Sage healing ... epic fail... :(

[AlCorazon]

Hey,

I used to have 1 character a sin who is now 60 and full 198 can be used as tank and dps ...

Lately i decided to create an alt, especially to heal, and what the hell i did it on Rep side.

After competing ROTHC (don't know how i did not kill myself) and better SOR i got myself a 186 set of gear with one 192 piece, a healer gear.

As i knew tactics in all OPS and FPs including Hard Mode and NiM i thought it will be ok if i enter a HM FP with my Sage. Turned out to be hell. I couldn't follow the players and got constantly attacked by mobs all the time, received a lot of abuse that somehow involved my mother and was eventually kicked. Now i admit, it was learning to heal.

 

But here is what happened, one DPS in this case was loosing health all the time it was hard to keep him alive, while i need to focus on tank who obviously needs to be kept alive at all costs.

The FP in question was assault on tython HM whch as a DPS i have done many many times. I asked can we please do the first boss the long way, by running down the stairs and was told that its stupid and too long and simply i couldn't keep up with the AOE damage they were all receiving, and i mean a lot of AOE damage ... the mobs in the corners were not killed on time.. so after a wipe it was all blamed on me and i was kicked, i am not going to go in to whispering conversation we had with the DPS after, just saying there was a lot of "love".

 

So this is my first FP healing experience So ether i should quit healing alltogether (but i want to heal for our guild whos main strike force is on imp side) or get an idea about healing. I did read Dulfy guide, it is very complicated and refers a lot to SOR gear which is below mine.

 

http://dulfy.net/2015/01/05/swtor-3-0-seer-sage-healing-guide-by-orderken/

 

And i don't understand why mobs in question in this FP were engaging me ... they should generally attack someone who generates threat, a tank or a DPS at least....

 

Any advice on my first fail as a heal?

[Icestar]

To be honest my only advice is that you train and do more content to get the feel of your character. Start with some less demanding flashpoints or go for the OPS that are 50-55. Train with players that know their role to make it easier for you to get the feel of it.

 

Do not take it that hard that your healing was not perfect, we are all new in the beginning

 

Good luck

Edited July 28, 2015 by Icestar

[gargulav]

Hmmm. Not sure how to answer this, but this could help a little. Not sure though, it is worth a shot to look at.

Also, some people are just not good healers. You're not a failure lol. Try healing in PVP or something to get a better hang at it.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Old-Republic-Beginners-ebook/dp/B012HEL4B0/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1438122560&sr=1-6&keywords=swtor

[AlCorazon]

To be honest my only advice is that you train and do more content to get the feel of your character. Start with some less demanding flashpoints or go for the OPS that are 50-55. Train with players that know their role to make it easier for you to get the feel of it.

 

Do not take it that hard that your healing was not perfect, we are all new in the beginning

 

Good luck

 

Thanks what was bitter was namecalling and kicking out.... i suffered through it with my first Character (now one of the best dps in our guild) ... the assasin.. but this time it was even more severe...

[gargulav]

Lol, we've all been through the harassment. I can't even count how many times people told me I sucked. We all started somewhere and had to learn our way up the ranks.

[Icestar]

but this time it was even more severe...

 

If you feel that someone has misstreated you, then you should report them. There is no need to take insults only because you want to keep players alive as a healer.

 

Do not let them get you down mate

[gargulav]

Thanks what was bitter was namecalling and kicking out.... i suffered through it with my first Character (now one of the best dps in our guild) ... the assasin.. but this time it was even more severe...

 

Yes report them, then we will see who is laughing.

[Icestar]

Yes report them, then we will see who is laughing.

 

Actually they never say what they do with the reported player, so there will be no laughing either way because nobody knows what happened.

[gargulav]

That sucks. Either way, reporting is the best thing to do.

[Icestar]

That sucks.

 

Nah it is for the best that they do not tell what happens, no need for extra drama.

 

Good luck AlCorazon with your healing, I hope you come back here and write how your healing evolves, with some practice you will be a excellent healer

Edited July 28, 2015 by Icestar

[NikSunrider]

Tip #1: Get the 190 Ziost gear. It is a tad sight better than 186.

