Leave the healers alone, they need encouragement.

[Dvander]

It's bad ethics when to balance a game, developers choose to hit the healing population mercilessly. It is absolutely stage 3 - game is in emergency - knee jerk reaction - band aid solution - or an act of complete lack of empathy towards your players base, and community as a whole.

 

Let me explain why.

 

Healing by itself, is a thankless job. During our mmo lives, we as players, have to live with many tunes, we understand that - but when healers are hit so hard as you just hit them, it is a usually during an expansion when all classes are changed, design philosophy changes, AND all classes are given new skills. This is not the case here. Nothing has changed, except the introduction of rated warzones.

 

So, going back to healing being a thankless job, you get aspect number two. Who are these players that play healers? Being the thankless, stressful job that it is? It is your most dedicated player base. The ones that hold the community together. It is the number one driving force in the dynamics of guilds. Healers, believe it or not, have the toughest job out there. It used to be tanks, but that was 3 or so years ago, when they used to be the most dedicated - and a good tank, a dedicated tank, was worth an entire guild roster.

 

Which brings me to the last point.

 

Healers don't reroll. They are so crushed, so passionate, when they get hit - or in this case, gutted, that all their enthusiasm, passion for the game suffers in the tremendous investment they have put into their class. A dps class will always be more lenient towards the aspect of tunes in chasing that all important highest crit or aoe damage or most damage, it is always an evolving process that by its nature takes them through different builds, different classes, chasing that high which a dps class by nature provides. Healers have a different dynamic. They only care about keeping their group alive, so when they get gutted, it really really hits home hard for them. And, it hurts everyone.

 

When a dps gets tuned, well, that's life, but when healers get an across the board slaughter in order to balance pvp, that is the most callous thing you can do to your community and I hope you understand that.

 

You can always buff dps, give them new toys, different ways to handle healers - which is usually done by locking one down and focusing/interrupting them or just bursting them once their big cool downs have expired. But going after the healers is just wrong.

 

You can't sit there with a bunch of numbers, and try to balance the game, especially an area like pvp, because like it or not, most players that pvp are not very good - they don't understand how to kill a healer. They don't understand bursting a healer down, they don't understand HOW and WHEN to interrupt them and FORCE said healer to blow their most important cooldowns, and once they expire, FOCUS them down. That is how it's done. If that's not possible in swtor, then you planned your dps classes wrong, but to gut the healers and do this to them without even prior warning is the lowest of the low, and one of the worst things you can do in a game just because by definition, a healer is ranked as a "healbot" for a reason - they don't get much respect from any players especially the dps focused ones and are expected to heal, heal, and then heal some more - thanklessly. And when they fail, the answer is - yo dude where's my heal. It's the life of a healer. Why you would make their jobs even more UNFUN is beyond me.

 

So you give out all these nice toys, like legacy, but guess what, it's only the dps players who will enjoy these new toys. The healers are left in bewilderment, and I think a large part of their community is in a state of shock right now. You will lose a lot of subscriptions if these changes are not re-thought.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Dvander

[Kulthiron]

Amazing finally some understanding, I am one of those people who have been playing a healer in every MMo I have ever played and decided to do the same in this one I have stuck with a specc that relegates me to doing zero damage and focus entirely on healing and I love it.

 

Healing is long standing passion of mine, and you are absolutely right these changes left me down all weekend and I felt absolutely gutted they decided listening to DPS so entitled that they feel they dont need any skill to beat us it should just be a default win.

 

Its always fun to get a new item as a PvP healer, ahh nice 10 more power oh wait, its actually 7 since we have a permanent mortal strike in PvP cool stuff. I can deal with Trauma but these nerfs are so over the top that its ridicolous.

 

I think I speak for most healers in PvP(Dont really do PvE in this game) when I say that we work our asses off to keep our allies alive, and its sad to say but if this patch goes live I think Swtor will hit my shelf of failed MMOs.

[ShadowAxx]

Thank you for the post.

 

It's bad enough I felt like I made the wrong choice going as a BH/Merc, largely due to playing a Sorc in beta and feeling like I needed a change.

 

Trying to heal as a BH/Merc was never OP. Even in PvP, it was team tactics that benefit healers not the healers themselves. So even after this nerf, good teams are still going to roll over the QQ PvP players , who are likely at the root of this change.

