I think you misunderstand the cleric in Neverwinter. Yes, healing as such has its problems, but there are plenty of work-arounds. First of all, you're not only healing as a cleric in Neverwinter. You buff people, one extremely good example of this is Astral Shield: It gives a flat damage reduction on incoming damage on everyone inside the shield, this means you need to heal less. Secondly, it also heals and heals for a fair bit, eventhough the numbers seem small they tick fairly rapid and this adds up quite quick. Another thing is your feats, they cleanse, they splash heal on crits, you can share your stats whenever you heal people, you add to their defense, and so on. Astral Seal is another great heal, especially on rogues who can unleash a very fast series of attacks, those heals can crit too, even more healing. On a quick and smooth T2 dungeon I tend to be at around 1,5-2 million healing when I'm the only cleric, that's some 235 greater healing potions everyone else didn't need to use. I agree that aggro, especially on end boss fights, can be a bit frustrating to deal with, but you just have to find a good group to run dungeons with, most mobs tend to leave me alone for the most part because my groups are good at dealing with them. When you do get a swarm of aggro, you just have to learn to kite and avoid standing in red stuff, while this can be chaotic and difficult at first, you soon get the hang of it and just circle around with the mobs within your Astral Shield. If you're struggling with that and/or have a lot of mobs that knock you down and some such, befriend a good control wizard and tell him to control the mobs, he has plenty of tools to do so and this gives you breathing room.
I personally enjoy playing my cleric, and I play it as a healer too. But you're also a valuable buffer, and in T2, barely any dungeon is possible without a cleric, so you're an important class too. Remember, Astral Shield is your friend, so just stick with the cleric and learn how to play it in Neverwinter, and you're going to have fun.
"Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!"
wow clone... the only thing that resembles D&D here in this game is the setting "Forgotten Realms" all else. wow clone. Bliz made a killing, WoC wants a slice of the pie so they duped wow, and slapped a D&D label on it.
Have you ever played WoW? The whole combat system is completely different. NW is an action-RPG, and WoW is a slow, mouse-click/hotkey MMO. Completely different on a fundamental level. It is closer, much closer, to Diablo 2 than to WoW.
Well, this is not WoW and it is not a WoW clone, so healing does not work like in those games. Clerics here are more like an off-tank/dps hybrid who provides damage reduction and AoE HoTs. A little like shadow priests in WoW, but still quite different.
There is nothing wrong with healing in this game, other than the aggro issue. It is only a problem if you expect a cleric to be a WoW-style of MMO healer. It is not, luckily for those who do not want to be a healbot, but instead prefer a more action-oriented playstyle. (I played a healer for nearly eight years in WoW, and being a healbot and babysitter described it best.)
That's like saying there's nothing wrong with my car, other than the missing engine. The aggro issue affects Cleric survival and ability to heal others while running from 10+ mobs. These are the two most important impacts you could possibly have on a healing class.
You don't heal dead. You don't heal running, knowing the moment you stop to throw a skill you'll be wiped out.
I have a capped mystic and priest in Tera so know about action based healing. The Cleric class here needs work doing to it.
...............vote for your favourite expansion.......... "Mod 6. Oh my f****** god. It gutted the game pure and simple. And what wasn't gutted was messed up by the poorly thought out new level cap and equip. The game never recovered from that atrocity". ..............not this one then.............
GWF has a nice skill to deal with adds called "come and get it", there's no reason the cleric should be getting pummeled to much, it means others aren't playing there character right and just concentrating on the boss. Ideally adds are the GWF's responsibility, then the CW backing up who should be able to switch back and forth and a GF holding boss agro.
My issue with it is targeting. They could give us a 100% heal at-will to represent the old 'heal' spell in 3.5 and I would still be about useless in a pug boss fight the way people run around. A targeted heal is not what we need. We need a group wide, at will, minor heal spell. Say, heals about 50 X cleric level in a 1000 unit radius, does NO damage.
you kinda have one, from get go you have astral seal, which could heal for more probably, but requires you to hit the target monster, not each party member. Later you have AoE heals that pretty much stay up all the time, then the party just has to stay in the circle.
