Raid Rx: Striving for healing parity
by Matt Low 
Apr 16th 2010 at 5:00PM
Okay, so I completely blew the call last week on druids getting some extra healing spells. Whoops! Now that the paladin changes have been released this week, the healing community has had a chance to digest the new direction we're going in. Actually, come to think of it, it appears that all healing classes are approaching the same direction. A few players quipped if the four healing classes would eventually become clones of each other in the sixth expansion of WoW. The parity is there, no doubt about it. At the same time, I still think that there are enough differences to render each healing style unique. Obviously there is going to be some overlap, but that's mainly to help make life easy for players.
Wait until you listen to this story I have ...
Stop me if you've heard this one before. You might have experienced it or have known someone who has been on the receiving end.
The other day, I'm relaxing on my priest in Dalaran. I made a few changes to my spec and I wanted to try some things out in a raid setting. Coincidentally enough, someone in trade chat pipes up saying that they're looking for a raid healer in Trial of the Crusader (for 25). I message the guy and inform him that I'm a 6,000+ GearScore discipline priest looking to join a raid. Turns out it was partially cleared and that a healer dropped out after they took down faction champions. I show him my achievements and stuff. (And hey, I don't agree with all that GearScore stuff, but sometimes you just have to speak the language.)
Inconceivably, I get shot down. It was a fairly crushing blow to my ego. How often does a 6,000+ Gearscore, Val'anyr-wielding healer get denied from a pickup raid that is looking for healers? All because of the fact that I was a discipline healer and obviously could not raid heal at all. The irony here is that the Val'kyr Twins encounter heavily favors a discipline priest due to the constant damage that the raid takes.
What's the point?
That right there is my story. Did you see the point I was trying to make? I didn't get turned down because of lack of gear or lack of experience. I simply wasn't the "right healer" for the right job. The current conceptions about healers is that there are two kinds: tank healers and raid healers. Tank healers excel at keeping one or two tank targets alive no matter the cost. Raid healers tend to specialize in keeping as many people alive. With Cataclysm steadily creeping up on us, the healing landscape will change so that all healers will have the tools to effectively raid heal or tank heal. I won't deny that we're getting closer to each other in terms of similarity. I personally view it as a positive thing.
Healing parity?
I know a number of healers who have stated that once Cataclysm is live, they're either going to quit the game or quit healing. Why? Well, because the class that will be released then will not be the class they started playing. For example, I know there are druids who play druids simply because they could look like a tree due to the Tree of Life ability. We're supposed to be unique in our own ways! We have our own little healing niches that we fill! This is an attack on the identity of who we are. We're slowly losing the essence of our class. How long will it be before we become carbon copies of each other, right?
I was never one for the slippery slope argument, myself. I can see where the skeptics are coming from. I do think it is blown way too far out of proportion, though.
Could you conceivably have a raid with six holy paladins healing? Well, yes, you could. It would be far from optimal, of course. Gearing them all would be a horrendous undertaking as well. When it comes down to it, we need three things to be successful at healing. We need healing spells that can hit multiple players simultaneously. We need spells that are fast, efficient or really efficient. We need tools to keep players alive through certain situations. It doesn't matter how that is done so long as it is done. What separates us from each other should be the tools we use. For raid healing, discipline priests are gaining Power Word: Barrier. Shamans get Healing Rain. Paladins are also getting additional AoE healing treatment with Healing Hands. Notice that the spells conceptually differ from each other but all accomplish the same goal: protecting or healing multiple players.
We're reaching a point where each healing class should be reasonably equipped to cover some healing role. We shouldn't be reduced to being only good at one thing. Again, this sounds like an increased emphasis of the "bring the player, not the class" philosophy. It just means that each healer will have the theoretical abilities to tank heal or raid heal. Now it boils down to the player itself to see if they have the player skills to make use of their skills. In other words, if your pickup raid needs a raid healer, you won't have to turn down paladins or discipline priests. You have the freedom to pick and choose. Player class won't play that big of a role in your raid composition, since each class can adequately fulfill that role.
Hopefully I won't get shot down the next time I want to heal something because I'm the wrong class for the job. I should be shot down because I'm either:
- badly geared
- just plain bad
Still not convinced?
At least wait a bit longer. There is still a long time to go before the expansion. Some abilities might make the cut and others might not. We still have the beta process to go through. The various encounters will also play a role in how we play ours. Give Blizzard time to flesh out and execute their ideas before throwing in the towel.
Want some more advice for working with the healers in your guild? Raid Rx has you covered with all there is to know! Need raid or guild healing advice? Email me at matticus@wow.com and you could see a future post addressing your question. Looking for less healer-centric raiding advice? Take a look at our raiding column, Ready Check. Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Raid Rx (Raid Healing)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
fearthefireblade Apr 16th 2010 5:11PM
People aren't going to quit healing because of parity. That's the scapegoat.
The resto druid's just scared he won't be able to top the healing meters by facerolling now that he actually has to think about using lifebloom on the tanks and when to pop tree form. And after all, the healing meter is what determines your raid spot.
They're really going to quit because watching mana and choosing the right spell takes some brains and this is a challenge that they don't want to deal with.
Jhestor Apr 16th 2010 5:20PM
All generalizations are bad.
Shockmore Apr 16th 2010 5:29PM
While that might be true for a lot of people, it's not for me. My mains consist of a resto shaman, holy paladin, holy priest and an up-and-coming resto druid. I'm a goal orientied person, so the main thing for me to reach as a druid was Tree Form.
