Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsRaid Rx: Tell your raid to stand in glowing circles
by Matt Low 
Oct 22nd 2010 at 11:00AM
Seriously. I've seen it happen several times now where priests drop Holy Word: Sanctuary or something and people just reflexively move out of it. Granted, that type of automated movement comes from years of standing out of Void Zones and other such nasty effects. Now we have to train the rest of the raid to recognize these new AoEs and stand on it to benefit.
To be honest, I don't know how else we can help other players "get it". I only have two ideas and they're just painfully obvious.In case you haven't seen them yet, scroll down to see what friendly circle is beneficial to you. Standing in them provides extended life! They're all virtually the same. What will vary from spell to spell is stuff like cast time or mana, but people standing in will get gradually healed up.
Holy Word: Sanctuary
It looks like a big glowing white disc. Very hard to miss Holy Word: Sanctuary. Available only to Holy Priests but they need to have the Prayer of Healing Chakra activated.
Power Word: Barrier
On one hand, any damage dealt to players that stands inside it will get absorbed. On the other hand, with the glyph, it increases the amount of healing done to players standing inside it. I wrote some thoughts about it wondering if it was better served for players to stand within it absorbing the impact of a spell or for the barrier to go up after a major attack buying time for healers to heal up.
Healing Rain
A majority of players will not have seen it yet. You can see a preview of it above. It's a giant blue circle! Healing Rain won't be available until shamans hit level 83. Unlike Holy Word: Sanctuary, it takes 2 seconds for it to cast with a 10 second cooldown.
Efflorescence
Efflorescence will only activate after Swiftmend is used. The issue with this is that the bed of flora will appear on the person who you placed Swiftmend on. It doesn't give you a lot of flexibility for spell placement (which is the only real knock I have against it).
What about paladins?
Although paladins do have AoE healing spells at their disposal, their spells aren't exactly something players can stand in.
Now, what can we do to help players stand in the good mojo?
Solution 1: Just cast it directly on players
It is the easiest solution! However, that means that most of the time, melee players will benefit the most. If you think about it, they're rarely going to move on typical encounters since they're at point blank range of the boss anyway. If the boss needs to get kited around or something, then that might not work so well.
The problem is with players at range. I've seen people who actively move out of them. They're not trying to dodge an incoming missile or spell either.
Solution 2: Repetition, repetition, repetition
I don't even know if this will work. Perhaps with repeated exposure, players will see it and realize that they're not taking damage from it. Maybe constantly telling them that they're allowed to stand in it will help. I don't know if encouragement will actually work but I can't think of anything better. If only we could put a little treasure chest in the middle of it.
I'm actually at a loss here. What can we do to train players to stand in glowing circles?
Need advice on working with the healers in your guild? Raid Rx has you covered. Send your questions about raid healing to matticus@wow.com. For less healer-centric raiding advice, visit Ready Check, and don't miss our strategy guides to Icecrown Citadel and Halion/the Ruby Sanctum.Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Analysis / Opinion, Raid Rx (Raid Healing)
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
Ezek Oct 22nd 2010 11:40AM
What can we do to train players to stand in the glowing circles?
I don't know.
I still haven't figured out how to get them to click on Lightwell, and it's been over 2 years on that one.
I can't even get them to destroy enemy lightwells in Trial of the Crusader, and that gives them a chance to hit something. DPS loves hitting something! But alas, no luck.
TimR Oct 22nd 2010 11:41AM
I like the macro announcement idea for Efflorescence. I honestly caught myself unconsciously running out of it in the first few dungeons I did after the patch. I definitely don't blame others for getting out. I think I'll macro my Swiftmend with something like "Casting Efflorescnence around /target. Stand in the pretty green circle for heals."
Saeadame Oct 22nd 2010 12:34PM
Wow what a good idea. I'll have to do that too, I think. I think it should also say "THIS IS NOT BAD GREEN STUFF! DON'T MOVE OR THE TREE WILL PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE" Well, not so much a tree all the time. But maybe the T10 druid helm vine-bunny can attack them in the face.
