Sony's Vision of the Shaman?

[mystt]

<DIV>Everyone,  I usually just lurk this board and pick up small bits of information and use them.  I started thinking this weekend on the vision Sony has for shaman.  I know the vision of Shaman in EQ1, which is very different, I believe than EQ2.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My belief of the vision Sony has for the shaman in EQ2 is simply,  a clerics assistant, not a cleric alternative.  Yes I realize we slow, buff, ward, heal some, etc.--however we do not have some of the "power" of other classes.  Now, I know what you are thinking, this is another "I hate my class" monolgues, it is not.  I want everyone's opinon of what a shaman is used for in Sony's group balancing plan.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So,  to level the playing field, I would like to know what your personal visions of your class is? But also, what you think Sony's vision of what shaman are supposed to be?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thank you in advance for your input.</DIV> <DIV>Mystt</DIV>

[Terq]

<P>Don't mean to be critical, but how in the world did you come up with that opinion?  We benefited from the revamp more than just about any other healer (and rightfully so), and yet you come up with this "cleric's assistant" stuff?  /boggle</P> <P>I think that "SOE's Vision" is that every class has a chance to shine in a given scenario.  </P>

[paisan]

<P>I am with terq on this one... One thing in this game that i really loathe is the cleric baseline that exists. I know it was really bad in EQ1 (i was a druid i know...) but as the game stands now a mystic is just as good if not better than a cleric. I think people are just so used to giving the clerics credit because it is really easy to see the health bar go from red to green yada yada... but can you deny the shammypower when the group never leaves the green? </P> <P>I might have to incorporate a new slogan... Clerics do it. Druids do it fast.  Shammys do it with style =P</P>

[mystt]

<P>Cleric's Assistant might be the wrong wording, or it might be that I am sick of hearing about we need a cleric (I agree with you Terq, about the cleric mentallity).  I am just wondering if more shaman have that opinion or we are truely a Cleric Alternative.</P> <P>I have grouped with many people and was the primary healer, I am only asking the question--not that I agree or disagree with Sony's direction.</P> <P> </P> <P>Mystt</P> <P> </P>

[Finora]

<DIV> <DIV>I've never been in a group that said "I wish we had a cleric". And 90% of the time I've been the solo healer. I'm 50+ now as well. So most of this leveling and grouping was done pre-combat update. I didn't feel gimped then, I don't feel gimped now.</DIV> <DIV>I've only very rarely even been in a group with a cleric, and not even done that since I was in my 20's.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In my opinion, a priest is a priest is a priest. Whether they are a cleric type, a druid type or a shaman type any of the priest classes should be able to keep a group alive against mobs appropriate for the level of the group (at the very very least yellow con heroics) and I personally have not had any issues fulfilling that role.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And actually from  my experience so far in the game any well played priest can do the same.</DIV></DIV>

[Eepop]

Any priest is supposed to be able to do the job of the main healer fairly equally.  There are some imbalances, but the game after the combat revamp is quickly approaching a very well balanced system. Even before the combat revamp, the disparity between healers in EQ2 was much more balanced than in many other games. Its still not perfect, but they are working on it. <div></div>

[tebion]

well, you only are a cleric sidekick healingwise if you make yourself one. depending on the situation all priests can shine sometimes, some in more situations, some in less, but everyone can shine. if they manage to fix the stacking issues that you can shine together and some of the still remaining inbalances it will truly rock <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> @paisan: i love that slogan <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <div></div>

[Birn]

At level 50+ I'm sure mystics works as intended but I have some trouble being a lone healer in my late 30's. The single target ward is a level 26 spell (absorbs 424 at adept 1) which is very weak in the late 30's and you don't get a new single target ward until level 41. The direct heals are somewhat ok but they are sometimes to slow to be able to keep a pretty decent geared tank alive and they use up the power pool very quickly. <div></div>

[thedu]

There are two direct heals: an arch heal and a minor heal. Why not do two minor heals, ward and then the timer will be done for the arch heal if the tank or some else takes more damage.

[Bolr]

To respond to the original question, I don't really think SOE has any "vision" at all regarding priests. At this point, I think they just want to be able to show nearly identical numbers in some ways, just so that customers will quit complaining. And, personally, while I do agree that mystics did get some significant improvements with LU14, I still find we lag significantly behind templars in "healing power" in most situations (and probably behind druids, after today's patch). In my personal experience, in most situations it's easier for me to keep a small group alive playing a templar on the "two-box", versus playing a mystic with full attention. Nothing comes close to matching reactive heals' ability to mitigate and/or nullify "burst damage", in my experience. <div></div>

[Birn]

