Comments on: The Future of the Healer in MMORPGs http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html Pop Culture Commentary with an Academic Slant Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:45:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: nugget http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-255 nugget Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:47:21 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-255 @Beej<br /><br />'I would really love nothing more than for the MMO genre to move closer to what D&D did with Clerics (making casting heals while actually fighting a tactical decision about which one weighed pros and cons).'<br /><br />Maybe give Guild Wars a try? It's my current graphical multiplayer game love, and FWIW in my 3 years of WoW play, my first love was healing.<br /><br />Guild Wars healing does actually fulfill what you asked for in the sentence I quoted though. (At least to me!) @Beej

'I would really love nothing more than for the MMO genre to move closer to what D&D did with Clerics (making casting heals while actually fighting a tactical decision about which one weighed pros and cons).'

Maybe give Guild Wars a try? It's my current graphical multiplayer game love, and FWIW in my 3 years of WoW play, my first love was healing.

Guild Wars healing does actually fulfill what you asked for in the sentence I quoted though. (At least to me!)

]]> By: Beej http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-68 Beej Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:08:05 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-68 That sounds fantastic, Tesh. I think that would allow for customizable gameplay that could appeal to hybrid lovers and pure-class players alike. <br /><br />I really just want something new to make healing more interactive, or if I can't have that, a really really really really really polished version of a system I already like. That sounds fantastic, Tesh. I think that would allow for customizable gameplay that could appeal to hybrid lovers and pure-class players alike.

I really just want something new to make healing more interactive, or if I can't have that, a really really really really really polished version of a system I already like.

]]> By: Tesh http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-66 Tesh Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:15:33 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-66 Oh, and there would be an interesting tension between a Combat-heavy Jedi on the front lines, deflecting blaster bolts, or that same Jedi dialing back their Combat (thereby missing more bolts) to heal (while letting more bolts through that would require more healing). Finding the sweet spot between Combat and Healing could be a fun, dynamic experience, different for each skirmish. Oh, and there would be an interesting tension between a Combat-heavy Jedi on the front lines, deflecting blaster bolts, or that same Jedi dialing back their Combat (thereby missing more bolts) to heal (while letting more bolts through that would require more healing). Finding the sweet spot between Combat and Healing could be a fun, dynamic experience, different for each skirmish.

]]> By: Tesh http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-65 Tesh Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:05:04 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-65 What about making healing passive? In the Jedi example, it can be assumed that healing takes a certain amount of Force focus. A Jedi might be able to wade into battle with his Force usage set to 50% Healing and 50% Combat, not unlike the balance between weapon and shield usage in a Tie Fighter. That balance can be tuned on the fly to react to different tactical situations.<br /><br />The Healing Force usage, then, would be an Area of Effect Healing Aura centered on the Jedi that could be boosted across the board (by tuning the balance, dropping Combat to boost Healing) for AOE spike situations, or if the spike is on a single target, the "Force field" could be manipulated by an activated ability that shunts all Force usage to healing for a quick heal (with concurrent tactically relevant combat weakness).<br /><br />That's your tactically relevant pro/con decision; keep the Jedi on the front lines where they can be crucial with a blade, but let the player decide their own comfort level in the balance between Healing and Combat. The trick there is making the Jedi relevant enough to both to want to split their attention, and to make full Combat or full Healing interesting on their own, should the player choose that route. What about making healing passive? In the Jedi example, it can be assumed that healing takes a certain amount of Force focus. A Jedi might be able to wade into battle with his Force usage set to 50% Healing and 50% Combat, not unlike the balance between weapon and shield usage in a Tie Fighter. That balance can be tuned on the fly to react to different tactical situations.

The Healing Force usage, then, would be an Area of Effect Healing Aura centered on the Jedi that could be boosted across the board (by tuning the balance, dropping Combat to boost Healing) for AOE spike situations, or if the spike is on a single target, the "Force field" could be manipulated by an activated ability that shunts all Force usage to healing for a quick heal (with concurrent tactically relevant combat weakness).

