Guide to playing with a Healer in your team
By
alphaforce,
Posted on: 2005-02-18 14:43 in Player Guides
VGR Red, thanks i shall remember that for future teamin'.
p.s. VGR = Very good read
I suggest that BLASTERS read this also.
.:Brmstone's BLOG:.
VGR Red, thanks i shall remember that for future teamin'.
p.s. VGR = Very good read
I suggest that BLASTERS read this also.
.:Brmstone's BLOG:.
While this was written from the empaths prospective, let me add a word or two about other defenders/controller sets. Basically, know who is healing and how. An empath or rad has a PBAoE heal. The OP's advise is good for those circumstances. That is very different from the Stormie with a single target. That is different again from the Kinetics with a AoE centered on a target. Each requires a different style.
From a Kinetics pov, I realize that when the blaster is in danger, the first impulse is to run. But I can't help you unless you stay close to the mob. And with the strongest AoE heal in the game, I will keep you alive but you have to stay close to a bad guy or I can't do anything. However, a Stormie may not care too much where anyone is so as he can target that person. So, know your healer (and healer know your team) and adjust your tactics accordingly.
Although this may change at the higher levels, my Empath has been quite succesfull up to level 26 with only one healing power - Heal Other. I am adding Regeneration Aura with the intent of using it as a sort of self-heal.
According to my resources, Heal Other consumes less endurance per use than Healing Aura, has half the recharge time, and Heals almost twice as much (nine fifths) - if only to one character. So as long as your team is using good tactics - that is, it's letting one or two people take most of the damage (can you say tank) Heal Other is going to be much more worthwhile. Moreover, Heal Other has range which means that the squishy defender can stay out of AoE radiuses while healing using it.
Heal Other slotted for maximal heal over time, (3 Heal and 3 Recharge reduction - no hasten) has, so far, been just the right amount of healing. In my opinion, the primary redeeming quality of Healing Aura is that it is a self-heal, but Empaths aren't exactly the best soloists to begin with.
If you are not with the rest of the team, then it is your responsibility to get with the team. Defenders - regardless of type - will prefer to follow the damage magnet (generally a tanker) and will be concentrating on keeping him up. In a large team damage dealers are going to be a secondary concern because they're usually not between the defender (and incidentally the rest of the team) and a dirt nap.
In response to your theses:
The math of endurance, defense, and damage resist indicates that it is more efficient to let a tanker (or a defensive scrapper) take the damage for the team and then heal that person. It's also much easier for the defender to manage.
A competent defender will let any strays run off on their own. If you want help from the defender, stay with the team. Defenders that allow the tank to fall so that some straggler survives should review their priorities.
Getting close to the defender, especially while you are taking damage, at higher levels is a good way to kill the defender with AoE attacks.
When I'm concentrating on healing, I pay very little attention to who's dealing how much damage in large teams. I can tell when people are being foolish, but that's not exactly rocket science. Generally, the things that I notice are things that you should already be aware of.
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While this was written from the empaths prospective, let me add a word or two about other defenders/controller sets. Basically, know who is healing and how........................... So, know your healer (and healer know your team) and adjust your tactics accordingly.
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I so agree...
It never hurts to ask. Some of the best teams I have ever been in have been teams who spent a couple minutes sorting out who is what class. As was posted, you need to know the type of heal/control you have with you and how best to put yourself in the best setting to be healed/protected.
I am by no means saying that all tankers need to know everything about the Defend/Conrol class. I am saying that a good tanker should have at least some working knowledge of the different types of "heals" that (could) come out of the Def class. In reality any good character in any said class should have a basic understanding of any other class. (<- that is 11. now)
If you ever need or want a power you just saw explained, asking is not bad at all. You will tickle most Defs I know if you just ask them.....trust me knowing how to work with your healer/healing Defender keeps you standing.
(fyi: same holds true for us heal types...we know that the only reason we are standing by a MOB is because other classes are allowing us.)
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In response to your theses:
The math of endurance, defense, and damage resist indicates that it is more efficient to let a tanker (or a defensive scrapper) take the damage for the team and then heal that person. It's also much easier for the defender to manage.
