Early Gameplay Suggestions

Salarus

Dalayan Master
As some of you may know, I've spent way too much time leveling characters from scratch (both twinked and untwinked) over the past 10 years or so. I probably do this because I like making myself suffer or something (read: I have FIVE WARRIORS), but in doing so I've noticed a few pretty silly things that I think should be changed early on.

Thing #1: Resurrection

Problem: Not enough classes have rez at an early level.

Context: So you're out exping in a group, and someone dies. They are likely bound in the Newport or some close city, and they won't be able to get back for some time, especially if you don't have a porter to go help them. What does this accomplish? Sure, you should have been better and not died, but that does happen. There are ample punishing elements to death already (DF, losing buffs, exp debt), without having to spend 10-15 minutes running to get back to your group.

Solution: Adding a 0% exp rez at level 14 to druids and shamans would reduce this unnecessary inconvenience.

Thing #2: Druid/Shaman Heals until level 19

Problem: Mashing 1 button as hard and fast as you can for hours on end is boring, which you have to do, because the heals are worthless.

Context:
To be honest this extends beyond 19, but it is most painful until then. With the increases in droppable gear, and exp-able gear from adepts, the minor/light heals are just not sufficient at the level they receive them. Up until 19, grouping with a fully untwinked warrior, the (numerous) druids and shaman I have leveled do nothing but aux once then spam heal, which generally needs to continue after the fight is even over. It isn't a mana issue, it is that this heal hits for about 3-5% of the tanks life.

Solution: Druids/Shamans should get light healing at 5 (like clerics) and healing at 14 (like clerics). After that leave their heals where they are. They are still really sad at healing (and don't crit, like clerics) but it will at least give the classes the option to do more than just mash 1 button as fast as they can for hours on end, and hopefully explore more of the versatility of their class (dots, slows, etc.)

I'll also take this as a time to say that I don't imagine this is a high priority with all that is going on in 2.5 (thank you for all the work on 2.5 btw) but I really believe it will improve gameplay for new players.
 
Last edited:
Didn't we make the same thread 5 years ago. Clerics are all that matters on adepts. Your suggestion is good but other healers still suck compared to them past 19. Also maybe give the resurrection to paladins too. Maybe if you really wanted to even them out at lower levels you could make some healing buff that only works on low level spells? I don't know how feasible that is. Adept's althuna.
 
without having to spend 10-15 minutes running to get back to your group.

Mashing 1 button as hard and fast as you can for hours on end is boring

It is like you don't even like SoD...

Great suggestions. The idea that Clerics should be hands down the best healers, or any one class the best at an entire archetype, is stupid and has been abandoned by pretty much every single MMO. Each of the SoD tanks plays to a strength (kind of) and so should each of the healing classes while being more even across the board in general.
 
Didn't we make the same thread 5 years ago. Clerics are all that matters on adepts. Your suggestion is good but other healers still suck compared to them past 19. Also maybe give the resurrection to paladins too. Maybe if you really wanted to even them out at lower levels you could make some healing buff that only works on low level spells? I don't know how feasible that is. Adept's althuna.

Shit, I may have with the healing thing, not the rez thing though. Forgot about it :(

That being said, i'm not just worried about adepts, i'm worried about grouping. And yeah, even after 19 the heals still suck, but until 19 in groups literally all you do is spam 1 button -_-
 
So, about that healing thing. A bunch of us have been rolling non-twinks for adepts, and it is once again a common theme of discussion about just how worthless druid and shaman heals are at lower levels. It is at the point where it is more effective to just have my druid DPS, and BW between fights, which I don't think is how the class really plays.

I stand by my suggestions made at the start of this thread, largely of moving Light Heal to lvl 5 for druid/shaman, and Healing to level 14. This isn't game breaking stuff here, just a massive quality of life change for low end healers.
 
I do remember that shaman/druids not having a rez until lv39 is really stupid and super inconvenient. I will push for lowering this. It seems pretty straightforward.

The cleric healing advantage at low levels is a bit more of a grey area and potential changes would require more thought.
 
Rez being lower for druids / shamans would be pretty awesome.
I also do agree with the heal suggestion. Having all 3 healing classes be on par until things really start to diversify would be helpful. Minor healing really is horrible anywhere past level 2 or 3 with the help of just a few pieces of gear to be honest. If priests scaled linearly with their heals until stuff like porting, buffs, gheals, hots, etc. start to become a factor, it'd help out a bunch.
 
I do remember that shaman/druids not having a rez until lv39 is really stupid and super inconvenient. I will push for lowering this. It seems pretty straightforward.

