Help: Our Disc Priest only Smites.

[Omino]

I'll admit, I don't know a huge amount about the in's and out's of priests, which is why I have come here in search of advice.

The Disc Priest in our raid group does nothing short of spending every encounter Smiting with the odd bubble here and there. Regardless of the changes in incoming damage to the raid, regardless of the state of the other healers mana. Even when told not to by the raid leader; nothing seems to stop her. I appreciate that this is one aspect of Disc healing, but how exactly do I go about convincing her to actually cast heals? She argues she has to smite spam in order to keep her buff up, which she claims she needs. She has refused to alter her spec to pick up Grace because she "doesn't cast heals". This past week when asked to stop smiting and heal she informed us she has to as it "gives my penance 100% up time". We've shown her logs and the like of Disc priests that heal without Evangelism/Archangel/Atonement and she blows it off. She has been sat and replaced with poorly geared backup healers which have gone on to kill whatever we were attempting at the time with us. She'll return the next raid a brand new Priest! ...For the first one or two pulls.

The other healers are starting to get upset that they will oom themselves on encounters and yet she will still not adapt her playstyle to pick up her share of the work.

Anything that can help me better understand how to approach this situation rather than needing to bench her full time would be appreciated, so thank you in advance.

Mod Warning: It really should go without saying but there is no need to make sexist remarks or talk about any class as a 1 button class. Be respectful of other people... -Arlee

[zito]

Smite healing is ok on gimp fights (halfus) and during low healing periods where it can safetly keep the tank up while doing some damage yourself. However since you gave her the reality and she still neglects its there is nothing more you can do but replace her. You have should her logs of top disc priest and what they are doing and you show her her own healing and how low it is and she still refuses. There is nothing much you can do.

[Deleted]

Tell her to use holy fire as well, omg.


No seriously, just give the player a talking to, tell her she'll just be kicked if she's playing suboptimally, it's just selfish to play like that and hold the raid and healers back, and follow up your threats as well. There are plenty of stickies here and on howtopriest.com about how to heal as disc, just direct her there.

[Deleted]

Got any logs? I can give you a firelands comparision fight (25 man). Just Smiting and shields isnt great but depends what role they are doing.

[Chloride]

This person is clearly in need of replacing. Disc priests using smite/holyfire is ok during the low points in a few encounters, but 90% of time they are casting heals, not dpsing. You said yourself she has refused to alter her spec, youve shown her logs, and youve even replaced her in the past "she returns a brand new priest...for the first few pulls" my only advice is replace her, she isnt helping you or your group.

[Buckeye]

Guilds must be extremely forgiving this days to keep letting someone raid when they are purposefully being useless. Honestly the answer to this is thread is "/gkick "insert bad's name"". Why is she still in the guild if she blatantly ignores your GL? Oh, the answer is in the third word of the previous question.

[Garnier Fructis]

Tell her to use holy fire as well, omg.


No seriously, just give the player a talking to, tell her she'll just be kicked if she's playing suboptimally, it's just selfish to play like that and hold the raid and healers back, and follow up your threats as well. There are plenty of stickies here and on howtopriest.com about how to heal as disc, just direct her there.

I came in this thread just to say that, lol.

[microtonal]

I have to agree with the others. Regardless of class, role or spec, a player who clearly doesn't know what they're doing and mulishly refuses even to consider the possibility of doing things a different way is not a valuable member of your raid team or anyone else's.

Sometimes you just have to sack up and kick someone.

[Jellyphant]

Really simple answer. Replace them. If people don't want to get better, don't bring em. She's not playing her class to its potential and not trying to improve at all, not someone you want in your raid.

[Deleted]

I came in this thread just to say that, lol.

You have an awesome username.

[Omino]

Why is she still in the guild if she blatantly ignores your GL? Oh, the answer is in the third word of the previous question.

Her being female has nothing to do with her still retaining her raid spot.

