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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Don't you mean the *healer* shortage?
by Allison Robert 
Dec 9th 2008 at 8:00AM
I wrote a Breakfast Topic recently concerning the somewhat ambivalent effect that Death Knights were having on the usual tanking shortage, but wasn't too surprised to see a lot of people (perhaps most) write in to note that the healer shortage on their realms was even worse. Leveling as a healer -- even with all the changes to spellpower and shared gear -- is an unattractive proposition for most, and a lot of people who healed at 70 want the chance to do something different. Past a certain point you'd give anything to be doing something that doesn't involve staring at a series of dropping health bars, and that doesn't lend itself to a large and willing population of healers cheerfully offering their services for 5-man use in LFG.My main's a Druid and I PuG a lot, so I have the luxury of being able to observe which spec is the most wanted for 5-mans (at least on my realm). As soon as dual specs become available, I'm going to have a PvE tanking and PvE healing spec set up and ready to go -- and after that, I'm going to keep a little notebook and tally how many times I get asked by a group to heal, and how many times I'm asked to tank ("But what if someone wants you to DPS?" you ask. What is this "dee pee ess" you speak of, strange one?). With an increasing number of Death Knights reaching 80, I'm willing to bet that the demand for healers is going to be even greater than it is right now, and that increasing pressure is going to be exerted on hybrid tanks (i.e. Druids and Paladins) to maintain a healing spec and gear in order to ensure that groups get off the ground faster than they do right now. I could be wrong, but I'd also be lying if that wasn't the dominant trend back on Wrath's beta with respec costs at 1c and a ton of Death Knights at 80.
Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Instances, Features, Leveling, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 8)
Stephen Dec 9th 2008 4:47PM
Agreed.
Discipline Priest.
I don't heal PUGs.
Liel Dec 9th 2008 8:52AM
I think the healer shortage will even out once a larger portion of the wow community hits 80. So many healers pre expansion are specced to level, I know my pally is ret and my priest is shadow for the moment.
SteveV Dec 9th 2008 8:52AM
I levelled as a protection Paladin and have since switched back to holy, with the changes to the class/talents we are much better 5-man healers than we were in BC. I still think we are somewhat lacking in a raid environment but I guess I'll have to live with that.
In 5-man I just basically keep Beacon of Light on the tank throughout the instance. Use holy shock when I need instant health on a target.(With an instant cast flash of light when I crit.) And hit Divine Plea every time it is off cooldown.
We still have issues if all take large damage or if we need to move & heal at the same time, but we're much better equipped.
Colin Dec 9th 2008 8:56AM
as a % of healers would've respecced DK, that would have reduced the numbers.
paladin changes have made ret much preferred, that would have reduced the numbers.
a number of changes to 'nerf' the overpowered druid and priests spells, i suppose, that may have reduced the numbers.
I was holy pally at 70, levelled to 80 as prot as holy dps was bad and repeatedly nerfed as part of the ret debacle.
I've healed a couple of heroics and it is so much harder, albeit not impossible, to cope with the aoe damage. There are a couple of nice new spells to play with, it is no longer a 2 button job, but tanking is fun, dps is fun, healing seems too much like work atm.
Gareth Dec 9th 2008 9:02AM
I'm thinking AoE is getting a bigger problem in this game as it goes on full stop.
AoE tanking makes too much of it too easy, AoE DPS is the same and AoE healing has been admitted by Blizzard to trivialise some raid encounters.
I'd like to see AoE take a back seat in the future game design, so that warriors and druids have to work to keep the aggro off the healer on AoE mobs while paladin tanks have to work to keep it off the DPS (at the expense then of single target threat). That would reduce the lol AoE DPS and then Blizzard's nerfing of AoE
healing would make some classes more unique and make the
raid encounters more fun and thoughtful, and less frantic button mashing.
Brique Dec 9th 2008 9:18AM
Leveling from 60-70 is now kinda trivial, but now with about 50% of the players being DKs at those levels, they're desperate for healers. I played a Holy Priest in BC, and I've shelved her until I have my Alliance reroll Paladin up to 80, and this is happening FAST.
As soon as I got to Hellfire I started building a SP set. Before it was even finished, I had about 5k mana/300 SP, I was READY to heal any Ramps run. With a FULL RETRIBUTION SPEC. I've seen the healer shortage, and I've seriously benefited from it. I don't mind pugs. I don't mind having 80% of them be "okay", another 15% be AMAZING, and another 5% be ones where I ignore half the jerks as soon as we finish the final boss. Except now people see me judge/FoL until I'm low on mana (not more often than any other healer, believe me.)
Gareth Dec 9th 2008 9:02AM
I have a well geared tank and a fairly well geared healer, my main problem now is that there are few healers (probably most people are spec'd to DPS, and with deathknights we've lost a lot of healers).
And the other problem is inexperienced tanks, for healers its not so bad since you quickly learn when you are running out of mana or that a 3.5s greater heal isn't the only one to use.
