AM the undisputed worst healer: A discussion

[Cimba]

If I were dev for the day...

1. Define a role

Spoiler:

• WP/DOK: Entry level healer with few buttons to press to get overproportional amounts of healing. Incrediblity forgiving in terms of positioning.
• RP/Zealot: A few more buttons to press but in a pinch you got flash heal to save the day. Uncontested in terms of group utility. Less forgiving in terms of positioning but incredible panic button every 3 min.
• AM/Shaman
  Current role: You better know your **** otherwise you are terrible. If you do, you may break even with other healers.
  Target role: You better know your ****. If you do, you outperform the other healers.

2. Fix the mechanic

Spoiler:

Don't fix things that aren't broken. Current problem for heal AMs is that they cant generate force points outside of EOV while mainting any sort of heal output.
Possible Solution: Return Balance Essence to the experimental version of ages past. This means adding a base healing value and some disrupt strike through. Its basically the version still shown in the career builder https://builder.returnofreckoning.com/career/archmage

3. Swap around abilities

Spoiler:

Path of Isha
Energy of Vaul --> 13 Isha: EOV is the defining healing ability of the class. Having it in another tree just means that there is a large power spike upon acquiring SOV gear while everyone else just kinda sucks.
Funnel Essence --> 5 Isha: Decent spell. Could also go on 9 Isha but I figure Marshes of Madness probably shouldnt sit in 5 Isha.
Magical Infusion --> Core: Alright spell. Moves to Core because space is needed in Isha tree.

Path of Vaul
Law of Gold --> 13 Vaul: Zealot stagger is also 13 point. The silence is a bit worse maybe modify it further
Drain Magic --> 9 Vaul: This will probably piss off the DPS AM. Logic: You need to chose between MoM and AP drain if you play DPS. And best AP drain in the game as core ability? Seriously?
Transfer Magic --> 11 Vaul: Change AOE drain to group AP feed. IMO Excellent idea. Credit to Zumos

Spoiler:

AM has 3 major problems:
- Very reliant on Whispering Winds from SM
- Squishiest Healer in the game
- Does not give AP to group

That said the healing potential of AM is very high, especially with Whispering Winds up. I definitely think some tactics could be designed which would sacrifice healing (AM has some pretty good healing tactics) for either survivability or some way to give the group AP.

An example could be to add a 5s speed proc of 25% to Walk Between Worlds tactic. Or change Drain Magic tactic to drain 92 AP from one target to your whole group.

4. Make stuff useful

Spoiler:

• Apotheosis: Isha's Encouragement should fire on cleanse done by Apotheosis. Its something every new AM tries out anyway only to be inevitably let down because it doesnt work. However, when both tactics are slotted the cleanse should not be affected by cooldown decreasing abilities. Otherwise you will have virtually immortal dps + tank trains running around with 6 groups hots up. All the time. Especially in city.
• Desperation: Add additional hp levels with benefits: Suggestion below 75 % --> 10 % more heal. Below 50 % --> 15 %.
• Golden Aura (7 Point Vaul): Change effect to remove hard CC effects (Stagger, Silence, KD, disarm) upon applying the shield. Maybe also remove snares. Not sure.
• Primatic Shield: Adjust base values and scaling to KOTBS/Chosen aura. Make the effect linger for 5 - 10 seconds after being shattered or add 'charges' so its requires multiple shatters to remove.

5. Whats supposed to happen

Spoiler:

• Access to the class mechanic should lead to quicker cast times on large heals making direct cast time reductions redundant. Enable better performance in burst healing situations if properly played.
• The tree adjustments should smooth the power spike upon acquiring SOV while still adding benefit because the tactics in Path of Vaul are, in my opinion, still valuable.
• AP feed and an improved resistance buff may open up auras for kotbs and tactics for RP. This adds a bit of redundancy where previously was very little. This in itselt probably wont increase build diversity but it could be a first step.
• Group hot with Apotheosis should bring AM up on the healing scoreboards. Should be closely monitored.

6. Not adressed

Spoiler:

• Even with these changes the AM cannot compete with RP in terms of raw group utility. Heal blessing, armor proc, AP feed, selection of buffs, stagger etc. As a trade off the AM should be a bit better at healing when it really matters. Not sure if its worth it though
• All your buffs/heals are enchantments while WP/RP do blessings. Competent opponents will remove them constantly (in small scale) and there is very little you can do about. Also by applying enchantment you open up the blessings of WP/RP to the respective shatters and thus making everyone worse. No easy solution I can think of. Reclassfying buffs to enchantment and heals to blessing could work but would be a rather large adjustment in the database.
• Surviability: I think this is a learn to play issue since I typically dont experience it.

[Bozzax]

2. Mech: Not broken just very hard to play. If the ST lifetap was just a noch stronger (suffers from guard reducing leech heals by 50%) or if the lifetap dot was 5s cd the class would be in much better shape.

