Healing "Less Spammy" ?

[gingerlemon]

So after doing dungeons then heroics, I found that Blizzards healing philosophy was quite interesting.

Spamming heals and keeping everyone at full just isn't the way to play any more. It's great!

Then I did a few raids...

...And it seems nothing has changed since Wrath! It seems to be exactly the same spam-fest as before! Now, it may be that it was because I was healing with two druids - I have no idea what state they are in..

TLDR: How are you finding healing in cata raids, less spammy than before, or not so much?

[Pleeborstel]

What about, even more spammy? ^^

[saberon]

So after doing dungeons then heroics, I found that Blizzards healing philosophy was quite interesting.

Spamming heals and keeping everyone at full just isn't the way to play any more. It's great!

Then I did a few raids...

...And it seems nothing has changed since Wrath! It seems to be exactly the same spam-fest as before! Now, it may be that it was because I was healing with two druids - I have no idea what state they are in..

TLDR: How are you finding healing in cata raids, less spammy than before, or not so much?

Far, far less spammy.

In raids, I can actually throw a heal or two on the raid while MT healing.
In Wrath, If I wasn't spam healing the tank while he was at 100% he would die.

[crayven]

what were the druids "spamming" ?
Because RJ spam is mana suicide, WG has 10 sec cd, and LB is only on one target so plz enlighten me.

[gingerlemon]

I don't know what the druids were doing - how are they for aoe healing these days? I never said they were spamming, I'm saying it felt like I had to spam to keep the raid up!
I am just trying to figure out if having two druids is gimping us.

Tank healing is definitely a lot easier, we had two warriors and now with mastery being so readily available, it helps to smooth out the damage quite a lot, so yeah I completely agree tank healing is for sure less spammy.

[Deleted]

Depends on what you mean by spammy. I'm playing a holy priest in 346 gear and I spam constantly in heroics, there's no reason not to since standing around doing nothing is boring and heals are free (with decent spirit, a holy priest can spam heals as fast as possible without going below 100% mp). Heals also proc surge of light which is great to have.

[Radicalatom]

Maybe I'm in the wrong here, but having druid healers seems to be gimping the raids I attend. We currently run 2 paladin, 1 shaman, 2 priests, and 2 resto druids in 25, and in 10 we run 1 pally, 1 priest, 1 resto druid. For example today we downed ascendant council on 25, and we got through just fine. Then we moved to chimaeron, and the druids were just not cutting it to get everyone up during feuds, causing wipes. Also going through 3 weeks of logs, druids are far behind in total healing in our raids, while pallys, shamans, and priests are pulling 10-16k hps, druids I have seen are pulling 6-9k, and are normally a good 1-1.5m healing behind overall during fights. This may be a gear/skill issue, but I have a feeling druids in their current state are in a bad position, and are certainly not the aoe kings they were in wrath. Hopefully the incoming buffs will help.

[gingerlemon]

Well by spammy I mean using spells other than "heal" a lot, doing the same spell (namely PoH) repeatedly.

Obviously, I am pretty much always casting in any kind of instance, but usually just heal to keep renew refreshed and proc surge of light.

As for the druids in my group, one I have never played with before so I can't really vouch for his skills, but the other used to be with me in one of the top 5 guilds on the server, and is a RL mate of mine; he know's what he's doing - I assume, anyway. He says druids have changed a lot, so may be getting used to the changes.

[crigney24]

Radic, are u holy or disc?...Just curious

[Radicalatom]

I'm actually a holy paladin, I was just commenting on my opinion on the state of druids from my experience in our raids.

[gutnbrg]

druids are the worst healers atm by far, thats why u had to spam.

[gingerlemon]

I had a feeling that was the case - maybe with one we woulda been okay but I guess two was pushing the limits.

Actually looked at recount and saw the druid I don't know had most heals from regrowth. Now, it's been a long time since I played druid, but isn't regrowth essentially the flash heal of the class now? As in HUGE mana cost? That could be the problem...

The other druid had:

1.lifebloom
2.rejuv
3.wild growth

Seem about right, or not? Maybe I should go to the druid forums =)

[Kacie]

I'm a holy priest, and when i use poh on heavy aoe dmg fights im doing 13k hps or more, but we run with 3 restos 2 holy priests a holy pally and a shaman.