But for tanks I'm noticing some really painful runs sitting in the background as a healer, the gear is often not great and yet the tank often acts like they are DPS with no attempt to mitigate the damage (hint, demo shout, thunderclap, stun, disarm, shield bash, reflect for protection warriors can reduce the damage by 30-90% on most fights if timed right).
It was a bold attempt to add in a new class capable of tanking, but I think overall its only just made the healing slightly worse without really boosting the tanking.
My prediction for the next expansion (guessing emerald dream), a new arch druid hero class to fix the healing shortage :)
sinizuh Dec 9th 2008 9:22AM
I welcome our new Hero class Healers (please not a mana user. please please please)
Myria Dec 9th 2008 8:57AM
The xpac has not only added a new tank class (albeit one quickly getting a rep that makes huntards point at them and laugh), but it also made every tank an AoE tank (spamming swipe is fun... not) and made instances trivially easy. This has lead to many tanks, in a far shorter span of time then I would have thought possible, rapidly starting to be just as stupid and lazy as most DPS have always been. They run in, grab half the instance, and if they live it's because they're gods and if they die it's because the healer sucks.
On the healer side the xpac took away downranking -- hard to over estimate how much of a hit that was to mana efficiency (well, for everyone but trees) -- added almost no new tricks (sorry, an improved lolightwell doesn't count, it's still lol), nerfed the hell out of spirit regen, and added instances where AoE interrupts, silences, and mana drains -- all of which hurt the healer more then anyone else (if you have that shadowbolt interrupted your dps goes down, but if I have that gheal interrupted someone might die) -- are common.
All in all it's not a fun time to be a healer, and when you add in that many secondary specs (lazer chicken, lolret, ect) were made viable... Well, just call it "Wrath of the Healer Shortage", because this is going to make BC's tank shortage look like the good ol' days.
darian Dec 9th 2008 10:58AM
I heartily disagree.
It's a good time to be a healer. I personally don't miss getting squished because Warriors and Druids were incapable of holding more than four mobs on them at a time.
I personally don't miss downranking, and I'm confused as to where you got the idea that healers didn't get any new tricks. We may not have gained replacements for Rank 8 Healing Wave or Rank 2 Chain Heal (using Shaman as an example), but that's not the same as lacking "new tricks". In fact, that would have been old tricks under a new name. There are new tricks for each class, and they're more than enough to adapt and have fun.
Lastly, healing is easy enough leveling up that it can be done with any DPS spec. It's easy enough that you can keep that spec until you start heroics. Yeah, it's still somewhat blah to do dailies as a healing spec, but it's far better than it was at the launch of BC, and a fair number of the dailies don't involve killing stuff, or provide you with a vehicle to do so.
Basically, I think it's a great time to be a healer. Maybe I'm a minority, but I think the griping is a bit overblown.
Norm Dec 9th 2008 8:59AM
I just respecced my Priest Shadow from Holy yesterday.
Now, I'm not at the end game, he's my main and he's 53. I've been playing him for several years, and I've always had trouble soloing with him. There are still no quests that can be completed by healing (where there are plenty that can be completed by stealth or force) and the dungeons seem so easy lately (ZF is the one I've done most lately) that not only am I FoM the entire time, my party is all full health as well... there's just no need for a full, dedicated healer anymore, it seems.
Wolfsmend Dec 9th 2008 9:04AM
This may have been mentioned, but I was EXTREMELY disappointed that they didn't have something as (seemingly) simple as Dual Speccing available at release.
I'm an 80 Druid, and I certainly plan on healing End Game raids, but I haven't even touched Icecrown yet WRT questing and as such I am typically feral specced (Unless a Guild run just 100% can't find a healer).
My thought is that there will continue to be a healer shortage until they get this system implemented.
darian Dec 9th 2008 11:08AM
I'm sure the basic functionality for having two specs has been entirely complete for months. The issue isn't that Blizzard can't code, but that there are a host of other problems that come with dual specs that have to be resolved.
The most obvious is the GUI issue. Whenever one switches specs as it stands there's a 15-20 minute process involved where the player has to reorganize their action bars, keybindings etc. That's distinctly not fun. If Blizzard released dual speccing in that state you can bet players would complain about it.
The second is the persistence of glyphs. The moment this feature was announced the forums immediately began discussing what this meant for glyphs. For many specs missing key glyphs was simply not an option. The prospect of reglyphing with each respec was a sour one.
These things are major problems that, if ignored, would seriously impact the usability of the feature. It might be nice to have the dual spec feature now even without those issues addressed, but launching a new tool or feature correctly is extremely important. We only need to look to the LFG tool to see how a mediocre launch can almost invalidate a lot of effort.
Solitare-sp Dec 9th 2008 9:10AM
Problem is dual specs will lead to a lot of BAD healers. I have to wonder how anyone used to and always playing DPS will stick as a healer.