 

Do you have augments?

 

Also, HMFPs are actually harder than SM ops, so maybe start healing Rav and see how it goes.

 

Blame the tank. Always good practice

[AlCorazon]

Thanks guys. I will get set of Ziost gear even though i hate that hellhole, i really do... meantime i made some suggestions for our developers in this topic lets see if they respond!

[Icestar]

Thanks guys. I will get set of Ziost gear even though i hate that hellhole, i really do... meantime i made some suggestions for our developers in this topic lets see if they respond!

 

Good luck with Ziost, remember that you can transfer mods and such with legacy gear if you have picked up a MK-II or so during your OPS or if you got elite comms enough to buy MK-I for your healer.

 

Intesting suggestions I wonder what they think about the support droid. I rarely see them respond to suggestions but I do know that they gather and evaluate them.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Icestar

[AlCorazon]

Good luck with Ziost, remember that you can transfer mods and such with legacy gear if you have picked up a MK-II or so during your OPS or if you got elite comms enough to buy MK-I for your healer.

 

Intesting suggestions I wonder what they think about the support droid. I rarely see them respond to suggestions but I do know that they gather and evaluate them.

 

Thanks, that is what i do. Me and Nadia are both wearing killer nice gear from Cartel Bazaar, curtesy of my main Imperial character who earned it! Pitty is i will get companion 192 gear for my companions, but i don't want to give up the look of Nadia, call me a nerd but i don't! She will have to wear 178 until i get enough comms to put her in 192... this might take a while There is no designer for companions ....

[Icestar]

Thanks, that is what i do. Me and Nadia are both wearing killer nice gear from Cartel Bazaar, curtesy of my main Imperial character who earned it! Pitty is i will get companion 192 gear for my companions, but i don't want to give up the look of Nadia, call me a nerd but i don't! She will have to wear 178 until i get enough comms to put her in 192... this might take a while There is no designer for companions ....

 

I agree, we are living in the companion clone wars. It has been suggested many times that we should be able to change the look of our companions in a designer but they said that they have to rewrite alot if it would be possible. Perhaps they will change this, or perhaps we will not get a clone set for our companions again

Edited July 28, 2015 by Icestar

[AlCorazon]

I agree, we are living in the companion clone wars. It has been suggested many times that we should be able to change the look of our companions but they said that they have to re-write alot if it would be possible. Perhaps they will change this, or perhaps we will not get a clone set for our companions again

 

Yeah i don't want to sacrifice Nadias good looking gear for the Crap look that she will get from Yavin, i don't really care for the rest but Nadia is a matter of principle!

[Icestar]

Yeah i don't want to sacrifice Nadias good looking gear for the Crap look that she will get from Yavin, i don't really care for the rest but Nadia is a matter of principle!

 

I used 186 gear for looks that we can get from our first set of comms for a few companions. At max level we tend to drown in those comms, I do not know what to do with them anymore.

 

It is a good choice for you aswell if you got comms to buy for your companion.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Icestar

[AlCorazon]

A solution is to make the gear comps get from yavin with modicactions that can be only transferred to companions that is all!

[Sidicous]

To be blunt...playing healers in this game sucks royally. I should know, I have at least one of each. It's not the healer classes usually either, although the nerfs hurt. It is the total gun barrel vision and sheer stupidity and greed of other players.

 

Healer taking damage? Better just prepare for a group wipe as the dumb tank and dps will let ya die.

 

DPS getting agro? Get ready for a revive as that idiot is not going to cease damage to assist the tank in regaining agro. That doofus dps is also probably gonna run away from you as healer and the tank both, trying to outrun a mob or some other idiotic notion. Not to mention that dps is probably the impatient idiot that pulled the fight before the tank or healer was ready to begin.

 

This says nothing about the pulls when the healer is below half power and a lot of global cooldown pulls.

 

Good luck new healers!

[Danylia]

And i don't understand why mobs in question in this FP were engaging me ... they should generally attack someone who generates threat, a tank or a DPS at least....

 

Any advice on my first fail as a heal?

