Dear Devs,

 

Now, I know this post is likely folly, as you've repeatedly stated you don't talk about future changes and things in progress, etc. And I get that - it makes sense as a policy to not talk about things before they're ready for the limelight (especially given the environment on these forums); so I'm not looking for specifics or details or anything like that.

 

But I need some guidance here: As an Operative healer, I'm having a crisis of faith regarding how the class is working and how it stacks up against the (according to popular consensus on these forums) dominate healing class: Sorcerer/Sage.

 

I've not seen a single dev post on the subject of how well non-Sorcerer/Sage healing is performing compared to expectations, and I need to know whether or not that current state of things as seen as problematic; if it is receiving attention or discussion; or if it's all working as intended.

 

Again, no details necessary (though obviously welcome ), I just want to know where these things stand so that I can make a more informed decision about continuing to play my current class as a healer.

 

Thanks.

 

----------------------------------

Dear Everyone else,

 

I wanted to put up a little something to preempt the "everything is fine", the bioware white knights, and the l2p comments I expect this to draw.

 

1. I am not asking for Sorcerer/Sage to be nerfed. I believe they are working as intended, and that the other classes are in need of a little attention in order to balance things out so that the prevailing perception is parity between the classes.
    
   
2. I do - in fact - understand my class and know how to play. I understand that there are supposed to be tradeoffs between the utility of the Sorc/Sage and the other healing classes. Trooper/BH get heavy armor, Smug/Ops get stealth etc. etc. It is my belief that these trade-offs are not working as intended; leading the Sage/Sorc to become considered the dominate healing class.
    
   
3. I understand that one of the major differences between Sage/Sorc & the other classes is meant to be their resource system; and I understand that the Ammo/Heat/Energy system is capable of - in the hands of someone adequetly skilled - out-lasting the Sage/Sorc. It is my belief that these differences have been unintentionally minimized, leading the Sage/Sorc to be considered the dominate healing class.
    
   
4. My previous two points are particularly salient given the the vast utility a Sage/Sorc has (threat dump for allies, shield, force speed) which the other classes lack; as they currently stand Trooper/BH and Smug/Op can only heal at an almost comparable rate (if not conceptually for a slightly longer time).
    
   
5. More so than prevailing forum opinions, it is apparant that the Smug/Op & Trooper/BH healing tree is either (a) incomplete or (b) poorly planned. Too many of the talents in both of these trees appear useless compared to those contained in the Sage/Sorc tree, such that raching the 31-point skill requires numerous "throw away" talents in non-Sage/Sorc trees.
    
   
6. This is again true of the healing abilities granted to the non-Sage/Sorc classes - speaking from experience, a Smug/Ops healer really only makes use of 4/7 healing abilities on a regular basis - making the other classes feel half-baked and unfinished.
   

 

See, the moral of the story is, I want to be a main healer; I'm one of those masochists who likes to heal (or maybe it's stockholm syndrome??).

 

I was under the impression that any of the three healing advanced classes would be able to "main heal"; that they would be - despite minor differences - functionally equivalent.

 

However, given the amount of utility the Sage/Sorc has vs. the other classes, this is not the case: except for very niche things (say, an all stealth team comprised of 1 stealth tank, 2 stealth dps, 1 stealth heal) there is no scenario where a Sage/Sorc healer wouldn't do just as good as the other classes.

 

Yes, I know, that sounds like parity, but consider the other side of the coin: there are very common instances (massive damage spikes, high damage encounters, other players mistakes) where a Trooper/BH/Smug/Op healer cannot perform to the same level as a Sage/Sorc.

 

That's the problem. I want to be a more than mediocre niche healer. So I need to know if BW has any intention of looking into/changing/adjusting the current state of Smug/Op healing, of it it is - in their judgment - working as intended.

 

If it's working as intended That's fine! - it just means I picked the wrong class for the role I want to play.

 

But, if BW is looking into these things, I want to know, because I think healing as an Op is fun, it just needs a little devlove.

 

Please, make this into a discussion. Talk about what you love/hate about healing between the 3 classes as it currently stands. Make this into a discussion worht a dev post and we might get some of the answers we're looking for.

 

Cheers, and thanks for reading all this eyebleed.

Well spoken, but as you said; I haven't seen a single Dev comment on these boards. I'd recommend sending this in an email message or putting it on a forum where they are known to post, because this will likely otherwise get lost in/dismissed as the rest of the more baseless posts.

Well spoken, but as you said; I haven't seen a single Dev comment on these boards. I'd recommend sending this in an email message or putting it on a forum where they are known to post, because this will likely otherwise get lost in/dismissed as the rest of the more baseless posts.

