Just some food for thought (rant warning)

[reznorite1]

Hello,

I am a Favored Soul, or healer if you will. I've decided to write you this because there
seems to be a misunderstanding with people as to what a healer actually has to do.
Let me start by saying that although I happen to be good at my job, I am not a God, nor
am I your personal unending font of hit points for you to zerg and pretend to play in God
mode. If you want to do that there are a myriad amount of other games that will afford
you your opportunity to do so, maybe an MMORPG just isn't for you.

Just in case you were wondering, I am NOT responsible for keeping you alive, that is your
job. I am responsible for healing you, buffing you and resurrecting you if you happen to
die. No, you didn't die because I wasn't doing my job healing you, you died because that
mob you were smacking on just happen to do more damage than I was able to mitigate. If
there is an issue with this please refer to my above statement about being able to
resurrect you. Also for future reference, that mob was able to use finger of death on
you because while I was buffing at the entrance from my hotbar full of buffs nicely lined
up for just this purpose, you got impatient and started zerging, here's your sign.

Yes, I have quicken.

Yes, I have maximize.

Yes, Yes, Yes, I probably have that too! Just wondering, do YOU have any healing
amplification items, feats or enhancements? You may want to invest in some. Really, I'm
not trying to insult you or tell you how to play, just some friendly advice.

See that mob over there. That's Lolth. She doesn't only want to gnaw your face off like
a dragon in Gianthold, she wants to swallow your soul and digest it slowly over thousands
of years while you scream in pain the whole time. That means you might want to think a
bit before attacking her, things like is your healer in range, is the party ready, do you
need secondary mitigation items like potions of remove curse, among other things. If you
can't handle preparing yourself for a raid like this, please feel free to go kill
kobolds. Be assured, "Kobold still hate you! Kobold remember waterworks.".

Why was I swinging at that mob? Probably because you weren't paying attention while
something was trying to kill your healer, who later you will complain about for not
keeping you healed. And in case you are wondering, I was holding down my left mouse
button while utilizing the correct function key to target my party members while hitting
the number key that corresponds with the heal that will keep us alive. I can multitask,
and I'm glad that you have auto attack. Feel free to take another sip of your drink.

I do apologize but my heals don't have an infinite range on them. You do have to be within
a certain distance for me to heal you. If you want to wander off from the party and
explore please feel free. However when you get attacked by several mobs, please don't
bring them back to the party and get us killed. Stand there and try to fight them off and
die if necessary, we will come get you when and if we are able. I have a rez ready for you in
such an instance. By the way, did you also know that it saves me mana for later heals if
I can use my AOE heal on an entire party attacking the same mob rather than individual
heals on those who are attacking mobs recklessly?

OH NOES! You only have 999 out of 1000 hit points?! Let me direct you to the band aid in
the cabinet over here, you do NOT need me to waste my mana for your paper cut. In fact
if you weren't aware, you are still alive and kicking at 1 hit point. You can thank me
later for reminding you of that. If you want to be "topped off" go visit a barkeep
(literally).

You had to heal someone with a healing wand or a heal spell and you aren't the healer,
AWESOME! I commend you for being a team player and taking an interest in keeping your
party members alive as well. Just in case you were wondering, even with quicken heals do
have a cast time and a cool down time. Yes my heart is pounding just as fast as yours, as
the clicking on my keyboard goes frantic waiting for the exact moment that I am able to
cast the next heal on someone. You didn't get healed first? Wait in line, I have 6
people to watch after and if you were gathered together I could heal you ALL at the same
time.

My whole point is respect the healer in your party. We like to enjoy the game as well,
not just make sure that YOU can enjoy the game while we keep you healed. Thanks.

/rant off

[backandforth]

I think a healer does not have to babysit every member of the party. At the same time though I think that every other member does not have to babysit the healer also

[reznorite1]

I think a healer does not have to babysit every member of the party. At the same time though I think that every other member does not have to babysit the healer also

No where did I say that the party has to babysit the healer, however if a healer is being smacked on and healing himself/herself, that's less heals that can be thrown out to other members and you can't blame a healer for wanting to keep themselves healed and safe by fighting off mobs. That's my point. If the other party members aren't going to take the mobs attacking the healer off of the healer, then you can't complain about the healer doing their best to stay alive.

[gphysalis]

You didn't get healed first? Wait in line, I have 6
people to watch after and if you were gathered together I could heal you ALL at the same time.

