Healer Experiment.

I am one of the many who feels that teams looking for 'healers' are somewhat ignorant about game mechanics and, especially after level 12, a pure healer is something that is not as useful as most other type of defenders.

Now, we often hear a lot of anecdotal evidence on these boards about the healers being praised for their selfless act of having one attack, the medicine pool, leadership and Empathy heals to the detriment of their own character's soloability.

So, my proposal is that a few of us embark on the quest to be pure healers for a bit and track the actualy responses we get and how our play sessions go. Let's play to the best of our ability within the basic healing framework.

As far as allowable powers, I'm thinking we can all be Emp/Archery or Emp/Psi and we will take ALL of our heals and resurrect powers. We will get medicine. I'm thinking Clear Mind is fine but I'm still undecided on Fortitude, as I think we run the risk of losing our True Healer status. Leadership and Teleport are fair game.

What say ye? Are you up to the challenge of being a h34l0r?

Seriously, I'll pass.

I designed my defender to fight solo as well as team. Any defender who can't fight is not a defender.

I'm in a SuperGroup of all Empaths, if you play on Infinity you might have heard of us, Paragon City Search and Rescue.

We pride ourselves in being defenders. I've found that heals are really, really useful.
Until around level 16. Then you'll notice your teams health dipping less and less (as their defenses increase)
Thats where buffing comes into play.

Back on topic.
It's a sad fact that big green numbers get recognized quicker than anything by most players.
I never recieved a single compliment on any other toon. Whenever I team with my Empath, even if I don't use a single heal the entire mission, inevitably someone will say "Great heals!" at some point.

I think it's a holdover from the 'other' games where healing is a fundamental mindset.

Once, I was on my blaster, the tank died mid battle, the mob started to spread out to the rest of the team. I decided to sacrifice myself to save the rest so I dove in and used a damage aura, then ran around the corner and let them kill me. Buying the tank time to rez.
Not a single comment. In fact I was accused of playing recklessly.

I then jumped on my empath and accepted an invite from the same team. They didn't realize it was me though, They'd picked up a second tank in the mean time. Half way thru the mission and I'm getting bored, not a single health bar is moving. Fort's on the blasters and RA's charging. I realize, with 2 tanks I'm only using my attacks. Then it happens. We clear the mission and zone out, as we're waiting for the next mission the chorus of "Amazing job with the heals" and "You rock Capt.!!"
start appearing in chat.

I'm like, ummm what heals?

Just the simple fact that you can heal makes the team 'think' it's invincible. Even if you don't ever use them, even if you have 2 tanks soaking up all the aggro. Players are going to thank you for being an awesome healer.

I can really only recall one occasion where I felt I deserved the praise. This was on an 8 man invincible team with no tank, 4 blasters and a 3 scrappers. It was the most work I've done in game. ONly time I've put the Aura on Auto. I was firing off heals on everyone constantly. Killed myself twice with absorb pain and somehow managed to keep everyone alive.
Felt like I'd earned a medal for that one.
Oddly enough, that team didn't really say anything other than "That was rough"

Go figure.

It always amuses me when people in the game say "nice heals" or feel compelled to give thanks because I mashed a button that gave a buff. My standard response is to thank them in turn for hitting things or shooting at enemy. Sometimes it makes something click in their heads and they realize it was kind of silly and unnecessary, sometimes not. Either way I get a laugh out of it.

I seem to recall Hobo Healer did something like this a few years back and was bored out of his mind.

I have an Emp/Psy sitting at about level 40 right now. I'm probably not the greatest defender that ever walked Paragon, but I've gotten compliments on how I handle the character. I have all of the goodies plus Leadership, but plenty of attacks to play with as well. I can't imagine giving up the powers I have to take the Medicine pool or whatever.

The basic problem is that once you really get into the game and appreciate what all of the powers do, you start missing powers you don't have when you encounter the perfect opportunity to use them. (Vengeance, for example! )That's why it doesn't make sense to take a third or even fourth heal that you'll never need instead of a power you can have some real fun with.

To the OP - im not sure the validity of your point or your actions.... considering you already know the answer. And i dont think peeps that bored, unless they're looking to be a dedicated healer....
And if you dont know the answer or need proof - just ask one who is, for pete's sake (not me).....

