Then I guess myself and one of my fellow guildmates will be 2 of the remaining Sorc Healers left in game. More phat lewtz for us.

You could just wait until 1.2 goes live on servers when a significantly larger number of people are playing with the changes and see what the feedback is and make the decision for yourself.

Honestly, I have run HM FP's - and Norm Op's specifically ignoring the use of Consumption to feel out my limits without it's use, and have not had the first issue with my force. Secondly, while running HM EV last night, I specifically minimized the use of Consumption for Force Regen - and kept the use of it to a max of 3 times during any encounter and still had little issue with Force. DI is not going to be useless, and if you are waiting until an emergency to use it to heal, then you're not using it correctly, and yes, most likely someone will die. I've used DI at it's full 2.3 second cast very successfully to keep people - even ones at low health - alive by using it as a proactive heal instead of reactive one.

Really, you're complaining about this? I would seriously consider playing something else then, maybe a good button masher.

Since the moderators have been every so busy and closed out your other thread, I decided to bring it here and yet again, post my 2 cents worth on your challenge - which I am guessing is how you tested the run yourself. First, a quoted copy of your challenge: Now lets examine this while taking into account the Patch Notes. FORCE BENDING Force Bending changes the behavior of 4 of your spells - Dark Heal, Dark Infusion, Innervate, and Revivification. They have only changed how Force Bending interacts with Dark Heal and Dark Infusion - but have not changed it's mechanics where Reviv and Innervate are concerned. Therefore, using Force Bending with those 2 spells is absolutely acceptable. DARK INFUSION The only condition here is that you ONLY USE IT WITHOUT FORCE BENDING. Dark Infusion is not being taken out of the game - it is still an acceptable and viable heal and open for use. The difference is you can no longer use it as a quick cast heal in conjunction with Force Bending. CONSUMPTION WITHOUT FORCE SURGE This is somewhat valid - but will cause misleading feedback on your force regen, and you are also having to take the 10 second, 25% regen reduction (per stack) along with the mana return. If anything, just don't use Consumption at all, which is still very possible to do in HM FP's and Norm Ops. CONCLUSION: There is a very valid reason why people are saying your "testing" method is faulty at best, and it's simply because you are ignoring mechanics that are not changing so of course running a HM will be next to impossible because you are depriving yourself of the use of spells that you should not be. no, Sorcs will not have that fast emergency heal anymore, but again, the feedback is still consistently saying that it comes down to a simple matter of changing your rotation. Feel free to refute me on that, but if you're going to do so, provide links to threads with comments from players currently on PTS specifically stating that Sorc's really are in a horrible state, and I will take it into consideration. No, the sky is not falling.

A good place to go and check for information on up coming patches is here, Public Test Server Forum: http://www.swtor.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=308 Most of what's there is currently PvE oriented, but I know there's been some PvP related material. Also, many of the posts they've been deleting/locking is resultant of people trolling or getting out of hand - or because there is an extreme number of threads all about the same topic.

This just in .... The sky is still falling. Someone really needs to turn Chicken Little into dinner.

Quote for me, from that Sage/Sorc post exactly where he states he had to stand next to the tank and boss at any time during the fight. Exactly how does my using the option to change the color of my text mean it makes it more important? It's there for everyone to use, so I'm using it. Nice little conspiracy theory you've got rolling around there. Also, I've yet to see all these posts you speak of on the PTS forums about how bad all this is. Maybe for once, take a moment to answer some of the questions people have put forth to you that support how your testing is even remotely accurate - let along all these sources of PTS information you're finding. You contradict yourself there because first you say that none of those "hand picked guilds" will say anything bad, yet you tell me to go to the test forums and read real reactions. Seriously, you sit here and tell me all this doom and gloom you see, but have as of yet to provide any supporting evidence of it that comes directly from PTS testers. Once you do that, I will take your view into consideration. I consider myself a reasonable vetern of MMO's and find it pointless to "RAGE" about changes. Sitting on a forum throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old doesn't make a bit of difference when I cannot provide the supporting information to justify why something is bad. The people running on the PTS are doing what I cannot do - testing the content, submitting their feedback, and I've seen multiple threads with some excellent suggestions on how to make small changes for the better. When we have the opportunity to copy characters over, I will be spending time testing changes on PTS and submitting my thoughts on it. Since I cannot test of PTS as of yet, I will have to wait to test the full changes for myself once patch 1.2 goes to the servers - I have no place to sit here and cry outrage and keep telling BW to change it back. I've seen plenty of feedback, and watched enough videos to be satisfied that the changes are not nearly as horrible as many have made it out to be. If, when I can judge the changes for myself I find something is lacking, I will submit my thoughts and suggestions TO BIOWARE, not just rant about how bad it is on the forums.