If people would just stand next to each other, allowing for mass healing, they would be much better off.

This is one of the reasons that kiting mobs is bad.

[Whesper]

Ok, firstly, Favoured Souls and healers are not one and the same. FvSs can heal, but that's not their defining feature.

Zergers in this game will not care much for your support too much. Sure, it is nice when we can save our resources, but a zerger will not blame anyone for his death due to lack of healing. The word you might be looking for is 'noob'.

The 'respect your healer' part is a bit... well... biased I guess. If I am not familiar with a person in my party, I expect them to be the average noob. And I cannot force myself to like/respect them. Then, if they play/behave/socialize better than what my initial expectations of them where, great. That's when I start respecting them, because I then know, that the particular player is not just vegetating. All of that^^ does not depend on their class (split). Unless you meant 'common courtesy should also apply to the divines in your groups', however, that is so obvious, that pointing it out is unnecessary.

Secondly, if you want to shake mobs off yourself and onto your fellow party members, diplomacy is useful. Although, 'protecting your group's divine from monsters' seems like a funny idea to me. Unless it's a tough boss, that mob should need protection from YOU.

You did get some things right though. Everyone is responsible for their own characters life and the size of incoming heals (even more so with all the new HoT spells).

My overall advice would be to care less about being unable to cure stupid. If the annoying soulstones keep trying to blame (most of them are unable to argue) you, point and laugh and/or squelch them. Don't resurrect them either. Remember, your only priority should be to have fun and if you don't find resurrecting someone, with an intelligence modifier of -3 over and over again just to watch them die repeatedly, fun, don't do it.

[reznorite1]

Ok, firstly, Favoured Souls and healers are not one and the same. FvSs can heal, but that's not their defining feature.

Zergers in this game will not care much for your support too much. Sure, it is nice when we can save our resources, but a zerger will not blame anyone for his death due to lack of healing. The word you might be looking for is 'noob'.

The 'respect your healer' part is a bit... well... biased I guess. If I am not familiar with a person in my party, I expect them to be the average noob. And I cannot force myself to like/respect them. Then, if they play/behave/socialize better than what my initial expectations of them where, great. That's when I start respecting them, because I then know, that the particular player is not just vegetating. All of that^^ does not depend on their class (split). Unless you meant 'common courtesy should also apply to the divines in your groups', however, that is so obvious, that pointing it out is unnecessary.

Secondly, if you want to shake mobs off yourself and onto your fellow party members, diplomacy is useful. Although, 'protecting your group's divine from monsters' seems like a funny idea to me. Unless it's a tough boss, that mob should need protection from YOU.

You did get some things right though. Everyone is responsible for their own characters life and the size of incoming heals (even more so with all the new HoT spells).

My overall advice would be to care less about being unable to cure stupid. If the annoying soulstones keep trying to blame (most of them are unable to argue) you, point and laugh and/or squelch them. Don't resurrect them either. Remember, your only priority should be to have fun and if you don't find resurrecting someone, with an intelligence modifier of -3 over and over again just to watch them die repeatedly, fun, don't do it.

First I have to say thank you for proving my point.

For the benefit of improving your class knowledge and grouping skills, I would ask you to refer to the ddo wiki for both cleric and favored soul spell lines, and compare them. Also go to eveningstar and look for an epic cleric at the hireling vendor, you won't find one. They are replaced by what? That's right, favored souls, so obviously tubine realizes that favored souls most definitely ARE healers. Also when an LFM goes up for healers what do they post for? Right again, clerics and favored souls.

Beyond this I feel no need to tear you down further other than to say that if I ever run into you in game, I will immediately ignore/squelch you and ask you to be removed from the party, if for nothing else than your obvious inability to recognize who the healer in the party would be.

[PNellesen]

My Horc Battle Cleric approves the OP!

(Or he would, if he wasn't busy tearing up Gianthold with his Drow Greataxe of the Weapons Master )

[Whesper]

First I have to say thank you for proving my point.

For the benefit of improving your class knowledge and grouping skills, I would ask you to refer to the ddo wiki for both cleric and favored soul spell lines, and compare them. Also go to eveningstar and look for an epic cleric at the hireling vendor, you won't find one. They are replaced by what? That's right, favored souls, so obviously tubine realizes that favored souls most definitely ARE healers. Also when an LFM goes up for healers what do they post for? Right again, clerics and favored souls.

Beyond this I feel no need to tear you down further other than to say that if I ever run into you in game, I will immediately ignore/squelch you and ask you to be removed from the party, if for nothing else than your obvious inability to recognize who the healer in the party would be.

