Three simple fixes to put healers back on equal footing with dps.

[ColdLogic]

Note: I am a lvl 29 fully specced Combat Medic and these are just my humble opinions. I mostly think these are balanced, but healing needs a few tweeks to bring it up to par.

 

More instant cast healing abilities, mobility is an issue. (Until we can stack alacrity gear)

Fix the UI not updating when raid members are taking damage. (Single biggest issue atm)

Increased stun/cc/knockback protection. (Healers get tossed around like rag dolls)

 

 

These three simple fixes would increase the effectiveness of healers tremendously.

 

P.S. for Commandos, take away the giant green beam for hammershot healing. It is not tactically savvy and just says to the entire enemy team, "hey! I'm over here healing, come smash my face in!"

Edited December 24, 2011 by ColdLogic

[Nykes]

Find a tank, tell him to guard you and the only fix you will need is with the UI.(peels if you have no tank friends)

 

Seriously healers are now like everyone else and need assistance from other players, you are a support, try to act like one.

 

If healers are totally self sustainable they become unbalanced in small gang pvp.(Resto druids in season 2) No class in the game can be an unstoppable killing/healing machine, every class needs a counterpart to really shine (yes even sorcs/sages need help), this is a team based game and a damn good one at that.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Nykes

[ColdLogic]

Find a tank, tell him to guard you and the only fix you will need is with the UI.(peels if you have no tank friends)

 

 

I don't think you understand the severe mobility issues we have in pvp atm. I do run with a tank vanguard & a dps commando usually, and yes... guard is wonderful. Outside of a perfect group scenario, healers do need a little love... they are a bit lackluster if your team is incompetent. If you're a dps, you are far more useful with an incompetent team.

Edited December 24, 2011 by ColdLogic

[Nykes]

Actually, I do, this is coming from someone who plays a melee class (sentinel), you have plenty of mechanics to kite melee and the maps offer plenty of cover for LoS. You really just need team mates to help you, without them you will die, the same as I will die without heals or guard.

 

Edit: You also bring alot more to the table being a healer(most classes have hardly any self sustain) if your team is incompetent, it is the same as if you were a dps and your team is incompetent, you lose.

 

Since the dps in this game is not very bursty, it is alot harder to carry the game as a dps, it is much more based around teamwork.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Nykes

[-kobie-]

Since the dps in this game is not very bursty, it is alot harder to carry the game as a dps, it is much more based around teamwork.

 

Someone needs to hammer this into the average Republic player's head TOOTSWEET

[ColdLogic]

Since the dps in this game is not very bursty, it is alot harder to carry the game as a dps, it is much more based around teamwork.

 

 

I've noticed plenty of burst with inquis type classes, they can deliver attacks at a much faster pace than I can heal. Especially their channeled abilities which are not cut off when you los behind a corner.

 

Healers cannot dominate a warzone, but dps can.

Edited December 24, 2011 by ColdLogic

[Zeromentor]

I've noticed plenty of burst with inquis type classes, they can deliver attacks at a much faster pace than I can heal. Especially their channeled abilities which are not cut off when you los behind a corner.

 

Healers cannot dominate a warzone, but dps can.

 

Inq's are suppose to do that.

It's up to you to heal the guy trying to guard you from those nasty healer-killers.

[ColdLogic]

Inq's are suppose to do that.

It's up to you to heal the guy trying to guard you from those nasty healer-killers.

 

There is a reason why 80% of the team rolls inquis dps, and it's not because healing is on par, they know a halfway decent inquis can totally dominate a healer, there is a marginal skill threshold for healers. At our best, we still look mediocre, even if we top charts.

Edited December 24, 2011 by ColdLogic

[DwaneDibbley]

/shoooooo

get lvl 50 and gear up expertise stuff, then consider QQing again.

[Zeromentor]

There is a reason why 80% of the team rolls inquis dps, and it's not because healing is on par, they know a halfway decent inquis can totally dominate a healer, there is a marginal skill threshold for healers. At our best, we still look mediocre, even if we top charts.