I love the direction the new healing model is going.. but I'm very sad that I'm going to lose my tree. Sure, everything's going to be different, yeah, but the whole reason I liked the druid class was the visuals. The fact you got to play as my favorite models from Vanilla - the entling.
I don't care about another cooldown or cool new tricks.. but a minor glyph that allows us to visually stay in tree form (like they said they might do) would be great.
MJH Apr 16th 2010 5:46PM
Personally I'd rather have to make the right choices and manage my resources. I don't play this game to top meters, I play to improve my last performance and have a sense of accomplishment.
Bring on the challenge. And give me some changes to learn and adapt to so I can keep my brain working.
Rob Apr 16th 2010 5:47PM
I strongly identify with the tree, so, I probably wont be playing a resto druid come cataclysm. Blizz can do what it wants, I can do what I want. This has nothing to do with facerolling (and, seriously arguements made at the level of a 13 year old are pretty trite).
i not vewy smat Apr 16th 2010 5:59PM
I've played a resto druid as my main from Kara, on through Hyjal, BT, Sunwell, and now through Naxx, Ulduar, ToGC, and ICC. I've gone from rolling Lifebloom and maybe a rejuv/regrowth on 1-4 tanks and nothing else, to spamming Regrowth and little else, to a mix of all of my spells, and now to WG/rejuv spam.
In that time, and throughout those changes in mechanics, my position on the meters has varied greatly. In BC, it was a rare day that any druid topped the healing meters. We didn't heal people - we just provided a buffer for the other healers. There were those fights where we came out at or near the top, but usually, we were not number 1. As we moved into WotLK my position on the meters has trended upwards, and I do very often top them now.
Throughout all of this, I always had a raid spot. I didn't have one because I was topping the meters. I didn't have one because I was the token tree (we had several trees in guild). I didn't have a spot because our other healers sucked. I had a spot because despite where I may show up on Recount, when I am there, people die less.
When they announced the change of Tree of Life to a cooldown, I started considering not being resto any longer. I considered changing my main to another healing class. I still haven't decided, and won't until I see the changes in action.
I didn't feel that way because I won't top the meters. I didn't feel like that because I won't get a raid spot any more. I feel that way because I like being a tree. It is a pointless, inconsequential graphical change, and little else. But it is who I have come to identify my character with. I don't care if it is restrictive. It has come to symbolize the essence of the resto druid to me, and I will miss that.
Sassafras_ltk Apr 16th 2010 5:22PM
Gearing six holy paladins would be no problem at all. Remember, they can all wear mail, leather, and cloth. Gearing six priests would be tough.
adyuaa Apr 16th 2010 5:38PM
In a realm of reduced Mastery for people not wearing their max-armor material, the paladins you put in cloth might be a bit irked.
Vogie Apr 16th 2010 5:54PM
I'm not sure what that would mean. I suppose it could mean that Paladin healers have gimpy int -> spellpower conversion, and there's a holy version of Bladed armor (your heals are increased by 5/10/15% of your armor)
Call the talent Sparkles, and we're gold
Jeremy Apr 16th 2010 5:22PM
Is this going to make a second spec irrelevant you think?
John Apr 16th 2010 5:24PM
No...a lot of people spec healing & dos.
Kevin Apr 16th 2010 5:26PM
i dont think so.
for example, lets say your a priest and you prefer the discipline style of healing. that's your primary spec. if you HATE dpsing, you could off spec holy for when that just happens to be handier or you could spec shadow to dps.
Mitawa Apr 16th 2010 6:01PM
As a druid, I run Heal-Tank dual specs. The gear is a pain to haul around but I'll never give up either spec and I'll never not be in demand. ^^
Jeremy Apr 16th 2010 6:06PM
I just hope I get that big Tank shield! If holy and disc. get too similar the just need to combine the 2 and make a damn tank tree! Any other fighter/clerics out there?
Drahliana Apr 17th 2010 2:56PM
My healers never spec DOS, they're Mac people.
Eliezer Apr 16th 2010 5:21PM
I point to your own anecdote as a reason your utopian future won't come about. You were turned down for a job you more than adequately capable of, because of faulty or lazy thinking.
That will happen NO MATTER WHAT. In Cataclysm, no matter how much parity there is, it will not be a true 1=1. Someone will post on Theorycrafting sites that a Paladin is .001% better at X, and a Druid is .003% better at Y. And it won't matter how small or petty the distinctions are, Players will still try and pigeonhole classes because that is what they do :-p
evenkots Apr 16th 2010 5:41PM
Pretty much sums it up.
Wellsee Apr 16th 2010 6:40PM
I agree the min/max crowd will do that. And lets say, somehow, all the classes get to the exact same healing throughput, then why not just take just pallies, their plate armor and their offspec?
I'm not on the homogenization bus because it takes away flavor. If somehow all healers did become very close in abilities, then why choose one? For the offspec? I'd be okay with steering two classes toward tank healing, and the other two toward raid healing. But have 4 classes that perform the same? It goes too far.
Sciarc Apr 16th 2010 6:55PM
Parity is not the same as homogenization! Too many people seem to be confusing the two.
Parity implies equal capability, but it does not mean that their abilities or playstyle are in any way similar. The four healing classes can (and should) each be equally capable of either tank or raid healing while using entirely different tools, both flavor-wise and mechanically, to get there.
uncaringbear Apr 16th 2010 7:50PM
The min/maxers will always dictate in the end. No matter how close Blizz gets the 4 classes homogenized, one or two classes will still be identified as having x% superiority in category y. That class suddenly gets perceived as the superior class regardless of the size of the difference. This filters down to the general population and next thing you know, class XYZ sucks at doing such and such.