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That is, IF the primary tank is able to take an hold aggro for the entire team. Sometimes in a large team, a couple of Scrappers may take on secondary aggro, because of the amount of damage they are doing, and require secondary healing. Likewise, if you don't have a tank, you may need to keep two Scrappers going who are splitting the aggro between then.
This is not to say that there is anything wrong with your logic, obviously you have decided on a primary heal, and are slotting it with the right enhancements to make it usable even in this kind of situation, if you switch targets to heal who needs it. But AoE heals have the advantage of providing "top off" healing to those who only take a little bit of damage.
Plus, as stated, it depends on the healer. I've run into that problem with Transfusion before. I WANT to heal an ally who is trying to fight a target, but before I can fire the heal he panics and backs away. My heal is then wasted, and I have to wait for it to recharge before I can fire it again.
I should also mention that as a bubble Defender, I often draw aggro down on myself for a short time until the Tanker can firmly establish it. (I also debuff Damage doing this, since I'm FF/Rad, and this helps the Tanker hit) I take a little bit of damage doing this, and depend on a healer to "top me off" as he heals the Tanker. I don't always "tank" in this way, but it's an option I can use, if I have the right support backing me up. Even Defenders can use support. 
Rufus....
My "1 to 2 ratio" is my build's ratio. Any of mixture of Enhances+slots+current level will effect that ratio, I didn't stress that thank you for making it clear. I didn't really want to get into trying to sorting out what is the best type of build, slot and enhance usage because frankly I don't think there is one. Play style by the healer and play style by the team overall effect what one would call the best healer build.
I do like what you say about how you play your healer as it restates again to everyone that knowing who is with you and what they can do for you is key. While one healer follows to directly heal the tanker; I prefer to do the same BUT the rest of the team gets healed if they need it or not through Healing Aura. We could split hairs all day about which style is best....
The reality is the non-healers should stay close to their group and/or healer...which is the main focus of the Guide. Anything else they (non-healers) can learn about how to best stay alive is icing on the cake to me...
So...what happens when a gang of tough melee mobs is aggroing on the defender's location (because there is no tank or the tank doesn't have taunt)? They're closing in on the blaster, who is obediently standing near the defender. You're saying that the blaster should just stand there and take it, relying solely on your healing aura to keep him alive, instead of moving out of melee range? I sure hope your healing aura's six-slotted, because it only takes a couple of seconds for that blaster to go from full to dead.
I can buy this sort of thing in situations like the Hamidon bubble maneuver, where you've got a dozen people with AoE heals on auto-fire. But if you're the only defense and there's a gang of freaks heading my way? Sticking around for the melee damage is suicide. Running out of heal range might be suicide, too, but I'll live longer.
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Although this may change at the higher levels, my Empath has been quite succesfull up to level 26 with only one healing power - Heal Other. I am adding Regeneration Aura with the intent of using it as a sort of self-heal.
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In my circle we would call you a blender (blaster + defender). Even if you think that HA is not worth your time, you still have Clear mind and Recovery Aura are...well...very important.
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They're closing in on the blaster, who is obediently standing near the defender. You're saying that the blaster should just stand there and take it, relying solely on your healing aura to keep him alive, instead of moving out of melee range? I sure hope your healing aura's six-slotted, because it only takes a couple of seconds for that blaster to go from full to dead.
Running out of heal range might be suicide, too, but I'll live longer.
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Yes, that is what I am saying if you have a tanker. If you don't have a tanker or even a scrapper I question why the party of ranged people (including the healer) are within melee range. But, I maybe misunderstand what you meant....i clearly stated in the first guide that the guide was not a bible. Of course there can be settings where you need to adapt and/or change how you do it based on the team. I feel the guide should be used as a way to better understand your healer and as a basic guide to interacting with said healers...adapt as needed.
Because you are right healing aura (for me) is at six slots, with the max level of enhances i can buy for my level even as that a Blaster in melee is at risk. To combat that probelm I give heals insp to people during the battle. I always have 4 insp heals on me so I can deal with that type of issue....someone who is weak hitpoint-wise standing close is now taking MORE damage then I can heal with heal aura needs healing now. So yes in my mind followin gthe basic rule of sticking close to the healer is key...if you run I can't heal you, if you run i can't GIVE you something and if you run you are leaving the healer high and dry in a world you claim you couldn't hang in.
