Trevellian Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I was curious to see how the general impression was about having the healing tree in what is essentially a stealth/melee class? Personally I am still a bit undecided as my first thought is that a healer doesn't want to be anywhere near the combat and switching the healing tree with one of the sniper trees would be more logical - giving a better synergy with ranged healing and ranged damage and giving the operative a few more ranged option (would need a bit of a revamp of the trees as well though). *but* (and it's a big but) I am only a lowly lvl 23 Operative (and haven't tried a sniper build yet) so I don't know how a healing operative build plays out for group healing and general solo/duo play in the mid-high levels. So my question is basically: Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build and, if so, how has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception (if at all) of that combination of skills? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xontier Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 If you spec healing, your damage will absolutely blow. If you spec damage, your healing will suck. Ops (and snipers) have a finite amount of energy we can use safely before our utility goes to crap (IE: Don't let it below 60) and trying to worry about throwing in a bit of almost useless damage on top of healing simply isn't worth it. That, and we DO have rifle shot. Its ranged, and doesn't cost energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selais Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I've specced 26/11/3 and although there is a difference in damage when using a large amount of the heal tree instead of stealth tree it's certainly not incredibly noticable. I much prefer the huge amount of survivability and soloability that mostly heal spec with some in stealth tree gives. If you're using a crit/surge spec you'll more than put out enough damage to cover your own even with heal tree, and it makes questing and grouping and pvping that much better and more survivable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevellian Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 If you spec healing, your damage will absolutely blow. If you spec damage, your healing will suck. Ops (and snipers) have a finite amount of energy we can use safely before our utility goes to crap (IE: Don't let it below 60) and trying to worry about throwing in a bit of almost useless damage on top of healing simply isn't worth it. That, and we DO have rifle shot. Its ranged, and doesn't cost energy. Thanks for the respone Xontier, but it's not quite answering the question I had asked - I am aware that speccing for healing specifically would reduce damage options and vice versa, and that we do have some ranged attacks (rifle shot, grenades etc), perhaps I was a bit long-winded in my OP, I'll try and repeat the question in a more concise format: Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build - as opposed to a more traditional ranged build - and, if so, has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception of that combination of skills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMKobold Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build - as opposed to a more traditional ranged build - and, if so, has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception of that combination of skills? Not that much. My first character in WoW was a druid. And the first iteration of that class made only healing viable, but I quested as cat. I didn't level als full Healer but got lacerate and then proceeded to put talent points into the medic tree. The combination though is even more awesome than I expected, restealthing as Healer opens a whole new world. Paired with an easy transition of stealth, healing and damage, I had a lot of fun. The only thing for PvE: Sometimes it is advisable to heal from range, to reduce incoming damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phated Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) Your healing doesn't require you to be in melee range. You have as much range as any other healer if that's what you decide to do. As someone else mentioned, you can't effectively heal as a dps spec and you can't really dps as a healer, so the class's dps mechanics/range make little to no difference for healing. Personally I think it's a pretty nice little perk that I can play the class I want and still have the option to respec heals if needed for a group. Makes me feel a little more useful than if I was just playing a "rogue" class. Edited January 4, 2012 by Phated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucubration Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) I leveled up using a hybrid medic/concealment spec, which ended up as a 25/13/3. It of course never tops the (non-existent) DPS charts, but it picks up what I consider the most important healing talents and still gives you some melee utility with Lacerate. Having a blast with it in warzones now; it's very survivable for an Operative and I play it as a primary healer, but it has some teeth to help deal with those persistent annoyances who latch onto you and won't leave you alone. The largest flaw is the same one as was intentionally built into the Operative class as a whole: no sprints, leaps, or pulls to get you towards or away from the action. Stealth can be useful for utility, but honestly unless I'm camping a node I don't use it much; I'm always in the fight, cleaning up after a fight, keeping up with the ball carrier, etc. It's fairly survivable for an Operative, mostly because of the instant casts that let you reliably maintain some basic level of healing in while under fire. Also, Surgical Probe spam when low on health is awesome to get you around that corner and out of LOS so you can sit and cast nuke heals on yourself. In reflection, I'm glad it's more melee-centric than ranged simply because it changes your mindset while healing or soloing or whatever. Unlike most other healers I've played, I don't have this gut-level aversion to finding myself in melee range with an enemy, even one with a lightsaber or what have you. Mind you, it's not