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by Mike Schramm 
Feb 8th 2007 at 1:03PM
We've written a lot here about offspecs, and it seems that with the Burning Crusade, players who choose to offspec are finally getting their due-- druids can play as rogues, shadow priests can play as warlocks, and dual-wielding shaman can play as fury warriors if they want to.But there is one problem. Some players are, unfortunately, forgetting exactly not what they're supposed to do, but what they can do (excellent rant there, definitely worth a read). If you're a shadow priest, please remember that it is possible to get out of shadow form and heal if necessary. You may be a feral druid, but sometimes it's time to step back, drop out of cat form, and heal. And sure, as an enhancement shaman, you may have loaded up on strength, stamina, and agility rather than +healing, but when the healer is going down fast, every bit counts, and it's time to get out Lesser Healing Wave and start spamming.
I don't mean to force you to only do things you aren't specced to do-- if you're shadow, and someone asks you to main heal an instance, you have a right to say no. As I said, we here are all for offspecs-- they break the cookie cutter molds built around characters and show us things in this game that have never been done before. But in this case, necessity is the mother of non-invention-- if necessity calls you to fill a traditional role, even for one fight, please, fill it.
Filed under: Druid, Priest, Shaman, Analysis / Opinion, Raiding, Talents
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Bruthah Feb 9th 2007 9:54AM
Played a healing class? 66 Dwarf Priest, at your service.
Holy priests (and Disc priests) can also DPS when they have to. Which is more mana efficient, letting the prot warrior bludgeon that mob to death while it's at %2 and you chuck out a few HoTs; or Shadow Word: Death?
The point is (and the point of the post, I feel): Explore and know what your toon can do, and learn how to do it as well as you can. It's for the win.
There's something bad-ass about seeing a druid shift in the middle of a battle and fulfill two or three roles at once. Or seeing a Pally spamming Holyflashofsomethingorother to save the groups' collective buttocks during one of those "OMG we're toast" moments.
Darkwarder Feb 8th 2007 3:22PM
I always love when this topic comes up (over and over and over again). I love the non-healers that are experts on other people classes and the off-specs that enable them. Let us get some facts straight. A ret or prot pally is not a healer when wearing dps or tank gear. Sure they can get off a few heals before they're out of mana, but only a few.
A feral or balance druid in dps/tank or crit gear can pop out of form and get off a few heals, but won't get back to form or heal for very long. A feral/balance druid can certainly heal when they're wearing healing gear. A ret/prot pally can heal when wearing healing gear, sorta. You can't switch out your gear mid-fight, so your stuck with what you got.
Of course, hybrid classes should help when they can, but it would be smart for a group to know what they have. Hybrid classes tend to do one thing well and a second thing not so well. Generally, they can't do it at the same time.
jubei Feb 8th 2007 4:16PM
Yes it can be done, but it is a situation by situation issue. The only time that this is an issue is when the healer stays as DPS _and_ there is a wipe. If there isn't a wipe because the hybrid stay
Maybe he made the wrong decision that time, but if it came to that then this was not the first wrong decision to have been made during the fight. Yet it is him who gets the full blame for the wipe.
You say that you "expect certain things", but I'm 100% serious when I say that unless you play a healer you don't understand the decisions that need to be made on a consistent basis, so you really don't know what to expect other than expecting perfection.
As a healer I expect that when things go south people other than me start popping their super healing potions when needed (at that point I probably have already used shadowfriend, trinket and a potion), does it happen? sometimes it does, sometimes not. But before blaming the hybrid do you demand to have everyone verify that their pot is on cooldown?
Trudie Feb 8th 2007 5:05PM
I think some people are misunderstanding the point. I don't think this thread is meant to tell hybrids that they are supposed to fill two roles at the same time. I think this is mostly about doing what is needed in emergencies.
This problem dates all the way back to grinding rep in AV in which a group wipes on a warmaster because warriors don't put on shields and tank them, priests don't pop out of shadowform and heal the ones who are tanking, druids don't pop out of feral or moonkin form, etc.
