Protecting Grove

[gatrm]

<p>According to the test update notes from yesterday (8/28/07), Several classes are getting raid-wide spells/buffs.</p><p>Since the Protecting Grove was given to wardens at level 58, the description has read that it would heal all allies nearby (within a certain distance)</p><p>This has always been just a group heal if within range of the tree.</p><p>Can this spell be looked at by the developers, and make it work as it describes?  It would be nice to be able to plant it in the midst of all those squishies at the back of the raid and let it help to heal them.  The mages are continually complaining about it being in their way, but if it healed them (and those summoner pets that can't take even a tiny aoe), I bet they would be looking for the tree.</p>

[Elephanton]

These changes were aimed to make fighters more desired on raids, and this is it.Do Wardens need any help getting on raids?

[gatrm]

<p>There's a lot more in the update notes than just changes to fighter spells.  Included is also a change to a bard buff making it raidwide (I know bards, it's a useless buff).  Other classes were also addressed.</p><p>And frankly, since you ask wardens are one of the less desirable healing classes on raids.  Yes they are more desired than some fighter classes, but not so much compared to any other healing class.</p><p>This thread was not intended as a complaint, nor is my response.  I am not really interested in getting a lot of responses from people flaming my request.  I only am interested in developers reviewing my request, as it seems that they are active on these boards.  I also feel that this is an appropriate place to make such a request, since similar changes are currently being put in place on test for other spell types.  </p><p>Feedback from a dev would be wonderful, but not expected.</p><p>...edited to clarify my response...</p>

[Prrasha]

<cite>ElephantonRU wrote:</cite><blockquote>Do Wardens need any help getting on raids?</blockquote>Go check the warden boards. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Short form: if the raid is tough enough to need 3 healers in the MT group, a Warden is wanted.  Else, you only grab one if you can't get one of the other 5 healer types (MT and OT groups want defiler+templar, melee DPS want inquisitors, caster DPS want furies.  Add in one mystic somewhere in the raid for additional debuffery.  Wardens bring no useful debuffs nor non-MT buffs.)

[Prrasha]

<cite>ElephantonRU wrote:</cite><blockquote>Do Wardens need any help getting on raids?</blockquote>Go check the warden boards. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Short form: if the raid is tough enough to need 3 healers in the MT group, a Warden is wanted.  Else, you only grab one if you can't get one of the other 5 healer types (MT and OT groups want defiler+templar, melee DPS want inquisitors, caster DPS want furies.  Add in one mystic somewhere in the raid for additional debuffery.  Wardens bring no useful debuffs nor non-MT buffs.)

[Bre]

<p>Kind of off topic, sorry for that.</p><p>Wardens bring no useful non-MT buffs.. What? I play a ranger and I can guarantee I ask for Primitive Instinct if a warden so much as steps near my raid group. A furies vim will help our poison damage but we have little chance of getting an int buff over a caster. A furies frenzy is melee only making is better applied to melee types. Just saying, I love having a warden in group. So don't get too bummed.</p><p>Brega - 70 Ranger, Test Server</p>

[Xova]

<p>Adding onto this...is it possible to change the tree to be, well, a little smaller? Because if I have to hear one more scout kvetch about how they can't see around the tree, I'm going to go nuts.</p><p>Just a thought.</p>

[Prrasha]

<cite>Brega wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Kind of off topic, sorry for that.</p><p>Wardens bring no useful non-MT buffs.. What? I play a ranger and I can guarantee I ask for Primitive Instinct if a warden so much as steps near my raid group. A furies vim will help our poison damage but we have little chance of getting an int buff over a caster. A furies frenzy is melee only making is better applied to melee types. Just saying, I love having a warden in group. So don't get too bummed.</p><p>Brega - 70 Ranger, Test Server</p></blockquote>So your raid would bring along a warden to buff one ranger's chance to hit?  He can't help anyone else in either a melee, ranged, or magical DPS capacity (Instinct isn't a concentration buff; it's a one-target-only buff).  As a <i>raid</i> you're better off with an Inquisitor if your ranger is in a scout group (+DPS buff castable on several people via concentration slots, plus part-time groupwide haste/INT/casting-speed buff from Fanatacism), or either a Fury or an inquisitor if in a caster group, even if the Fury has nothing to directly help a ranger.Also, once the warden gives up his Instinct buff to someone else, he's killed his own DPS and a fair portion of his healing ability (assuming he's melee/STR line in AAs).  The other melee priests (Inq and Mystic) have skill increasers in their AA lines.  The warden doesn't.The question isn't "is the warden useless once he's there", it's "is there a reason to bring him along (over any of the other 5 healers) at all"?  And if you have the choice, then no, there's no reason to put a Warden anywhere but the 3rd healer slot in the MT group.  I guess Wardens have a solid spot in a pick-up raid where healers are in short supply all the time...