Why would anyone think that ? ....or....why would anyone who has played DnD and this game think it is DnD? ...
First question: Probably because of the DnD logo plastered all over the games advertisements and promotions.
2nd: not a clue. No magic missle....no raise dead/ressurection/FARTing/..it definately isnt a DnD game to most of the DnD gamers.
And during football matches there are coca cola and pizza hut advertisements all over the place, does that mean we'll be watching pizza slices kicking the ball? Is every Mercedes car an awesome S class limousine?
Regarding spells, are most of D&D games based on 4th ed? This is the only one I know. About magic missile, did you even seen Control Wizard class yet? Make lvl1, its starting spell. Rest, check 4ed spells. Pretty accurate if you ask me.
(example)Dawn of War 2 have games workshop logo all over it, yet its RTS game with small squads instead of turn based game with huge armies. Do warhammer players rage about it and QQ that its not turn based with dice rolls? No.
You know why? Because they did most basic research on the game. Same can be said about countless of other games set in some IP.
Seriously, do some basic research sometimes or you will be one of these people who run to the grocery store, rush to apple place and expect iphones, being surprised about seeing real apples.
Most of the Clerics complaing are not good at their class and refuse to adapt.
Healing is not very hard, and if you need TWO clerics for Tier 2+ content..... then the group is probably not that great and I wouldn't waste my time....
Find a solid static
BiS DC Seyfried - PvP / CN farm (Dragon Server) 1st Degree Burns
The only problem with DC, other than a few broken/useless powers/feats, is agro. Tanks need a good aoe taunt and that is fixed. Damage mitigation can get so high (especially with 2 clerics) that you are effectively healing a large portion of the damage. Add indirect heals and the DC is very powerful.
Like some of you, I've always played a healer class in every mmo since EQ (played UO but as a warrior). In pugs, our road is usually a thankless one. The OP is correct about how folks blame the healer when things go very wrong and wipes occur. I do try to gauge the group during the first few encounters to see if the tank keeps agro on the main room boss, some dps helps to keep the ads off of me and that they all try to avoid those nasty red circles. I've actually been in great groups when this happens and I have no trouble as the lone healer all the way through a successful dungeon. When this doesn't happen, after the first few rooms of mobs, I will kindly suggest what would work for our group. If the group does not comply and the dungeon ends with multiple wipes, I usually get a few negative comments about my healing. It can be discouraging at times. However, the positive feedback I get usually outweighs the negative feedback. I suggest finding a big guild who knows what a good team should do for a successful dungeon run.
I do agree that the agro setting is very high in NW for any heal that is cast. This would be the only thing that I feel PW should fix on the healer class. If I'm running my hybrid battle cleric class, I can usually tank quite a few mobs while still healing the group. Easy on a regular dungeon level but it can be a bit hard on Epics. I usually run a full heal class when I jump into a group for any Epic run.
Just a note, I do thank the tank and dps for helping keep ME alive throughout the dungeon. Sort of like "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
I haven't played a healer yet in this game, but from what my friend is telling me on his Cleric, it's a pain to play. Especially in a game where the players have to dodge $#!%! I mean there is so much HAMSTER on the ground that it is impossible to just stand still and DPS a boss or adds for more than 3 seconds in a row!
On my TR, I'm constantly dodging out of the red markers or frontal cleave attacks every 1 to 3 seconds, and not only that, but as a TR, my DPS comes from being in stealth and doing attack animations that teleports my character in different positions! How is a healer supposed to heal me if I'm moving all over the place when a boss fight is designed to make me move all over the place?
In any MMORPG I've played, healers sacrifice a lot by playing a healer. They sacrifice high DPS to solo content, quest and farm money! They prefer playing a healer to help others rather than themselves! So why should a healer class be punished at playing their class? Playing a healer should be easy and simple! They are pretty much the most important role in a group/raid! If a tank dies, you could still live with only DPS and a *healer*. If DPS dies, you could still finish the boss with a tank and a few DPS or no DPS at all, as long as your *healer* is still alive. But when your healer is dead? Unless your tank and DPS wanna start chugging down healing potions the whole time, it's gonna result in a wipe!
