Guide to Healing, Leading, and Progressing in WoW Raids
Matticus Here’s some notable links I’ve picked up in the past week or so that I wanted to share:
Also working on an e-book right now. Won’t be out for a while.
Image courtesy of andrewatla
Each Saturday for the next five weeks, I will be writing about one barrier of the raid healer. Healers are often overshadowed and looked over since we are expected to simply know what to do. With luck, this five part series will help you to become a better raid healer whether you are a varsity or a freshman.
So far, I have covered:
Barrier 5: Healing Under Duress
"It’s choice – not chance – that determines your destiny."
Jean Nidetch
I firmly believe that different people are catered for different skills. Some players are meant to DPS. Some are meant to heal. Some are destined to stand toe to toe with a boss and his attention for as long as possible. Then there are the rare few who excel at any task demanded of them. These players are special. Why? Because not everyone can fulfill dual roles. Need an extra tank? Drop 50 gold for a Paladin’s respec and they can do it in a pinch
Unfortunately, not all of us can fulfill dual positions like that. My friends and guildmates can tell you I’m a worldclass healer but I can’t DPS worth crap.
Now imagine the reverse.
Let me introduce to you the Raid Leaders dilemma:
The thought process going through his head is to take a DPS hybrid and ask that player to switch to a healing spec. If the player has no qualms or issues about doing so, then by all means go for it. But you should realize that this is only a temporary solution to a temporary problem. Sooner or later, the grind of switching back and forth between holy and DPS is going to take it’s toll on that player. The fact is, that Shadow Priest you asked to go holy does not want to raid holy.
So why is he doing it? Two reasons:
Loyal guild members will obviously take the hit to go forward because they want to see some real progress made. But it’s not the best thing to do. Players that have DPS’d their entire WoW career undergo a period of adjustment. They need to get familiar with spell cast sequence, positioning, healing strategy and so forth.
I’ve seen extreme cases where GM’s have asked players to either respec or risk not raiding. I understand where they are coming from since some encounters require a certain number of healers. Depending on your server, you might have a limited pool of talented players to choose from. But don’t force a respec in the name of Guild progression. The player you get after the respec could be turn out to be a disgruntled player who will not enjoy his new role in the game. Given enough time, the bitterness could result in that player leaving the Guild. You are now back in square one without a healer. Instead, you have suffered a net loss of a player.
Solutions for the GM
Recruiting is the first viable option. If you can somehow find yourself a full time healer, then you will never need to ask a DPS player to respec again.
This one might be not-so-smart option, but consider grabbing a pickup healer from a different Guild. It might be possible to find a healer who isn’t raiding that week or anything with their Guild to fill in a spot for you. Do your research in armory and do some background checks of that player.
Solutions for the player
Assuming you don’t want to heal, make it known right away how long this arrangement can go on for. Give a set number of raids or pick a date. Having a deadline will apply a bit of pressure to your GM to get the ball rolling instead of not actively looking and being lazy. But have a talk with him or her and let them know that if it continues to go on, you’ll have to consider leaving and looking for another Guild that’s more receptive of your abilities.
Every week, Matt gets a chance to sit down with a WoW Blogger chosen this week by Wolpertinger in a mug. Find out a little more about your favourite bloggers as he tries to get to know them a little more!
This week, Fimlys of Asleep at the WoW has been forced graciously agreed to be my blogger of choice this week.
Tell us a bit more about the blogger behind the blog:
My "real" name is Michael. I live in Orlando, FL (Mickeyworld). I am a computer programmer by day and a crime-fighter by night… Well, not so much the crime-fighter, but I really am a programmer.
I am over 30, male, married and have 2 "smallish" kids. I like mana coladas, getting caught in the raid. I’m not much into strength food.. I am into the campaign. I like killing mobs at midnight, in the vaults of SH.
I understand that your alias is Fimlys (which is also the name of your main character). Is there a particular history behind that name?
First off, yes, you can call me Al. You can also call me Fim. In addition, it is pronounced Fim-liss (maybe with a bit of a lihss sound…).. Ok, that out of the way. I really don’t care how you pronounce it.