It has more to do with the fact, of our previous 3 person heal team she is the sole remaining member after two of the others had to take breaks for real life. The two healers we found to replace the others with were me (previously main spec Ret), and our MT (feral druid). If we find no other solution outside of benching her we need to keep both of our offspec healers as main spec going into the next tier and pull a third out of our asses. Which is the sole reason we're trying to figure out other options first. Sadly, healers aren't as easy to replace as dps.

[Arlee]

Well it is more likely that the priest in question isn't being purposefully useless... more of they might think that is the whole point of atonement. Every now and again people will get something stuck in their head like that.

If she won't change her playstyle when it is pointed out to her then you really have no choice to drop her though. It doesn't matter very much if she "thinks" she is playing optimally when she really isn't. Idk if you guys have pointed her to any guides or anything... that honestly would be my last ditch effort before dropping, but honestly it isn't the raid leader's job to teach someone how to play. That's just my 2 cents as an extremely intolerant raid leader though

[wanax]

Guilds must be extremely forgiving this days to keep letting someone raid when they are purposefully being useless. Honestly the answer to this is thread is "/gkick "insert bad's name"". Why is she still in the guild if she blatantly ignores your GL? Oh, the answer is in the third word of the previous question.

I was in a 25 man guild in TBC where we had a Priest who stood there smiting instead of healing b/c he had "uber mana regen". The officers tried talking to him about it but it didn't matter. They were all IRL friends so he was allowed to continue being terrible.

As to the OP...if they aren't willing to take the advice even with evidence then either have them switch to shadow and do REAL dps with a little healing passively or they need to be replaced. Its a little unfortunate to have to do that especially if they're always on time and there for raids BUT a poor player is a almost oughta be an empty slot.

[Jellyphant]

Her being female has nothing to do with her still retaining her raid spot.

It has more to do with the fact, of our previous 3 person heal team she is the sole remaining member after two of the others had to take breaks for real life. The two healers we found to replace the others with were me (previously main spec Ret), and our MT (feral druid). If we find no other solution outside of benching her we need to keep both of our offspec healers as main spec going into the next tier and pull a third out of our asses. Which is the sole reason we're trying to figure out other options first. Sadly, healers aren't as easy to replace as dps.

Or just two heal. You're basically already doing it, might as well just pick up another dps and commit to it. Every fight in firelands is 2 healable (beth might give you some trouble).

[Omino]

Got any logs? I can give you a firelands comparision fight (25 man). Just Smiting and shields isnt great but depends what role they are doing.

I'm attempting to find a log with her healing recently. But given that we've taken to pushing ourselves to two heal any fight that we can possibly manage and our warrior sucks at logging I'm not having much luck. I'll take a proper look when I get home from work.

[Vesoha]

Had that problem with a shaman healer, so we dictated what build he had to have, one that did not have the shock or lightning talents in resto, if he had the spec at raid start he got to join if not he didnt. That way you can say "hey we want to keep you but this is how its gotta be", and then its up to them if they want to be social member or raider (or kicked in guilds that dont do social).

And no they dont benefit enough from those dps talents to justify it, so i dont think it was wrong to tell him how the talents had to be. And once you get into the healing 100% it can be just as fun as dps, and if it still aint then you should not be healer.

[Omino]

Or just two heal. You're basically already doing it, might as well just pick up another dps and commit to it. Every fight in firelands is 2 healable (beth might give you some trouble).

We more or less do, currently. But with 4.3 on the verge of dropping we're more than likely not going to have that option for a couple of months until gear catches back up with the curve.

[oplawlz]

Make a recruitment macro "Looking for disc priest who doesn't suck to fill a spot in our core raid group" and spam it in trade when she is online. It will accomplish what needs accomplished.

[Jellyphant]

We more or less do, currently. But with 4.3 on the verge of dropping we're more than likely not going to have that option for a couple of months until gear catches back up with the curve.

Gkick the priest and start recruiting a new one. You have plenty of time.

[Deleted]

Make her go holy, she won't have a choice then