Cryptic, listen to the healer complaint threads! You don't want players who play as a healer to quit the game or quit being a healer! They are needed!
I am like you and love playing healers in games but after what I found out about healing in this game since I started I really haven't even bothered trying.
If they sort out the multitude of major flaws then I happily will but until then I am no going to bother.
Have you ever played WoW? The whole combat system is completely different. NW is an action-RPG, and WoW is a slow, mouse-click/hotkey MMO. Completely different on a fundamental level. It is closer, much closer, to Diablo 2 than to WoW.
Close enough, Its much closer to wow and diablo then D&D. I dont care for all the timers and gizmos, and action based stuff. I get that WoC wants in on the mmo thing, but man. Ive played D&D for so long. This game could be unique, mmo, and still be D&D. Its clearly similar to all the other mmos with coodowns and gadgetry and activated stuff. More strait forward passive chr growth would be a start imo. my goodness casting classes need regular spells with spell slots and casting times, a very loooong list of spells to choose from... like in D&D.. jeez.
I started a cleric and quickly realized there was no way to heal an ally by clicking on their name like WoW. While I like the action oriented combat in this game much, much better, being a healer is very difficult. Not only that. I was in a group the other day doing a level 40 dungeon and we didn't have a healer... at all. We completed the dungeon without much trouble. What does that say about the need for clerics in general? While I'm sure they're needed later on in end game, it doesn't seem like they're an important class until that point... Nor are they much fun to play in groups.
I'm having a TON of fun with my GF. However, it sounds like they were nerfed as well.
I started a cleric and quickly realized there was no way to heal an ally by clicking on their name like WoW. While I like the action oriented combat in this game much, much better, being a healer is very difficult. Not only that. I was in a group the other day doing a level 40 dungeon and we didn't have a healer... at all. We completed the dungeon without much trouble. What does that say about the need for clerics in general? While I'm sure they're needed later on in end game, it doesn't seem like they have an easy, or important job.
The epics do get harder as far as damage dealt. I often joke with my guild that I'm part heal-bot but I also remind them I'm there to help make them look good/better. A rogue or Control Wizard can't get those flashy DPS numbers if they are spending half the fight running from mobs on 10% health. :-)
To be fair, threat needs fixed. In a dungeon I can aoe taunt and use my knockdown ability as soon as they're off timer, each will take agro off the healer for about.. oh 3 seconds. Then they turn around and run right back to the healer until I can do it again. Hopefully one of these daily patches will include a way for a GF to actually maintain agro off healers and npc tanks. At 1500 defense I'm pretty sure I'm going to outtank your level 15 man-at-arms so why does the game give him so much more threat than me?
I'm still currently enjoying healing on my cleric, and it is still very much my main (currently level 60, running tier 1, dabbled in tier 2). Yes I see a lot of stupid in runs but as a healer, I know I can control the ebb end flow of some fights, as well as the speed the team moves through the dungeons.
A lot of the stupidity I see is the DPS rushing ahead to the next (one, two, three? Try the boss?) batch of mobs, leaving me, and/or the tank to clean up. Initially I'd rush on ahead, trailing mobs in my wake while getting beat on to keep up. But no more. I'll stay back, do the clean up they so clearly insisted said I can handle and they can either wait (and maybe die) in their desire to forge ahead.
So often I see this being done under the illusion of it being faster when a lot of times it frequently isn't. The best runs I've had are the ones where the group moves as a single unit and focus firing. Those are the best runs I've had and enjoyed the most.
Any criticism directed my way I usually respond with my typical canned response of "you know where the blue circle is, stand in it. There's enough healing going out, it's not my fault you aren't taking advantage of it." If you disagree with this mentality strongly enough, either drop group, ask me to drop, or kick me if you are the leader. I won't take it personally and good luck finding a more accommodating healer next time.
As a healer you have this control to some extent.
Great post! I had forgot to mention how folks like to run ahead of the group then complain when they are down in another room. I never chase after them and usually remain with the main body of the group.
