This so much this. Compared to others I’ve come across with open profiles I have on Avg 3X the amount of dmg boosted while still having comparable healing numbers. PSA: You don’t need to heal if the enemy is dead. PSA 2: It’s alright to let someone die if you still win. Example 1st point Anubis my Orisa was getting hard focused so instead I pocketed my ulting Genji and we won
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While I agree with most of the OP.
This part, I don’t exactly agree with. The core and design of Mercy is the fact that she’s a pacifist. So giving her even more opportunity to go battle Mercy is not something I’m on board with… That, and the fact that seeing her with a pistol in one hand and a staff in the other, despite the fact that she normally shoots two-handed, would look pretty awkward in-game, IMO. The issue with Mercy has never been “she doesn’t do enough damage” with regards to how she’s played, as the “pure healer”. The problem I see, is that as a supposed main healer, she isn’t that engaging, rewarding, or impactful to play since the rework. She lacks a “big hero moment” that she had when she had mass rez, and with that now gone, as well as multi rezzes, Valkyrie has become extremely safe / boring to play.
Also, removing resurrect would be a huge mistake I think. Not only is it one of the most iconic abilities in the game, but it’s also in a lot of her artwork, highlight intros, voice-lines, etc. and is a huge part of what makes her unique and recognizable. If that’s removed completely, I believe that it would be a lot of work to try and “rebrand” Mercy as someone else, as they replace those elements of her kit with something else. Even the devs are reluctant to remove the ability completely since they know how memorable it is / how many people love it in the game. So removing that aspect with just her duel-weilding, is probably not the best choice.
I believe we are kind of losing the point of what Mercy is supposed to be, a pure healer and pacifist, with a high risk high reward play-style. I think that swapping both Valkyrie and Rez, would allow her to have both more utility than she has now, while at the same time, give her back the opportunity to make huge plays.
A rework I’ve suggested for something like this, among other fixes such as balancing Mass Rez to have more counterplay, and balancing Valk as an E move, can be found here if you’re interested, and it kind of takes the idea of Mercy’s core elements, and expands upon them to cater to both Valkyrie lovers and Ressurect lovers, rather than favoring one over the other. Meeting a sort of middle ground if you will, as well as other suggestions as well, such as adding a sort of burst heal mechanic, and earning rez charges rather than getting them for free every 30 seconds.
But in an effort not to throw away your original suggestion completely, Un-discussed is also her reload button while using her staff. That’s still a free button to use, and perhaps it can even be a toggle to your previous idea of duel-wielding as well. Where hitting middle mouse btn = Mercy swaps from single wield mode to duel wield mode, being less accurate as she shoots from the hip (and perhaps is locked into whatever beam she was in previously, meaning that she has to go single wield in order to switch), but on the plus side, has the ability to heal and damage at the same time, and also raising her skill floor a bit.
In all, I think that the other points made about Mercy are great ones, and I do agree. Mercy lacks utility right now, and many agree that she can use an improvement in the “exciting” factor. I also think that keeping rez, valkyrie, and expanding on them both is possible. And is perhaps a great way to change the hero just enough without having to start from scratch on her design.
But those are just my thoughts, other than that, good post. 
~Sincerely Yours xoxo,
a Lover of True, Fair, and Fun Balance.
xavvypls 
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Mercy is a very capable combatant, actually, with a highly underrated pistol, regeneration, and the ability to get to advantageous firing positions. If Mercy is excluded from combat, it is by choice of the player, not the character
Mercy is not a pacifist, actually, unless the player piloting her in the game chooses to have her act as such.
She is a very able combatant in the hands of a skillful player who doesnt decide to impose artificial/arbitrary limitations upon her that are not part of her design
I think that good Mercy players find many hero moments with Mercy in her current state. I wont claim to be a good Mercy player, but I know I do in every game, nonetheless. Players who dont find those hero moments have two dozen other characters to choose form, and many other games to play as well
Personally, and without the need to blush, I find rez to be the strongest utility in the game, and as such I disagree with the statement made here strongly
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Rez is like nuke in strategy games: very strong, but due to requiring very specific conditions(in strategy - long reseach) it’s not that good.