That's your tactically relevant pro/con decision; keep the Jedi on the front lines where they can be crucial with a blade, but let the player decide their own comfort level in the balance between Healing and Combat. The trick there is making the Jedi relevant enough to both to want to split their attention, and to make full Combat or full Healing interesting on their own, should the player choose that route.

]]> By: We Fly Spitfires http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-63 We Fly Spitfires Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:59:16 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-63 I roleplayed a Cleric in Everquest for a while but it wasn't until I invested a significant amount of time into my WoW Priest that I realised how much I dislike healing! :) I'm definitely a tank guy :)<br /><br />Still, healing is kinda curious to me. It's why I've started a Paladin in WoW. I like the idea of being able to spec as a healer AND a tank. Gives me lots of playstyles to try out and I won't lose all my playtime if I don't want to tank full time.<br /><br />I'm all for trying out something new and moving away from the holy trinity style playstyle of MMORPGs. Just because it's the only thing that's worked so far, doesn't mean it's the only thing that will work. Sci-fi MMORPGs are great opportunities to try new things out.<br /><br />Oh, have you had a problem with your RSS feed? Your last 2 articles only appeared in my RSS Reader today... I roleplayed a Cleric in Everquest for a while but it wasn't until I invested a significant amount of time into my WoW Priest that I realised how much I dislike healing! :) I'm definitely a tank guy :)

Still, healing is kinda curious to me. It's why I've started a Paladin in WoW. I like the idea of being able to spec as a healer AND a tank. Gives me lots of playstyles to try out and I won't lose all my playtime if I don't want to tank full time.

I'm all for trying out something new and moving away from the holy trinity style playstyle of MMORPGs. Just because it's the only thing that's worked so far, doesn't mean it's the only thing that will work. Sci-fi MMORPGs are great opportunities to try new things out.

Oh, have you had a problem with your RSS feed? Your last 2 articles only appeared in my RSS Reader today…

]]> By: Beej http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-61 Beej Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:05:55 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-61 I would actually love that. One of the classes I want to experiment with in WoW right now is a Discipline Priest because it's as close as I can come to that. <br /><br />I would really love nothing more than for the MMO genre to move closer to what D&D did with Clerics (making casting heals while actually fighting a tactical decision about which one weighed pros and cons). Current MMO design is far too fast-paced for that, even for DDO. <br /><br />I don't think the spam healing is the best way to do it, but of the MMOs I've played, I think that it's the most fun and easiest to balance. I'm not saying it's the best in the long run, though. I'd love to have a next gen MMO blow me out of the water with its healing system. I was really looking forward to WAR for its hybridity involved in healing, but it wasn't nearly as pronounced as PR made it out to be, though I think it was a step in the right direction. I would actually love that. One of the classes I want to experiment with in WoW right now is a Discipline Priest because it's as close as I can come to that.

I would really love nothing more than for the MMO genre to move closer to what D&D did with Clerics (making casting heals while actually fighting a tactical decision about which one weighed pros and cons). Current MMO design is far too fast-paced for that, even for DDO.

I don't think the spam healing is the best way to do it, but of the MMOs I've played, I think that it's the most fun and easiest to balance. I'm not saying it's the best in the long run, though. I'd love to have a next gen MMO blow me out of the water with its healing system. I was really looking forward to WAR for its hybridity involved in healing, but it wasn't nearly as pronounced as PR made it out to be, though I think it was a step in the right direction.

]]> By: Melf_Himself http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/06/future-of-healer-in-mmorpgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-60 Melf_Himself Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:45:03 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/06/the-future-of-the-healer-in-mmorpgs.html#comment-60 I disagree quite a bit actually - I think the ability to spam healing is not very good game design, and does not correlate well with the lore of any IP I've ever encountered. I think more focus should be made on skills that protect people and stop the damage from landing in the first place.<br /><br />I covered it in more detail here:<br /><br />http://word-of-shadow.blogspot.com/2009/02/rpgs-back-to-roots.html I disagree quite a bit actually – I think the ability to spam healing is not very good game design, and does not correlate well with the lore of any IP I've ever encountered. I think more focus should be made on skills that protect people and stop the damage from landing in the first place.

I covered it in more detail here:

http://word-of-shadow.blogspot.com/2009/02/rpgs-back-to-roots.html

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