Healers Controllers or keyboards

I have always used a Controller, even in XI. It's easier for me, and its rather easy as well. targeting isn't an issue at all, and moving around is easier in my opinion as well. :D

I used a controller, with ps3 is the only way to do, isn't right?

Gamepad, mouse and keyboard is what I use for healing and everything else. Mainly gamepad for convenience, but I have access to mouse and keyboard for additional stuff and abilities that don't fit on my crossbar and are too inconvenient to use with just gamepad.

Keyboard w/Razer Naga mouse does it for me.

Logitech g13 and Logitech g600 FTW!!! Well that's what I use on the PC.

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Originally Posted by Edu

KB/M is the only way to play WHM... some end game FC's wont allow players to play WHM if they use controller

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That's mainly due to 1.0's limitation to scrolling side to side on the hotbar. It was indeed slower and did not really help with min/maxing. However, in 2.0 gamepad has been optimized to be smoother, faster, and work just as good as kb/mouse, unless the healer themselves just fail. I am in a hardcore FC and I have been using gamepad since 1.0. I did not let the limitations handicap me, and I can tell you that 2.0 gamepad has definitely been optimized for the use of healing.

Keyboard, I find it allot easier personally.

I use a controller, and I use some techniques to make healing slightly easier when not in a party (I.E fates) - although I do recommend making quick parties just for ease.

Anyway, I tend to use a macro that targets the target's target and casts heal (if you're DoT'ing aswell) and it is a quick way to heal if someone is tanking the FATE. Also, switching the target selector to be friendlies makes it easy to target other players for healing and using L1/R1 (LB and RB) to target enemies.

If anyone is interested in the macro I use (it's pretty simple) it is

/target <tt>
/ac "Cure"

To people who say that you do can heal with controller, Im pretty sure we can all heal with controllers here.

The good and bad healers will easily show up when 24 people raids start.

I know that most parties will have their own healers and that they don't have to worry about "outside heals".
But that only happens in a perfect world.
What will happen if a healer dies?, just because hes not in your party you'll let everyone else in that party die because of it?

From playing other MMOs I learned that outside healing is not easy to master, therefore I always practice this concept hard.

I can't trust someone as my healer if I have to be constantly praying he targets me fast enough before I get burst to death on the next enemy attack.

What most of you didn't talk about or realize is that people usually gets damaged as a group. A huge AOE damage can trow a party off really quick, and if you cant pull those heals fast enough then its GG.

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Originally Posted by AnthoAsho

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I support this as making macros and customizing your target filters also makes for a easy target selection across the board. Not sure if this works for final version, but having the controller in one hand, and using the macro "/ac "Cure" <mo>" on the bar will allow you to use your mouse to simply cure the people you hover(or move your mouse over) without even selecting the target.

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Originally Posted by DivineAyumi

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I completely agree. Outside healers will need to be a little more attentive of how they have things set up, along with having additional things that will aid them in healing people easier than if you were to scroll through a crowd even with friendly target filters.

That's why macros with short cuts, such as what i mentioned (/ac "Cure" <mo>) can allow users to use their gamepad and mouse for even more support. You will be limited with just the gamepad alone even with filters in a huge crowd, that's just the sad truth. But having multiple means of accessing those people can really put you in a better position. Just a suggestion though.

I prefer controller simply because I find it more accurate / fun. Plus I was looking for a PS3 experience with this game anyway lol. Though if I really wanted to, I could attach a mouse and play that way (shrugs). Maybe for DPS in parties I'd use a mouse. Healer seems like "easy mode" with a controller for me (though I always found healer roles to be easy in some form or another, almost like a game of Wac-a-mole).

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Originally Posted by AleviaA

That's mainly due to 1.0's limitation to scrolling side to side on the hotbar. It was indeed slower and did not really help with min/maxing. However, in 2.0 gamepad has been optimized to be smoother, faster, and work just as good as kb/mouse, unless the healer themselves just fail. I am in a hardcore FC and I have been using gamepad since 1.0. I did not let the limitations handicap me, and I can tell you that 2.0 gamepad has definitely been optimized for the use of healing.

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Sure the controller has been optimized for 2.0 but its still not on par with KB/M. When doing the 24 main raids you will never be able to select targets faster than a KB/M user. I would expect someone from BG to understand that.

Keyboard/Mouse F1-F8

/ac "Cure" <tt>

It just a matter of taste. You should try both and see what you like. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but a good healer is good no matter the controllers/keyboard, you"ll see.

Personally, when it comes to macros I go apeshit lol.

In 1.0 I believe I had anywhere from 17-20 different macros for WHM alone.

They served for all kinds of situation, healing, defense, self targets, tank (priority) emergency heals, buffs, debuffs, assists, OMFG mode, others.
I cant see myself using all those macros on a controller. I don't think its even possible.
Oh, and this not counting the non-macroed direct skills.

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Originally Posted by Edu

Sure the controller has been optimized for 2.0 but its still not on par with KB/M. When doing the 24 main raids you will never be able to select targets faster than a KB/M user. I would expect someone from BG to understand that.

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Good thing I don't just use a gamepad. For casual people a gamepad is good enough. Clearly for 24 man raids and even extreme versions of end game content it is best to be more prominent and use more than just a gamepad, therefore using a gamepad along with keyboard and mouse will be complex at first, but definitely proactive. FCs want a proactive and reactive healer, not just one nor the other. If a healer is simply reactive then it doesn't matter if they use kb/m or gamepad, because they are limited by their reactions. I always did say kb/m was best, but that does not mean you are limited by the device, as you drive the device up to par with how you see fit.

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Originally Posted by LuxLux

It just a matter of taste. You should try both and see what you like. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but a good healer is good no matter the controllers/keyboard, you"ll see.

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this.

People fail to take this into consideration when dealing with the device. They base it off the limitations of the device at hand and assume everyone is either good or bad depending on it. This is neither true nor false, as like you said a good healer is good no matter what. However, you can tell apart a great healer from a good healer depending on how they use their tactics and what they use to achieve their goals.