Thread: Healer boycott in 5.0

Originally Posted by dezzmont

Because that isn't how game design works like at all. You can't just buff things, nerfs are important too in order to keep things working in a sane manner.

This is not accurate without amending. Nerfs are only necessary if they improve gameplay. For instance if current 5.0 broil gets nerfed it improves use of ruin II for single weaving and give sch more gameplay options.
Nerfs that do not directly improve gameplay are almost never good. Especially when 5.0 specifically nerfs the gameplay.

The main reason here being loss aversion. It’s almost always better to buff everyone and readjust content than it is to nerf a select few. Game design 101 (subject to financial limitations that don’t apply to the context of 5.0 nerfs since they don't actually nerf/buff the numbers and content had to be created anyways).
There are many real world examples from the rested xp bar (instead of an xp penalty) to things like street fighter rainbow edition.
A good game design has options. Options that the laymen can ignore but the good players can fully utilise to optimize or save an otherwise desperate situation.
If we’ve learned anything about game design over the past 40 years it’s that balancing through homogenization is bad. A lot of people in the forum are aware of this and have been rooting for the alternative of having some healer pairs stronger in some content and other pairs in other content. You keep individuality and don’t make anyone meta in the process.

Dumbing down cards, not giving whm weaving tools, removing sch weaving tools and making their gameplay clunky flies in the face of game design basics.
I understand that skill bloat needs to be kept in check and balance has been a real issue but they pulled way to hard in the wrong direction.
As a reminder wow’s decline in active users started when they dumbed things down. In games like mmos where you have client stickiness you should be giving players more options as they get better. Not fewer.

Originally Posted by Reiryuu

But I feel the dev team either has no idea what to do with healers or just doesn't care. The once again "Wait till 80" response from YoshiP was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I feel that if the healer community doesn't do something drastic such as a boycott, they never will take healers seriously. Even if the community is 50/50 or 30/70 hate/love changes, a drop of 30-50% of the healer population couldn't possibly go unnoticed... right? right? Yeah, I know it won't happen... but... I cannot support the direction they have taken the healers. I cannot allow myself to be a positive statistic in any way towards these changes. As it is right now, I'm more excited for Paladin than I am for WHM and I HATE tanking for anyone but friends.

Sadly, with the trust system any boycott would be ineffective. All anyone has to see is a 15min+ queue then it's right to trusts they go.

I'm not going to boycott 100%, but I am going to be playing my healers a LOT less than I do now. At least with SMN I can level SCH as well for when they hopefully fix this Fuster Cluck

I'm waiting to I get my hands on 5.0 before I make any judgements. Seems like the logical thing to do instead of screaming about changes.

Originally Posted by Insertcoins

I'm waiting to I get my hands on 5.0 before I make any judgements. Seems like the logical thing to do instead of screaming about changes.

I think it's fair to be skeptical. Having a list of perceived needed changes for them to implement by the Savage release patch is fine.

It's too bad they get constantly shoved do the bottom.

Instant ques and adventurer in need bonuses, here I come!

So punish yourself to send a message? Oh boy, that will show them. Words my bruv, those work wonders, the devs are listening.