Que up as support but play dps?

[Lokisun]

Que up as support but play dps? I'm sorry if this has been posted before but just trying to get clarification because I havn't run into this to much. Although today I was in a grp in LH and the mobs kept ping-ponging all over and noticed the "support" member was getting the most aggro. Well I also play a support Bard but his is still in his 20's and never got constant aggro maybe that changes dunno.

So I checked my combat log and saw that the "support" member wasn't supporting, no heals, no buffs, nothing. So I asked (insert name) why are you not supporting? I was told that I hadn't needed it so far so he went dps.

Well I didn't say anything, after I brushed the dirt off my face from taking a dirt nap because of having to heal 3 dps and the tank so I generated a lot of aggro and mostly from the casters so standing next to the tank wasn't helping much. Normally I can heal through some aggro but the tank was taking spike dmg at the same time.

I've done LH several times never once had a problem until now. I know this was frustrating the tank as well but he never said anything. After the instance was over I told the "support" guy that maybe next time he ques up as support that he may want to actually play support.

I guess my biggest issue here was there was no communication like "Hey you want me to play support or dps?" But to just switch in mid-stream I thought was kinda wierd. After the dungeon I received a tell from this guys alt he just made on my server and he went on a rant about how much of a noob I am and that after the first few pulls it's common place for the "support" to just switch to dps if it looked like the healer was ok.

So I guess I'm asking is this common? Should I just expect the "support" to not play his role and switch roles without telling the group? Or is this a random case of a dps guy queing for support so he can just get a grp? I'm in my low 40's now so guess I should know this going forward.

[Xenoheart]

I think you have to pay attention to the description though. It says DPS, Buff, or heal as needed. Sometimes buffs aren't needed, or more heals are needed, or on some bosses more dps is needed. Ya you can't Q in unless you have bard, chloro hybrids, archon, or I-car hybrids but its as the statement above declares: if its needed. So ya, I can support the group on boss burns if more dps is needed. But I should also be prepared if the healer needs assistance at times.

Also this changes heavily at 50. People seem to have their crap down once you hit level 50 and ready for experts and I think are more cooperative overall and I rarely run into problems. Also in experts its common for support to ask if support is needed. But also clerics should speak up if they need help too. Anyway again, the experience changes a lot in lvl 50 groups.

[Xioden]

Take a healer that can put out 1k heals per second. Which is better supporting the group?

A.)Support playing a bard, healing for ~200hps (that the healer could have done because the tank is only taking ~500dps), and throwing out a handful of buffs that add 250dps to the 2 DPS in the group, for a total ~1kdps contribution.

B.) Switching to DPS since added heals aren't needed and doing 1k+ single target and 2-3k+ aoe dps?

Situation B also means the mobs die more quickly, which means less healing needs to be done, which is in effect added healing.

Support can most certainly be fulfilled best by DPSing at times. And for me personally, when a support person is in a group with a tank who is HK geared and doesn't even need a healer and the support is sitting there barding away doing 200dps they will definitely be getting vote kicked if they refuse to switch to DPS.

[Lokisun]

I guess I never payed attention to it saying they can dps, buff or support as needed. Nice to know that. Ya I guess wouldn't of been an issue had there been some communication from the "support".

[Ashina]

they will definitely be getting vote kicked if they refuse to switch to DPS.

And this is why the Rift community sucks at times. He signed up as support, you have no right to say he should have a full dps spec if needed. Anyone that would kick someone over this is someone I have no desire to play with. Its a game, not a race.

[Terram]

Honestly, if you need/want an Archon at this point, I'll be more than happy to do it.

But you have to ask, because 97.42% of the time they just want a third DPS. So I've stopped asking.

[TheProtagonist]

what the second guy said

Aside, why is it that nobody spells "queue" correctly?

[Purutzil]

In many cases, support really isn't needed. The biggest time it is needed is for supplemental heals. Typically though, you should have members geared enough to do just fine without support so they can just go dps. It really doesn't take that much gear to be able to handle solo healing a dungeon.

[Skulls]

I get to bard it up in 5 mans maybe once in a hundred runs. Generally tanks and healers are farming marks and plow through the dungeon on EZ mode. The few times it helps are when the healer AND tank are just starting out and the extra 5% heals + 200 hps can help quite a bit. But it goes so slow slowly...

Regardless I assume when I get stuck in the support role that I'll be DPSing anyway and ask the healer if they have had their wheaties that morning.

[tebhi]

People just don't need support in 5 mans these days. Hell, I only wear 2 tanking pieces when I tank them (currently pulling 950 dps per run as rouge tank) because the dungeons are easy as long as everyone knows the fights and can manage CDs.

[Ashina]

what the second guy said

Aside, why is it that nobody spells "queue" correctly?

I had a district leader that was born in germany and englsh was a second language. He pronounced queue as 'cue-ee'...no matter how many times we corrected him.

[Xioden]

And this is why the Rift community sucks at times. He signed up as support, you have no right to say he should have a full dps spec if needed. Anyone that would kick someone over this is someone I have no desire to play with. Its a game, not a race.

"Aid your allies by supporting them in combat through buffs, damage, and healing as required." If we don't need buffs or heals it's his fault not ours he can't fulfill the role he signed up for.

[-Swag-]

why is it that nobody spells "queue" correctly?

Lack of Britishness.

[Ashina]

"Aid your allies by supporting them in combat through buffs, damage, and healing as required." If we don't need buffs or heals it's his fault not ours he can't fulfill the role he signed up for.

Support does not imply full dps role though. Not that I would personally sign up as support only, but I would never kick someone that didnt have a dps spec when he didnt sign up for a dps role. But then I dont treat dungeons as a chore to finish as fast as possible.

[the_real_seebs]

Take a healer that can put out 1k heals per second. Which is better supporting the group?

A.)Support playing a bard, healing for ~200hps (that the healer could have done because the tank is only taking ~500dps), and throwing out a handful of buffs that add 250dps to the 2 DPS in the group, for a total ~1kdps contribution.

B.) Switching to DPS since added heals aren't needed and doing 1k+ single target and 2-3k+ aoe dps?

Situation B also means the mobs die more quickly, which means less healing needs to be done, which is in effect added healing.

People keep proposing this, but in practice, I've never seen it happen that way -- I've always seen support's force multiplication matter more. I've also never seen anyone get yelled at for actually playing their assigned role competently.

Me, I have characters with no DPS specs.