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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsGhostcrawler: Healing is next for an update
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 23rd 2008 at 2:30PM
Ghostcrawler just popped up on the beta forums with some good news for healers: while tanking has gotten the focus lately in terms of mechanics and tweaking, healing is apparently next on the docket.It's nothing to hold your breath over (you'll pass out way before we see any changes on the realms), but Ghostcrawler says that healing is due for a revamp in terms of "fun," and while he says it'll be "a more challenging fix because what people think is fun about healing varies and some people are pretty happy with it already," he also hints that it'll be a pretty big change. Right now, healing is basically whack-a-mole -- when someone gets hurt, you cast a heal on them -- but Blizzard may be rethinking that mechanic completely. We'll have to wait (probably quite a while) and see.
It's also interesting to note that Death Knights are a tanking class, and tanking got the revamp in Wrath of the Lich King. While some healers probably won't want to wait all the way until the next expansion, could this be a hint that we're looking at an Emerald Dream expansion, with an Arch Druid healing Hero Class, and an accompanying revamp of healing mechanics? Obviously, that's a stretch, but it makes sense, doesn't it?
Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Expansions, Classes, Buffs, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 5)
Exelus Oct 23rd 2008 4:11PM
I have a Resto Druid that heals T4 and heroics (rolling wack-a-moles ftw), but my recently revived Holy Priest has been a lot more "fun" to play in instances. For example: Holy Nova's AoE damage and heals encourages me to keep an eye on the action - and get very involved, tactically. I'd like to see more of this type of mechanic, where healers contribute more offensively as well as defensively.
Exelus Oct 23rd 2008 4:18PM
Following up on my own comment lol: a talent that sends your overheals "through" your friendly target to their target as direct DPS. Or a channeled heal that simultaneously HoTs your friendly target and applies a DoT or debuff to their target.
Adamanthis Oct 23rd 2008 4:14PM
I find healing entertaining and challenging. My druid alternates between all of his healing spells, switching between various targets. Is that really any less than damage class is doing during most fights?
Certainly some fights are more entertaining than others: a single target tank-and-spank does get a little dull. But good encounters (the MGT Kael'thas fight comes to mind) require you to be aware of and responding to your surroundings.
Suggestions that would place the healer in a DPS role don't really appeal to me; if I wanted to do damage I'd spec for it. More crowd-control options for healing specs, on the other hand, I think are a better fit. That's more in-line with our defensive role, but keeps us more involved with the enemies.
shinken Oct 23rd 2008 4:17PM
Here is an idea : No more healing specs.
Ok, I got your attention. In classic Dungeons and dragons, there never was a healing class. Cleric? you mean that guy up front with shield and mace?
Healing should be ad hoc , not a spammathon.
healers take up 5-10 slots in a raid, spamming.
Would it be more fun cc'ing dps'ing tanking?
Or how about healers doing other tasks while spot healing? pulling switches, or whatever.
taking 9999 dmg and healing for 10000 is boring mechanic
Muse Nov 10th 2008 11:52AM
"Or how about healers doing other tasks while spot healing? pulling switches, or whatever. "
I tried asking my raid leader to let me (holy priest) be on box-clicking duty in Magtheridon. He was... okay... with the idea, but the tanks and DPSers shot it down. The non-healers get very nervous when their healers aren't glued to the UI.
Random Cow Oct 23rd 2008 4:22PM
Mike "Speculate and Flame Bait" Schramm...
Tenchan Oct 23rd 2008 4:37PM
What I think would be cool would basically be a third pet class that uses dolls as living shields and buffs for party members in its healy spec, or living bombs etc. for DPS in its DPS spec. Either voodoo-based or mechanical (or both, like the 'flavour' difference of the Paladin and the Bloodknight).
VSUReaper Oct 23rd 2008 5:08PM
They want to change healing mechanics? Into what? Preventative damage spells? Thats not healing.
Healing is me (the healer) casting a spell or ability to replenish the amount of hit points that you just lost. Any variation from this is no longer healing.
I personally like the idea of the whack-a-mole (then again, I have never had to heal more than 2 people - being a tank healer FTW). If people want healing to be more challenging, then stop dumbing it down so much. Chainheal was OP for the simple fact that it chose the additional targets for you. COH is now the same way - it picks who gets the heal.
@ the people that want the change so they get to watch the boss fight - only ranged casters get to do that.
Tanks get to sniff the boss's crotch.
Melee get to sniff the boss's butt.
Healers get to watch our teammates die.
If you want to watch a fight, go roll a mage or a lock.
sharkeater75 Oct 23rd 2008 5:21PM
if you are a priest, and in a fight where mana isn't a total issue and people aren't dropping like flys.... (hell even some bt fights this is the case) there is no reason not to be tossin a SWP and now Devouring Plague on the boss.
Just saying, we do more than heal. ;)
akw Oct 23rd 2008 5:31PM
indeed. As a resto shaman, I've made macros of my shocks and lightning spells so that they target my target's target:
/cast [target=targettarget] Flame Shock
In a five-man, I can just keep my tank targeted, and alternate between healing him and DPSing his target.
Hagu Oct 24th 2008 11:28AM
Good News?!?!? This is *HORRIBLE* news. In the name of more complexity and change-for-the-sake-of-change they ruined warlocks, especially 0/21/40 shadow. ( The only thing large corporations understand is money so I am looking forward to the day that I quit paying Bliz. ) And now I am afraid they will add 47 different heals to pallies making them similar but inferior priests.
A lot of people like fast-paced action. But a considerable number do not; if I wanted to play a FPS, I would. The more they make Wow like a complicated, real-time FPS, the sooner I quit playing.
