Really, was this divine nerf necessary?

[justagame]

So it wasn't a bug after all, but a last minute nerf?

From the release notes:

"Spells that gain reduced benefit from spell power now mention it in their descriptions (Heal, Mass Heal, and some spell-like abilities)."

BTW, I've noticed the issue on a number of spells producing below where spell power boosts would predict, so this isn't just a nerf of heals.

Seriously, why was this necessary? People complain that "caster" damage is crazy. The attempt to cut that damage down was met with complaints from arcanes, and was mitigated somewhat (by restoring power to metas). Yet once again, divines get the nerf, and a last second one at that. Most of my damage spells (including healing) are below the last beta before the update.

I kept playing because I assumed this was simply a bug, and would be fixed. Hit points went up. Enemy damage went up. Arcane damage, with the right equipment, went up. And Heal, blade barrier, and DP went down. Mass heal went up, yes, but that the only thing that went up. Find for stationary beatdowns, less practical for rapidly moving parties that won't stand still for that long casting time.

Thank you very much Turbine. Of all the little bugs and issues, this was the one that actually concerned me the most. It means those spells are a good 30% below what they would have been otherwise. So completely and totally unnecessary. So that enhancement line that says it's adding 80% to healing/light damage? Nope, it's adding 40. That weapon adding 90 spell power? Not for divines -- they only get 45 from it.

Not only is it unnecessary, sadly, yes, it IS a deal-breaker for me. Because it comes along with everyone having more HP, taking more damage, and dealing more damage. This is very unjust, IMO. Honestly, if any other class took a 30% hit to it's bread and butter (comparing to last beta and where it should be, not pre-update live), there would be riots.

What a disappointment, Turbine. And you didn't even do this openly, to solicit feedback, you snuck it in at the last second.

[Razcar]

Can do nothing but agree.

Devs, throw this harebrained nerf out the window and then burn it while pulverizing it with baseball bats.

[chickenmaniac]

We don't have enough healers on our servers as it stands devs. Throw them a bone please.

[Missing_Minds]

So wait...

let me see if I get this right.

Xpac gets released, and healing takes a nerf hit due to potency based on spell level vanishing.

Now this gets released and heal will only take half of a power up from a devotion item?

Turbine, you must now give FvS sorc timers for ALL spells and reduce the damage of the mobs DRASTICALLY as there is no way we'll be able to really keep up with the damage.

[Grosbeak07]

This is pure baloney.

You are letting Paladins, Fighters and Barbarians get upwards of 1500 hp and nerf the best spells we have to heal them? What am I supposed to do, hit them 3 times with a heal? Pray for a Crit?

Its hard enough playing a Cleric as it is, why are you making it more difficult?

[ericrd]

healing a pug is one of the most thankless and frustrating things to do in this game and now you throw another nerf on divines ? making a difficult job even more frustrating ? why? this is one of the worst ideas youve come up with turbine

[Autolycus]

It's insulting that spellpower fully boosts everything EXCEPT healing and light spells. And the cowardly way it was done speaks volumes about Turbine.

[barryman5000]

It's insulting that spellpower fully boosts everything EXCEPT healing and light spells. And the cowardly way it was done speaks volumes about Turbine.

If the changes get to live like this then this quote will be my sig. +1 for good summary.

[Archangel666]

Honestly, if any other class took a 30% hit to it's bread and butter (comparing to last beta and where it should be, not pre-update live), there would be riots.

Have you ever looked at Ranged Alacrity? 50% slower than melee and that's when the melee is using only one weapon.

I agree with you by the way, just pointing out that you'd be surprised at what people seem willing to put up with.

[Farayon]

This change is beyond absurd.

[Hikup]

Wow. Is this how you make the game more challenging? By requiring everyone to be self sufficient? Because you are doing a great job making being a divine spell caster suck donkey ....

[Shade]

um..

This is all caps: DESCRIPTION ONLY UPDATE.

Did you not even read it, just glazed over it?

Heal is not getting changed.

What it does on live, it will do again in U14p1. I have not seeing any complaints about that previous to them making this notes, so your meta-gaming yourself here. Heal hits for INSANE amounts even as is. My guild healers do 800+ points non crits.. Crits in the 2k+ range are not uncommon. If anything, the spell is way overkill even as it currently functions, due to the INCREASED benefit U14 spellpower added to it . Also could not believe the huge amount of wrong threads about clerics complaining about getting nerfed healing. Heal got massively increased because it was never effected by the max/emp multiplification.

The spell gets reduced benefit on live too. Reduced benefits of "only" 800 point heals is fine imo.