 

If I repost this in general will you go give it a bump?

i cant agree more with you,if every nm mode gonna need stacking of sages because troopers and sawbones are useles on aoe heal then i need reroll.

delete the limit on target of trooper and scounrel aoe heal or we are doomed,hech i dont mind loose the 5 % mroe healing buff taht give mine aoe

I have 2 full champion geared healers, an operative and a sorcerer. I fully agree the sorcerer is much more fun to play, has better offensive capabilities, and WAY more utility(utility being the huge difference).

 

Operatives can certainly put out as much healing as sorcs but that's where it stops.

 

All the operative utility is from 10m or melee range, which is dumb. Sorcs also have great hybrid spec capabilities such as my current 21/2/18 spec that can easily get 9-10 medals in a warzone, topping both damage and healing. Operatives don't have that capability, nor do operatives have a knockback, sprint, or life grip.

 

To me the operative healing spec feels like an after thought. BW made the sorc class and put some effort into making it feel fluid and fun then just threw a couple spells together when the operative was made.

 

I'm currently leveling a trooper so guess I'll see how they stack up soon ><

 

They could easily buff operative healers without breaking concealment, perhaps put a knockback or sprint late tier healing tree. Kolto probe should also just become a single application spell. The current double application is clunky and very difficult to manage with the current UI. Kolto infusion desperately needs a buff also...

Edited January 21, 2012 by Jooji

I agree with the OP. I've been a healer since the original EQ, and have seen a lot of creative attempts by devs to get away from the cleric goddess that EQ created. Most notably was City of Heroes, which had a "healing" class - healing in quotes because the class could prevent damage if only players would stand near her.

 

I found that other players would much rather go off and do their own thing, and I had very limited abilities to keep them alive if they did so. There were a couple of other creative "healing" classes that could keep people from harm, which worked well if they cooperated, but failed if they didn't.

 

From which I learned the "best" healing class was one that could heal stupid. It turned me off from being a healer for a long time.

 

I decided to be a healer again in SWTOR, and deliberately chose the class that I judged best able to heal "stupid" - the Sith Inquisitor. I also play an Imperial Agent turned healer. While both can do an adequate job when things go well, the Sith can handle the unexpected so much better.

 

I'm pretty sure that the devs designed these classes on paper, and didn't take into account player behavior, the poor UI (how long did it take you figure out how to assist?), poor aggro management tools, or bugs in the game - all of which give a decided advantage to a healer that can heal "stupid", even if the stupidity is not the player's fault.

 

And ultimately, the devs will design difficult encounters based upon healers who can handle the unexpected, so it was silly of them to design healing classes that perform best when all goes well. They will design these final encounters to ensure that it doesn't.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Liralen

If I repost this in general will you go give it a bump?

 

I posted a similar thread http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=1887448#post1887448 in General Discussion. They moved it here, without informing me or asking. So I assume they would do the same, however you already having thread here may just cause them to close it.

 

On the subject material I agree that the 3 classes on a directly PvE mutual standpoint are imbalanced. These was possibly intended but wrongfully so.

Sometimes i ask myself if ppl see the big picture, sometimes i ask myself if developers are ppl .

 

The classes basics (im ImP so i tell about Imp side ^^)

 

Sorc: Light armor, med dmg, big heal, "unlimited" ressources, cure mental and force debuffs

 

Agent: med armor, huge dmg, med heal, "unlimited" ressources, cure phys

 

merc: heavy armor, good dmg, med heals, limited ressources, cure phys

 

Thats the first things i know about that Classes. Surly you want no "Heavy Armor, massive dmg, massive heal, unlimited ressources" kind of guy. I play a sorc and yes im THE MAn if it comes to heal, but thats it. Noone is intrested in the med dps a Sorc provides (man need a dps meter -.-) so i have to stick to my healing dummy live . So you are a merc or a OP and see "Meh healing is awefull what should i do?" everyone will say "Reroll Sorc or do dmg!"

 

I would be happy if the healing classes could be balanced, but if you get unbalenced in the big picture everything will get worse.

 

I think the best thing they could do for the start is a 28 point (or so) talent that will passivly bolster your energy regen or your heat loss. Very high up in the healtree. The biggest problem of OP and Merc are theyr ressource managment.

 

I think all healers would be happy if OP and Merc could nuke theyre healings as well as sorcs .

 

The second thing that comes in my mind are the set bonis. Sorc set bonis are AWESOME! The best you want to have, no sucking stats, everything is great. So what do BH and OP sets do? I Hear they suck and make sucking skills suck harder ^^.