advisable most of the time, and certainly cause for concern when some Op or Assassin decides you'd make a nice pincushion, but you have many of the same tools to deal them as they have against you: basic melee attack, combo melee attack, backstab, snare, vanish, stun, flashbang, etc. The difference is that you have lower damage but higher effective health due to healing. The spec seems perfectly adequate for dungeons, but I haven't yet hit a hard mode or operation so I can only speculate. Edited January 4, 2012 by Lucubration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Bad_B Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Personally I think it's a pretty nice little perk that I can play the class I want and still have the option to respec heals if needed for a group. Makes me feel a little more useful than if I was just playing a "rogue" class. Hehe. I see it more the other way around - being able to put out some respectable damage up close makes me feel a little more useful than if I was just playing a "healer" class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrekorSilverfang Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build - as opposed to a more traditional ranged build - and, if so, has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception of that combination of skills? Not surprised. The combination of skills isn't really what you think it is considering as a healing op you actually have more damage skills from range then you do in melee. You can basically attack at any range depending on your whim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arrys Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build - as opposed to a more traditional ranged build - and, if so, has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception of that combination of skills? It's alot like playing a WoW druid at release with much better melee and CC options + a pet and the ability to seamlessly switch between healing and damage. No it wasn't surprising yes it is well implemented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinemetu Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Whether I heal from range or up close depends entirely on the situation. While leveling, medics' damage is not inconsequential, and it can be helpful to get up close and switch between healing and dps. Not every pull requires much healing at low levels. Even for bosses, it can be handy to be in melee range so you can use the odd shiv for TA. In PvP, it's similar. Sometimes it's best to heal from a safe distance--out of sight, out of mind--and other times it's better to be up close where you can quickly help finish a player or throw out a stun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jooji Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I'm an operative healer, level 52 valor so I've done a lot of warzones. Stealth is pretty worthless as an Op healer. Vanish is garbage for us. We put out great healing but our lack of utility really hurts us in huttball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreasus Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I am thinking about this specc: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#401rffMzhokzZMIMMd0M.1 I think for PvP it is pretty useful for playing in small groups. I am able to heal quite good and in close combat I am not a victim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GengisKahn Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) I was curious to see how the general impression was about having the healing tree in what is essentially a stealth/melee class? Personally I am still a bit undecided as my first thought is that a healer doesn't want to be anywhere near the combat and switching the healing tree with one of the sniper trees would be more logical - giving a better synergy with ranged healing and ranged damage and giving the operative a few more ranged option (would need a bit of a revamp of the trees as well though). *but* (and it's a big but) I am only a lowly lvl 23 Operative (and haven't tried a sniper build yet) so I don't know how a healing operative build plays out for group healing and general solo/duo play in the mid-high levels. So my question is basically: Was anyone else surprised to see the IA healing tree appear in a melee/stealth build and, if so, how has your levelling of a healing operative changed your perception (if at all) of that combination of skills? Cheers Even when some melee skills do more damage than your ranged ones, i find i have a lot more results as a medic attacking mobs with mid-range and ranged skills. The only tree in operative that is a stealth melee spec and cant be played otherwise is concealment, with medic and lethality you will want to play mid-range. Shiv and backstab might confuse you to think meleeing is better. From testing in the field, my results were better from ranged (meaning i can kill more "hard" pulls, for irrelevant pulls melee is probably better since you kill a little faster). I leveled in a full healer spec. Edited January 5, 2012 by GengisKahn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinemetu Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I'm an operative healer, level 52 valor so I've done a lot of warzones. Stealth is pretty worthless as an Op healer. Vanish is garbage for us. We put out great healing but our lack of utility really hurts us in huttball. We may not have a pull or knockback, but if you think we don't have any pvp utility you're on crack. Flashbang is great for giving the ball carrier breathing space, debilitate is a great stopping tool, and crippling throw or whatever it's called is very handy for slowing people without having to stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanisUDL Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I am thinking about this specc: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#401rffMzhokzZMIMMd0M.1 I think for PvP it is pretty useful for playing in small groups. I am able to heal quite good and in close combat I am not a victim. Find a way to put a single point in the following talents: Revitalizers Waylay Energy Screen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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