Druids are fine in raids, well the ones i raid with, they usually are not far behind priests or pallys on overall healing they use.

Wildgrowth
Rejuv
Lifebloom

Some of them are healing just like wotlk so they are innervating each other.

[gingerlemon]

I should mention that the druid I mention was tank healing, thus lifebloom being higher.

I think the general consensus seems to be: don't use more than one druid healer in 10 man.

[Asmin]

spam either makes you wipe for trash healz
or spam "good" heals make you oom in a nano second

[Deleted]

it still has some 'spam' aspects.
on one hand you're asked to spam because it's the most efficient way of healing 'spamming heal, or PoH with 0 overhealing'.
however as soon as the incoming damage overtakes what spamming can deal with you're forced into using other abilities, holywords, flash heal, gheal, CoH, penance blah blah
I've noticed that the more intense the damage is the less spammy the healing becomes.

Looking at 25man logs (I've afraid I have very limited knowledge on 10mans in cata) I have noticed a trend for PoH to be making up ~40% of the total healing done for both priest specs, whilst that may seem spammy I also notice that very often the 2nd 'heal' is 'other' which in WoL terms means every other heal that didn't make top5 combined. this is good news! we're not spamming.
Taking a trip down memory lane to look at WOTLK log reports we saw disc priests dominating and they only used 2 spells, ever. PW:S made up about 80% of their healing, DA made up the rest.
It really wasn't that uncommon to find a disc priest ONLY used 1 spell throughout an entire encounter. IMO blizzard have done a good job in moving away from that.

There will always be some aspect of 'spamming' because 1 spell is going to be 'best' (either efficiency or throughput) the trick is knowing how much healing people really need at any given time and if you can afford the mana to do it. The better you know a fight the less spammy it will become.

Feel free to disagree of course

[Mazi]

Couldn't really say it much better than Redspawrowe.

The idea of spamming isn't healing non-stop - it's healing with the same fast heal non-stop. Yes, right now PoH is still kind of in that state, and that is why they are adjusting it in the next patch. When you look at a healer's healing done by spells, you should see a nearly equal amount of each spell (slightly degrading though). This is what they want. Use your entire toolbox, use the right spell at the right time. Priests have the most healing spells out of the healers and therefore we are a super utility class. Our primary heal may change from fight to fight (at least in 4.0.6).

From a 10 man raiding perspective it can become even more important to greatly vary your spell usage & use the right spell at the right time, as you don't have as many people to "help out and back you up" - except in times when PoH is obviously king. But CoH & ProM are very good support to your powerful PoH, etc.

Hope this helps

[RiQt]

Faaaaar less spammy than before, now you actually can stop from time to time and think about what is most efficient for the situation

[zenkai]

What about, even more spammy? ^^

For heroics it's a lot more spammy compared to WOTLK launch. in WOTLK back when mana was an issue before you out geared it I could just time my GH's to keep the tank up because it pretty much healed them to full. Now I am spamming a small heal over and over again to keep the tank up, rather annoying and doesn't take skill.

[Memoryz]

it still has some 'spam' aspects.
on one hand you're asked to spam because it's the most efficient way of healing 'spamming heal, or PoH with 0 overhealing'.
however as soon as the incoming damage overtakes what spamming can deal with you're forced into using other abilities, holywords, flash heal, gheal, CoH, penance blah blah
I've noticed that the more intense the damage is the less spammy the healing becomes.

Looking at 25man logs (I've afraid I have very limited knowledge on 10mans in cata) I have noticed a trend for PoH to be making up ~40% of the total healing done for both priest specs, whilst that may seem spammy I also notice that very often the 2nd 'heal' is 'other' which in WoL terms means every other heal that didn't make top5 combined. this is good news! we're not spamming.
Taking a trip down memory lane to look at WOTLK log reports we saw disc priests dominating and they only used 2 spells, ever. PW:S made up about 80% of their healing, DA made up the rest.
It really wasn't that uncommon to find a disc priest ONLY used 1 spell throughout an entire encounter. IMO blizzard have done a good job in moving away from that.

There will always be some aspect of 'spamming' because 1 spell is going to be 'best' (either efficiency or throughput) the trick is knowing how much healing people really need at any given time and if you can afford the mana to do it. The better you know a fight the less spammy it will become.

Feel free to disagree of course

Nailed it.