The most reliable way of getting healing in there is applying regeneration boon. The rate of healing is small, but they stack for long duration and is well worth the investment.
Also consider investing point in traits that raises your compassion.
I actually sorta felt like a healer playing my ranger :P. All my utility skills were support based. I AOE healed AND rezzed pplz while firing arrows away. It was a good feeling. I think one of the guardian elites gives you a lot of support spells. Have a go at that
You can't heal the way you can in a "holy trinity" MMO at all.
There are ways to make you feel like you are more useful to your group in a Support role though.
First off, Condition Clearing (Cleansing) is huge in this game especially the Dungeons so Professions and Builds focusing on that are really helpful/important. Mesmer and Warrior both have some really strong builds for this.
Second, the game is designed so that people will drop in the harder group content (Downed State and Defeated). There are builds that focus on helping people get back into the fight. Warrior and Mesmer once again can get "Battle Rez" abilities to help with that. Guardians with their Shields and Bubbles are really good at this. One interesting build is Thief as one of the few Professions in the game that gets really good Haste buffs - and that Haste Buff lets you Revive people faster.
Finally, Elementalists specializing in Water have a lot of Support abilities including minor AoE Heals. Same goes for Engineer - some very strong Support builds for that Profession as well.
I call pure BS on this statement.
My new level 29 Staff Guardian heals & AOE heals like a MOFO! The Staff Guardian, bar-none, is the absolute definition of a "Healer".
My 37 Charr Warrior specced full toughness with an emphasis on defensive utility skills & mace+shield and I was able to tank SEVERAL TIMES OVER more than any other class, not to mention I had almost triple their HP.
Not to mention my Charr Warrior can also spec full dps and hit as hard if not harder than a dps Thief or Ranger.
The holy trinity still exists in GW2, but the whole idea is to give you freedom of choice rather than being forced into a role you don't want to.
If you WANT to be a healer, try Staff Guardian. You need to get to around level 20 to actually be an effective healer though.
The Theory of Conservative Conservation of Ignorant Stupidity: Having a different opinion must mean you're a troll.
not playing "whack a mole" with HP bars but actually keeping my team mates alive and saving them from sure death.
If this is really true, I would recommend you try out the staff elementalist. "Saving" teammates in this game mean more than just healing, it's removing conditions for them, crowd control for them when they're in trouble, and giving them appropriate boons depending on the situation...just to give a few example.
Staff elementalist is able to heal, remove condition, and has many crowd control abilities, it can play a great support role if you spec it right and sounds like it might be something you're looking for.
I've leveled healers in other MMOs too and though I'm not sure I miss it, this topic made me think about it at least. Then again, it also made me think of the negative aspects of healing... noteably, even if the tank is a total noob and pulls too much, he'll yell at you. As a tank I've also experienced the opposite lol
Like some people have said, removing conditions is vitally important in GW2 since many enemies do so much damage. If you're not worried about the glory that comes with it (since no one will probably know who's removing what), then it's a decent alternative. And yeah, it seems the Engineer is actually quite good at healing. My buddy has kept us alive quite a few times already with his water jet thingie and the healing turrets.
GW never had a healing class in the classic 08/15 way.
For example in GW1 the monk was rarely used to directly heal.
GW in general takes a different approach in healing support , wich is more a crossover between multiple classes and grouping setup. In GW1 uncountable builds were created ,Underworld early duo ecto farmbuilds with monk ect later on total different builds.
GW is different ...the holy trinity doesnt apply that much here, but honestly i dunno bout how it is in GW2 right now
meh...i hope if find it. i feel so usless when i can't heal. anyone got any suggestion for a good support calss? maybe i should try control...
Necromancer has a couple of heal and ressurrection skills (mostly AoE based) in it's arsenal. I've picked them as support for Wv3 with guild - most minions are useles there anyway
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, necro also has some nice remove debuff skills for party AoE and drops them as damage on enemies (tricky skill though...)
It's overall a good thing that there aren't pure healers. I know that upsets some people, but honestly the people who don't like this are a small minority. Just look at Holy Trinity games and the difficulty with finding healers and tanks. Ignoring immersion issues with HT, there just aren't enough people that want those two roles. It's a poor game design.