I can answer this at least. In that particular boss' case, the adds attack whoever is closest to them. The best approach if you struggle with the boss is assign adds on one side to both DPS and adds on another side to tank / healer. Then, as soon as the healer drops the Orbital Strike on their respective add, he/she runs either on the "DPS side", or "hides" near the tank; this way is ensured that each DPS only gets attacked by one add (and they should be able to survive that using just their DCDs with no healing) while the two remaining adds and boss are on tank, who is best suited for that.

 

Sadly, I rarely see this tactics followed, which usually in less experienced groups means

- more than one add on single DPS

- one or more add on healer

and that can easily lead to wipe.

 

Also: if anyone is taking "AoE damage" during the first boss, then there's nothing you can do, as 100% of the AoE damage there is avoidable both for tank and DPS.

[Jianka]

Judging from what was written and my experience, it is not your fault, but group fault. Common one too.

 

I couldn't follow the players and got constantly attacked by mobs all the time, received a lot of abuse

If healer get attacked, that mean healer somehow get top on threat. Then someone is probably not holding it, tank may be?

But there are ways to get it and have abuse justified, for example, walking into something tank haven't aggroed yet.

Case one - is not healer's fault. Case two - it is.

But here is what happened, one DPS in this case was loosing health all the time it was hard to keep him alive, while i need to focus on tank who obviously needs to be kept alive at all costs.

And i don't understand why mobs in question in this FP were engaging me ... they should generally attack someone who generates threat, a tank or a DPS at least....

And here we have true cause - failing DD. Remember, you will get threat on all mobs engaging target of your healing. If DD crash into group of mobs and aggro them doing little damage or dumping threat, then very first heal will switch all of them to you.

You already stated correct actions in such situation - focus on tank. "You pulled it - you deal with it" is not only tank's motto, but healer's as well. Otherwise it would've been "You pulled it - healer will deal with it", no?

 

Any advice on my first fail as a heal?

Ahem... aside from learning usual "Can't heal stupid" reply?

Learn when to heal, and when not to heal.

 

My advice is purely for general situations and not that particular boss, however.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Jianka
Edited part of my post out after Danylia's comment, as it is much better worded.

[JouerTue]

if you plan on running ops with your guild learn to heal with them, you can focus on your job and not on aggroing or taking down adds..

[TheWookiee]

My honest opinion, the best healing experience/practice you can get is in PvP. Queue up some warzones and heal in those. If you can keep people up there, most of the PvE fights will seem a lot easier.

[LordTurin]

FIrst time healing is always gonna be a little rough especially due to the aggro calculations. A previous poster mentioned this, but I'll try to explain in a little more detail.

 

Whenever you are in combat and heal someone (or when one of your force armor's absorbs some damage) healers will generate a certain amount of threat. Let's call it "half a unit of threat). When you, or anyone else, damages someone, they generate "a unit of threat" on that target. Finally, when a tank uses a "high threat move" they generate "two units of threat". Now looking at this, it seems weird that a healer would ever get aggro, but the important thing to note is that a healer will put his "half unit of threat" on ever single enemy in combat with the group. So if your dps and tank are tunneling the gold, and not following kill order, and you are healing them, you'll be getting attacked by all the enemies that weren't attacked yet.

 

This leads to the next problem. Unless you have a really really good tank, in a large mob the tank will most likely not be able to keep full aggro on every add. So in that case, a good dps will be attacking the weaker adds and trying to kill them really fast while the tank tanks the gold and silvers. The problem this sometimes leads to is the dps getting aggro on an opponent, even when they are just doing there job! And while it is certainly annoying for the healer to have to be keeping 2 things alive, better it be a dps and tank then the healer and the tank. Obviously if the dps is running off to a random mob though, you have no reason to keep them alive. But if its the same mob, and they are targeting the weaker mobs and getting hurt, you do need to heal them because if they die, those things will probably switch right to you.

 

Finally, last pieces of advice I can give you as someone who places a sage, rejuvenate followed by roaming mend is vastly underused by a lot of sages, that should basically always be your go-to heal whenever roaming mend is off cool-down. Rejuvenate will proc roaming mend so it'll immediately jump around and heal everyone, and it does a ton of healing. Also, don't be afraid to pop Force Barrier if you are getting hurt a bunch. Finally, queue for a couple tactical flashpoint's and heal for those just to get used to how to play the character, you'll be healing hm's in no time.

