How is the pace for healing groups when mouse-over casting isn't available?

[Gangplank]

I just started SWTOR the other day, and hit level 10 to pick my specialization. I want to heal, but I noticed the only way to do so is by clicking targets and then casting my spell. I played WoW since day 1, and have always appreciated the mouse-over targeting. Is the pace of damage in SWTOR so predictable/consistent that target-clicking prior to casting isn't really a hindrance? In WoW, you could save a lot of time with mouse-over healing to handle difficult healing phases, so I'm just wondering if SWTOR is just slower paced in regard to group/OPs encounters.

Also, how does target-clicking affect queuing spells?

[Deleted]

I don't do Nightmare mode Ops but all other aspects of the game work just fine with selecting your target and healing.
Up until recently most of my healing was done in PvP and even in the thick of fast paced PvP combat selecting a target didn't cause too many problems, I'm doing more PvE recently and SM and HM content are doable without having to be 'top of the tree'.

[quras]

I found it to be no big deal even in Nightmare content.

The game is designed without the mouse over skill use, so it's really not a big deal. IT took me a little while to get used to clicking on everyone I want to heal but it wasn't a problem.

I'd imagine if they added in mouse over activation parts of the game would have to be resigned due to being able to get skills off slightly quicker and over the entire length of a fight.

So far though it's no trouble.

[Fencers]

I heal OPs and FPs of all difficulties using KB to switch targets. Never liked mouse over casting- I always used dedicated keys to switch to my allies for heals. Usually the F keys are designated as such for me. Not an issue, very rapid and natural.

Your mileage may vary, of course. Though I believe the benefits of mouse over targeting are ones rooted in habit.

I have never used healing or tanking addons, macros or mouse over targeting. I have cleared content in WF competitive guilds since Everquest 1 to modern MMOs of today.

[Lovestar]

It's fine. SWTOR is a very mellow game compared to WoW, you just don't need to twitch around the same way. And you really can't twitch around anyway, with the more mushy combat engine SWTOR uses. The game isn't expecting the reaction times that topend WoW content has evolved into.

Don't get me wrong, you still need to be alert and sometimes one mis-click or hesitation will get someone killed. Tanks eating False Emperor HK's cone burst without popping a CD comes to mind; if you're not spamming them the instant it starts up you're in trouble.

So healing is still tense/fun in difficult situations. But it's not on the heart-attack inducing level of WoW. Without addons / macros, the game just isn't balanced around addons / macros. I absolutely hated having to clickheal at first, but I quickly got used to it and it's just second-nature now.

I've played all 3 heal specs at max level, 2 of them extensively (Merc & Op), and 1 of them is my main (Merc). The two I play most (Merc / Op) require absolutely non-stop target-switching in most situations: Merc is almost entirely single-target heals, and Op needs to keep people coated in stacking HoTs (so you need to refresh before it drops off).

My point is that none of them have been seriously disadvantaged, nor gotten anyone killed, by having to clickheal — despite being required to do it a lot. It's just a different style you adapt to and a mellower game.

Now, the annoying Operations GUI that doesn't let you see who has your Kolto Probe / Static Barrier / Kolto Shell active is another story entirely...

[Deleted]

I heal OPs and FPs of all difficulties using KB to switch targets. Never liked mouse over casting- I always used dedicated keys to switch to my allies for heals. Usually the F keys are designated as such for me. Not an issue, very rapid and natural.

Curious what setup exactly you use to do this in 16-mans? It's great in FPs, but already in 8 mans, I find myself clicking in the raidframe again.

[Perkunas]

The damage was slow enough that there was never really a split-second scenario like in Warcraft healing. Still, the lack of mouse-over casting makes the game feel clunky and less fluid. It's basically healing devolved and it's the primary reason I refuse to resub until they implement it.

[Warlord Booty]

I could never get into mouse over casting. I could never heal those in the middle of the grid, since it would always heal those on the outside of the grid when i moved into the grid to reach them and then I couldn't move, if I did. I even tested it in a 5 man and my buddy got no heals, since I couldn't actually target him, it was always just me.

All of these MMOs are the same in difficulty, I don't have problems healing in any game. SWTOR seems to have a harder resource management (sorc/seer) than WoW, but damage etc is the same.

[zoefschildpad]

If you're using a keyboard/mouse with macroable buttons you could make them click and then cast, the result would be similar to mouse over macros (I don't know about swtors rules about that sort of thing though)

[Gangplank]

If you're using a keyboard/mouse with macroable buttons you could make them click and then cast, the result would be similar to mouse over macros (I don't know about swtors rules about that sort of thing though)

I have a K90 keyboard with plenty of macros on the left-hand side. The only issue is that I use the right side of the keyboard because I'm left-handed. I use the arrow keys and the numpad keys to cast spells (I used my pinky for those). It also sucks because I don't have access to the F-keys, so targeting with via keybind isn't possible.

I've tried to use the WASD keys with my right hand in the past, but it's just too awkward feeling to get accustomed to it (not to mention the keyboard would need to be centered way off to the right side just so my right arm isn't crossing in front of me).

[Stir]

The difference between mouse-over casting and not mouse-over casting, for me, is the click of one mouse-button.
I cast heals bound to keys. I click a portrait, cast a heal, click a portrait, cast a heal. Switching targets with f-keys when I feel like it works (in FPs, not Ops), but I prefer clicking because I'm not always too familiar with the groups I heal, and it allows me better mobility.

For movement, I prefer WSAD with mouse-dragging, which works quite well enough with my healing style. Besides, mouse-overing wouldn't help in any case for the whole movement thing, if you prefer using a mouse for movement.

[Deleted]

I could never get into mouse over casting.