I would hope, but not expect, that Bliz would accomodate that.
Kyudo Oct 23rd 2008 6:54PM
Agreed.
Healers need more "fun".
A major portion of my guilds healers switched to DPS now. I'm not sure how to take this. Healing is an altruistic role in raids, DPS tends to be a selfish one. Am I to assume that WoW players are selfish? I guess so, seeing as "gear" happens to be the #1 reason a majority even raid.
It's sad, really. So much for teamwork.
Time to roll a Resto Druid to help the guild...
vine Oct 26th 2008 9:52PM
I wouldn't say healing is altruistic, I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, especially downing a hard boss and picking up some phat loot. It's the most fun I have when playing WoW.
I started out with a rogue and that was my main for a long time, but healing opened up so many new aspects of the game to me. Suddenly I had to pay attention to what was going on and develop more communication with the rest of the raid.
What I'm saying is, don't play a class that you don't enjoy. You're there to have fun. If dps is your thing then stick with it.
Amnion Dec 25th 2008 4:48PM
Well 3.02 has taken lots of the complexity away from priest healing for me. i never thought it was whack a mole before, but now, I cant downrank, I just have to choose between a 1000hp slow heal ill never use because it costs more mana than a 9000 sl slow heal, a renew or a 1200 aoe heal that I have no control over the target that will receive the heal. Nothing in the middle, cant downrank. i can PoM for 2400 but I might get bashed - i do like seeing the healing credited to me.
So if making healing less whack a mole and more 'fun' involves it becoming even dumber (sorry 'fun') when it was once a complex and precise art. Well I'll play a mage
DirtyPriest Oct 23rd 2008 9:35PM
The changes to tanking aren't some huge sweeping change to mechanics. All they did was make tanking easier, and that specing to tank didn't take up all your talent points and you can pick up DPS talents along the way. So basically playing as a tank spec no longer should mean you do the worse DPS. That is the real reason no one specs tanking. Playing as a DK its the same as playing DPS except you're the one getting beat up instead.
Rastas Oct 25th 2008 4:34AM
I'm propably one of the freaks who enjoy healing as it is. That's because I play a holy pally and have no problem with clicking just two buttons (four if you count Beacon of Light and Holy shock now ^^) for couple hours on end. Being reasonably well geared doesn't do any harm either.
I'll wait a bit until I say anything decisive about the changes, as I don't know anything of them yet, and am happy with the current situation. Getting more mobility wouldn't do any harm though.
Deminetix Oct 28th 2008 9:09AM
I don't think healing needs to upgraded. My one reason for this is the fact that i had to leave my guild because
the GM (Resto Sham) has an absolutely shockingly hard time healing. I'm not kidding you.
After an absolute fail guild group of Shadow Labs i had to sit him down and teach him that healing should be done when one is low on health.
I literally took 2 hours of my time to explain what seemingly is so simple. On how to heal. (I have a shammy).
His gear is fine. His spec is semi-enough to get through. Its just he doesnt heal!! He pops earth shield on me... thats about it...
So 3 days later... guild run... him healing...
I charge in on MgT, grab some mobs, going well, my health slowly dropping, 50%, 25%.... hang on, whats happening here.... I select my healer and LOW AND BEHOLD he aint casting anything... There is NO mobs on him, no debuffs... NO reason NOT to be healing...
Group wipes. I ask the healer what happened. He comes up with some rubbish joke of an excuse. Tries making me look like i cant handle tanking in here, in fear of getting a bad rep for himself.
And this happened constantly through the instance... Our enhance shammy had to heal me off his Maelstrom procs or we would of been toast... I had to get myself out of this guild...
/g Ummm guys, tell Boxone... to roll a retadin!
/gquit
/flex
Clownstyle Oct 28th 2008 2:21PM
@Alkaios
We all know what your doing with your other hand....
HappyFunNorm Oct 30th 2008 3:59PM
I'd love to see a Bard class, or even a heroic class, with a chord mechanic.
He learns notes as he levels, and can play more notes at a time as he levels. Dissonant chords do something negative to everyone in range (or a target), consonant chords do something positive with additional bonuses if the chords are in the same key as the background music. I think that would be a neat class to play.
Mindbasher Nov 10th 2008 2:34PM
"Next Healing Classes":
Spirit Guide:
Can phase lower level characters
Can grant cat form when not in combat for 1 minute (long cooldown)
Heals, can phase for short periods of time (like imps)
Gives people healy companions for short time periods (like the argent pally the new horn summons)
Also can posses fear people (can't use their abilities, but can make them run around like mind control)
Immune to falling damage.
Scientist (gnomes will love this, would also allow goblins as a race):
Grants a 20 pt bonus to blacksmithing, engineering, or alchemy, based on a talent
Heals non-magically (Perscriptions for non-magical hots, injections for instant heals that are close range)
Creates swarms of robot minions
Has a large robot minion
For the dps spec has things like grey goo (works like a warlock curse, after a time period, creatures melts to a easy to kill slime), discection (chops up a stunned creature, causing a serious bleed), rad gun (causes radiation sickness, a debuff that causes ever decreasing stats the longer it stacks, but also randomly debuffs the scientist), ROIDS (grants huge str increase but then debuffs str for awhile aftwards), gene splicing (removes one buff the mob can do, and adds another random one)
Spellweaver:
(Think WC3 Elf units).
Can add long time combo spells (first you weave the foundation which buffs strength with a 5 sec cast time, then you cast regeneration which restores health 5 sec cast time, then you cast the spell that overaccentuates all stats, then the mob explodes in pile of muscles that show the little druid regen animation). Model this after the demons warlocks never use :oD.