Dev Watercooler: Building Healthy Gameplay - Shaman discussion

[Talgriv]

Low throughput heals served a role of feeling like the auto attack for healers. Do healers frequently do nothing during combat?
Your efficient single-target heal (Healing Wave, Holy Light, etc.) should still be a mainstay. Unrelated: Big fan of Healer:ALitD (WatcherDev)
Having a heal you can always be casting without worrying about the mana cost seems important to prevent healers just watching.
Agreed, I see the value there. For some, a DPS filler can work fine (free Lightning Bolt for shaman, Atonement for Disc, etc.). (WatcherDev)

What about this? During periods of low-damage, where it would be too mana-costly to use an actual heal yet people could still be topped off, we're... expected to Lightning Bolt?

I mean, I get that using it would help the raid, but if I rolled Heals, I'd want to heal, not be forced to DPS or twiddle my thumbs

[Rarch]

My biggest worry about what they've posted so far is Healing Rain. I understand the stacked niche isn't optimal, but it's what we've been given. If Healing Rain is getting a design nerf (not just numbers adjustment, but being redesigned as a low throughput heal), I'm not sure where we fit. In the end, if other design changes aren't made, and that list truly is an indicator of a design nerf on Healing Rain, I expect Shamans to spend most of WoD at the bottom again, with Healing Rain getting buffed every other patch throughout the expansion to try and make our numbers fit. It's a cycle we seem doomed to repeat.

Does the dropping a single target heal not feel like the tail wagging the dog a bit to anyone else? This feels like a good MoP change, where single target heals didn't get much use. HW was a spam heal at lower ilvls, GHW and HS just barely justified their bar space the entire expansion. However, in WoD, they are saying they want single target heals to have a larger role. It feels like the 3 single target heal system would fit much better in WoD than in MoP. HW has a great spot in a triage healing system, as you can see in Endless Proving Grounds.

I was also amused at the list of instant cast spells getting the ax, and more specifically Shaman's absence on that list. I wonder if Spiritwalker's Grace goes from a band aid to placate Shamans to the envy of the healing community in WoD.

[Funky Kong]

All this triage healing business in WoD sounds like it'll make the resto shaman mastery really shine.

[Ampere]

Watcher tweeted about Chain Heal 'smart' jumping. Sounds like the spell won't be changing much.

CH already doesn't actively seek out the most injured, on live today. It really won't be changing much at all.

Level 100 talents:
Rainstorm: will be used if you're filling a tank healing roll and our mastery will definitely shine here. The increased SP will aid in consistent Riptide and single target HPS.

It sounds like with the healing changes there will be a lot less overhealing, so maybe this talent will change on beta.

[ganiccus]

It will be funny to see the raging tears of priests and druids in WoD now that their mobility has been severely hindered. Paladins get the short end of the stick here but it's not like they have ever been mobile healers to begin with.