I'm glad to see that I am not the only one to find fault with the OP's "testing" and have already tried my hand at discussing this with him, despite that fact that he refuses to listen to anyone else...even though he has said the same to me. I quoted from a PTS server post on regarding Sorcs which was an excellent insight and he found it to confirm everything he believes and that Sorcs are ruined. The only negative is that entire post is that Sorcs don't have that fast emergency heal - and the only frustration he pointed out was in cancelling his DI frequently due to moving for mechanics. Here's the post for those interested, just scroll down a bit to see the post for Sage/Sorc: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=371377&page=2

LMAO! Wasn't referring to the Druid Nerfs - that's plain and simple druid playstyle and has been since the days of wrath. It's part of the class. GG on relinking the exact some post that I linked to - and the quote that I posted above on Sorc/Sage healing is from that very same thread. If you want to see the QQ and class is runined, those are your "Rose Colored Glasses" as I do not even remotely see anywhere in any of that post anything that says our class is ruined. Only that we lack the emergency heal. Its not a matter of you arguing with me, it's a matter of your lack of reading skills. Have fun, good luck on your possible re-roll. I will still be playing my Sorc just like I have until now post 1.2 and enjoying her all the same.

First, I don't "stand in the fire" so this would never happen. Again, healing should always be more proactive than reactive. If you are only reactive healing, then yes, you will have issues at some point or another. If you understand the mechanics, you can plan to use your consumption when it's safe to stand in an AOE heal out of harms way. Secondly, if you are consistently relying on emergency heals to save someone, I'd say the chance is extremely high that they are doing something they're not supposed to be doing, so basically you're healing stupid. Third, yes, they're in full Rakata gear - but they're also going into every encounter entirely blind to it's mechanics and having to learn them. Which results in having to use a high amount of emergency heals to pick people up. As you learn the mechanics, the fights get easier because people avoid what they're supposed to. I do not in the least think the nerf is over the top, game breaking, or going to turn my class into a "high priced crafter" as you put it. [/sarcasm]OMG! What ever will I do!!! Not everyone wants to run a Sorc healer anymore!! The HORROR!!! THE TRAGEDY!!![/end sarcasm] I don't care if my class is most popular. That has absolutely no bearing on my choice to play or not to play. If it means that other healers will now have more opportunity to find spots in Ops run, it's a good thing. I'd yet again, like to point out that I've spent more than enough time healing on a class with only 1 Emergency Type heal that had a 15 second CD on it - and at that on average healed for around only 20k health on someone averaging around 150k + and our next best big heal was on average a 2.3 second cast. I healed just fine and completed content without issue by being proactive. And last, at no point did the writer of the article say we're broken or screwed, or anything of the similar. Let me re-quote his summary for you:

What I see is you reading into what this poster said and taking away what you want to see. You're changing the content of his post to match what you want it to say. Yes, it's only one opinion, but so far, is the only one specifically written from PTS directly from an Ops run perspective. Yes, he said no emergency heal - However, he also stated that Sorcs are still more than capable of burst healing if done correctly and with adjustments to play style. Becoming a more proactive healer in place of only reactive. He also gave an opinion on how to best preserve that emergency heal which I'm sure has also been stated directly to BW, that's why they're on the PTS after all. And you're interpretation there of how it "really" reads is a laugh. Thanks for that, I needed one today. If using my consumption is going to require me to stand in someone else's AOE that's going to result in AOE damage from the boss, I'm not going to use it and put myself in a bad place. You use your abilities intelligently and when it's appropriate. Again, you balance your healing classes in your raid to compensate for the other's weak points. If it's a FP, and people are dying because they're standing in something they shouldn't be, then it's entirely their fault and they need to L2P.

