive to me as a long-time main healer.
But the thrill of executing a perfect rotation is indescribable.
Compared to my time as a healer, I feel more seen and more part of the action. I am not the quiet
supporter in the background, but more active in the battle. I feel like the damn main character.
That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy looking back on my time as a healer – I definitely do. But now that I’ve discovered the world of DPS, I don’t want to go back. The new role has opened up a whole new perspective for me and greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the game.
In the future, I plan to further improve my skills as a DPS and master new challenges. Currently, the plan is to accomplish the upcoming new raid tier at the highest level (Savage) with my group. I definitely intend to do the new Eden Ultimate as a Dancer. But thankfully that still has some time – so I can practice even more.
What I want to say to you, if you feel like me: Dare to switch roles and try something different. Just play what you personally enjoy and don’t care about clichés and prejudices. As a healer, I tackled one of the hardest fights in Final Fantasy XIV before my DPS era, but made a fatal mistake.