 

I, like many other healers, have unsubscribed from SWToT tonight. If these changes go live in patch 1.2 I will not resubscribe. I will not roll another toon, I will not switch to DPS. I will accept the fact that BioWare does not care about me, other healers or the player base in general.

 

It's a sad day for SWToR.

 

ShadowAxx

The Swiftsure

Edited March 19, 2012 by ShadowAxx

[Etilrellim]

I am with you there as well. I know PTS notes are not final but come on give me a break. People who are bad at PVP and can't kill a healer is not our fault. There is no reason to take the nerf bat to us because perhaps they are not good enough to kill a healer or you did not give them the mechanics or burst to kill us.

[Frisemort]

Thanks for your post.

 

BW please if you so concerned about baddies not able to kill us in PvP, i'll make a video explaining them how to do it but don't kneejerk like that.

[LopmaRibar]

I'll be re-speccing from Seer to Telekinesis once 1.2 goes live.

[wrotruck]

I'll be re-speccing from Seer to Telekinesis once 1.2 goes live.

 

I won't be re-specing... I'll be shelving. My healer will just sit and I'll run a tank. That way I won't have to worry about getting flamed and I can offer support & understanding to the people who contiune to heal.

 

It will be a real shame it this patch goes live as is. Healers are difficult to find and good ones are near impossible. These changes are only going to increase that shortage and push away players who would think about trying it.

[Flain]

The changes on paper don't look good I agree, but it might be helpful to have someone comment who is currently healing in patch 1.2 in the new flashpoint etc... see what they have to say on how they have found it.

[Pixel-Pusher]

I'm sure little to no dps read these forums (especially the ones who qq-ed about healers in pvp) but I'll bring it up anyways. Next time you finish a warzone hover your mouse over the death count numbers, it will show you the damage player has taken over the course of the fight.

 

What you'll notice quite consistently and especially in pre-made groups is that people that take the most damage aren't tanks or the dps, it's the healers.

 

So next time you think healers are healing for too much, take a look at how much damage they took. More than half of that healing they had to perform on themselves. That percentage is actually quite higher in pre-made groups despite the peels, tank's taunts and guards.

 

I can only imaging how bad things will be in rated warzones, because I'll be long unsubscribed by then.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Pixel-Pusher

[Daize]

Oh the humanity! ...

Gimme a break, thankless job, rofl.

Its thanked often, and if you don't like it, roll dps. As to the rest, I'll wait 'n see.

[Frisemort]

So next time you think healers are healing for too much, take a look at how much damage they took. More than half of that healing they had to perform on themselves. That percentage is actually quite higher in pre-made groups despite the peels, tank's taunts and guards.

 

This.

 

I am almost always target number one in a WZ and usually take more damages than anyone else.

[Retro-]

In response to your post,

 

I see two sides to this situation. As an advid pvper myself, I see healing as an issue in wz's to the point of absurdity. That being said...

 

I don't understand why there can't be a buffer of sorts put in for pvp to reducing healing, im sure something could be figured out.

 

I do sympathize with those who are PVE die hards especially healers, since the job is difficult and strenious as it is to keep your friends alive during crazy insane battles.

 

as long as "balance" is attempted I don't see any true solution for any mmo.

 

perhaps a solution should be to have 2 tree specs available to all classes and completely suspend healing in pvp, that is quite insane but so is trying to balance an mmo.

[CaptainApop]

 

I don't understand why there can't be a buffer of sorts put in for pvp to reducing healing, im sure something could be figured out.

 

 

Trauma is already in the game.

[Kihra]

The changes on paper don't look good I agree, but it might be helpful to have someone comment who is currently healing in patch 1.2 in the new flashpoint etc... see what they have to say on how they have found it.

 

Level 50 Sawbones... I healed the new flashpoint just fine, but then again, my class got nothing but buffs.

[Doki]

Level 50 Sawbones... I healed the new flashpoint just fine, but then again, my class got nothing but buffs.

 

Not true (at least from a PvP perspective):

 

Lethality now increases critical chance by 1% per point. (2% shaved off Crit)

Razor Edge now increases Shiv damage by 4% per point. (4% shaved off my TA generating damage skill)

Inclement Conditioning is now a 2-point skill. (Endurance down by 2%)

 

PvE, you probably don't care. PvP, this is an issue.