Oh please, if your time schedule allows it, tear me a new one. I love a good argument. However, it seems to me that our perceptions of the game, playstyles and group roles/obligations are too different to have much/any common ground.

Now then, if you believe you could possibly teach me something new about classes, I would love to see you try. Seriously, enlighten me. Not saying that it's impossible, just rather very unlikely.

I assumed by 'spell lines' you meant 'spell lists' and not 'spell enhancement lines'. Favoured souls can select all the spells that a cleric can, except for any that have something to do with turning undead. Your argumentation including hireling vendors is rather flawed, because by that logic Turbine realizes that rogues either don't exist or are completely useless.

My retort to your last argument: any knowledgeable leader that thinks his group needs a dedicated healer, will also accept bards and druids. However, most of them just put BYOH if it's not a raid. If you are referring to the armies of people that want a healz dispenser following them around and channeling positive energy into them, then I don't usually run in those groups and could not care less what they post in their lfms.

Feel free to squelch me, I run on Khyber as Tanrak, Raktan, Arcant and Gazein.

[reznorite1]

Oh please, if your time schedule allows it, tear me a new one. I love a good argument. However, it seems to me that our perceptions of the game, playstyles and group roles/obligations are too different to have much/any common ground.

Now then, if you believe you could possibly teach me something new about classes, I would love to see you try. Seriously, enlighten me. Not saying that it's impossible, just rather very unlikely.

I assumed by 'spell lines' you meant 'spell lists' and not 'spell enhancement lines'. Favoured souls can select all the spells that a cleric can, except for any that have something to do with turning undead. Your argumentation including hireling vendors is rather flawed, because by that logic Turbine realizes that rogues either don't exist or are completely useless.

My retort to your last argument: any knowledgeable leader that thinks his group needs a dedicated healer, will also accept bards and druids. However, most of them just put BYOH if it's not a raid. If you are referring to the armies of people that want a healz dispenser following them around and channeling positive energy into them, then I don't usually run in those groups and could not care less what they post in their lfms.

Feel free to squelch me, I run on Khyber as Tanrak, Raktan, Arcant and Gazein.

Again, thank you for proving my point.

My OP was about my experience being a healer in groups. Also if you notice I posted (rant warning) after the title of the post. Nowhere did I ask for advice, which yours seems to be flawed to begin with.

On another note you in your post stated that favored souls are not a healer class. I'm trying to figure out your logic with throwing out non sequiturs about rogues, bards and druids. Again please feel free to visit the DDO store and epic vendors in eveningstar where rogue hirelings ARE available. I also stated that you should look at the spell line for clerics and favored souls and compare them as my basis for claiming that favored souls ARE healers, nothing about bards or druids, but even in that my point is proven. I don't see any epic bard or druid hirelings either which once again tells me what? That's right turbine assumes that favored souls are good enough for healing the party without the need to offer the other classes. I doubt this is an oversight on their point.

[Jeremiah179]

Oh please....
Your argumentation including hireling vendors is rather flawed, because by that logic Turbine realizes that rogues either don't exist or are completely useless.

ummmm... I use an Epic Rogue Hireling to open all my FvS questing traps for me... he is very skilled. So I am confused by your attack.

It is crazy how attacking people are... for a very very long post...I was actually able to read it all +1!

I agree with nearly all of it -- unless I specifically sign on to a hard situation to be a nanny-bot... I fight like everyone else and spam mass heals to the other people fighting...together...

If anyone runs off anywhere... not my problem anymore, other than to maybe retrieve them later if they dont show up for the final chest? And even as a melee/healer I do go to any of my team mates aid fighting and healing when the mob might get the drop on them... so the attack about protecting the healer was silly... I always try to protect everyone when we are all together... if anyone runs off... they are on their own.

[smithj_2020]

That was a rant if ever there was one!

A few things:

1) I play FvS and Cleric and heal quite a bit in questing.
a) when people complain or type or say heal me, I calmly tell them to relax I see they are being whacked and I will heal you just don't command me to do so.
b) if it persists there is 1 outcome: you will die because I'm sick of hearing your whining and demands!

2) last night while questing with a Guildie on his cleric a barb and bard were typing heal me.
It went something like this:
heal me
Heal me
HEAL ME
Holy $&@) heal me
Dude *** are you paying attention heal me!