The cleric healing advantage at low levels is a bit more of a grey area and potential changes would require more thought.

Keep in mind, clerics still can crit naturally. Also, they have Zealots line now, and their undead spells are OP. (Anri out dps'd everyone else in the raid *while tanking* against undead spouses, something like 3k dmg done, enxt highest was like 1.3k).

I really like the suggestion made by Ezmur to keep it in line until ports.
 
Anri is level 14 with 80% of our tanks AC/hp and twinked with some crazy dps blacksmithing hammer
 
Anri is level 14 with 80% of our tanks AC/hp and twinked with some crazy dps blacksmithing hammer

*cough* undead nukes *cough*

The point was that clerics aren't just healing, they have versatility early game. Leading to that making a few level shifts on heals wouldn't be encroaching or really getting rid of their use.
 
Im saying, you cant use anri as an example for your generic new player. Any normal new cleric leveling is NOT going to be tanking adepts or out damaging a dps at that level.

Also, undead nukes are very niche. Again, if your a normal cleric, you wont have the mana or time to heal a tank and cast these nukes.

So if you reduce a clerics healing, well now what does a new cleric do? Run out of mana faster.

When my brothers an myself rolled adept toons we did quite well with druid/shaman heals and not cleric. Its a trade off and your ignoring the big picture, "Man my shaman heals suck, but im soooo glad i get SoW at level 9"
 
Anri is running non-twink in adept gear, our tanks, *and other healers* are doing the same thing, so comparing say, Wufok to Anri is pretty relevant. Before you point to mana pools, keep in mind running out of mana isn't the issue (no one is running out of mana here), being able to heal hard enough, or have your heal actually have a point is.

Undead nukes are niche, but they're still used frequently, Zealots line is crazy good as well. *and they still out heal because of crits*

In terms of the "big picture" (wow, it's so big, how did a miss it?!?!?!) i'll redirect you to my point that in groups, it is less efficient to use heal as a druid or shaman when you are the only healer, than it is to use damage spells. That shouldn't be a thing.

Andddd in terms of adepts (the thing you would do usually other than kill small things), clerics can solo heal angar with non twinks, druids/shamans can't. I haven't tried it, but i'd be willing to bet clerics can solo heal a well balanced raid non twink raid for spouses too, whereas druids and shamans can't.

I've run a pile of clerics, druids, and one shaman through the adepts. I know how OP clerics are in this range, and more to the point, how useless shamans and druids are in comparison. Changing two low level heals so the heals are doing more than 1-3% of the tanks HP for this level range isn't shitting on clerics. They still heal better, HP buff better, AC buff better, have zealots so they can damage *while they heal* and undead nukes for when it comes up.
 
Also keep in mind, I wouldn't be opposed to giving clerics Greater Healing earlier, if the concern is druids/shamans treading on their turf (which I still don't see, but if others do...?)

This is entirely about healing being pointless for said classes at those levels. And they are healers. This is a problem.
 
Not really though.

Rangers are dps/slight utility. At all levels they are good dps, so that doesn't impact their primary function.

Bards are more dps/utility/hybrid, and hymn of restoration is almost as good as minor healing! Group haste and stats are great too. (Granted, only played up 3 bards through low levels, and most recently only up to level 12, so I am a bit out of date on mid level bards)

Druids and Shamans are Healers/utility, if their primary function is intended as a healer, in groups, it would make sense that using their heal should be worth while right? I sure as hell think so.
 
to be honest, the low level healing spells just need their numbers tuned up. I don't think druids/shamans need to get a new heal any earlier, it just makes no sense that the first heals are 10 and 30 points respectively. Even on a naked character, those are like.. half as strong as they need to be to be acceptable.
 
to be honest, the low level healing spells just need their numbers tuned up. I don't think druids/shamans need to get a new heal any earlier, it just makes no sense that the first heals are 10 and 30 points respectively. Even on a naked character, those are like.. half as strong as they need to be to be acceptable.

That is also a solution to this. I don't think anyone disagrees healing is way, way too weak.

Edit: Following up on this:

If Minor Healing was changed to a base of 30, Light Healing was changed to a base of 70, Healing was changed to a base of 150, it would be great

1) Druids and Shamans actually would have a reason to use their heals!
2) Druids, Shamans, and Clerics would have more of an option to use other spells in between heals!
 
Last edited:
i dont play healers but i agree that early game heals for shamans and druids are quite awful. but bear in mind that changing the lower level spells to higher base values may make certain items that have procs that are those spells more powerful. is that a bad thing i cant say for sure but it is something to consider.
 
Back
Top Bottom