<span><blockquote><hr>thedump wrote:There are two direct heals: an arch heal and a minor heal. Why not do two minor heals, ward and then the timer will be done for the arch heal if the tank or some else takes more damage. <div></div><hr></blockquote>If you havent noticed the 2 minor heals are on the same timer so you can't use them for more than a few seconds apart. And it's burning up power pretty fast if you are using alot of direct heals.</span><div></div>

[Cyanrav]

<P>I quit playing my Shaman after the great NERF. I came back, after the massive update. Basically, I had to relearn from ground 0 how to play a Shammi. Cautiously, I'm happy with what has been done and the tweaks that have followed.</P> <P>I find that in the average situation, getting a little hairy, I can actually keep my group up without to many problems. I must say it was very funny in Ferrott when the bad version of a Shammi was grouped with me as the "other" healer, when I had to leave said, "Well, you guys are dead with the cleric leaving. I can't keep you up" I had to stop and laugh, and explain that as a Mystic, I was a Shaman also. The point is, there are still tons of Shammi's out there that don't believe we can do the job. So, the "myth" of the Templar class (and I'm not denying there isn't SOME balance issues, but they are by no means as bad as they where) is still being perpetuated even, by our own class. </P> <P>Now in another group, I was with the "gotta have a cleric" mentality. Well hell, after seeing this cleric go at it, I get WHY they wanted a back up healer. Guy spent all his power on nuking, not on healing. Fortunetly for them, I was a Druid in EQ, a Druid that got my class WELL. I could do anything, as well as step into the shoes and main heal if I HAD too. For a short time as it where, so the habit of holding off power is VERY ingrained in me. </P> <P>We as a class are finally coming into our own. I for one am quite happy. By the way, I'm level 38 :0), BUT, I have Adept III's on my 26 Ward, and Master 1 at the slow, and Adept III on my long heal and group heal. Long as I don't get hit /grin, cause my armor was chosen for wisdom, not to keep me alive, I'm good to go. So, I'm aware that I have some backups that the average 38 doesn't have. </P> <P>On a side note, how many people here played a Shaman and/or a Druid in EQ1? I find the EQ2 version of Shammi is a lot like the EQ1 version of Druid. And was quite peeved intially to have chosen a Druid again with a new name /grin</P>

[paisan]

<P>I played a EQ1 druid a long time ago pre-planes. I do not see any real similarities in EQ1 druid and eq2 Shammy but that might be because of the great changes that came with patching over the years.</P> <P>As a mystic my role is to prevent as much damage as possible in my group either by buffs debuffs wards or heals. If there is another healer in the group it is normally more of a complimentary effort than a main-backup relationship. The unwritten rule between other healers i group with and myself is that I will prevent as much damage as i can and what gets thru you heal. That is why i love grouping with Furies and their raised DPS and Burst healing. </P>

[Finora]

<P>Biggest thing I've noticed with some other mystics is the obsession with keeping the tank in the green. That is often a waste of power. If you aren't fighting something that will drop him from yellow to dead in 2 good hits, then let him drop in the yellow a bit then throw a ward, maybe a heal if he's low yellow... maybe if against a hard foe. Conserve your power. I hardly ever (pre-50 and before and after combat update) ran out of power even duoing even con monsters with a good tank of the same level. Spamming the group ward rather than the single target also seems to be popular with some younger mystics (some I know anyhow) and that 's also a good way to use up power fast. </P> <DIV>Anyhow, I'm pleased with both my big Mystic (my main) and the newbie shaman have on test.  I wish you all the best in finding your healing groove so you can enjoy it too. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Just a side note 800 pt ward at level 50 isn't exactly a high number either, yet that's what I've got. The fact that wards mitigate make up a WHOLE lot for the fact the numbers are small.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyhow this was a bit off subject so I'll go away now. /bye</DIV>

[thedu]

<span><blockquote><hr>Birn wrote:<span><blockquote><hr>thedump wrote:There are two direct heals: an arch heal and a minor heal. Why not do two minor heals, ward and then the timer will be done for the arch heal if the tank or some else takes more damage. <div></div><hr></blockquote>If you havent noticed the 2 minor heals are on the same timer so you can't use them for more than a few seconds apart. And it's burning up power pretty fast if you are using alot of direct heals.</span><div></div><hr></blockquote> That's right. However, I use the minor heal in stop gap situations. Especially when more than one person is being stomped on or approaching red. I typically let wards finish rather than heal right away, but in those situations where it counts I like using the minor heal.</span><div></div>

[Purcupile]

<P>In regards to keeping your power up, I have found that while grouping where my meager melee effect is not needed, that if I turn off Melee I appear to maintain my power longer, and it certainly starts regenerating sooner .  Maybe this is something ya'lllearned a long time ago, but I just realized it.</P> <P> </P> <P>Purcupile</P>