I'm a Holy Priest. When i make mistakes the group wipes. Just a split second delay on that heal makes the difference between the tank dying, and the tank living.
Tanking seems to have been simpified a lot. I haven't seen many cases now where DPS have pulled aggro off a tank, and with AOE tanking holding multiple mobs seems fine for the vast majority of people i've had playing tank.
But that then puts all the pressure on us healers. We're completely reactive and have to cover other peoples mistakes all the time. DPS stay in the fire? If I heal them I run the risk of tank dying, or going OOM. If I don't they yell for heals and then when they die you feel it's your fault, which often then leads to a wipe as well.
I'm simply not enjoying it, and finding it stressful having to deal with 1) healing tanks without the gear, and 2) dealing with DPS which have been used to facerolling heroics.
I've played a healer since release, and I can't remember a worse time to be a healer. Yeah it'll get better when myself and others gear up I know, but its simply a pain at the moment.
Add to that, we're doing the same thing, with the same spells. Looking at little green bars move up and down. all the while having to move out of the fire dispelling etc etc. Nothing changes in our game, and we don't even get to look at the fight.
Anuine Dec 9th 2008 9:23AM
I mostly agree with your comment, especially on dps taking damages. I usually have to problems with dps : 1. they take aggro, so they are hit, so I have to heal them an awful lot, so I myself take the aggro, and of course, they don't pay attention, so I'm killed and we wipe. (Now, I do that one time in dungeons. If it happens once, the next time, I let them die. Also, I now have a very efficient macro with a raid alert saying I'm being it) and 2. CC Dps usually have no clue on where to be to avoid taking too much damage (hint : don't stay in front of the mob/boss).
However, I disagree on healing being horrible. It's exactly because you can't be off and that you have to be always aware of the situation that healing is so exciting.
Also, I see a lot of the fight as a healer : of course, you have to monitor green bars, but, you have to look at what the boss is doing to anticipate the next healing spells you're going to cast. And being (usually) quite far, you can have a good general perspective, far better than what a tank has.
my thoughts : Healing is just great.
Now, if you're a dps, stay dps. I definitely enjoy healers being seldom :D
Sharkhunt Dec 9th 2008 10:22AM
There are two kinds of BAD healer (or any other role): Players who are bad because they lack experience and then Players who are bad because they don't care enough to prepare and try.
Dual-specs will bring out a lot of bad healing/tanking early on, but for at least the first group of bad players there's the chance for learning and improvement without the need to invest as many resources into respeccing.
Ice Dec 9th 2008 9:08AM
You can level up as prot/DK("tank spec any spec"). Theres almost never shortage on tanks. But who is really leveling with holy? With resto? No one. Maybe next expansion is about something like "witch doctor for healer shortage, any spec is level and healing spec" (imagine DK deathcoil type abilieties..heal and hurt same time).
I know its good choice for DKs to start from 55 not 70 but come on.. when most of them are going to northend most people are already 80 and only need tanks for heroics or raids. HC+Raid tank shortage hardly exists since its endgame and you dont have to level up. But levelling specs and healer specs still wont match, maybe someday..
Connoreryn Dec 9th 2008 9:18AM
I am a healer...a damn good one. I get whispers for PUGs all the time on my realm. Which I usually turn down. Why, you ask? For one, although I would like to do the instance...and get the gear and such. I also know that if you have a bad pally (been there...done that) who THINKS he is a main tank when you have a great warrior, and the group wipes 6 times....well. In this case it was our guild so we knew this guy and what to expect. But in PUGs where I know no one, and the group would wipe, I am not taking the blame for an idiot. I can keep a group alive, but not when someone rushes in and agroes 10 anti magic users. lol JENKINS all over again. So, I will stick with my guild and continue to level my priest...even if I do get tired of her now and then.
Anuine Dec 9th 2008 9:12AM
Guys,
if you're having troubles with finding heals, I would recommend to come in my guild...
Last time I counted (well, active players only), we had 3-4 healers, 4-5 tanks, but a clear shortage of dps with no rogue, two warlock, no mage (2 rerolled dk, one quitted for WAR), one hunter, one ret paladin, etc...
(For the moment, as we're leveling again, some of us have respecced, but we plan to go back to heal or tank as soon as possible. )
I even remember me being on /2 desperately looking for 2 dps for kara, after 3.0.1, but before wotlk... I also remember having to /rand between the healers to decide who would have to dps for the next dungeon.
So clearly, there is a shortage of dps :)
Trilynne Dec 9th 2008 9:16AM
We used to have a healer shortage in our guild, but thankfully a few people stepped up to the plate and specced resto/holy, so now we have a good number. We also have a solid amount of tanks as well. As a guild, we have a good mix of tanks, dps, and heals. I don't know how PuGs are doing on our realm, though. I'm a paladin tank who plays with my holy priest fiance, so we only ever need DPS! :P