I remember the day when I saw a full resto druid in nothing but healing gear resorting to popping into bear form to save clothies from being two shotted by a whirlwinding warmaster.... only to die a few seconds later because the shadowpriest standing right next to him wouldn't drop shadow form for a second to keep him alive.
This problem has always existed, but it's rearing it's ugly head more obviously now that so many people are respeccing for dps for leveling purposes. When I encounter people who won't sacrifice their first place spot on the damage chart in order to keep the group from wiping, I kick them from the group and tell them to have fun soloing their way to 70.
Huey2k2 Feb 8th 2007 4:27PM
I also have the right to not invite you into my party if you are a shadow specc'd priest and you don't want to main heal an instance. If you are a priest and you never want to heal and only ever do DPS, why not re-roll a mage or lock?
James Feb 8th 2007 4:23PM
Let's put it this way:
If you were soloing, and about to die, would you heal yourself?
Or, because you're a Retribution pally, would you just say, oh well, guess I'm gonna die here, I'm not specced to heal.
Sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it? Well, these 5 man groups aren't any different. If the difference between surviving and wiping is your heal or two, then you DO IT. We're not asking that you main heal, if that's not what you signed up for, we're asking that you help out as needed because that's what your hybrid is designed to do.
I'm a warrior, and if I had any other option than to beat stuff with a stick, I would do so if it helped the group survive.
Same with asking Rogues/Mages to bandage themselves on a mana-intensive fight. We're asking you to help out for the good of the group.
Kugala Feb 8th 2007 3:58PM
All I have to say is this:
Don't sign up for a role in a group you don't want to do, and don't assume someone will do the role you want.
I've found a Druid tank that's just awesome (And her Shadow Priest friend that heals). Awesome.
I've also ran into Druids that said they could heal, then promptly shifted into bear form and started tanking. Or the Paladin tank in all cloth/leather +DMG/Heal. If you're one of those classes that can do multiple things, then say what you wanna do. And before asking one to your group, make sure they're ready to do what you need. Nothing like a group of a druid, paladin, warrior, priest and mage (me) where you have 5 DPS.
Seper Feb 8th 2007 3:58PM
People are pretty ignorant in this game when it comes to healers. One time I was helping a guildie and his PUG finish uldaman. (I was the highest lvl a 47druid i believe). I'm healing specced and my tank form and feral attacks i never upgraded because of the situtation I am in. When I got there the rogue tried to solo everything.. the hunter wouldn't let his pet tank... the pally wouldn't heal anybody.. and the warrior wouldn't tank. They asked ME to tank!!! I flat out refused and explained why but to no avail. So i tanked.. But they kept trying to solo each mob and not grouping and lettign me tank. So when we invetibly wiped everyone blamed me. So I told them fine ill heal. Everyone went back to soloing and no one tanked thus we got wiped again.
I personally believe being a hybrid class is one of the toughest things to do in this game. No matter what you do your wrong and when you do keep the group from wiping you get no gratitude and instead get complaints about not tanking, dps'ing.
I understand where this article is coming from but you really have to play a hybrid class to understand that we are a hybrid class and we have to play like one. In the end the hybrid classes are usually the ones that do all the work and we are also the ones that get no respect.
Mekias Feb 8th 2007 4:03PM
Even if you're not in healing gear, a hybrid can still help out in an emergency. You still have decent healing spells. The main reason most hybrids don't do it is that it's rather difficult to be concentrating on both the monster that you are DPS'ing AND the party's health bars. So most hybrids will miss it when the health bars start to dip drastically. You really have to make an effort to pay attention to both things at once.
As an elemental shaman, I'm probably best equipped out of all hybrid specs to help heal. I have +dmg/heal gear, I stand back from the action so I can better see what's going on, and I'm only hitting like one button (lightning bolt) so that frees up my attention for the health bars.