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Our experience differs
I have had games turned around by well timed well selected rezzes
I find this ability to be the strongest utility in the game
I can understand how players who spend the vast majority of their games tethered to Pharah probably dont get as much experience in the use (and benefit) of rez in the game
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Even while I resurrect on every opportunity available, it still feels boring and weak.
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In this instance, I am reasonably certain that RevertMercy is talking about the lore.
Some exerpts:
“Dr. Angela Ziegler is a peerless healer, a brilliant scientist, and a staunch advocate for peace.”
“Because her parents had been taken by war, Ziegler was opposed to the organization’s [Overwatch’s] militaristic approach to keeping global peace.”
“Despite her contributions to Overwatch, she was often at odds with her superiors and the organization’s overarching aims.”
Does that sound like a person who actively wants to take up arms and inflict pain and death? To me at least… no. No it doesn’t. Not even a little bit.
I do however agree with you that in the gameplay, Mercy is actually far above average in her combat abilities (at least in the support role).
It is still possible to find hero moments in Mercy’s kit. However… I cannot say that the hero moments to be found in Mercy’s kit aren’t less frequent and less intense than most other healers AND her 1.0 self.
Seriously… She has serious problems helping her team cope with enemy ultimates.
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Despite these feelings, Mercy has another ally back, fighting the good fight, capturing points, winning teamfights, etc
Personally, I dont see any of that as boring or weak
Gameplay is what we players do - play her in the game - where she is only a pacifist if one chooses to impose artificial/arbitrary limits on her, like a shieldless Rein or a hammer-only Torb
didn’t they lose though?
So it doesn’t really surprise me that you don’t care all that much about the lore.
But… it really shouldn’t surprise you that there are people annoyed by the fact that people want Mercy’s gameplay to fit her lore and oppose changes that would make her gameplay deviate from her lore. I mean… that feeling even has a name. ludonarrative dissonance. That does generally apply to a game as a whole, but I don’t see why it can’t apply to a hero in a hero shooter like Overwatch.
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If one wishes for Mercy to “fit” lore that they see as indicating Mercy is a pacifist, then she shouldnt have a place on the battlefield at all in a shooting/killing game.
A pacifist doesnt enter battle, and ergo a player who carries such a belief about Mercy would never choose her for battle, and ergo, would never choose her period
Or with any other big damage, in general. Even if it’s just enemy with good aim, you will run into difficulties trying to reduce their impact on your team.
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Why does she need more healing if her stats show she has heals on par with moira who has the most healing if you buff her healing she unironically outputs the most healing above moira who has the highest in raw healing
Also her utility is res and damage boost
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eh, depends.
If it is a Reinhardt charge, a Widow/Hanzo headshot or other similar single target burst she might be able to handle it with a resurrect. If the damage is targeting a hero who is either difficult to hit (Tracer, Pharah) or has ways of “calling a time out” (Mei iceblock, Reaper wraith, Genji deflect, etc) from combat her healing beam can still be incredibly effective. If it is anything else, yep absolutely.
However… there’s a reason why I pull my blaster when I notice a Sombra in my back lines shooting someone. I’ll be able to counter her damage much better by convincing her to leave.
please actually read the post!
I meant more consistent damage, when damage source can’t be dealt with. Instant kills on one player can be fixed with resurrect, yes.
Could you give an example? I’m not 100% certain I know what you mean.
I read it twice in actuality but the problem with damage and elims are in her design and still rez and damage boost are utility
For example, you have very good McCree on the opposite team. One doesn’t kill instantly, but deals constant high damage. You will clearly run into problems trying to heal all your teammates being hurt by him.
If you get one player heavily injured, resurrect can fix that. But with 3-4 teammates quickly falling into red, it’s simply hopeless.
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