Here it is. I have figured it out. Now blizzard please fix it.
The issue Hpal has at the moment is that it cannot function in any capacity as a healer without using damage globals. I recently created another thread and via discussion realized the issue is not with healers in general. Its much more localized into the HPal spec.
People thought I was complaining that healers had to do damage. But I was not. Healers doing damage is a non issue for me and can add quite a bit of enjoyment. When the damage isn’t what is gating your healing potential. Merely that the fact that healers are now EXPECTED to do damage is seeping into the design and functionality of the healing spec. After some discussion. I realized its more of a Paladin issue than a Healer one.
With its current design, Holy Paladin is incapable of taking a step back during high stress, high healing throughput situations and focus on getting everyone topped up and stabilized. Our healing gameplay loop is intertwined with the damage gameplay loop. This should 100% not be the case. The fact that we do damage should just be a bonus just like every other healer.
Our core gameplay loop should be able to function 100% through the use of our healing and supportive abilities. Allowing us to deal our damage at our convenience once the fight has stabilized. This is an issue no other healer is plagued with. Built atop a foundation of combo points has only made it worse. As a resto druid, when @*&$ hits the fan you can step back, spam your heals to stabilize your group and then go back to dealing damage afterward. Paladin’s current design does not allow this.
In order to achieve a fun, fluid and satisfying gameplay loop. We need to be able to function on our healing alone. Keeping melee wings is fine. Its a CD and when it is up those globals you cast to judgement and crusader strike heal. Feels good. Feels intuitive. The problem is when that falls. We are left spamming CS for sub 1k damage getting no healing out during that global. With most of our healing throughput coming out of the spells we spend our combo points on. It feels bad. It feels gated.
As a healer. My healing gameplay loop should be paramount. With added tools to deal damage when it is applicable.
Thank you for attending my TED talk.
6 Likes
Also, A quick fix that would help in the meantime. Drop WoG. Make Flash of light and Holy light be affected by HP.
Flash of light
1 holy power - 33% reduced cast time
2 holy power - 66% reduced cast time
3 holy power - Instant cast
Holy Light
1 holy power - 10% increased healing
3 holy power - 20% increased healing
5 holy power - 35% increased healing
So for example you have 2 HP and cast a Holy light. Its increased healing is 10% and consumes 1 of the 2 available holy power.
If you have 3 HP you cast a 20% buffed heal and consume all 3 of the Holy power.
Something along those lines. WoG instant cast heals are gating our power budget of Holy light and flash of light. This would give us the same functionality as WoG but also allow us to have a heal with a proper power budget should we be required to hard cast and also give us some adaptability should things start to go south.
At least this way each cast of crusader strike doing piddly @%% damage would be going toward an increase in healing potential.
1 Like
Throw current Hpal mastery in the dumpster where it belongs. Get rid of combo points for holy, at least.
Hpal instantly 86.33 (repeating, of course)% better.
Edit: Reverting IoL change would be another 5% improvement.
3 Likes
While I too would enjoy be ridding of the combo points. I don’t think I would detest them as much if we used our HEALING to build them primarily and efficiently. The entire problem lies in the fact that we are incapable of stepping back and spamming triage heals to stabilize the group. It is not enjoyable. I dont even care if I have to be melee range. I just want my actual healing gameplay loop. . . to be a LOOP. not 15 segmented lines cut up by useless damage globals.
It would help if the devs working on the pally trees actually played the game.
I think you hit the nail on the head. I find it nerve-racking healing sometimes. I primarily heal m+ runs (my raiding days are long behind me).
I have to avoid mechanics, use damage spells to generate most of my HP. Thank the Lord for beacon of virtue. I am getting used to it but there are times when I cannot get to the mob fast enough to even CS. Then some tanks love rushing in so it adds up.
I think the melee aspect is fun but if they want us to do that then go all in and not try to do everything at once. Also light of dawn needs a rework especially healing smaller groups. I ignore it most times unless it’s melee heavy and even then I use virtue+ word of glory more to top up.
1 Like
If infusion of light actually did something for us and judgement generated holy power then stepping back to heal wouldn’t feel so bad.
So true. The introduction of Azerite traits killed off Flash of Light/Holy Light casting Paladins. And the re-introduction of Holy Power just makes the situation worse. We’re the only healers that cannot heal on demand.
I miss light of the martyr being a decent heal.
1 Like
hpal is fine and needs to lean more into melee. thats what LOTM is for.
I wouldn’t say it’s fine. It has some pretty bad gameplay loops at the moment that make absolutely no sense. Only 2 healing spenders, our only damage spender is completely niche, all single target generators (split between dps only and hps only) outside of DT, awakening forces you to spam lod/wog even if targets are all full hp in order to proc wings because we have no dps spender that procs awakening or any dps spender worth using outside of pulling a lot in m+, Dawn is really bad gameplay, etc etc. hpal could definitely benefit from some changes
1 Like
I disagree entirely. I am not even saying they shouldn’t be melee healing. What I am saying is when large aoe damage hits and a high amount of throughput is required we should be able to function on healing alone to stabilize the group. The fact that a healing spec cannot function on its healing alone is poor design. Keep the melee damage style that’s fine. I don’t dislike it. But if required I should be able to fully function as a healer when the situation calls for it. Not be gimped and gated by globals that do nothing but build a combo point.
That’s what wings and divine toll is for