 

Bring a Sage and either a Gunslinger or DPS Commando. Any of those, combined with just about any class, can counter up to 2 Inqs at once, excluding player skill.

 

Sith Sorcs are healers or heavy ranged DPS with annoying CCs and escapes. Assassins are heavy melee damage and stealth. One is countered easily with a good gunslinger, the other is countered by a good vanguard (which the OP has, correct?).

 

Healing is fine. They just need to fix UI bugs so it can shine more without the healer having to do something strange, like manually look for the player recieving a beatdown. You know, like a tank has to.

[Husanak]

Commandos are not meant to be able to run 100% of the time firing off ranged attacks and instant cast heals. This is a game of rock paper scissor. If you are playing an Oft healing class like the commando you will be forced to stand still to heal making you a good target for a melee class. (ranged classes would be shooting at you moving or not).

 

Against a group of all ranged pulling up the rear and casting some heals will not be a problem. If the group your attacking has a melee class that focuses on the healers (Which is what they should be doing) yes they may be a good challenge.

 

There are a couple insta cast heals in the game... they are skill tree heals you must spec. (trading dmg of course). They are weaker heals in general volume wise. (as they should be).

 

The game is working as its designed, I think the BW balance guys have put some very good thought into it. One Tank + One Healer is powerful but not Overpowered. Keep in mind we are only really into the first few days of the game. Give people some time to understand the mechanics... yes the heal classes in general are weak vs melee as they can't kite heal. Knowing that... stay away from the melee class, when possible, have your friends focus the melee guys first when needed.

[Knifewrench]

Healers dominate when with someone who can shut down the attacking DPS and kill them while you spam heals.

 

Too many people want healers to be like they were in WoW. Instant casts, infinite mana, no way to lock them down without a cast going off that restores more HP than they can burn back down. A healer should not be able to hold off one DPS if they're unprotected. What's the point of DPS'ing if you can't kill anything getting topped off and you can't heal or mitigate?

[Jarfunkz]

Note: I am a lvl 29 fully specced Combat Medic and these are just my humble opinions. I mostly think these are balanced, but healing needs a few tweeks to bring it up to par.

 

More instant cast healing abilities, mobility is an issue. (Until we can stack alacrity gear)

Fix the UI not updating when raid members are taking damage. (Single biggest issue atm)

Increased stun/cc/knockback protection. (Healers get tossed around like rag dolls)

 

 

These three simple fixes would increase the effectiveness of healers tremendously.

 

P.S. for Commandos, take away the giant green beam for hammershot healing. It is not tactically savvy and just says to the entire enemy team, "hey! I'm over here healing, come smash my face in!"

 

What? Really? I think you are playing your profession all wrong. Healers do a ton of damage, why? Crit, surge, expertise, and power all effect healing as well as damage potential.

 

I think you may have problems pressing buttons.

[ColdLogic]

A healer should not be able to hold off one DPS if they're unprotected.

 

Yes they should. If an incredibly skilled healer can barely keep himself alive against one average joe dps (and by average I mean fairly competent), something needs to be marginally tweaked, skill should always triumph. If you keep healing in a purely situational limelight you will see the number of healers drop even further because dps has more flexibility in their usefulness.

Edited December 24, 2011 by ColdLogic

[Malaix]

field medic commandos take a really long time to get get good at healing which is one thing I dont think many people understand about them. They are very talent dependant. If you want my advise stick to gunnery or assault until at least level 30 or so, maybe even 40.

[Husanak]

Yes they should. If an incredibly skilled healer can barely keep himself alive against one average joe dps (and by average I mean fairly competent), something needs to be marginally tweaked, skill should always triumph. If you keep healing in a purely situational limelight you will see the number of healers drop even further because dps has more flexibility in their usefulness.

 

Again people need some time to understand what Bio has tried to build here. This is not a classic heal tank type game. EVERY healer class in this game also has access to almost the same dmg potential as the DPS classes. The idea being that you are not intended to be able to play 90% heal defense. A well played commando will be able to take down an attacking DPS player by using a good DPS / Heal role.