For me anyway (and I stress for me and my builds) there is never ever a reason to run away from the healer. Again for me in the way I play will be the first one to tell you to run if I think you are going to get killed; i have seen this to be true for what i consider most good healers. Granted, don't wait for just any healer most don't say anything..but if you are with me (and I hope good healers) they know what they can handle and know when to say run, fallback, getout and/or anything else that tells the blaster to make a run for it.
Otherwise running is breaking one of the basic rules which was laid out I feel keep you safer next to me then you are "way over there".
I disagree with the whole "hug the healer" mentality. I run a lvl 44 emp/rad def who uses all 9 emp powers constantly. Yes the team needs to be aware of their emps strengths and limitations, but the emp needs to also be aware of his teams strengths and limitations. First off you have two damage classes, one melee and one ranged. this alone is enough to say that i can't always heal everyone with HA, it would be dumb for squishies to get that close sometimes. Not to mention your controll classes, tankers and controllers who are in the same boat of melee vs ranged.
Therefore I believe it is the healers job, as it is the healers only job, to facilitate the other classes. I will usually sit back with the squishies and fire off HA when they take damage, and consentrate HO and AP on the melee guys. There are just some affects that a healer does not want to get within range of HA to use on melee guys, ie. Ruin Mages' earthquake.
I do approve of the guide in most facets, every player should know his AT's strengths and weaknesses as well as other ATs' strengths and weaknesses. This is the main reason why I play lots of different alts, it helps me to be a better healer because I also understand what other ATs needs are, to do what they do best.
The best thing to do is to find a group of players you enjoy playing with and group with them all the time. That way you don't have to deal with that rouge Blaster tank.
I play a 19 healer on Victory, and I don't really pay attention to what others are doing... I just watch the team list for health and buff status. If a blaster or scrapper suddenly takes a big health hit, I heal them with Heal Other. If they're out of range, I TP them back into range, and if they complain about that, I stop and if they go out of range again, they're just out of luck. I do an excellent job of keeping my team at full health and get lots of compliments.
I would never expect anyone in the team to stay close to me. 90% of the time I am zipping(always run SS and Stealth) around mid battle. Heal Auras, HO, AP, AB, Fort., CM on who needs them, lined up to hit TT to lock everyone down.
Easier for me to go to them, then come to me most of the time.
I rarely sit in the back of the group either. All over the place. I say whatever works for you as an Empathy defender than stick with it. No set way to play the AT in my mind.
Cheers!
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You dont need to follow this guide but you will die more often. You shouldnt take it as a bible either, as I am just one healer trying to make it through the game with no combat skills. But, overall I think most people will agree with me that a healer doesnt make or break the team....it is how the team interacts with team. A healer is just a member of the team...granted a member who can allow you to have limitless life...but a member none the less. Working with one another no matter their class will always make the team better..it just happens I am a healer so I wrote a guide to help me help you.
GAME ON
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Been out of the loop for a while.....coming back into the game found the reinstall to be a mother of all female dogs anywho.
I saw my old post and saw its message kinda twisted over the replies so I thought I would set the record straight. This mini-guide was never posted to be the end all be all on how to play a healer...it was only posted as something that worked for me. It was also posted to give insight for the player base on a healer...lets be honest the average player could careless abotu being a healer.....this mini-guide was meant to give them a basic understanding....
So again the post isn't meant to be a guide for healers (too many different play styles) it was meant to be for the others.
GAME ON
Excellent guide. At level 25, I just respeced out all of my offense, since I wasn't using it anyway.
Some more tips to having a healer, especially a more "full-time" type.
Keep an inspiration slot open. I've got zero use for yellows and reds, and only occasionally need greens or purples. As I result, when there's nobody to heal, I run around handing out candy. In this context, I'm basically a mini-buffer. I'm not saying you should delete an inspiration, or clear out a whole row, but you might use them more frequently that you normally would. Sure, it's only a few minions, but why not pop a red and take them out that much quicker? Between the two of us, we'll probably come up with another one before that big boss fight. Better for a scrapper to "waste" a yellow taking out some weak enemies, than have me delete it because I need more room for Catch a Breath.