Other hybrids will have a more difficult time but it's still possible to backup heal (unless you're a druid who's bear tanking, switching out of bear form is likely a death sentence).
Mekias Feb 8th 2007 4:46PM
Unfortunately, many hybrids don't consider healing themselves in an instance. They get used to someone else healing them and unless the healer is yelling "Out of Mana!", they won't think to heal. They'll also be using all their own mana for DPS purposes (except cat druids) and won't have any left if something bad happens.
Being DPS and backup healer can be rather difficult. It takes practice.
jubei Feb 8th 2007 5:10PM
"I think this is mostly about doing what is needed in emergencies"
Yes, and it is said by someone with 0 healing experience, this is the problem.
For example, you give the example of the healing druid dying "because of the priest". Did said druid warn the priest what would happen? You said the druid died in a few seconds, do you know that a priest cannot even start a heal until 1.5 seconds _after_ he drops shadowform? Did you stop to think that the reason the clothies had aggro was because of their mistake and not the priests?
Look at all the posts and you can easily see who has experience healing and who doesn't. Please take this into consideration before assuming your opinion is valid.
Ngnsewa Feb 8th 2007 10:47PM
The 1st true pug I've done with my hunter so far in BC...
We were wiping from a bad pull (well the 1 target only tank started tanking things too close to the path even tho I was still running)
So yeah, we are wiping the druid = cat form...
The whole time. He even stood back had a look at what was happening, then went back in to DPS.
Everyone else died (
Barnabey Feb 8th 2007 6:14PM
As a feral druid, dwarf hunter, and enhancement shaman as my main(s), I see where he's coming from, why wouldn't you do all you can to assist the group?
@11, don't speak -- You embarrass us, if you can't juggle healing and dps at the same time just roll one side or the other, because no hybrid should be doing only one thing because its "funner". It's not the point of the class.
My druid has HOT's blaring and kitty form ripping it up through any fight, my shaman has windfury crittin and healing wave (and totems) stomping at the same time (learn to manage your aggro and you can do anything)
jubei Feb 8th 2007 7:18PM
31:
"because no hybrid should be doing only one thing because its "funner". It's not the point of the class."
Uh, why do you play if not for fun?
a) Anyway point out where I said that I can't heal and dps (I leveled to 70 as a shadow priest in beta - up to Moroes in karazhan, I level to 70 as a holy priest in retail so I have a fair understanding of priest capabilites, I also have a lvl 69 rogue so I can see the other side /end epeen)
b) Point out where I said that people shouldn't do all they can, in fact I said that everyone, not only hybrids should do all they can including potions, cooldowns, etc.
My point is that we have seen these types of posts many many times and inevitably they only look at the simplest side of being a healer. According to one poster here, he seemed to imply that a class with heals should never die while soloing.
Rudi Feb 8th 2007 7:12PM
Oh please, everyone is a 'hybrid'. Do I like the pulls where I have to spend it staring at a sheep? Do I enjoy being the AoE boy when I'm specced for PvP? Is my goal in WoW to provide 3 stacks of water (of appropriate level) to every player in the game? No, no, and heck no! You do what you need to do to help the group.
Doing everything that you can do to help the group is what distinguishes good players from bad.
Andrew Feb 9th 2007 12:31AM
I believe in ANYONE, not just hybrids, playing how they want. They want to DPS, fine, heal, great, tank, the more the merrier. What I cannot stand is a class not being played to the fullest. If a druid want's to go cat and rip it up, fine by me, unless they refuse to heal when it is needed.
I am a lock and my girlfriend (who got me addicted to the game, weird way around) is druid. She loves cat form but not bear/healer. So when we adventure together, I use my voidwalker as a tank (Felguard now), she DPS's and so do I. But if we have a bad pull, hard fight and either of us drop low on health, she pops out of cat to put a heal on. If in a instance and the MT dies/too many mobs are pulled she will go into bear form to pick up the slack.