Eraina Oct 22nd 2010 1:12PM
I like the idea too... but here's the thing.I have all of my spells binded to Clique which I then incorperate onto grid. I have to raid frames, just mine, the thing I'm targeting, and the target's target. I don't need to see health bars on the side of my screen because everything is on Grid. Clique takes bindings directly from my spellbook so I'm not even sure it's possible to bind a macro using my system. If it is I'd love someone to teach me how to do it because you can't open the Macro screen while you have Clique up because that will close out your spellbook which is what the add-on is attached too.
If I wanted to manually make a macro that would mean I would have to download an entirely different add on, figure out how to use it, then make said macro and make it be seperate from all my other add-ons which gives me more add-ons, which means more lag, which means less heals, which means more people dying... ALL of that just because people can't teach themselves "Hey, DBM isn't screaming at me to move out of something, I don't see any debuffs or ticks of damage floating around my screen, and I seem to be getting healed, but this must be a UI error from the patch so I gotta GTFO!!!"
Yeah, no. Learn it... not that hard. I have every single role that the game offers, all geared ICC level... I think I can figure this one out on my own :P
Ralkor Oct 22nd 2010 10:48PM
Actually, Clique will accept macros, although you have to use the [@mouseover] qualifier to cast at what you click on. Write the macro first, then open up Clique. You should see an option somewhere to add a macro command to your list; you'll have to type the name into Clique. All of my abilities are on macros that allow me to use qualifier keys to cast at non-default targets; I've gotten away from Clique for the most part since I've gotten the Razer Naga mouse, but clever selection of qualifiers worked for me even with a normal mouse with Clique. I've even macroed abilities like Fade just so that if I ever need to change them I can without having to mess with redoing my keybindings. I'd recommend having most spells on macros, especially ones that can affect both friendly or non-friendly targets so that you can use the same binding in a variety of circumstances.
Malenx Oct 22nd 2010 11:45AM
I think the best fix for these would be to put an identifying structure in the middle that doesn't affect line of sight.
Efflorescence could have a semi-transparent tree sprout out of the ground in the middle of the aoe.
Healing rain could have a column of water collecting in the sky and pouring down.
Barrier could have a holy white Pillar or just a white beam from the sky radiating from it.
Sanctuary could be some holy looking relic or chalice that has light like water pouring out over it's rim.
Imo, best way to differentiate between good and bad is always have good have a semi-transparent central structure to glance at.
pinteresque Oct 22nd 2010 11:54AM
PW: Barrier has a little spritzing fountain of light at its center as it is. Not quite as noticeable as your idea, but it's there if you pay attention.
PW: Barrier doesn't have recognition problems, though - it is inherently obvious what it is and what it does the second it's cast.
Lee Oct 22nd 2010 11:50AM
As I'm a grid based, point and click shaman healer, I'm a little apprehensive about this "Healing rain" mainly as it will take two clicks to get it working
1) select spell
2) select area to target
Anyone got any idea how I could arrange an addon/macro system so I could simply click a player frame and it would cast the spell centered on them
Lissanna Oct 22nd 2010 11:55AM
Right now, healing rain is something I'm not seeing shaman use very much in Beta, even in the 25-mans, because it costs too much mana.
Cyrus Oct 22nd 2010 11:56AM
Another tip: turn up your "spell effects" graphics settings. On low settings, you can just move as soon as you see anything around your character, but to tell the difference between a poison gas cloud and a verdant healing aura or something, players probably need to have graphics set to medium at least.
But in the end, this is part of why raiding is considered hard. It's how the game works. Part of the challenge is constantly being aware of whether you can stand still, whether you should move after a few more seconds pass or once you finish your current spell cast, and whether you NEED to move right NOW. Things on the ground that you want to stand in have been around since the start of WotLK raiding (Malygos' lightning patches) and probably earlier that I just can't think of now, and players will adapt (or won't) to healing ground affects the same way they do to their own new class abilities and tanks with less aoe.