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaestroMavius I'm in a SuperGroup of all Empaths, if you play on Infinity you might have heard of us, Paragon City Search and Rescue. We pride ourselves in being defenders. I've found that heals are really, really useful. Until around level 16. Then you'll notice your teams health dipping less and less (as their defenses increase) Thats where buffing comes into play. Back on topic. It's a sad fact that big green numbers get recognized quicker than anything by most players. I never recieved a single compliment on any other toon. Whenever I team with my Empath, even if I don't use a single heal the entire mission, inevitably someone will say "Great heals!" at some point. I think it's a holdover from the 'other' games where healing is a fundamental mindset. Once, I was on my blaster, the tank died mid battle, the mob started to spread out to the rest of the team. I decided to sacrifice myself to save the rest so I dove in and used a damage aura, then ran around the corner and let them kill me. Buying the tank time to rez. Not a single comment. In fact I was accused of playing recklessly. I then jumped on my empath and accepted an invite from the same team. They didn't realize it was me though, They'd picked up a second tank in the mean time. Half way thru the mission and I'm getting bored, not a single health bar is moving. Fort's on the blasters and RA's charging. I realize, with 2 tanks I'm only using my attacks. Then it happens. We clear the mission and zone out, as we're waiting for the next mission the chorus of "Amazing job with the heals" and "You rock Capt.!!" start appearing in chat. I'm like, ummm what heals? Just the simple fact that you can heal makes the team 'think' it's invincible. Even if you don't ever use them, even if you have 2 tanks soaking up all the aggro. Players are going to thank you for being an awesome healer. I can really only recall one occasion where I felt I deserved the praise. This was on an 8 man invincible team with no tank, 4 blasters and a 3 scrappers. It was the most work I've done in game. ONly time I've put the Aura on Auto. I was firing off heals on everyone constantly. Killed myself twice with absorb pain and somehow managed to keep everyone alive. Felt like I'd earned a medal for that one. Oddly enough, that team didn't really say anything other than "That was rough" Go figure.

This quote goes far and true to what is hoped to be proven. If the point is to find out if "praise" is rewarded fairly or correctly, here is good proof. But honestly, who cares if it is or not! Lets keep it real lol. Its awsome for the fact that an AT gets praise from a team in the first place. And EVEN if you knew you didnt do much in your roll towards their survivability and they praise you, speaks to the fact that they simply appreciate your presence there and ensuring their safety. Im not really sure whats wrong with that. I can think of MANY AT's that RARELY get praise, if ever at all!

Its best not to second-guess our teammates intentions, when it was only positive in the first place....

I happen to have a Pure Emp. It's one of the most sought after Emps on my server. The toon was lvld and built in a traditional non-PL fashion and I learned the VERY basics of my Empathy pwrs by doing this. I also learned to solo albeit every slowly. I eventually copied the Emp to the test server where it was respec'd and given a 200mil dollar build. Back then, that was expensive. The thing was tricked out with IO sets to the teeth, hauled *** around the maps, had awesome resistances, and hit 2477hp with a Power Boosted Absorb Pain. This build had the single mandatory attack and it wasn't even present in my power trays. Why? PvP.

This was a standard PvP build. Call it cookie cutter if you want, but it was necessary to fulfill its role for the team. Having learned to roll this build rather well on test server, I then respec'd the live build. Granted, it's not as tricked out, as the money just isn't there to do it but the build is the same...it just lacks some set bonuses.

So now that I've become proficient in using this build to it's fullest, I am able to take a good team and make it great. I can make a bad team successful. I can roll it into the most difficult TF's and come out with a Master's. All this because I was brought onto the team for one reason: make the team an enduring death machine. And that's what I do. It's all I do. You will never see me taking my eye off the health bars and buff icons. If there are fewer than 4 Fortitudes going I'm slacking. I will not be seen casting an attack while one of my teammates is going down. And I will not be distracted from my role on the team by getting caught up in something other than a heal or a buff.

Fine if that's not for you. Play the Emp your way. That's why we have options. Most PUGS don't know the difference anyway. Just don't expect to stay on my team long when I invite you for your ALL you Emp abilities and you're not producing results. I recruit Tanks to be meat shields. I recruit Blasters to kill. Trollers better be holding/debuffing/buffing (they're the smartest players btw) everything. And if I see a man go down on my team while your Emp is attacking, don't cry when you get the boot. Don't make me ask/tell you to keep the CM and Fort flowing. And don't let me see those End bars dropping cuz you have AB and an RA that you better have mastered so well that you can drop that in the middle of a fight and hit the players who need it most (timing and free-flow movement).

Are my standards high? Yes. Is this the RIGHT way to play? No...but there is no right or wrong. But if you want that ever-yearned-for-recognition...well...my toon can Emp better than yours can. What did you expect with your build?

If you think I'm full of it, then look me up on Champion (@Liquid -). Put me to the test. Play suicidal. But I won't Rez you...I won't need to.

; p

Of course a 2487 HP heal is overkill on anything bar a tank or a brute.

Scrappers/Khelds/VEATS cap at 2409 hit points, then its down to most squishies at 1606 hit points.

So the most any squishie is getting out of that heal is 1605 HP.