[RuQu]

Oh the humanity! ...

Gimme a break, thankless job, rofl.

Its thanked often, and if you don't like it, roll dps. As to the rest, I'll wait 'n see.

 

It is perhaps not thankless, but pretty much everything else he said was true.

 

The mentality behind healers is different.

 

DPS want to kill things, and they want to kill them fast. Ideally, they want to be faster than the other classes. Tuning and changes will always shift who is #1, and DPS classes are used to that.

 

Healers don't tend to compete, they cooperate. "Ill cover MT, you take OT, Bob has the Raid group." "X is on CD, can you cover the tank?" "I can't reach Joe." "I've got him." The numbers don't matter if they are close, only if they are such that one class blows the others away (like pre-1.2 Sages). So long as people aren't dying, I don't care if the other healer can do 5% more burst HPS.

 

You nerf my healing and people who didnt die before start dying. That makes healers sad. Sad healers stop playing, or reroll DPS (many dont enjoy DPS though and only heal). Without healers you don't raid. Without raids, DPS switch guilds or leave the game...eventually guild/game dies.

[Crayonn]

lol I love healing and thats why I do it. I'm not rerolling roles but might go sorc and keep my merc and scoundrel as alts :/

[moman]

Good sir! As a devout man of the virtual cloth, the Gaming God's have smiled upon you this day!

 

I agree with every word spoken here, as I'm sure does every other healer. And your bit about these changes being a last minute panic, you just now, were able to formulate my thoughts into words.

 

/signed

 

Us healers are normally a pretty laid back, go with the flow bunch (we simply have to be) group of people. All we want to do is heal. That is it. A few changes to our class? Sure, why not? But full force gutting? How can you not expect to get a reaction from us?

[Acherom]

It is perhaps not thankless, but pretty much everything else he said was true.

 

The mentality behind healers is different.

 

DPS want to kill things, and they want to kill them fast. Ideally, they want to be faster than the other classes. Tuning and changes will always shift who is #1, and DPS classes are used to that.

 

Healers don't tend to compete, they cooperate. "Ill cover MT, you take OT, Bob has the Raid group." "X is on CD, can you cover the tank?" "I can't reach Joe." "I've got him." The numbers don't matter if they are close, only if they are such that one class blows the others away (like pre-1.2 Sages). So long as people aren't dying, I don't care if the other healer can do 5% more burst HPS.

 

You nerf my healing and people who didnt die before start dying. That makes healers sad. Sad healers stop playing, or reroll DPS (many dont enjoy DPS though and only heal). Without healers you don't raid. Without raids, DPS switch guilds or leave the game...eventually guild/game dies.

 

+1

 

I've only started browsing the forums with news of these changes; but I'm a career healer. (Across multiple games)

 

The sage changes are generally quite frightening from both a PvP and PvE perspective.

 

PvE; how am I going to recoup that 15% health per NS? Especially in instances where group wide damage occurs? Perhaps I'll just have to drop NS from the bars; but then where do I get force return from? The static 8 per second and that is all; deal with it?

 

I've not done hard-mode raids; to many of my friends already lost interest in the game and moved on before we could complete them. (I'm still looking for a new guild.) But it seemed to me that unless the DPS were avoiding all possible avoidable damage in standard heroics; I would have to multi-target heal. Multi-target healing is very, very resource intensive. Especially when people don't realize the shiny gold circle is where you need to stand to live. My core worry is burst damage (because of losing the 1-second off cast time on the only heal worth casting, I haven't had the quick expensive heal on the bar since I learned the slower one) and longevity. How can I keep going without a return mechanic?

 

PvP; I just don't understand how a sage is going to be able to heal PvP after this change. Not like its exactly easy now; with the interrupts and focusing I receive by virtue of being known as a healer. At this point it is already, "I've been spotted; run for my life until they forget me!" or be slaughtered by any competent dps who jumps at me. Currently if you take large chunks of damage the maneuver to survive is back-to-back long cast heals with the -1 second cast time buff from our HoT. (This is 2 4k+ heals in about 3 seconds) Rather then just correct the double-dip on the buff they change the mechanic completely. Now in that same time frame I'll get off 1 heal, at most.

 

My question to the dps out there: How fast can you do 4K damage? Less then 3 seconds? Congratulations; you're out dpsing me without interrupts.