6. Shatter
Chosen, dps shaman (tactic), we shatters blessings and BO, BG shatters shatters enchantments

Your cleanse takes care of most dest HDbuffs wich is great. Sorc rotations is a bit nasty tho

AP for group ... well I think the drain offsets it fully

Having that said an aoe dot would make a lot of sense

[Ysaran]

If I were dev for the day...

1. Define a role

Spoiler:

• WP/DOK: Entry level healer with few buttons to press to get overproportional amounts of healing. Incrediblity forgiving in terms of positioning.
• RP/Zealot: A few more buttons to press but in a pinch you got flash heal to save the day. Uncontested in terms of group utility. Less forgiving in terms of positioning but incredible panic button every 3 min.
• AM/Shaman
  Current role: You better know your **** otherwise you are terrible. If you do, you may break even with other healers.
  Target role: You better know your ****. If you do, you outperform the other healers.

2. Fix the mechanic

Spoiler:

Don't fix things that aren't broken. Current problem for heal AMs is that they cant generate force points outside of EOV while mainting any sort of heal output.
Possible Solution: Return Balance Essence to the experimental version of ages past. This means adding a base healing value and some disrupt strike through. Its basically the version still shown in the career builder https://builder.returnofreckoning.com/career/archmage

3. Swap around abilities

Spoiler:

Path of Isha
Energy of Vaul --> 13 Isha: EOV is the defining healing ability of the class. Having it in another tree just means that there is a large power spike upon acquiring SOV gear while everyone else just kinda sucks.
Funnel Essence --> 5 Isha: Decent spell. Could also go on 9 Isha but I figure Marshes of Madness probably shouldnt sit in 5 Isha.
Magical Infusion --> Core: Alright spell. Moves to Core because space is needed in Isha tree.

Path of Vaul
Law of Gold --> 13 Vaul: Zealot stagger is also 13 point. The silence is a bit worse maybe modify it further
Drain Magic --> 9 Vaul: This will probably piss off the DPS AM. Logic: You need to chose between MoM and AP drain if you play DPS. And best AP drain in the game as core ability? Seriously?
Transfer Magic --> 11 Vaul: Change AOE drain to group AP feed. IMO Excellent idea. Credit to Zumos

Spoiler:

AM has 3 major problems:
- Very reliant on Whispering Winds from SM
- Squishiest Healer in the game
- Does not give AP to group

That said the healing potential of AM is very high, especially with Whispering Winds up. I definitely think some tactics could be designed which would sacrifice healing (AM has some pretty good healing tactics) for either survivability or some way to give the group AP.

An example could be to add a 5s speed proc of 25% to Walk Between Worlds tactic. Or change Drain Magic tactic to drain 92 AP from one target to your whole group.

4. Make stuff useful

Spoiler:

• Apotheosis: Isha's Encouragement should fire on cleanse done by Apotheosis. Its something every new AM tries out anyway only to be inevitably let down because it doesnt work. However, when both tactics are slotted the cleanse should not be affected by cooldown decreasing abilities. Otherwise you will have virtually immortal dps + tank trains running around with 6 groups hots up. All the time. Especially in city.
• Desperation: Add additional hp levels with benefits: Suggestion below 75 % --> 10 % more heal. Below 50 % --> 15 %.
• Golden Aura (7 Point Vaul): Change effect to remove hard CC effects (Stagger, Silence, KD, disarm) upon applying the shield. Maybe also remove snares. Not sure.
• Primatic Shield: Adjust base values and scaling to KOTBS/Chosen aura. Make the effect linger for 5 - 10 seconds after being shattered or add 'charges' so its requires multiple shatters to remove.

5. Whats supposed to happen

Spoiler:

• Access to the class mechanic should lead to quicker cast times on large heals making direct cast time reductions redundant. Enable better performance in burst healing situations if properly played.
• The tree adjustments should smooth the power spike upon acquiring SOV while still adding benefit because the tactics in Path of Vaul are, in my opinion, still valuable.
• AP feed and an improved resistance buff may open up auras for kotbs and tactics for RP. This adds a bit of redundancy where previously was very little. This in itselt probably wont increase build diversity but it could be a first step.
• Group hot with Apotheosis should bring AM up on the healing scoreboards. Should be closely monitored.

6. Not adressed

Spoiler:

• Even with these changes the AM cannot compete with RP in terms of raw group utility. Heal blessing, armor proc, AP feed, selection of buffs, stagger etc. As a trade off the AM should be a bit better at healing when it really matters. Not sure if its worth it though
• All you buffs/heals are enchantments while WP/RP do blessings. Competent opponents will remove them constantly (in small scale) and there is very little you can do about. Also by applying enchantment you open up the blessings of WP/RP to the respective shatters and thus making everyone worse. No easy solution I can thing off. Reclassfying buffs to enchantment and heals to blessing could work but would be a rather large adjustment in the database.
• Surviability: I think this is a learn to play issue since I typically dont experience it.