[Cant_hear_chat]

As i knew tactics in all OPS and FPs including Hard Mode and NiM i thought it will be ok if i enter a HM FP with my Sage. Turned out to be hell. I couldn't follow the players and got constantly attacked by mobs all the time, received a lot of abuse that somehow involved my mother and was eventually kicked. Now i admit, it was learning to heal.

 

As others have said, try healing in tacticals first just to get used to the style. Even if no one is really taking much damage, resist the temptation to mostly dps the tactical. Keep up healing even if there isn't much to heal. You want to get used to keeping up a constant heal and managing resources and threat.

 

If you can't keep up because you have to keep regenerating force after each fight, tell them to slow down. Good tanks will make sure their healer has enough force/energy before pulling. Also, remember that sages now need to use vindicate regularly throughout a fight to keep up force thanks to recent changes (don't use it without resplendance either).

 

Anyone who abuses you for bad healing is a jerk and is probably also blaming you for their own mistakes. Don't feel too bad about it. Don't jump into HMs or ops until you feel comfortable keeping up regular healing but you also don't have to be so good that you can keep up a group who can't do their own jobs properly.

 

But here is what happened, one DPS in this case was loosing health all the time it was hard to keep him alive, while i need to focus on tank who obviously needs to be kept alive at all costs.

 

As has been said, rejuvenate and wandering mend will heal multiple allies within 20m for a large amount. Regular salvation is also useful. Remember that allies only need to be in range to get a HOT and then can still be healed while out of range. In movement heavy fights, put the circle down where most of the group will run past it (useful for the last boss of tython). Sometimes you may also need to sacrifice a dps to keep the tank up if someone makes a mistake. Try to avoid that but generally keep the tank up, yourself and then the dps. If you manage to get all health to close to full, drop force armour on the group rather than overheal. This will give you a bit more time to react if take a big hit from mechanics.

 

 

So this is my first FP healing experience So ether i should quit healing alltogether (but i want to heal for our guild whos main strike force is on imp side) or get an idea about healing. I did read Dulfy guide, it is very complicated and refers a lot to SOR gear which is below mine.

Get used to healing with easier group content and then check the guide again. Unfortunately, healing guides can't give a straight rotation or description of what to do in each fight. Healing is all about watching the health bars and the fight, watching where damage is going and mitigating it with protective abilities or reacting quickly with heals. Once you get used to the style, the guide will make more sense.

 

Generally, for a sage especially you want to bind keys for all your moving heals at the least as well as speed and your self heal. Use rejuvenate as much as you can as it improves your other heals and use it on the tank most of the time as it gives a bonus for using it on an ally that still has a previous rejuvenate ticking. Keep any unbound abilities close to the group/raid windows so that you can quickly change targets and cast. Use healing trance regularly to keep up stacks of resplendence. These are necessary for force regen (with vindicate) and to make salvation faster.

 

It is useful to adjust the raid window appearance to increase the size of debuffs that need to be cleansed and to make the health bar prominent enough to easily watch while navigating your own character around circles and such.

And i don't understand why mobs in question in this FP were engaging me ... they should generally attack someone who generates threat, a tank or a DPS at least....

 

Any advice on my first fail as a heal?

 

As a healer you will generate low threat but as has been said, if no one attacks an enemy, you will have the most threat on it. If it is a silver or higher, cc it with your 1 min cc (force lift) or the short cc if someone is likely to attack it soon. If it is weak and likely to die in a few hits, hit it with project and a few attacks between heals. If there are multiple melee enemies after you, run to the tank and stack on him. He will probably get threat off them with a few AOE attacks. Force speed is your friend here. Make sure it is bound somewhere easy (I use X as some fights you will use it on CD). You should also be ready to use a threat dump but this will only work if someone else has actually done some damage to the enemy.

 

I know a lot of this has been said but I hope that I added enough and put it all together clearly enough to make it worth the read. Don't give up on healing, it can be very rewarding in some of the more damage heavy fights when you keep everyone alive.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Cant_hear_chat