[ShadowAxx]

It is perhaps not thankless, but pretty much everything else he said was true.

 

The mentality behind healers is different.

 

DPS want to kill things, and they want to kill them fast. Ideally, they want to be faster than the other classes. Tuning and changes will always shift who is #1, and DPS classes are used to that.

 

Healers don't tend to compete, they cooperate. "Ill cover MT, you take OT, Bob has the Raid group." "X is on CD, can you cover the tank?" "I can't reach Joe." "I've got him." The numbers don't matter if they are close, only if they are such that one class blows the others away (like pre-1.2 Sages). So long as people aren't dying, I don't care if the other healer can do 5% more burst HPS.

 

You nerf my healing and people who didnt die before start dying. That makes healers sad. Sad healers stop playing, or reroll DPS (many dont enjoy DPS though and only heal). Without healers you don't raid. Without raids, DPS switch guilds or leave the game...eventually guild/game dies.

 

You know who typically says thank you after a raid for a good healing job, another healer. Even in my own guild, the most feedback I ever get as a healer is when something goes wrong, and the feedback isn't a pat on the back.

 

I have DPS members who think they are tanks, members who don't know how to avoid a BOSS attack, members who won't come to the AOE, and while the tank/DPS might be smashing buttons to burn down a mob or boss, it's the healers who are sweating bullets because they know they are falling behind.

 

I already fall behind on some stuff and get killed myself because of healing others. And let's be honest, the loss of a single member of an 8 man will usually tip the scales and cause the team to fail to burn down a boss before the rage timer trips.

 

To Daize, why don't you just be quiet unless you have something positive to contribute.

 

BTW... since unsubscribing last night, I have received no contact from BioWare or no retention effort. This probably explains why there have been so many lost players. BioWare support is just as dysfunctional at trying to retain members as they are at other aspects of servicing the game.

 

I also sent an email to customer support and have only received the auto bot response.

Edited March 19, 2012 by ShadowAxx

[moman]

Oh the humanity! ...

Gimme a break, thankless job, rofl.

Its thanked often, and if you don't like it, roll dps. As to the rest, I'll wait 'n see.

 

Actually no. Read these 2 articles:

 

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=265322

 

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=365304

[Xaearth]

I also sent an email to customer support and have only received the auto bot response.

 

At least it isn't the standard decepti-dev response.

 

Then again, they probably need more time to translate that one into the other languages so everyone can be equally trolled in their native language.

[Felioats]

 

Which brings me to the last point.

 

Healers don't reroll. They are so crushed, so passionate, when they get hit - or in this case, gutted, that all their enthusiasm, passion for the game suffers in the tremendous investment they have put into their class.

 

Quoting this for emphasis.

 

And yeah, on another note, PvPing as a healer just isn't worth it. You're target #1, people suck at protecting you (and how can they when you get focus-fired so often?), and you seldom have the tools to escape or defend yourself. Basically, if someone attacks you, you are dead.

 

I think developers sort of tend to think of the healer as the dweeb you can push around, and they'll just take it. Their needs aren't as important as anyone else's. They'll put up with it. They must be kind of weirdos anyway, right? I mean, healing? Who understands those people anyway?

 

I'm still waiting for the "twist on healing" Jake Neri promised us in an IGN interview pre-release. So far, we're all just staring at health bars.

[Mysticjbyrd]

Yah I will probably just quit. The game isn't that amazing anyways....just a poor wow knockoff. I wouldn't of even bought it if my friend didnt pressure me into it.

 

Worst $100 I ever spent.

[RuQu]

Quoting this for emphasis.

 

And yeah, on another note, PvPing as a healer just isn't worth it. You're target #1, people suck at protecting you (and how can they when you get focus-fired so often?), and you seldom have the tools to escape or defend yourself. Basically, if someone attacks you, you are dead.

 

I think developers sort of tend to think of the healer as the dweeb you can push around, and they'll just take it. Their needs aren't as important as anyone else's. They'll put up with it. They must be kind of weirdos anyway, right? I mean, healing? Who understands those people anyway?

 

I'm still waiting for the "twist on healing" Jake Neri promised us in an IGN interview pre-release. So far, we're all just staring at health bars.

 

You didn't see the twist? It was in the patch notes.