Copied over from the following post on the PTS, Page 2 (8 man for new Ops) http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=371377

There is nothing wrong with people giving reasons why they're against the nerf, I've never had a problem with that, but after reading enough threads were the only thing put in them is "You're nerfing my class, you've ruined the game, I'm canceling my sub" it gets old. The problem with something like this is all of a sudden, a whole lot more people start freaking out and doing the same thing. The simple fact is I just wish more people would post logical reasons and explanations instead of carrying on about it. I honestly do not know which thread you speak of, so I'm lost on that. As for re-rolling another healer, I currently have both a BH Merc and IA Operative (mid-30's) that I've been leveling for a bit now with the intention to heal on both. I've immensely enjoyed the feel of all 3 healing classes. Plus, it benefits my guild by helping us to keep our raid in balance. I'm probably one of the few who enjoys changing it up. If they nerfed my favorite class so hard that it became unplayable, then yes, I would feel much the same as everyone else here and would be posting reasons and information to support why they were unplayable. However, the fact is, I do not know that these nerfs will be making my Sorc unplayable right now, so the only option I do have is to wait and see. When it the patch hits and I can play for myself I will then be able to formulate a better idea of how bad or not the changes truly are. Honestly, between myself and our other Sorc healer, we're not overly worried that these changes will be game breaking. It doesn't mean we are right and others are wrong. I don't have the knowledge to make that call. My initial issue with your post is not that you're trying it - it's simply that it is not an accurate way to test or an accurate representation of the changes. Maybe the changes don't bother me so much because of my play style. I don't use DI very often to begin with - and I've always primarily used FB for Reviv. On rare occasions I've used it with DI, and I know I will have to make some adjustments in that department, but for me personally, it will be minimum. At the end of the day, while some uproar is to be expected, I honestly don't believe it's nearly as horrible as it's been made out to be. If it is, then I will decide how I feel about it and respond accordingly.

I've made a few of my own generalize replies to the mass hysteria only to get called out for wearing "rose colored glasses" or being "too optimistic" ....

I never said they make secret changes - but I am aware that on any test server that they run the Dev's are consistently going in and making small tweaks and changes to certain factors to help further balance things that they have not yet confirmed for change. The Up coming Patch Notes are a statement of the CONFIRMED changes that they have already settled on making. Secondly, if they didn't post Patch notes, the same said community would be in an uproar because of the fact that they must be hiding something and still blow up over something. Either way, the community will be in an uproar. My point is that you cannot test Patch changes on current live servers. It's inaccurate at best. Yes, I'm "optimistic" because I'm not sitting here freaking out crying about how the "sky is falling" like many people. Most of the crying and reasons I have read are related to the fact that healing isn't going to be as "easy" as it has been, therefore, they're breaking the class. Lastly, as for not being a strong tank healer during higher damage - and still being able to keep your group alive, what comes to mind for me is (an I'm sorry for anyone who can't relate to the reference) beginning of Cataclysm and Resto Druids who couldn't keep their group and tank alive in Heroic's. Considering our main big heal was 2.5 secs and our fast small heal didn't heal for much and couldn't be spammed cause we'd burn our mana. We were an absolute joke in Heroics for quite sometime until the numbers were adjusted. We coped and the game continued on just like always.

Still doesn't fly here because the results are still inaccurate. Not every single change is listed in the Patch notes and there are potentially other small alterations that may have been implemented that can impact overall performance. You cannot make a fair judgement about the impact of changes by using the method you have used. The other issue here is that people who don't pay attention to what they are reading are going to potentially assume that this testing is a result coming from PTS. It still leads people to inaccurate information and conclusions. I would also like to put in the fact that in the cases of Ops - there should also be a reason to vary your healers - just as you vary your DPS and tanks - and typically, one healer is primary on tanks and the second primary on the rest of the group with a small amount of cross healing.