I think I have a post about this too, but for you who are too darn lazy to go find it on my site (hint hint).. I really have no clue. Wait, something is coming to me. You mind if I just make something up? No? Cool.. Ok.. Here it goes:
In college somehow I was saddled with the nickname Fizz (don’t ask..). When I started playing WoW, I create a character named Fizz. He was a human mage. I quickly grew bored of him and wanted to create another character. I had read that Hunters were pretty easy to solo, so I rolled one. For some reason I got in my head that I should have this shtick that all my characters start with F. I was also trying to come up with a name that fit a night elf.. Not really knowing what that entailed, I came up with Fimlys. I wanted something a little difficult to pronounce so I could correct people all the time and harass them for messing up my name.
In your opinion, how could the Aldor and Scryer forces (once mortal enemies) come to terms with each other AND start cooperating? Would you say that is almost as surprising as US forces working with the Russians on joint exercises after the Cold War?
I can’t believe it! How could they do this to me? They have completely jacked up everything I hold sacred and dear! I’m quitting… /wowquit. (Seriously… not all that sure I care, but it could be as surprising as that)
How on EARTH did you end up playing a game like this?
1) I have been gaming all my life.. Well, most..
b) I am a HUGE RPG nut (First computer RPG game was Ultima III, I think)
III) I played FFXI for a while since I am also a FF nut (see a pattern here?)
*) I migrated to WoW when it came out because it was just more FUN than FFXI and I was much more into "solo" play than grouping and FFXI has required grouping in the mid game. (I also had played and liked the Warcraft games in the past)
This "solo" pay mindset I had is very interesting because I have recently professed that what KEEPS me in WoW is the social aspects now. I get bored quickly if I have nobody to chat with. I love running instances and going on raids
The 2.4 patch has JUST been released. The next thing on the horizon is Wrath of the Lich King. What are you looking forward to the most?
"Noobzone Chat"… "Where is BLAH?". "Why can’t I fly?".. "How do you get the frizzlemadizzle?"…. I LOVE THAT STUFF!!!!
Well, I am really looking forward to the new content. I really got energized by the release of TBC and I can’t wait for the interesting changes that are in store for WotLK.
Your epic Gryphon is flying over the seas of Azeroth somewhere only to get shot down by Horde insurgents and by sheer luck and skill (you are a hunter, after all), you manage to make it to a deserted island. You lose your possessions and all of your gold in the process. You think to yourself that a stereotypical deserted island HAS to have a lamp of some kind. After hours of searching and digging, you manage to find a rusty old lamp which you activate and out pops a genie who grants you 1 wish. What will it be?
A can of Frobozz Magic Grue Repellent.
How’s your Hunter loaded and specced? Any significant reason as to why that path?
He is a bit different. He is currently specced BM (which I am sure will make BRK smile) and I am loving it. However, to be a bit different, I have most of my gear still chosen/gemmed/enchanted for AP from when I was MM. I have a large amount of AP and a nice wittle shot speed.. My crit isn’t as high as some, and neither is my dodge, but I get by. Kenny usually is picking up 1/3 of the damage I do at this point, so I don’t think that is so bad.
Your Priest is Holy (and receives an official Matticus seal of approval) and you have a Hunter. Which do you enjoy playing the most?
I’m not really sure. I think that I actually feel like I have less to worry about as a Priest. It is almost a relief not to have to send in/out the pet of ultimate destruction, trap, kite, misdirect, time the shots, etc… I DO love me my hunter though. He was my first, and you know how it is with your first…
So why did you level a Priest instead of a Paladin, a Druid, or a Shaman?
The guild had a couple of healing Paladins and a couple of healing Druids and a healing Shaman. All of our priests had switched specs to SP or Disc and there was need for a Holy Priest. Soooo.. being the oh so good Guild Samaratin that I am (cough, cough), I leveled my priest.
Actually, to buck the trend when TBC came out, I rolled a Draenei Priest. Everyone was rolling Draenei Shaman and I wanted to be different. He was really just for me to play with and have fun, thus his name, Fhuun…
I am actually leveling a Druid also right now, she is level 61 (yeah.. SHE). Right now she is a Boooooomkin and I’m enjoying it. Might eventually go Feral tank, might eventually go tree.. Who knows! That is the beauty of da Drood.
How has 2008 been so far for you and your blog? Any upcoming features or highlights that your audience can look forward to?
2008 has been super-dee-duper. Having joined up with the Blog Azeroth community has been a blast! I have also moved my blog to a "self-hosted" environment and that has sucked all my time down the drain..
