Learning to heal through PVP

[terk-was-here]

I'm looking for some tips on healing in PVP. I've played a lot of MMO's over the years and have always been drawn to melee damage and tanking roles, and have a good handle on that particular playstyle and feel confident in my ability to learn how to do those things if I roll up a new character with a new playstyle. Healing, on the other hand, is foreign to me and I also haven't played a lot of ranged classes over the years. My first reaction when I see a bad guy is to run toward them in order to dispatch them and it's taken a while to even break that particular habit.

 

The server I play on is not very populated, so practicing healing in FP's and Heroics while questing is not really an option. Here are some of the issues I've run across (at level 29 at the moment, full Medic) and I'm hoping some of you with more experience can help me out.

 

1.) Every match puts the Republic at a numerical disadvantage (6 on 8, 7 on 8) and there are a few panty-waist quitters who leave when they see this, which only makes the problem worse. This isn't specific to commandos, of course, but it doesn't make things easier. What types of players should I focus on healing when we're short-handed to at least give us a chance?

 

2.) Dealing with being focused... at my level, my options include my 2 minute cooldown shield and my AOE knockback. Do we ever get another snare or escape ability of any kind?

 

3.) The UI and lack of mouseover abilities... I've done as much as I can to put the team's health bars somewhere easy to reach but the targeting still seems clunky and slow. Is it faster to just try to click actual players on the battlefield?

 

4.) Lack of other players guarding and peeling. I can't control how other players play, but it seems like this kind of awareness is sorely lacking. I don't want to be that guy who berates teammates in chat but what kind of things can I do gameplay-wise to encourage people to do a better job of this? It's especially frustrating when the same people that aren't helping to keep the other team off me are the ones complaining that they aren't getting heals when they're jumping into the middle of 3 sorcerers and doing their best lightning rod impression.

 

 

(I'm used to this kind of verbal abuse and accompanying tactical stupidity from years of tanking randoms in WoW so I've grown kind of numb to it... Sometimes you tank the boss, sometimes you tank the mobs, and other times you tank the rest of the group.)

 

5.) Supercharge usage - best to use as frequently as possible, or best to save for when it's needed? I like this mechanic but forget to activate it as often as I feel I should so I'm working on that.

 

6.) Switching to DPS mode... when the team isn't taking a lot of damage, what abilities are actually worthwhile to help go on the offensive? Sticky grenade seems lackluster, as does Full Auto. Is it just straight-up CB spam and hammer shot to keep ammo decent?

 

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Doomsdaycomes]

Hey there,

 

Play a BH Merc, not a commando, but they're the same design.

 

For all your questions about team mates, the only real answer is: Run with a group. Unfortunately there is no good way to get team mates to work better together other than to know the people you're fighting with. I'm a decent healer, but when it comes to PuG Pvp teams, there isn't really anything that can be done. Either they're good, or they suck.

 

Focus Fire wise, one of the best thing you can do it Line of Sight your attackers and heal yourself. Try to use your small heal first, as often times your enemy will intterupt (And make it unusable for a short time after.) Then you can use your bigger heal. Also remember you AoE heal is an instant cast, so shoot that sucker at your feet. It may seem pointless to heal yourself, but often times if you're the one being FF'ed, your team mates aren't taking damage.

 

You also want to use your shield often and your knock back, as well as your stun and CC ability.

 

Supercharged gas is an ability I use in combat when my heat/ammo is about half. If you don't use it, you're wasting getting charges from your heals. It also procs several useful abilities on all your heals that are being wasted when your team is fighting.

 

Once more, nothing to be done about being able to select friendlies better till Bioware fixes it.

 

Target priorities for me go as (assuming they're being attacked):

 

 

1. Objective Holder (Huttball)

2. Me

3. Other healers

4. Dps

5. Tanks

 

If you're dead, you can't heal. Other healers will also keep either you or others alive. This list is not static, and depends often on how hurt your team mates are. If another healer is about 60% and a Dps is 30% Save the Dps. If one healer is already healing the objective holder, either keep him up or keep the healer up. However, the objective carrier and you are usually your highest priority.

 

Good Luck!