Elvgren Oct 22nd 2010 12:10PM
"I'm actually at a loss here. What can we do to train players to stand in glowing circles?"
How about expect some design consistency? After how many years of "don't stand in the fire!" we are suddenly tasked with "stand in SOME fire!". We've all been trained to recognize ground effects as problems, why make a ground effect healing display? Most of our other group wide buffs entail changes to our character models ... why not implement an aura on those affected by the new heal?
This ones going to be hard to get in place for a lot of folks. It's a knee jerk reaction ... especially for players with some latency issues ... to jump the minute they start to see something form beneath their feet. If they wait they are either dead or getting yelled at for "Standing in the fire!".
Another poor design decision for this expansion.
ArO Oct 22nd 2010 12:15PM
Use a /yell macro in addition to your spell, saying that you're casting it. It'll give your buddies a better idea of what's going on.
Kaylad Oct 22nd 2010 12:18PM
Paladins just get Care Bear Stare.
Kevin Oct 22nd 2010 12:21PM
I have seen a lot of comments regarding the graphics for these spells and others not showing properly. I had this problem too, but there is an option in game that was activated that emphasized my spells while lowering the visual quality of other spells. I can't remember where it was exactly, and I'm at work otherwise I'd check. Since unchecking the box though, everything looks good.
Mark Oct 22nd 2010 12:25PM
Change the effect to look like fire. Then 80% of the raiders will feel compelled to stand in it.
Wist Oct 22nd 2010 12:26PM
In my guild, the healers stay pretty in touch with each other during combat. If a Disc priest were to cast Power Word: Barrier onto the same spot that a Holy priest was casting Holy Word: Sanctuary, I imagine that the healing from the latter would be buffed by the glyph from the former - on top of the damage absorption and spell interruption.
Then again, stacking ANY of them would be a good idea, in tight spots.
(sorry if this has already been posted; I have no interest in reading through pages of comments to check) :)
Luftwaffles Oct 22nd 2010 8:40PM
I've never had an issue with this.. I mean blizz makes the *bad* circles pretty damn obvious.... black or red or green, or crags appear in the ground or a million other evil looking effects-o-doom.
When something makes a holy, glittery-ish sound effect and flowers appear, followed swiftly by green text informing me of heals, it's pretty obvious whats happening.
The only issue I could foresee is the blue one possible getting confused with an ice attack or freeze ability.
Nurowyn Oct 22nd 2010 12:37PM
I always spam it before fighting starts or on trash. If a raid's still forming, I might even announce, "Dance party under the efflorescence!" So far, by reminding people that the green circle is good OUT of combat or in less critical situations, they're less likely to step out of it when it really matters. :)
Aurilia Oct 22nd 2010 12:37PM
I've used PW:Barrier in a recent ICC10 raid, and I've noticed a bit of an issue: It doesn't last long enough.
Specifically, at level 80, I might get 2-3 seconds of uptime out of a Barrier depending on the number of melee in the bubble; and thus the Glyph of PW:Barrier doesn't get much use due to the Barrier expiring due to its absorb limit.
That said, I think Barrier runs into the least amount of problems of the new AE healing spells as its a rendered effect and not just a splash of color on the floor with a perimeter effect. I haven't noticed anyone running out of a Barrier yet.
I did note when we hit Putricide and the raid leader was instructing us not to stand on green floor that it was a good thing we didn't have a restoration druid with us.
Eraina Oct 22nd 2010 12:55PM
I personally don't have a problem distinguishing between what to stand in and what not to stand in... I mean my main is a druid healer, so if there is running and healing that needs to be done in a fight I am doing it. There are tons of raids where you need to learn to run into a dome (Eye of Eternity) or a void zone you need to stand in (Iron Council and Algalon in Ulduar). If you have a difficult time trying to remember what you can and can't stand in in any particular fight in this game I would suggest uninstalling it now honestly because boss mechanics are only getting harder.