I really like the idea, I would also add a base healing value to Transfer Force and lower the damage-to-heal rate from 1.5 to 1 (or even 0.75). This would add another mean for AM to switch mechanics and also tone down a bit dps AM self heal issue.

[Bozzax]

That would be a stupid nerf to cater to 1v1

[Cimba]

2. Mech: Not broken just very hard to play. If the ST lifetap was just a noch stronger (suffers from guard reducing leech heals by 50%) or if the lifetap dot was 5s cd the class would be in much better shape.

6. Shatter
Chosen, dps shaman (tactic), we shatters blessings and BO, BG shatters shatters enchantments

Your cleanse takes care of most dest HDbuffs wich is great. Sorc rotations is a bit nasty tho

AP for group ... well I think the drain offsets it fully

Having that said an aoe dot would make a lot of sense

2. Just tested balance essence on a training construct in full heal sov. It deals 200 damage and heals for 300 --> on guarded targets you are talking about 150 heal. Not sure if it is also affected by healdebuffs. Thats about the damage of a single proc. We need a bit more than just a 'notch'. I made a post about the lifetape dot here. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=42670&p=455154#p455154 .

6. You forgot about dok that can also shatter enchantments. Interestingly enough mdok + WE has proven one of the most potent destro teams for small scale. You can see that e.g. Teinhalas or my 6on6 videos.

I really like the idea, I would also add a base healing value to Transfer Force and lower the damage-to-heal rate from 1.5 to 1 (or even 0.75). This would add another mean for AM to switch mechanics and also tone down a bit dps AM self heal issue.

Good point. You could also make the basehealing value scale inversely with intelligence same for balance essence and eov. Not sure if that is technically possible though.

[teiloh]

2. Mech: Not broken just very hard to play. If the ST lifetap was just a noch stronger (suffers from guard reducing leech heals by 50%) or if the lifetap dot was 5s cd the class would be in much better shape.

I'm not fond of the mechanic because it severely limits player options and forces you into a single rotation which is kind of boring, and all it really works in service to two or three abilities.

But it definitely performs within those confines.

[Bozzax]

There are plenty of rage-like mechanics no need to dumb down AM, Shmy one

Personally I think the mechanic itself is the best of all classes

(Yep dok shatters as well my point is both blessings and enchantments are shattered my bad)

[Ysaran]

2. Mech: Not broken just very hard to play. If the ST lifetap was just a noch stronger (suffers from guard reducing leech heals by 50%) or if the lifetap dot was 5s cd the class would be in much better shape.

6. Shatter
Chosen, dps shaman (tactic), we shatters blessings and BO, BG shatters shatters enchantments

Your cleanse takes care of most dest HDbuffs wich is great. Sorc rotations is a bit nasty tho

AP for group ... well I think the drain offsets it fully

Having that said an aoe dot would make a lot of sense

2. Just tested balance essence on a training construct in full heal sov. It deals 200 damage and heals for 300 --> on guarded targets you are talking about 150 heal. Not sure if it is also affected by healdebuffs. Thats about the damage of a single proc. We need a bit more than just a 'notch'. I made a post about the lifetape dot here. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=42670&p=455154#p455154 .

6. You forgot about dok that can also shatter enchantments. Interestingly enough mdok + WE has proven one of the most potent destro teams for small scale. You can see that e.g. Teinhalas or my 6on6 videos.

I really like the idea, I would also add a base healing value to Transfer Force and lower the damage-to-heal rate from 1.5 to 1 (or even 0.75). This would add another mean for AM to switch mechanics and also tone down a bit dps AM self heal issue.

Good point. You could also make the basehealing value scale inversely with intelligence same for balance essence and eov. Not sure if that is technically possible though.

Good idea about the stats scaling.
Also, Balance Essence and Tranfer Force aren't influenced by healdebuff, I tested it a couple of days ago. But as you pointed out, their heling value is so low that it doesn't even matter.

[Bozzax]

Lifetaps aren’t affected by heal debuffs pure heals are

[Bozzax]

2. Just tested balance essence on a training construct in full heal sov. It deals 200 damage and heals for 300 --> on guarded targets you are talking about 150 heal. Not sure if it is also affected by healdebuffs. Thats about the damage of a single proc. We need a bit more than just a 'notch'. I made a post about the lifetape dot here. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=42670&p=455154#p455154 .

A notch is correct imho.... Why? using 1.2s cast on move BEs (or EVs, TF when up) and fully using your mechanic you get 1.5s group heals and free up Need for AP tactics.

Not much is needed before it becomes OP especially since you can move and cast BE and HE (0.6s) without AP issues indefinitely