I too have also been following the phenomenon (and shaking my head at it) ... just trying to bring a bit of levity to the thread. ^.^

So what you're saying is you ran HM FP's on current live servers trying to imitate 1.2 patch changes? This is extremely flawed testing and will surely lead people to the wrong conclusion. Testing "Patch Changes" on a Live Server by not using certain abilities or only using them a certain way is going to give FALSE TEST RESULTS. There is a whole lot more in play here than just not using Consumption or not using FB for a DI cast. There are other changes involved that change the behavior of our other heals.

The sky is falling? I think I missed something important....Did it also turn Purple?

I'm not trying to be all rosey about it, just mostly neutral and not making sweeping assumption based on the changes for the simple fact that I have not tested it myself. It's also the same reason why I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other about the changes. I've been through many patches and game changes in MMO's and every time significant changes are announced , there is always outcry on the forums as to how bad those changes are. After those changes have gone live, the entire attitude changes. While many people are still unhappy about the changes, at the end of the day, you have some who quit, others who switch spec/reroll, and the majority of the players who continue to play as before and typically admit that the changes honestly were not that dire. So maybe my view is a bit off hand or "rosey" as you put it, but I'm also not going to freak out and make a big deal out of something that I can't confirm for myself.

I think you should re-read my post more closely because the example I gave on running a Norm EV and never running out of focus was done specifically WITHOUT USING CONSUMPTION. The simple fact is that if you're running as healer in anything with at gear leveled players (or even undergeared) and able to face roll your way through content without a second thought to your force, is a clear indication that you are too strong of a healer. Being able to ignore damage mechanics or not have to use CC in situations designed for CC use and still be able to heal through it and not once feel stressed or find yourself at your limits, means something is not in balance. Unless you over gear the content, you should always have resource management in the back of your mind and actively working to manage it correctly. While I am not on the PTS - I still utilize the forums and hunt for information, posts, and commentary on the changes from people playing with the changes to gauge the impact. So far, the bit of feedback I have found has said what I expected it to say - that the nerf is not really that massive of an impact and simply requires a bit attention on the part of the player to manage their resource properly.

You have to keep in mind the he likes displays of strength and dislikes any form of weakness. By you offering your aid or assistance to him is a sign of weakness for him to accept that help. Which means, by doing nothing and telling him to win his own battle, you're allowing him to display his strength, which is what he is all about.

Cause I'm going to believe that no MMO has EVER nerfed a healing class? Nerfs and Buffs to everyone come and go in any MMO to every single role type. Sorc/Sages were OP in some respects and needed to be adjusted. Just flat buffing the other healers to bring them in line would only create a bigger problem. Simple fact is that patch notes are subject to change (even if most times they don't) but are at the end of the day only a small piece of the overall picture. I have seen stated by Dev's that there are other changes made that are not written out in detail in the Patch notes that will change the effect of other mechanics. Expressing concern is one thing. Ranting, raving and claiming the death of healers based of the fact that you don't like an incoming change without having tested it for yourself on PTS is pointless and invalid.

Making a post detailing how a change will impact you buy using factual information (ie such as number crunching/PTS info) is one thing. Starting a post that is filled with commentary about how the changes are killing the class, destroying the game, making the class unplayable, etc without any supporting evidence should be closed an locked. I don't know what level of Ops you have healed through, but I myself have run Normals and some Hard mode and have yet to find myself struggling for force - and I am most definitely not always casting a heal from start to finish. There are always breathers in between bouts of damage that aid in regen. I have in fact, done a full run of EV Normal with only 1 piece of Tionese and 2 of Columi (rest was blue or Orange modded) gear without once using Consumption for regen and it wasn't until the very end of SoA that I started to borderline on running out of force.