Which lead me to blues. For a healer, endurance is the key to keeping you out of debt. I know it's critical to every AT, but not every AT gets yelled at when people die. If you've got extra blues, give them to the healer. If you see the empath's blue bar drop especially low, I'd give them a blue even if it's your only inspiration. A full-charged healer can keep a blaster alive long enough to recover END but, without effective healing, a blaster with full endurance can still be cut down pretty quickly. The upside of giving a blue to a healer is that it puts you in range for a quick HA, so it's like getting a green in exchange for your trouble. Sure, I've got six SOs in RA and Hasten, but there's never been a time when I thought, "You know what, I wish I had less endurance!"
Third, realize that, in a particularly heated battle, a lot of healers aren't even looking at the screen. We're locked on that team status window, racing to keep those little bars from dropping. As a result, we often have trouble seeing when someone is hit by a status effect, which is a problem since we're the ones who are supposed to clear your mind. (I realize we can monitor your buffs/debuffs, and I do my best, but in the melee it's sometimes hard to tell which is which, especially when those red bars are still dropping). I tell my teammates to get acquainted with their F8 key (which calls for help unless you've rebound it to something). In battle, that's my signal to fire off a CM at whoever whistled (not every healer adopts this policy, so you might want to tell them that you'll be calling for help if you get blitzed).
As a Kin Def with some experience, I like to introduce myself and explain how my heal works as I join a team or when new toons join the team just to make sure there are no false expectations. Sometimes I'll ask the team to save the last MOB to serve as an anchor for Tranfusion and Transference.
For kinetics, keeping the blasters alive can be a challenge, since so many are used to keeping their distance from MOBs. I've teamed with blasters who i've had to remind several times how the targetAOE heal works, or even hold a target and invite him in close for the effect. Kineticists like's a tight formation so the buffs and heals blanket the team for maximum coverage.
One of the challenges with a targetedAOE heal though is that the target has to survive for the duration of the attack animation for the heal to work, so learning to not neutralize an allies heal is also something to keep in mind with Kinetics.
Enjoy.
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Excellent guide. At level 25, I just respeced out all of my offense, since I wasn't using it anyway.
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Thank you.....
You brought up a number of issues that I am going to include in the revamped "Guide to playing with a Healer in your team" that should/will be posted in this thread sometime next week. I am always short on everything in teams, I like your suggestion that people should share/give certain colors to healers. For me it is slightly upsetting to keep a player troop alive then they ignore my requests to better help them, they cause me to walk the line between losing people and the SECOND they are filled they run to sell; sometimes leaving me up to my neck in MOBS, almost out of end and half dead (from wound trade). Even more upsetting when I know that the person(s) is going to selling a green or a blue for like 30 or 40 inf when the items true value could be seen as a resource in my inv.
You touched on so many things I feel should be stressed to the majority of "combat" types; namely make sure you know what type of healer you have....too many times people just assume my/the pure healer was like the last combo healer they had. A pure (or a perfect) healer truely needs the team to gain XP and any support you can give them not only makes them feel like they are not being used...but gives them a feeling of being a part of the team. I spend too much time as something that is ignored and then promptly chewed out when you died because you didn't offer me a blue, didn't wait for me to recov some End and honestly never thought about anything but yourself.
RoboDoc told me last night all healers should go on strike to impress to people that a case could be made of: While you did kill the bad guy who really got you to that final boss? Your fist or the healer you forgot to say, "thanks" to?
Great post I will make sure to give you props in the new Guide....
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VGR Red, thanks i shall remember that for future teamin'.
p.s. VGR = Very good read
I suggest that BLASTERS read this also.
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Just as a side note... I've been playing a healer off and on for quite a while. I understand perfectly what you're talking about. I tell my team, every time I play... stay in line. I won't chase you to heal your sorry @$$.
And on the blaster note... I think every blaster should play a healer at least once. So they know what's going on.
I have started a nrg/elec blaster, and I consider myself abnormal. I do not pretend to be a tank... I know the limitations of the healers, and what kind of heals they have. I trust my healers, and I protect them if they are in trouble. I will drop everything to keep them alive.
Just my peace...
Official Offline Psychopath of PWNZ
"Hey, sneak up, stab someone, and sneak away...or kill them with Iceland at a distance. Either way, no one knows what the hell happened!" -Umbramancer, on Assassin's Boulder
Echo So'kar reference shots ||| Punkicide reference shots
this guide is horribly outdated ... there was no need to necro it
Red Crosses mini-guide to playing with a healer in your group.