As mentioned before, it's still funny when someome complains about dying when they didn't use a pot/healthstone (i always give these out in a grp) or even a bandage if the situation requires it. Many fights I have stopped dps to bandage myself to save the healer (so he can concentrate on the MT).
I do find it bad playing/lazy to not heal if you can and you NEED to for the good of the group. If you didn't want that option then roll pure dps/tank if u want.
steve Feb 9th 2007 4:36AM
I agree with this article and rightfully so as a hybrid (elemental shaman). My best in game friend is an oomkin doodad and I'm a wrath shammy and we always 5 man together. There have been times when he had to main heal because we couldn't find a healer or offheal for tough fights. He had very few points in resto at the time, as he had 41 in balance. I got so jealous that he healed that well and I felt utterly useless (except nuking mobs with fury and vengence) that I could't off heal as well. So I respecced out of 43-18-0 to 41-0-20 making a very nice elemental/resto mix. He repecced to drop all but his 41 balance points into resto. He is a phenominal healer and does a fair share of damage as oomkin and I now am much more confident in my healing abilities.
Pleas remember though, many hybrids were ignoring thier resto trees on the push to 70. Now that we're all to 70 though its time to go back to raid mode and give all we got. The two of us love to deal damage, in fact we both hate healing, but we both keep a set of +damage gear and a set of +heal gear on us at all times. With close to +700 healing, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to hold our weight on the heal meter. We do what we have to to help the group/raid. Thats what its really about. If you want to do only what you want and it happens to be deal damage and forget about your heal buttons, go PVP. Thats what I do when I just want to spam frost shocks and chain ligtnings.
Moosli Feb 9th 2007 5:18AM
It seems to me that most posts on this thread are Dps classes. That or they have never played a feral druid etc.
I would just like to say that some of the people here saying that druids should be pooping out of forms to help heal etc is utter rubbish, the only exception to this being in 'cat form'.
If you have a Druid tanking for you in an instance it is NOT clever to be shifting out and attempting to help heal, if we do that then we LOSE all the rage we had aquired b4 hand, thus meaning that the druid is then likely to lose aggro pretty fast and will end up causing a wipe anyway. The druid should never need to switch out to heal themselves because they should be using Frenzied Regeneration, if the druid needs more of a health boost than this then its either been a bad pull or the healer is not doing thier job properly.
On the other hand though there is no reason for the druid not switching out in cat form because they have nothing to lose but combo points / energy.
I have played all specs on my Druid (feral atm, although i only specced balance for a short period at lower levels b4 speccin into resto). I know the strengths and weaknesses of both and my advise to the people moaning about us would be - play a druid / priest / shamen before you start bitching and moaning about how they should be played. Its not as Black and White as you think.
Patrick Schriner Feb 9th 2007 7:34AM
As a (now) feral druid, I have healed rarely. Point is, if you habe 3 mobs hacking away at you, shifting out of bear form is usually a bad idea. Moreover the mana costs of shifting cannot be underestimated - you might end up in caster form without enough mana to change back.
Noteable exceptions were:
- a Steamvault run were both healers went down, but our mage and rogue survived - stun, sheep, pop out, heal, heal, tank again...
- a battle rezz now and there - eg during the final encounter in the first Caverns of Time encounter. Again, only possible when CC works really well.
Zequel Feb 9th 2007 11:17AM
Well I have a mage, priest and pally - all 60th level. The whole idea of a hybrid role, i.e. pally,shaman,druid and shadow priest is that part of your character's strength is their flexibility. A shadow priest who never pops out of shadow is just a nerfed "shadow mage". Yes - I've heard of shadow priest who can lead their raids in damage but they tend to be *very* well geared. In an equal geared, equal skilled comparision, rogues, mages and then hunters/DPS warriors and THEN hybrid classes should lead in DPS.
Note: druids seem to break the rules though, specced correctly, they can heal as well, though differently, than priests, tank as well (though differently again) as a warrior and dps almost as well as a rogue but w/e.