 

There are people still trying to play the "Healer" role in this game and Bio has basicly done away with it. There are no pure healers in this game. The commando is not intended to be a a toon that runs around doing nothing but healing. In a pitched one on one I would expect the commando to do well by kiting and doing DMG... stopping to cast 1.5-3 second heals when they get themselves into a good position from which too do it.

 

Having too think ahead a few seconds while playing... I know crazy concept right. Why isn't this game just more mouse turn and button mash. lol

[dingoperson]

Just coming from a game where Republic got facerolled as usual.

 

6 Inquisitors and 2 BHs topping the chart - 2 consulars with massive healing points, 2 smugglers and a variety filling in the bottom.

 

People who join Alliance because they want to play Jedi tend to be heal oriented, IMO. People who join Empire because they want to play Sith don't do it for the healing, IMO.

 

How about a stored "overheal" feature? Say you can overheal up to 20% of base hp?

[ColdLogic]

 

Having too think ahead a few seconds while playing... I know crazy concept right. Why isn't this game just more mouse turn and button mash. lol

 

 

You made some really good points... adding this at the end ruined your entire well thought out post.

[kingcarmel]

I got an idea... let's all compare this game to every other game we used to play, specially wow because that's all kids know these days. If your a healer you should know how to get away from attackers. Cc seems to be key in this game everyone has various forms of it. Know when to use it. Great song taught me s valueable lesson, "you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em". You know where this is going. Any how good game so far as for pvp, where is it? Cause I need it.

[Husanak]

You made some really good points... adding this at the end ruined your entire well thought out post.

 

Well it was a joke. lol Lighten up its just pvp.

 

Honesty if it stings its only, that it seems there are people expecting too be able to play this game by only hitting heal skills. In almost every other MMO I have played there are PvE raids / dungeons ect that can only be completed with a really really good dedicated healer. (as in gear spec and playstyle... often this class would never dream of using a DPS cool down, as the dmg cycles are just too tight to even dream of it) What that has meant is that come PvP time the devs attempts to balance the game have been a nightmare... as any team that rolled with one or god forbid two of those uber healer spec toons would be an unstoppable killing machine.

 

Then you end up with people constantly fighting over class nerfs... you have PvE players constantly yelling that the PvP nerfs are killing their PvE game ect ect.

 

Bio has tried to head those things off by basicly taking the concept of a dedicated healer and killing it. There is no dedicated heal class in TOR... there are 3 OFT healing classes.... thats right there is no main heal class.

 

As much as people have given Bio a hard time about not breaking new ground in this game... I think this might be there best "hidden" design change too the MMO structure. PvP players will adapt and it will be interesting too see where it ends up balance wise in a month or two.

 

(Can't think of anything else snarky to put on the end of this one)

 

See ya in game.

[Repefe]

Yes they should. If an incredibly skilled healer can barely keep himself alive against one average joe dps (and by average I mean fairly competent), something needs to be marginally tweaked, skill should always triumph. If you keep healing in a purely situational limelight you will see the number of healers drop even further because dps has more flexibility in their usefulness.

 

That's the thing ... incredible healer right now without any tweaks can win against average dps ... if he finds his dps abilities. Most of them seem to struggle with this concept.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Repefe

[Redjumpsuit]

I play an Inq, I play with friends that know not to out range me, they peel, they go defensive. As with any other game, teamates make the difference.

 

On another note, I dont have a hard time healing myself through damage as long as I'm not stuck in the open. Healers in PvP have always been a positioning game. We will have to see end game for a real conclusion but so far so good.

[ColdLogic]

After training Trauma Probe at level 30 (Shaman Earth Shield), my effectiveness rose a good 10%. Now if they would just polish off the UI issues and fix the bugs that allow people to interrupt me through reactive shield talented via combat shield things would be better. Getting force choked or knocked back when your talented ability is supposed to make you immune needs to be fixed. Edited December 25, 2011 by ColdLogic