Nantes Gamewatch interview summary

[LineageRazor]

If healers are not supposed to DPS, then why do they have Aero(II), Stone(II), Fluid Aura, and Holy?

For solo play? SE apparently intended these abilities to be used solo-only, if they designed their instances WITHOUT healer DPS in mind.

Obviously, players should take every advantage they can get - but judging by SE's announcement of including healer DPS in their future raid calculations, it means they WEREN'T expecting it to be used in their past raids. So, yeah, I'd guess SE really did think these abilities were mainly going to be used solo.

[Destomius]

But you see what I'm getting at right?
If healers can DPS, and tanks can DPS...well of course DPS can DPS, but unless you're going to put enrages on every dick tom and larry that calls themself a boss, why choose them when you can have the survivability of raises/medica and boatloads of defense?

Every turn in FCOB has some form of enrage. It's probably gonna be that way in HW raids.

[Velox]

So, yeah, I'd guess SE really did think these abilities were mainly going to be used solo.

Well it's not that they were blind to the idea of healer's assisting with DPS in fights, but fights are balanced around not having healers DPS (it's purely a bonus that helps cover for some DPS slack or to push a phase faster).

Remember that, for the sake of balance and fairness in party makeup, all fights in this game are balanced in a way that a party with the least optimal DPS set-up can still pass a DPS-check assuming all 8 people have mastered their jobs. This is because of the random nature of DF parties. What does this mean though? This means that a party of 2 PLD, 2 WHM, and 4 BRD (the lowest realistic DPS-setup) can pass every DPS-check with a little strategy and elbow-grease. Now it's not ideal to assume every player has complete mastery of his/her job, and said party configuration would have to work 3x harder to achieve the same goal. This is why different DPS jobs have different strengths, and why healers sometimes help out as well. This creates the overall balance scenario within a particular party make-up. Fights themselves are balanced around the bare minimum though, assuming the "perfect-play" scenario I mentioned.

[Galdous]

I hope esoteric gear is below the hard mode i level for alexander raids. You should not be able to log in one hour a day and be as people who plug 12 hour progression sessions to plow through alexander hard modes. People who just play to grind tome gear do not need the higher item level since they technically do not need it. Allow Esoteric gear to let you be of the gear item level required to do the first 25% of the initial raids in alexander but after that you need a few hard mode pieces in order to be able to overcome the gear gap in later raids.

[Whocareswhatmynameis]

I hope esoteric gear is below the hard mode i level for alexander raids. You should not be able to log in one hour a day and be as people who plug 12 hour progression sessions to plow through alexander hard modes. People who just play to grind tome gear do not need the higher item level since they technically do not need it. Allow Esoteric gear to let you be of the gear item level required to do the first 25% of the initial raids in alexander but after that you need a few hard mode pieces in order to be able to overcome the gear gap in later raids.

It will be one step below, and the upgrade items prob be in alex savage. So basically in heavensward, raiders get the same gear as their LFR counterparts on both alexander and esoterics. The only difference is that raiders will get the augmented versions that they can dye different colors. I know pretty exciting huh? Doesn't that just make you want to go out there and setup a static and raid? Unfortunately for me it does not.

EDIT: I have a feeling the weapons might be locked away in the harder version, so that may be something but we won't find out for another 5-7 weeks or so. Just gotta wait and see i think.

[Velox]

It will be one step below, and the upgrade items prob be in alex savage. So basically in heavensward, raiders get the same gear as their LFR counterparts on both alexander and esoterics. The only difference is that raiders will get the augmented versions that they can dye different colors. I know pretty exciting huh? Doesn't that just make you want to just go out there and setup a static and raid? Unfortunately for me it does not.

Well gear is just a means to an end anyway, so vanity becomes the key reason to make dye-able versions desirable. For a good number of people, vanity is one of the most important aspects of the game. To each his own though if you don't really care about it. Everyone has a different goal that makes them happiest.

I hope esoteric gear is below the hard mode i level for alexander raids. You should not be able to log in one hour a day and be as people who plug 12 hour progression sessions to plow through alexander hard modes. People who just play to grind tome gear do not need the higher item level since they technically do not need it. Allow Esoteric gear to let you be of the gear item level required to do the first 25% of the initial raids in alexander but after that you need a few hard mode pieces in order to be able to overcome the gear gap in later raids.

The whole point of tome gear is to solve the "loot drought" problem where you can beat X boss 1957 times and never see your item from the chest. The system works as it is now. In order to do what you're suggesting, SE would have to remove the RNG-coffers and replace each win with a token system. Then the player would have to beat X boss Y number of times to build special raid tokens to buy the raid gear. This doesn't change the end result though. If the current system works, you're proposal only exists to further complicate loot distribution for no real benefit to the playerbase.

[Marxam]

The whole point of tome gear is to solve the "loot drought" problem where you can beat X boss 1957 times and never see your item from the chest. The system works as it is now. In order to do what you're suggesting, SE would have to remove the RNG-coffers and replace each win with a token system. Then the player would have to beat X boss Y number of times to build special raid tokens to buy the raid gear. This doesn't change the end result though. If the current system works, you're proposal only exists to further complicate loot distribution for no real benefit to the playerbase.

Can be easily solved by having all loot in a turn drop but raid leader can only choose a set amount and everything else is discarded. That way you are always guaranteed something and there is no rng outside of deciding who needs gear more. I also agree that hard mode gear should be at least 5 ilvls above the esoteric and weapons excluded to hard modes to give people a reason to band up together and try to beat a raid.

Ilvl doesn't make a difference as long as the stats are great on a piece. The wod bard chest is considered bis with crit/det (assuming you are at acc cap) compared to poetics acc/crit and dreadwyrm det/sks, while still being a whole 10 ilvls lower.

[nuyu11]

Now I cant wait for the xpac...
I want to see the drama for healer/dps...
Elitism is everywhere...
Especially for premade group with the master-loot thingy...

[DGladius]

Now I cant wait for the xpac...
I want to see the drama for healer/dps...
Elitism is everywhere...
Especially for premade group with the master-loot thingy...

Healer dps is only really needed for savage alexander. The hardcore raid for hardcore people.

[SulwynCaliope]

I don't get all this butthurt about healer DPS. I main SCH. I HATE DPSing but I do it anyway because a raid isn't about me just doing the bare minimum. It's about the whole team giving their all and doing everything they can to complete a fight in the most efficient manner possible. GOOD healers will throw out DPS when they safely can because it helps the group as a whole. Healers are not going to replace proper DPS jobs just because our DPS potential has been slightly increased. We're no where good enough to pull DPS like numbers unless we far outgear the content that we're running. It's about maximizing the potential of the role you're playing and the skills you have been given.