 

So there are two points where you can tweak a bit. Ressources and gear. Skillscalings and that math crap behind i dont mention because it's not my kind of stuff .

Anyone else feel like our healing could use more flash-heal-sort-of-things? Just one with a low cast time that eats energy if you're spamming it? My tank mostly dies on me because my HoT's aren't doing enough and K Injection has such a long cast time.

 

Perhaps this is because I don't my class well enough tho?

I posted a similar thread http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=1887448#post1887448 in General Discussion. They moved it here, without informing me or asking. So I assume they would do the same, however you already having thread here may just cause them to close it.

 

Yeah, that's what happened.

 

Bioware Employees: PLEASE! Don't be so cruel. a Simple "Yes, we are looking into your complaints." or "No, working as intended." Is all I'm asking for!

 

Instead, I feel like this "healer" forum has been created as a place for people to vent and be forgotten about.

 

I mean seriously! You've acknowledged Sentinel/Marauder and begun addressing them! You've acknowledged Operative/Scoundrel burst DPS imbalances and begun nerfing it!

 

Someone has to have seen that every post by Operative/Scoundrel Healers has been talking about how unsatisfying it is to work our tails off trying to accomplish what Sorcerer/Sages achieve without breaking a sweat and still coming up sub-par.

 

Someone has to have brought this up, or put it on an action list, or deprioritized it or something!

 

We just want to know we're being heard! Is that too much to ask!?

Anyone else feel like our healing could use more flash-heal-sort-of-things? Just one with a low cast time that eats energy if you're spamming it? My tank mostly dies on me because my HoT's aren't doing enough and K Injection has such a long cast time.

 

Perhaps this is because I don't my class well enough tho?

 

It's not just about not knowing your class, but knowing your tank's class as well.

 

Adding a spammable isn't the answer - Kolto Infusion is a nice gap filler if that extra .5 second is the issue, and surgical probe spam under 30% HP is already nearly over-powered.

 

Instead, learn your tank's defensive cooldowns, and instruct him on when to use them. A lot of tanks will auto-pop their shield the first time they drop below 50% - and this is a mistake! - when they should save it for 20%, or better, for when you tell them to use it.

 

When I say that Operative/Smuggler healing needs help, I don't mean i want it made easy! I just mean that I want my hard work to mean something. Our hard work ought to have at least the same output as Sorcerers - and in all honesty, given the issues with our extremely limited resources, a good Operative healer ought to be able to outperform a Sorcerer.

 

But the real problem is that it doesn't seem like anyone is listening.

Today was raid day. My sorc mate (sorc + sorc = ololol in your terms) wasn't there and it was:

 

TESTING TIME!

 

So the new lvl 50 OP with some pieces of orange and some tionese stuff was told to heal alone as far as he could. Trash = no prob for him. On bosses i simply need to heal here and there and (yes) bring a grp heal up 3-4 times. Basicly there was no difference between sorc+sorc heal and sorc + OP heal.

 

Next id The op (now with ione columni item [Yeha]) will heal the Operation with a merc (fresh 50 pure orange).

 

What do i wan't to say, simple thing: It's not all about sorcs and sorcs are not your enemy . Mercs and OP's just need some tweaks in theyre ressource managment, OP's need a little mor burst heal, BH a little more hot's. After all it's the energy regen that brake the casuals neck.

i talk with someone on the live chat agent yesterday, i was SO SURPRISED... **** THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND THAT STUPID ROBOT..

As a i.a.

 

I told him about, issue with the medical therapy skill, (which isn't working at all)

 

And also about how bad our tree is made... Recuperative nanotech, kolto infusion = useless,

Our energy system who isn't so good, you toss 3 heal in a row and you're **** up for 20 sec...

 

So after 4 min of discussion he told me, clearly, IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR CLASS YOU SHOULD ROLL A INQUISITOR...

 

w.t.f is that kind of answer... Dude all the devs said at start all healing class will be equal... this is so untrue...

I enjoy the ops, i put effort and time in it and at the end we ended up with a half-working healing spec...

 

GJ !!! BIOWARE dEVELOPPERS..

Edited January 25, 2012 by Saella

yeah mercs and ops need a little bit of tweeking, mainly in the aoe department. I couldnt care less about getting a combat rezz though, only want a better aoe and a little adjustment to the heat build up and I´m fine.

From which I learned the "best" healing class was one that could heal stupid. It turned me off from being a healer for a long time.

 

That is actually a rather brilliant way to put it and I agree.