What you accept about this project before you start playing.
Devs are aware that forcefully changing the meta will causes classes to shift in popularity. We're also aware this will disgruntle
some players into leaving. This is an acceptable risk and reward that the development team will assess. While some may leave, others will recognize the shift and the reasoning behind it. NEW players may accept these changes as well, and those who understand the vision behind them will be constructive about it moving forward. We have new players come in every day. I'm quite certain we have old players who stop in to see if things have changed for the better as well.
In regards to melee healing, there are several other games where classes like this are played extensively. WAR was pitched with the concept of a melee healer, and failed spectacularly in presentation to the point the meta WP/DoK was a powerful armored backline super-healer. Without WP/DoK being a melee healer, we have no offering to the types of players who enjoy this playstyle. It also violates the core promise of the class archetype that WAR failed to uphold. Sham/AM are intended to be lifetap healers primarily, and they were addressed. Rp/Zeal are intended to be backline healers with a DPS toggle, which largely functioned as expected on WAR.
We do not expect to keep players who are on such a razors edge about the direction we have in mind. You may leave, quietly. This project is clearly no longer for you. Do not further harass us with your complaints that it's not the way it used to be. It was an intended design decision, we KNOW it's not the way it used to be.
Acceptable things to criticize.
- The direction we are taking is imbalanced. Discuss on the balance forums. Follow the rules. If your criticism is constructive and argued properly, you have the ability to make change happen. Consider how unique this is among ANY game development.
- The method we are taking could be different, provided it is in the direction we intend. Create a proposal on the balance forums. Follow the rules. If your proposal appears to be in sound judgement and follows the direction we intend, it will move to discussions.
Unacceptable things to criticize.
- The direction we are taking will cause you to leave the game. This is your choice, not ours. It is an acceptable risk we assume responsibility for, but only in the sense that a few less players will be around, and not in any sort of reparations to you.
- My time invested is being violated by the new direction being taken. Our public statement on what changes can potentially be made is
your risk vs time invested, therefore it is your responsibility to determine whether your investment of time is wise in a project where things may change outside of your own desires.
While we have allowed much discussion that violates the points detailed in the link at the top of this post, it is clear we will need to moderate such unacceptable criticism as it is damaging the desire to continue development here. For the vast majority of players that are involved in the project and accept our design intents, halting development because of this drain on morale would be catastrophic to say the very least. The GM and Forum Mod team simply cannot allow a few sour members of the community to ruin the project for the rest of us.