When I play my trickster rogue in groups I don't expect any direct healing from the cleric, thats for himself and the tank, im just happy to get health back from the stuff he marks and any aoe heals that come my way, I have life steal to help top up and I have potions for emergency heals...... I try to save for emergencies because of the cool down timmer on em. I do try and help out the cleric when dealing with adds, but I kinda get annoyed when I see CW and GWF ignoring the the cleric calling out for help with adds and beating on the boss..... am I mistaken for thinking that these two classes have better aoes and deal better with large numbers of low hp mobs than a TR? Things like blitz, and path of blades helps with large numbers of low hp adds, also having the first level melee at will slotted? Can anyone give me some other tips?
I also have a level 16 cleric and a level 16 guardian fighter and im liking those but not as much as my tr, but I guess its good for a change though im not looking forward to pugging much on my cleric after some of the stuff ive seen getting my TR to 60 on groups.
Maybe if they gave some more, and cheaper threat reduction feats/powers? Maybe even gear..........and maybe a bit more dps......for clerics... bit a lil bit .
Does anyone remember nwn1 and nwn2 when clerics and other mainly spell casting classes where powerhouses? lol I didn't play one on those servers but I kind of find it ironic that im doing it here now.
Please notice the D&D banner just over the large Neverwinter at the top of the page. Any idea what that means?
It means Cryptic paid Hasbro a dump truck full of money to use it. Just because a brand name is plastered all over something doesn't automatically mean it's a quality item or true to the brand names "idea" or public values of said brand.
Well Ive pretty much cleaned up the whole PvE content of this game, and the one thing i can say above any other about the Healing job is that it is probably the most repetitve, mecanical, unappealing I ve ever experienced. All in all, it's plain boring.
I mean Face it, as it has been said previously in the thread, you can't heal stupid, people that refuses to aknowledge the necessity of dodging red, positioning or simply paying attention are beyond hope of salvation. The hatefull comments that they may unleash out of frustration is simply your hidden third class ability.
In the mean time, if you get yourself a good group/guild, you fall in the exact opposite. Placing AS, Placing divine glow, Sunbursting for AP, drop HG as much as you can, rinse and repeat and that's it, and i really mean that is all there is to it. A few final T2 bosses might require a slight adaptation to suit the "Kite the ****load of adds" that Cryptic seem to consider paragon of difficulty... But hey, just switch any ES for Break the spirit and you're there.
The lack of direct Healing power, Direct group Healing is a necessity for the whole combat mechanic to work, to be even remotely interesting to play. If you were, as a cleric, given the ability to heal red zone HAMSTER, TR Wannabe heroes, Rambo GWF who will ever care about dodging red or positioning. The game is build this way, to me it's simply a design choice. Now considering the fact that the game is not very good, that the same encounter mechanic is repeated over and over your reponse is always the same... over and over. Brilliant, Henry Ford really inspired a lot.
It means Cryptic paid Hasbro a dump truck full of money to use it. Just because a brand name is plastered all over something doesn't automatically mean it's a quality item or true to the brand names "idea" or public values of said brand.
It does however give the reason some of us are trying to get this to fit D&D more. It is branded a D&D game. As Neverwinter takes place in the Forgotten Realms a D&D (And AD&D) universe. It needs to adhere to the mechanics of those games.
Direct heal or not you can't save people bathing in fire.
Also I like the way clerics heal in this game more than other games, in a group I provide regen and damage reduction, but if you want a burst heal you better chug that potion and move from the aoe which brought you at 20% hp.
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logisitcsMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
I liked healing in Tera
Healing in this game though is running away from 10+ mobs chugging potions hoping your party does the same
Why do I drink more potions in a dungeon on a cleric than I do on a GWF?
Soothe doesn't work, unequipping all my gear didn't help, the feat didn't work
I think I'll come back when the game is Released and no longer in open beta. This game has more bugs in it then the movie Starship Troopers
It does however give the reason some of us are trying to get this to fit D&D more. It is branded a D&D game. As Neverwinter takes place in the Forgotten Realms a D&D (And AD&D) universe. It needs to adhere to the mechanics of those games.
No it doesn't. It has to "thematically" fit into the lore of those games within reason.