So unless you have any real data on the fact this actaully changes gameplay.. Comon. It's a DESCRIPTION ONLY FIX.

My favored soul copy failed so i cant verify it on a character, but i did check with a hireling. They heal for the same. (and hirelings do have varying spell power as I demonstrated in another thread in this forum).

Beleth: Heals for 232 Live and Lamannia (0% healing amp in this test to make it more easily verified/comparable)
Cure Serious Mass: 78-92 Live and Lamannia.

Not sure how reduced the benefit is (which is already live), I'd imagine it's pretty small since heal is still hitting for incredible amounts. The new description is showing on the hirelings, but doesnt specify any specifics.

[mystafyi]

This is all caps: DESCRIPTION ONLY UPDATE.

lol agree. seems like all divine spells of worth were nerfed a bit ago and only now folks are told is all.

not suprising since turbine added better sp and hp pots to the store at the same time. just saying...

[Iwinbyrollup]

People thought it was a bug before. Only now are people realizing that it was a nerf, not a bug. Hence the response.

[azrael4h]

um..

This is all caps: DESCRIPTION ONLY UPDATE.

Did you not even read it, just glazed over it?

Heal is not getting changed.

If you were capable of reading as well as you claimed, you'd know that the nerf was considered to be a bug by pretty much every person on the forums who plays a divine caster with any degree of competence. This only confirms that it's a nerf. Now I understand you believe all classes exist solely as support to the Barbarian, and that you're precious healers should have never been able to do anything but heal. But this nerf, to put it in a perspective from a machinist's standpoint, is the same as sticking your head into a rotating spindle. It only hurts the guy who has to hose the brain matter, bits of skull, and other assorted gore out of the machine. Worse, it may cause parts of the machine to rust, which means premature failure later.

There's already enough whining about not being able to get "healers" now. This will further eliminate "healers" from running.

[Rizzia]

snip

You missed it then http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=380028 People have noticed the difference, but now the devs are saying its not a bug.

As to the numbers you posted, yea heal is fine on live on characters with heal amp. But in general with more and more people getting to 750+ hps 0% heal amps...250-300 heals just plain suck.

Ive seen people mention light spell power aswell but not seen anything on the release notes about that.

[Flavilandile]

I'm biased...

Everybody call about healing nerf and such... but since the update my main character, Cleric, has more healing power. Her Aura gives more HP, I've used Mass Heal once only since the update, Mass Cure Critical hitting for 350+ HP ( up to 700 With a Crit ) there's no need for it, and with the AC Pass she can stand in the middle of most fight without being a little stone. Heal Crits for more than 1K HP ( I saw stuff like 1384 HP healed ).

So in my case there's been definitely no nerf of Healing.

Oh, and my BB hits for more HP and hits more often. My DP doesn't seems to have changed much though.

[Shade]

You missed it then http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=380028 People have noticed the difference, but now the devs are saying its not a bug.

I read that thread.

As I said. I do not see a single complaint in that thread about the changes to heal. It was massively buffed. The thread just explains the odd way spell power is applying (seems to be 50% effective).

The only complain in that thread was the stealthy change. (some) People like to know the truth.

Turbine responded and gave you the truth. This is your response, to call nerf.

MAybe its best they never tell you the truth, the truth hurts is hard to handle sometimes.

Truthiness facts:

• HEAL GOT BUFFED in U14.
• Description got fixed in U14p1. End of story.
• Stop complaining about getting buffed and trying to call it a nerf when it wasn't.

If you keep crying nerf, turbine WILL nerf you .

Look at the history. Thats how they respond. Thank them for buffing the heal spell and call it a day or be prepared for the real nerf.

[Shade]

Let me just add this factoid to the fire:

My long time friend and guild cleric can heal my barbarian through epic elite bosses..

With a cure critical wand.

Yes. A wand. A freakin wand, at lvl25 against Cr50+ epic elite bosses.

Thats how hard it is to heal these days.

And you say its nerfed......

[Aashrym]

Let me just add this factoid to the fire:

My long time friend and guild cleric can heal my barbarian through epic elite bosses..

With a cure critical wand.

Yes. A wand. A freakin wand, at lvl25 against Cr50+ epic elite bosses.

Thats how hard it is to heal these days.

And you say its nerfed......

I am wondering if that's soon to be fixed. Wands and scrolls have never had it so good that I can recall. I've been packing those cure crit wands everywhere in the meantime. Even the eternal cure minor wand is taking spell amp.

As far as heal / mass heal I would agree with you. They are more than effective and still more efficient than cures / mass cures. I don't expect the big healer doom currently being forecasted on the forums.