Healers: active mana regeneration removed?

[Benzek]

The latest update to the WoD notes removes the "Active Mana Regeneration" section.

Has any explanation been given for this? Does anyone care? I had mixed feelings about it -- I thought it was an interesting way to go, if a little contrived. I'm wondering if it proved too strong, unpopular with healers, or just too complicated to justify its existence.

Personally, I am of the opinion that not every class needs to have ANY active mana regen (Healing priests have been complaining about Shadowfiend since it was introduced in BC). I do love shooting at people while healing, but I don't think weaving in strategic shots just to make sure we're using every possible GCD to max our mana was a good thing. So I think it's probably good that they removed it.

However, I still wonder what explanation (if any) was given.

[Floopa]

However, I still wonder what explanation (if any) was given.

there's no need to give additional headache/balance issues over something which was only added for flavour.

besides you can't balance mana/dmg with chi, holy power, passives, spell costs. the whole thing would've just been a mess. imagine a druid having innervate with moment of clarity: use innervate when moment of clarity is up and you can continue to heal while regenerating mana. completely imbalanced and honestly just a headache for devs.

[SlippyCheeze]

Nothing heard yet, and I think it is too early to conclude that the idea has gone, just the initial implementation. I actually hope they bring something like it back -- it is closer to the active mitigation world of tanking, or DPS finishers, where you regularly decide between defence and offence. It also made for more coordination between healers, timing who was covering for you when you regen mana.

So hopefully this is a rethink of the approach, not ditching it. We have no idea, though, because they didn't explain it at all that I have seen.

[Wrathonia]

Personally, I despised the active mana regen. Healers have enough to worry about without having to babysit their mana pool.

[Blithe]

I'm glad I don't have to do any active mana regeneration as mana regeneration should be passive, and having to DPS as a healer should be optional.

[Tziva]

I think they decided that for many, healing is already stressful or unappealing enough without having to keep a very close eye on their mana pool. Given that they also increased the challenge of healing by eliminating many instant cast spells and making moving more challenging, probably they wanted to give a little slack by requiring a little less mana babysitting.

Personally, I have mixed feelings on mana regen. I don't want mana to be irrelevant, certainly, and I don't mind long cooldown things like Mana Tide Totem or well-timed potions, but I hate the idea of having to DPS as a healer to regen mana, and I hate when mana is so tight that I feel like I can't ever afford to use my full range of toolbox because many of the things are so expensive.

That was the primary problem with [early] Cataclysm healing to me. It intended to prevent people from just mindlessly spamming their big/AoE heals and encourage them to choose the "right spell for the right situation" but in reality it just made it so 90% of the time you picked your most efficient heal because the "right spell" wasn't always affordable. Well, that and it punished the healers for shitty DPS by making them OOM if the fight went on too long or the DPS stood in bad too much.

Hopefully this expansion will get a nice balance when mana is something you have to be aware of, but not something you have to stress over constantly [until you have awesome gear].

[Therougetitan]

Yes there was an explanation.

Watcherdev: Felt largely extraneous in our internal testing. Simple to bring back if needed, but let's see how things play out.

https://twitter.com/WatcherDev/statu...09542654500865

[Dukenukem]

Back to the TBC we go (and its good)

[snuzzle]

That was the primary problem with [early] Cataclysm healing to me. It intended to prevent people from just mindlessly spamming their big/AoE heals and encourage them to choose the "right spell for the right situation" but in reality it just made it so 90% of the time you picked your most efficient heal because the "right spell" wasn't always affordable. Well, that and it punished the healers for shitty DPS by making them OOM if the fight went on too long or the DPS stood in bad too much.

Ughh, tell me about it. I still have nightmares about early Cata healing. I remember getting called every name in the book and absolutely raged at by an ele shaman because he died when we pulled with no CC, and I didn't heal him up after I rezzed him because... you know... I was OOM and drinking...

[Anetulan]

I'm honestly glad they took it out. While the idea to get mana back wasn't bad, it felt like it came at too much of a cost for some classes.

[Daetur]

I think with the pretty significant changes to healer kits, spells, and priorities, adding mana management would have been too much of an overhaul. I'm glad they're looking at removing it.

[PrairieChicken]

Although I was looking forward to it, not surprised it was removed. It inherently conflicted with the fact that-

1. They want mana to matter.
2. Base mana regen was increased to prevent early cata situation.

Add active mana source on top of that and it would be back to infinite mana spam big heal.

Nerfing anything would lead to massive qq from healers who are not good enough

[cFortyfive]

Back to the TBC we go (and its good)

I don't see the relation between tbc healing and what they seemingly plan for wod.

[Kraenen]

Have they added the 5 sec rule back into the game?

[fernotao]

they said they where going to remove it so it really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. btw in bc you have mana regain in a bunch of different ways pot/drums/mana tide and a bunch of other ways .

[Deleted]

Am very glad they removed it. I was close to abandoning my Resto shammy main after the horrific memories of Cata.

[SilentRose]

As a disc priest that played launch of cata. I am glad that, that mess of active mana regeneration was removed. It was gimmicky in its current form and you know the vast majority of healers that pugs find in 5m, lfr or flex would not know a thing about management. Plus, with all other disc priests getting wacked by the nerf hammer, i'm glad there is one less potential problem to worry about.

[Devonitar]

Have they added the 5 sec rule back into the game?

I remember clearcasting + inner focus + spirit trinket combo. Personally, I found it fun.

[Mormolyce]

I am baffled by the people in this thread who are happy active regen is being removed because they don't like being oom...?

Assuming it actually is and this isn't just the notes.

Personally, I despised the active mana regen. Healers have enough to worry about without having to babysit their mana pool.

That's been the core of being a healer since forever.

Except when the game was broken.

- - - Updated - - -

Have they added the 5 sec rule back into the game?

Fuck that thing!

[Aparthia]

I liked the concept of being responsible for your own mana economy, using downtime in the raid to regenerate some mana like you did way back in the day where you had to stop casting to regenerate mana. It gives healers more depth than "SPAM ALL DEM HEALZ".

Some don't like it and I wouldn't mind them removing it and instead bake the inteded amount of mana regen from those sources into passive regen. But in that case use of the wrong abilities would have to be punishing. Currently making wrong choices is just a matter of using your mana cooldown and you're back on track, which is boring.