It went on throughout the whole quest: guess what they died alot

3) I am definitely a zerger and never once have I ever blamed a healer or heal type for my death, I make sure to have adequate cure serious, light, moderate etc potions on me! If I die its clearly because of lag (lol).

It's ddo man your always going to have whiners and complainers and if they do, either let them die or just leave group you will never get through to them ever ,




1 more thing:

HEAL ME HOLY SH!?

[zeonardo]

I understand the OP's point, I secretly agree with it but I mostly disagree for a few simple reasons:

I play Heall on Thelanis.
She's on her 15th life only to gather past lives to become a better divine.
3/3 pal
3/3 clr
3/3 wiz
2/3 fvs
2/3 sorc
2/2 mnk (I've considered rolling a BC long time ago and was planning 3mnk 3ftr)

Now, my point is:
I didn't spend endless hours of my life to build a character to heal you while you're being awesome.
I said I disagree with the OP, because it's useless to explain all this to anyone who think divines are healers. The ones that already know that, won't need this explanation anyway.
They have to roll a divine themselves to learn.

My suggestion is for Devs to lock all classes on the first character creation screen, allowing only for cleric.
You have to take your cleric at least to level 10 before being able to roll any other class, despite vip/premium/free account status.

My 2cents

[reznorite1]

1 more thing:

HEAL ME HOLY SH!?

Now THAT was classic! Awesome post, you get my point, thanks for posting!

[hale99]

The whole you should have to start as a cleric thing is stupid, there are so many people that don't know how to play one, and if your a new player starting as a cleric (especially if your new to D&D and DDO) would be very difficult.

[mdgiest2314]

i like op post and agree with it mostly but it will never make a diff

i play a bursty cleric and with a good group that sticks together my blue bar is mostly untouched and yes it is nice but we arent the borg and people will hardly ever be that in sync with each other (tho i wish it were like that)

for the people that scream and yell heal me when they have like 500/1000 hp do what i do toss them a medium HoT spell and say good day and if people continue to complain let them die o well

now i say let them die for another reason aswell and ill explain it because it goes with zergers or wannabe tanks people who have high hp but no dr/prr/heal amp and decide to play on half orc or WF i mean really a wf fighter with no heal amp or repair im not wasting my sp get heal amp and alot of it in situations such as those your one life is less important to me than the 5 other lives in the party cause if you just die its not a wipe but if everyone else dies while im spamming every healing spell i have just to keep your wf no heal amp alive the rest of the party dies and then we die.....so it is way more efficent for me to toss you a heal once in a while with a HoT here and there and just let you die other wise and save the party it is cheaper on sp for me to raise/res you than to spam heals at you

also to any and everyone i dont care what class race or designed purpose is as a healer it is MY JOB to keep THE PARTY!! not you the PARTY alive i care more about not wiping than your squishy but dying a bazillion times

also these are the same problems i had with my first cleric in 07 no matter how much we ask things will never change op

[hermespan]

Again, thank you for proving my point.

My OP was about my experience being a healer in groups. Also if you notice I posted (rant warning) after the title of the post. Nowhere did I ask for advice, which yours seems to be flawed to begin with.

On another note you in your post stated that favored souls are not a healer class. I'm trying to figure out your logic with throwing out non sequiturs about rogues, bards and druids. Again please feel free to visit the DDO store and epic vendors in eveningstar where rogue hirelings ARE available. I also stated that you should look at the spell line for clerics and favored souls and compare them as my basis for claiming that favored souls ARE healers, nothing about bards or druids, but even in that my point is proven. I don't see any epic bard or druid hirelings either which once again tells me what? That's right turbine assumes that favored souls are good enough for healing the party without the need to offer the other classes. I doubt this is an oversight on their point.

As a druid that often ends up with groups that have no healer I have a little something to add. If you are grouped with a melee druid, fight the same stuff he does so you get his area HoTs

Don't expect the member of the party with the highest (ok sometimes 2nd best) dps to play heal bot.

Be a team player. Notice the druids health not going down and the giant circle that appears around him every 8 seconds or so. That's a area HoT. If you stand in it, the druid doesn't need to waste SP healing just you. Not only that, the mobs go down 3x as fast so one single person is taking damage for that much less time.

If there is a favored soul in the group and you see 2 members of your party fighting the same mob and there's a giant circle of heal around them, maybe you should fight the same stuff they are.

This appears to not be common sense. You'd think after the 3rd time they died and 3rd time you told them over comms about this, they'd play ball.