I have gotten a lot of new readers from the community and I’ve loved that people (you guys!) have started to leave comments.. It is pretty satisfying when you ask a question and get answers!
Upcoming features? Well, I really would like to get more into the "Addon Reviews". I am an Addon Whore.. I don’t have as many as some, but generally I’m the one everyone in my guild comes to with addon questions. I try to keep up with the latest styles and trends and I’d love to share that with my readers.
Favorite Quote
I’m pretty partial to the double quote ("), but on occasion I use a single quote (‘) when necessary.
Most used spell:
Well, on my Priest it has to be Heal.. Hunter? Does Scatter Shot count? (Hmm.. maybe it is Rez Pet…)
Favourite song:
Serenity by Godsmack (for the moment, I am a fickle pickle)
Warcraft is like ______:
Heroin (but kinda in a good way… maybe.. maybe… can I go back to playing now? please? please? please? please?… hey! give me back my keyboard! HEY!!!! I can’t play without that! WHAT IS THE !*@$!&@$ VENT INFO???? AAAAAGHAGHGHAGHGHAGHHGAHAG)
Worse class to play against
Slicka the Wonderdrone… What? That’s not an answer? Well.. When I HAVE done PvP, I really have come to hate Rogues. Stupid stunlock… mumble mumble..
Aside from WoW, do you play any sports or engage in any hobbies?
Sports, ok… Watching Football on TV. Watching Baseball on TV. Watching my son play Baseball.
Hobbies, well… Other than the obvious computer gaming, I also am into console gaming (SURPRISE!) and I like to read books (which are those big rectangular things that look like a bound stack of paper). But I try to spend most of my free time (well, when I am not playing WoW) with my family
I’m bad at managing my schedule and time. Any ideas to help a poor sap?
Um… Sleep is for the weak? I went to a school where sleep was considered a nuisance. Make sure you have fun in school! All nighters are fun! I didn’t have something like WoW while I was in school, but I did spend most of my time NOT doing my school work.
Ehhh… I’m really not a good role model when it comes to time management.. 😛
Your 3 favourite shows on TV:
American Idol… uh, no… Don’t watch too much TV.. Here is what I get to watch:
1) Scooby Doo
2) Ben 10
3) Dora the Explorer
(I also like CSI [NY and Vegas mostly] and Eureka and old episodes of SG1)
One thing you would say to others who have a desire to blog:
Have fun and write for you. You can’t always please everyone, but you SHOULD always be able to please yourself. If people see you enjoy what you write about, you will get an audience.
But then again, what do I know?
Shout outs to:
I like to give a shout out to my awesome guild. They keep me in this masochistic game. Also to the Blog Azeroth community, especially the stupendous BAChat peeps.. Too many to name, but you know whom you is. I really must thank you for throwing me under this bus… Don’t think the favor won’t be returned.. MUAHAHA HAHAAHA! … *cough*.. Ahem… Sorry…
Thanks again to Fimlys for agreeing to do the interview! Don’t forget to subscribe to his blog!
Welcome to hell.
If you ever by some miraculous chance get to Archimonde, please check to make sure you have your tears. Every time you enter the instance when you die, check to make sure you have your tears.
Seriously.
Or else I will tear your head off if you are in my raid.
That’s already happened tonight.
Twice.
I am quite angry.
Our raid leader of all people Blori, forgot to check his tears and got cratered on the subsequent attempt.
Michael, one of our Elemental Shamans, didn’t have his tears either at that point.
But in his case, it was expected.
I hate you Hyjal.
I hate you very much.
Photo courtesy of Carey Tilden
A couple of days ago, WoW Insider had a quick summary article on Priests and what they can look to expect in 2.4. Although Adam Holisky was able to nail some of updates that were made to the Priests, there were a few things that he might have glazed over. But don’t worry! Matticu^ will save the day!
The Technical
The Gearical
The Face Melters
No doubt I’ll have forgotten a few important other important things. Suffice it to say, this latest patch does have a few things all of us varsity Priests or otherwise can look forward to. Any other substantial, earth shattering changes that raiding Holy Priests might stand to be aware of?
SRETCARAHCNEETHGIETSOPEHTNITIDIHI?ELZZUPEHTEVLOSUNAC