I laughed at folks bringing this up ingame, now I don't mean I was laughing "at" them per say, I wasn't being mean spirited but more that the thought of resting 4 hours after using a daily ability seemed REALLY action packed... in an ARPG.
"Hey man wanna do a dungeon run?"
"Sorry, some cretin level 60 pain trained half the helms hold map to me earlier and I had to use my daily so wouldn't be able to use for another 2 and a half hours"
inb4 someone jokingly tells me the answer would be to roll 2 clerics as alts.
anyways,
check list of things for a cleric:
1: Are you astral sealing everything? if so... congratulations, you win a Neverwinter Darwin Award for bad healing.
2: Lots of heal over times rolling on everyone? expect aggro from newly spawned mobs
3: running away from the group when you have aggro? Daaaaaaaaaarwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenkins!
4: Not explaining to your group that ADDS > EVERYTHING
Any of the above can cause mild light headedness, sudden face to palm spasms and a odd irritation of the bunghole often of the painful variety. The solution? learn how to spot bads.
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shadowmokaMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
Thus, this is the risk of a combat action system, sadly. Support classes start to lose their purpose when we can actually dodge half the attacks. I'm not saying the action system is bad, I love it. It's just something needs to be done to make clerics more playable. Perhaps the AOE heals like CoH.
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mannerotheMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 12Arc User
edited May 2013
My cleric just turned 60. I very much enjoy playing as one. Soloing, basically nothing can kill me, and in groups, I can dish out some serious heals. Healing IS different here, but it's why I enjoy it so much. There are a few things to get over.
First, single target heals stink, and you're really not supposed to be using them. I don't even slot the one single target encounter heal we have. Waste of space.
Potions are the gap filler. If you step on a trap because you're stupid, drink a pot. Pay for your own mistake. Potions in this game are cheap, and there's not much other use for gold, anyway. Everyone should have a stack slotted. Even the cleric.
And the last is Mad Dragon. I gave up my healer for a short time after trying this. Unfortunately, it takes some skill, and many of the groups need to ramp up to it. So I gave it some time and went back. I got it done on the second time with a new group of good people that talked about it.
If you can't get over these things, too bad for you. I roll a healer in every game I play. It required some adjustment in this one (my mage healer in Rift required some adjustment, too), but I'm having fun. The other dragon dungeon at 59 was relatively easy, because by that time people had developed the skills necessary. I actually tried a TR, briefly, when I gave up my cleric. It's deleted now. Can't stand the class. I don't have the mindset for dps, or the desire. I couldn't play the mage, either. So, for me, it's heal, or move on. Or maybe tank.
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burtlebeMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 4Arc User
edited May 2013
I think the biggest issue atm is people have preconceived ideas of what healing should be based on other games. Its going to take time to adjust to healing in this game. I raid heal on SWTOR and it took me some time to get use to healing here but am actually enjoying it especially the part about doing damage also. The agro situation is something they are aware of and working on so I think once that is fixed it should help things a lot.
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shadowmokaMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
Comments
I personally enjoy playing my cleric, and I play it as a healer too. But you're also a valuable buffer, and in T2, barely any dungeon is possible without a cleric, so you're an important class too. Remember, Astral Shield is your friend, so just stick with the cleric and learn how to play it in Neverwinter, and you're going to have fun.
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!"
Have you ever played WoW? The whole combat system is completely different. NW is an action-RPG, and WoW is a slow, mouse-click/hotkey MMO. Completely different on a fundamental level. It is closer, much closer, to Diablo 2 than to WoW.
That's like saying there's nothing wrong with my car, other than the missing engine. The aggro issue affects Cleric survival and ability to heal others while running from 10+ mobs. These are the two most important impacts you could possibly have on a healing class.
You don't heal dead. You don't heal running, knowing the moment you stop to throw a skill you'll be wiped out.
I have a capped mystic and priest in Tera so know about action based healing. The Cleric class here needs work doing to it.
"Mod 6. Oh my f****** god. It gutted the game pure and simple. And what wasn't gutted was messed up by the poorly thought out new level cap and equip. The game never recovered from that atrocity".
