#0 - July 15, 2009, 9:29 p.m.
Q u o t e:
The Q&A Druid Section on Resto as started a debate over GC 'idea of making ToL a "Metamorph" Style skill, which while just an idea thrown out there it seems and possibly one GC doesn't even have up on the Idea board for druids, has started a bit of a fire storm it seems over the suggestion of making a form which at presences is key to druid healing towards ingame content timed.
So lets stop the spammy comments and the rushes to judgment and talk out WHY GC suggested such an Idea and come up with some real ideas that we the Druid community could see viable should they truly feel the need to change how ToL works so Resto's are not always in a single form.
First thing is Resto's really lack the need or urge to change forms very much while healing.
In an Ideal world this is not a problem as staying in one form would be no problem, but since Blizz is feeling the idea of druids being locked in a single form at all times almost lets look at why we are in ToL so much.
One such reason was the fact it made our spells cost less when we where in tree form then they did out of, since then that's been addressed to work as long as we have the talent. Another is that in ToL with imp ToL you gain a lot of extra healing power and Armor. Last reason is that it adds a 6% healing Bonus to ever one in a 100yd range (which is now shared with Paladins with Imp Devotion) which helps all healers in range.
The key reason we don't change out much is losing all those beneficial things that ToL brings to us while in the form, the other reason is Resto lack any real damage while not in ToL
. Unlike priests that can bring some Decent damage if needed as Holy or some Minor AE as Disc with Penance or Shammies that can drop a Fire Totem and snap off a Chain lighting if needed or Paladin Healers that can Holy Shock and Judge and current get a 15% spell haste from throwing down a judgment... Druid Healers lack an real damage that would give us a reason to switch out in a spot where maybe a little quick healer DPS might help a fight. Moonfire and Wrath don't really help and Starfire is to long a cast to be much help since as Resto healing is most important and everything else is second. Outside of maybe busting out a Hurricane on a low damage AE pack in a 5 man (which almost never happens) Resto really has no reason NOT to be in ToL since what we bring is healing.
Now again in a Ideal world this is fine, the reason you grab a Resto druid is our HoT and the fact we are probably now the Best Group healer thanks to Wild Growth and being able to HoT up a group quickly. But in the real world this does kill the idea of "Hybrid" when you think of a Resto, a Boomkin can offheal easily by changing out of moonkin and quickly pop back in to DPS and Cats can OT as need and Bears can go cat if they need to help DPS...Resto druids Heal cause its what we do.
Suggests to bring the Hybrid back to Resto: One Idea would be to give Resto's something that let us offer a little Healer DPS as needed, in fights like say Thaddus where that healer who can get off an attack or two can help. Such as maybe giving Resto something that make Wrath a instant cast or make Moonfire when used offer some kind of bonus to resto so we feel the need to go out and drop a Moonfire on a boss might be one idea Blizzard should look into, to bring some "Healer DPS" to Resto.
Another idea might be to give our Direct Heals something while out of ToL that give us a choice, so in fights where HoT are not so useful we could have a reason to be in caster form and healing and have a choice to think of going ToL when we feel we need HoTs over Direct heals. Maybe giving Healing Touch something where when in Caster form we can cast it faster or Increasing the flat healing of Nourish while in our Caster or some similar idea might work.
These are just two suggests that come to mind to me. So lets actually talk this threw people, lets sit down and really together figure this out so if Blizzard really wants to do something to give Resto the feeling that they do not need to be in ToL at all times it is something we can actually use, not something like a "Metamorph" style change which might cripple resto and the power of the ToL which many have come to love.