The difference between mouse-over casting and not mouse-over casting, for me, is the click of one mouse-button.
I cast heals bound to keys. I click a portrait, cast a heal, click a portrait, cast a heal.

I feel that you are about to incur the wrath of Perkunas, I'm surprised he/she hasn't already returned to condescendingly inform you that mouse over casting is the only real method of healing as it has been adopted by 'the best of the best of the best' healers in WOW and to heal any other way is sub standard.

[Perkunas]

I could never get into mouse over casting. I could never heal those in the middle of the grid, since it would always heal those on the outside of the grid when i moved into the grid to reach them and then I couldn't move, if I did. I even tested it in a 5 man and my buddy got no heals, since I couldn't actually target him, it was always just me.

All of these MMOs are the same in difficulty, I don't have problems healing in any game. SWTOR seems to have a harder resource management (sorc/seer) than WoW, but damage etc is the same.

Healing in TOR is far and away easier than Warcraft based upon the speed of incoming damage and the slower pace of the game in general. It sounds like you have some strange issues with mouse-over casting and perhaps you should have changed some bindings. Most players who use them are able to navigate and target perfectly.

- - - Updated - - -

I feel that you are about to incur the wrath of Perkunas, I'm surprised he/she hasn't already returned to condescendingly inform you that mouse over casting is the only real method of healing as it has been adopted by 'the best of the best of the best' healers in WOW and to heal any other way is sub standard.

I will hold my wrath simply because you made my point for me. It's not even just the best healers. It's pretty much anybody who wants to better themselves.

[openair]

I could never get into mouse over casting. I could never heal those in the middle of the grid, since it would always heal those on the outside of the grid when i moved into the grid to reach them and then I couldn't move, if I did. I even tested it in a 5 man and my buddy got no heals, since I couldn't actually target him, it was always just me.

That sounds like a serious case of PEBKAC error. Mouse over healing works like this: you mouse over the person you want to heal, then press the keybind of the heal you want to cast. There is no mouse clicking. There is no issue with a players location on the grid because you havn't used any abilities until your mouse is already on top of that player. It doesn't work if you are a clicker or don't know how to write the macros properly.

[Stir]

I will hold my wrath simply because you made my point for me. It's not even just the best healers. It's pretty much anybody who wants to better themselves.

And I didn't like it. Tried it, didn't like it. Controls are a very personal thing. I used to mouse-over sunder (in WoW), which was great, but I just don't enjoy it for healing much. It's simply too prone to making mistakes.

Oddly enough, I do prefer mouse-over healing in PvP.

[Warlord Booty]

It sounds like you have some strange issues with mouse-over casting and perhaps you should have changed some bindings. Most players who use them are able to navigate and target perfectly.

I remember generating 30-40K worth of LUA errors when I was trying to do it (and had a UI change). I probably just didn't give it enough practice and didn't want to test in the fire.

[Fencers]

Curious what setup exactly you use to do this in 16-mans? It's great in FPs, but already in 8 mans, I find myself clicking in the raidframe again.

I use 1-5 number keys, shift 1-5, ctrl 1-5, alt 1-5, ctrl+shift+alt 1-5 for abilities. F1-4 for group targeting, mouse rocker to swap allies when I click the group frame directly. I use 6 KB macro buttons to the left Tab/Caps/Tilde, etc for various UI functions. WAD for movement, QERTF and ZXCV for most used abilities. Numpad for special commands- usually KB macro'd or mouse bound.

My mouse is the Logitech G600. Where I bind the more esoteric keys mentioned above.

The most hectic healing is in 16man OPs, but its fairly manageable considering two things; there are other healers and SWTOR is sorta slow paced.

It's pretty rapid and natural. I don't even have to think about my controls. When I see say, my focus [tank] is taking a beating I hit my mouse side buttons to heal him directly. Tapping F keys and scroll rocking through allies and self casting as needed. I even effortlessly swap to DPS when needed for burn phases/low healing reqs just by using the alt modifier over my normal healing bar.

Just a matter of getting into the habit of healing under a different system than other games. Though I use this similar set up for nearly all MMOs. I only main tanks and play healers secondarily, fwiw. DPS roles are not enjoyable.

[Adam Jensen]

As a guy who strongly advocates for mouse-over macros in WoW . . . I found this game is easy enough to heal at least for FPs without them.

[darkjuggalo2000]

The damage was slow enough that there was never really a split-second scenario like in Warcraft healing. Still, the lack of mouse-over casting makes the game feel clunky and less fluid. It's basically healing devolved and it's the primary reason I refuse to resub until they implement it.

No split second scenario's? Lol do many hard mode opps? Not saying that healing isnt easy enough but there are plenty of split second scenarios. For instance NM Operator9 or HM Corruptor Zero fights can create that scenario time and time again. If you dont have a good enough healer to handle thos split second scenarios than you might as well call it a wipe. I am a sorc healer running all Oriconian(78) tier gear with a few UW(72) armoring to maintain my set bonus. I prefer healling next to an operative so I can maintain my force bar constantly as they can keep a kolto probe on me at all times. To make healing easier for myself I have quick keys set up on my RAzor Naga mouse and my screen is optimized to where i barely have to move my pointer at all.

[Warlord Booty]

No split second scenario's? Lol do many hard mode opps? Not saying that healing isnt easy enough but there are plenty of split second scenarios.

Yeah, I really don't see a difference between WoW/Rift/SWTOR healing. The only difference is I'm a probe thrower or light saber user vs a big furry cow. I still have downtime and I still freak out. The only thing is, it feels like I run out of resources in swtor more than in the other games. I can "OOM" in like 10 seconds in SWTOR, 45-60 seconds in WoW and.... well, never in Rift.