..............not this one then.............
you kinda have one, from get go you have astral seal, which could heal for more probably, but requires you to hit the target monster, not each party member. Later you have AoE heals that pretty much stay up all the time, then the party just has to stay in the circle.
Regarding spells, are most of D&D games based on 4th ed? This is the only one I know. About magic missile, did you even seen Control Wizard class yet? Make lvl1, its starting spell. Rest, check 4ed spells. Pretty accurate if you ask me.
(example)Dawn of War 2 have games workshop logo all over it, yet its RTS game with small squads instead of turn based game with huge armies. Do warhammer players rage about it and QQ that its not turn based with dice rolls? No.
You know why? Because they did most basic research on the game. Same can be said about countless of other games set in some IP.
Seriously, do some basic research sometimes or you will be one of these people who run to the grocery store, rush to apple place and expect iphones, being surprised about seeing real apples.
Healing is not very hard, and if you need TWO clerics for Tier 2+ content..... then the group is probably not that great and I wouldn't waste my time....
Find a solid static
twitch.tv/redeclipze
I do agree that the agro setting is very high in NW for any heal that is cast. This would be the only thing that I feel PW should fix on the healer class. If I'm running my hybrid battle cleric class, I can usually tank quite a few mobs while still healing the group. Easy on a regular dungeon level but it can be a bit hard on Epics. I usually run a full heal class when I jump into a group for any Epic run.
Just a note, I do thank the tank and dps for helping keep ME alive throughout the dungeon. Sort of like "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
On my TR, I'm constantly dodging out of the red markers or frontal cleave attacks every 1 to 3 seconds, and not only that, but as a TR, my DPS comes from being in stealth and doing attack animations that teleports my character in different positions! How is a healer supposed to heal me if I'm moving all over the place when a boss fight is designed to make me move all over the place?
In any MMORPG I've played, healers sacrifice a lot by playing a healer. They sacrifice high DPS to solo content, quest and farm money! They prefer playing a healer to help others rather than themselves! So why should a healer class be punished at playing their class? Playing a healer should be easy and simple! They are pretty much the most important role in a group/raid! If a tank dies, you could still live with only DPS and a *healer*. If DPS dies, you could still finish the boss with a tank and a few DPS or no DPS at all, as long as your *healer* is still alive. But when your healer is dead? Unless your tank and DPS wanna start chugging down healing potions the whole time, it's gonna result in a wipe!
Cryptic, listen to the healer complaint threads! You don't want players who play as a healer to quit the game or quit being a healer! They are needed!
If they sort out the multitude of major flaws then I happily will but until then I am no going to bother.
OP you hit the problems head on good post
Close enough, Its much closer to wow and diablo then D&D. I dont care for all the timers and gizmos, and action based stuff. I get that WoC wants in on the mmo thing, but man. Ive played D&D for so long. This game could be unique, mmo, and still be D&D. Its clearly similar to all the other mmos with coodowns and gadgetry and activated stuff. More strait forward passive chr growth would be a start imo. my goodness casting classes need regular spells with spell slots and casting times, a very loooong list of spells to choose from... like in D&D.. jeez.
I'm having a TON of fun with my GF. However, it sounds like they were nerfed as well.
The epics do get harder as far as damage dealt. I often joke with my guild that I'm part heal-bot but I also remind them I'm there to help make them look good/better. A rogue or Control Wizard can't get those flashy DPS numbers if they are spending half the fight running from mobs on 10% health. :-)
I mean comeon, repeating the game twice? doing the same story twice? rather play LoL.
Great post! I had forgot to mention how folks like to run ahead of the group then complain when they are down in another room. I never chase after them and usually remain with the main body of the group.
I also have a level 16 cleric and a level 16 guardian fighter and im liking those but not as much as my tr, but I guess its good for a change though im not looking forward to pugging much on my cleric after some of the stuff ive seen getting my TR to 60 on groups.
Maybe if they gave some more, and cheaper threat reduction feats/powers? Maybe even gear..........and maybe a bit more dps......for clerics... bit a lil bit
Does anyone remember nwn1 and nwn2 when clerics and other mainly spell casting classes where powerhouses? lol I didn't play one on those servers but I kind of find it ironic that im doing it here now.