Too many times I find my pure emp/leader healer in a team with people who have no concept of my role, powers or limitations of the healer. This guide is being geared for the player who is lucky enough to team with a healer and/or how to best help your healer to help you.
1. Having a healer doesnt mean you can do whatever you want.
Too many times I join a group and one or two people start going crazy. They have this idea that they can do whatever they want if a healer is present. They rush MOBS, show no interest in working as a team and almost always ignore request to be more team like.
2. The collective teams _overall_ health is more important to a healer then any one persons health.
A good healer long ago stopped seeing each member of the team as a bunch of solos on the same mission. A good healer sees the team as a whole, when one person starts running around with no regard for the team they are putting limits on what the healer can do for the whole team.
3. #2 demands that everyone on the team act as a team, the solo is just stealing from the team.
When an otherwise great team has a member who is the solo the whole team suffers and the team becomes half-[censored] at best. A healer can not be one members personal healer AND a group healer at the same time. It is always in the best interest of team members to keep the solo player in check.
4. The math of endurance usage require a healer always follow #2
The basic rule of thumb for a healer is one Heal Other equals two Healing Aura. Also, the math shows that healing power of one Heal Other is about half of the total of two Healing Aura. Put another way Heal Other only heals one person for roughly half of the points that Healing Aura can pass onto the whole team. NExt time you see that solo blaster in over their head in melee range 30 feet ahead of the healer know that misguided blaster is stealing heals not only from you but from the whole team as Endurance isnt limitless to a healer.
5. Read a guide for your class. Just because you have a healer on team doesnt mean your blaster can be a tank. (see 1->4)
This makes me mad when people throw caution to the wind and start thinking they are important enough (or even able) to step outside the limits of their class. No matter how good your healer is a blaster is never going to be a front-line person...so if you see this going down do yourself, the healer and the overall team a favor and get the misguided solo under control.
6. Be aware if you are NOT getting healed from your healers Healing Aura; it is then UP TO YOU to move closer to your healer.
Again this ties in with the overall concept that you are not able to do whatever you want just because you have a healer. Heal Aura is the best way for a healer to heal you, but if you are 30 feet ahead of her you are out of range. If you are out of range you are as good as dead, do yourself a favor and move closer. Heal Other could save you but why should it be wasted on you? You moved out of range of the perfectly working collectively healing Healing Aura
7. A dead healer is a worthless healer.
This goes along with the above. If you decide to be dumb and move so far out that you are going to die; dont be the player who brings the MOB you set off, that is going to kill you anyway, to the feet of your healer. The time to use your healer is BEFORE you are going to die...if you break all of the above rules dont when you notice the error of your ways bring the MOB to the healer.....die like you lived AWAY from your healer.
8. A healer with no endurance means no heals.
Frankly put: Who cares about your Endurance? If your healer isnt recharged from the last MOB it isnt time to go to the next mob. If you are the type of player who has trouble with this, trust me this guide is being made for you. Take it to heart, just because your endurance is up doesnt mean anything....you are just PART of a team and when the team is ready it is time to get the next mob.
9. Running away might keep the MOB from killing you, but it also might take you out of range of your healer.
This needs nothing else said about it. I myself would rather see you run away if you ignore everything else prior to death coming for you. (reread 7)
10. Your healer sees the flaws and successes of your team in combat; ask them how you can improve your teams effectiveness.
If you have a healer send them a priv tell and ask them how you are doing. If you are the team leader send your healer a tell and ask who the weakest links are. 9 out of 10 healers worth their salt have a VERY GOOD idea who is bringing the team down or who could use a little direction. We see the people who rush, we see the people who arent close enough, we see the blaster acting like a tank and the tank who is making everything aggro.
You dont need to follow this guide but you will die more often. You shouldnt take it as a bible either, as I am just one healer trying to make it through the game with no combat skills. But, overall I think most people will agree with me that a healer doesnt make or break the team....it is how the team interacts with team. A healer is just a member of the team...granted a member who can allow you to have limitless life...but a member none the less. Working with one another no matter their class will always make the team better..it just happens I am a healer so I wrote a guide to help me help you.
GAME ON