I have been playing a warden now for nearly a year. She is my first and main character and I have only recently started raiding with her on a regular basis. Usually I am in the MT group and don't feel that I am just an "also ran" in that group. Maybe I am just full of myself and ignoring the obvious? Maybe I just don't understand what is going on around me? Quite likely! It is a steep learning curve!
At the start of a fight when the MT goes down rapidly, I am aware that without the other healing classes, who seem to heal for large amounts very quickly, the MT would be in real danger but this just makes me think that three assorted healers are needed not that I am no good! So, is my casting speed so much slower? Are their skills so much more powerful than mine? Are my buffs worthless by comparison? Although I have some sympathy for the frustrations of the OP, I also feel that surely I would be missed were I not there? And not just because I am filling a space and anything is better than nothing! Surely not?
Also, having not seen a parser for respective healing, I am unclear really what my comparative contribution is! All I know is that I can keep going for ages power wise (and have even been asked, rather rudely by a pickup MT, why my power is up when everyone elses is down!). Also, apart from the first big damage on the MT in a raid, I am capable of healing both the MT, my group and even member of others groups in my spare time! And if things get really slow, I do some dps to brighten up my days.
I chose a warden because it seemed to be a character that I could effectively solo with as well as group (I hadn't thought of raiding at the time). I like the profession although see room for improvement. The main people that I have seen complaining about wardens are wardens themselves and they have been the ones who have most undermined my confidence in my abilities. Does this confirm my lack of insight and/or skill or rather say something about less happy warden healers? I wish that someone could give me a definitve answer but suspect that that is hardly possible!
"It seems however hard they try, that nobody can tell me why. So I know really I suppose, as much as anybody knows."