It means Cryptic paid Hasbro a dump truck full of money to use it. Just because a brand name is plastered all over something doesn't automatically mean it's a quality item or true to the brand names "idea" or public values of said brand.
I mean Face it, as it has been said previously in the thread, you can't heal stupid, people that refuses to aknowledge the necessity of dodging red, positioning or simply paying attention are beyond hope of salvation. The hatefull comments that they may unleash out of frustration is simply your hidden third class ability.
In the mean time, if you get yourself a good group/guild, you fall in the exact opposite. Placing AS, Placing divine glow, Sunbursting for AP, drop HG as much as you can, rinse and repeat and that's it, and i really mean that is all there is to it. A few final T2 bosses might require a slight adaptation to suit the "Kite the ****load of adds" that Cryptic seem to consider paragon of difficulty... But hey, just switch any ES for Break the spirit and you're there.
The lack of direct Healing power, Direct group Healing is a necessity for the whole combat mechanic to work, to be even remotely interesting to play. If you were, as a cleric, given the ability to heal red zone HAMSTER, TR Wannabe heroes, Rambo GWF who will ever care about dodging red or positioning. The game is build this way, to me it's simply a design choice. Now considering the fact that the game is not very good, that the same encounter mechanic is repeated over and over your reponse is always the same... over and over. Brilliant, Henry Ford really inspired a lot.
Also I like the way clerics heal in this game more than other games, in a group I provide regen and damage reduction, but if you want a burst heal you better chug that potion and move from the aoe which brought you at 20% hp.
Healing in this game though is running away from 10+ mobs chugging potions hoping your party does the same
Why do I drink more potions in a dungeon on a cleric than I do on a GWF?
Soothe doesn't work, unequipping all my gear didn't help, the feat didn't work
I think I'll come back when the game is Released and no longer in open beta. This game has more bugs in it then the movie Starship Troopers
No it doesn't. It has to "thematically" fit into the lore of those games within reason.
I laughed at folks bringing this up ingame, now I don't mean I was laughing "at" them per say, I wasn't being mean spirited but more that the thought of resting 4 hours after using a daily ability seemed REALLY action packed... in an ARPG.
"Hey man wanna do a dungeon run?"
"Sorry, some cretin level 60 pain trained half the helms hold map to me earlier and I had to use my daily so wouldn't be able to use for another 2 and a half hours"
inb4 someone jokingly tells me the answer would be to roll 2 clerics as alts.
anyways,
check list of things for a cleric:
1: Are you astral sealing everything? if so... congratulations, you win a Neverwinter Darwin Award for bad healing.
2: Lots of heal over times rolling on everyone? expect aggro from newly spawned mobs
3: running away from the group when you have aggro? Daaaaaaaaaarwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenkins!
4: Not explaining to your group that ADDS > EVERYTHING
Any of the above can cause mild light headedness, sudden face to palm spasms and a odd irritation of the bunghole often of the painful variety. The solution? learn how to spot bads.
First, single target heals stink, and you're really not supposed to be using them. I don't even slot the one single target encounter heal we have. Waste of space.
Potions are the gap filler. If you step on a trap because you're stupid, drink a pot. Pay for your own mistake. Potions in this game are cheap, and there's not much other use for gold, anyway. Everyone should have a stack slotted. Even the cleric.
And the last is Mad Dragon. I gave up my healer for a short time after trying this. Unfortunately, it takes some skill, and many of the groups need to ramp up to it. So I gave it some time and went back. I got it done on the second time with a new group of good people that talked about it.
If you can't get over these things, too bad for you. I roll a healer in every game I play. It required some adjustment in this one (my mage healer in Rift required some adjustment, too), but I'm having fun. The other dragon dungeon at 59 was relatively easy, because by that time people had developed the skills necessary. I actually tried a TR, briefly, when I gave up my cleric. It's deleted now. Can't stand the class. I don't have the mindset for dps, or the desire. I couldn't play the mage, either. So, for me, it's heal, or move on. Or maybe tank.