Like people have mentioned, GW2 does allow for a lot of support for the people you are with. Some of it is healer, some of it is condition cleansing, some of it is crowd control, some of it is boons. No matter what you'll still be attacking bad guys a lot, however. This really makes sense if you think about it. If you were a medic in a military squad, do you think you'd just sit back and do nothing until people got hurt in a firefight? No, you'd shoot back and your gun wouldn't be magically shooting bullets that can't hurt anything. One thing I really like about GW2 is how the combat system overall results in behavior that is just more sensible than any HT system.
So I'd try out the various options here regarding condition removal, buffing, causing conditions (blindness and others are great for lowering damage), crowd control, etc. Don't just focus on trying to heal if you want to do support, because there are a lot of options to help out your team mates and healing is not like in HT games. If you still can't get into it or into any other sort of build...then maybe GW2 isn't the best game for you.
Originally posted by Jakdstripper dont get me wrong i like the game. i like the settings, animatinos, stories, classes, etc. i like many things but i feel a great empty space where i always have my healer in every mmos.i like healing. not playing "whack a mole" with HP bars but actually keeping my team mates alive and saving them from sure death. it gives me more pleasure then getting the final blow on an enemy. call me a healer at heart but in every mmo i've had at least one healer.the more i play GW2 the more i find myself wishin i could just friken heal my mates....ffs just let me heal!! i dunno, maybe i just havent found the calss for me yet in this game (i've only tried Guardian, engeneer, thief so far). i like the Guardian because you can shield your mates from damage but the healing is very very limited.meh...i hope if find it. i feel so usless when i can't heal. anyone got any suggestion for a good support calss? maybe i should try control...
i hear you, my main characters have always been healers, its weird not having one.
Originally posted by Vhaln Think we knew this would be an issue for a long time. It does feel like they tossed the baby out with the bathwater, as far as healing goes.
I think they attached smaller amounts of healing to a lot of different abilities that effect those around you. If specced for more healing (staff water Ele) and equip +healing gear and upgrades I think you'd more than be able to assist your group in a healing capacity. Enough to hold someone up for a period of time? I hope not.
I have really enjoyed the support and utility abilty of the necromancer. Removing causing conditions. Healing wells. Life siphoning. Lots of fun to me. I had a warrior when it went live. Just wasnt my tea party cup. Haha.
Originally posted by Vhaln Think we knew this would be an issue for a long time. It does feel like they tossed the baby out with the bathwater, as far as healing goes.
I don't think so. I've find my healing abilities when my Elementalist is Water Attuned to be quite adequate. Doesn't make me a Holy Trinity Healer, but a little healing does make a difference.
If healers were too effective, then every group would need a healer, and that would screw up the whole grouping dynamic. So I really think it was just bathwater that they tossed.
Originally posted by Vhaln Think we knew this would be an issue for a long time. It does feel like they tossed the baby out with the bathwater, as far as healing goes.
I don't think so. I've find my healing abilities when my Elementalist is Water Attuned to be quite adequate. Doesn't make me a Holy Trinity Healer, but a little healing does make a difference.
If healers were too effective, then every group would need a healer, and that would screw up the whole grouping dynamic. So I really think it was just bathwater that they tossed.
Originally posted by gieger808 Be patient. Changes will happen to the classes to allow the trinity to exist. It's just a core mmo mechanic that MUST exist. You'll see.
Clearly you have very little experience with group combat systems in various games. There are tons of other options. Heck, GW1 itself had some of them.
Read drach's post just before yours gieger, any form of healing advantage will be balanced out of the game, it is entirely opposite to your experience of mmorgs.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Support is great in this game. Its incredibly powerful and useful.
But you won't be able to save idiots like in other games they have to cooperate with what you are doing. And you need to cooridnate what you are doing.
Really? I find it rather refreshing that I'm not considered either the boon or blame for how the party does. Elementalist has some decent healing available in water. Not like you see in your usual mmo though. Although pending on your party you may be thankful you have one that switches to water when needed in dungeon runs.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Originally posted by Vhaln Think we knew this would be an issue for a long time. It does feel like they tossed the baby out with the bathwater, as far as healing goes.
I don't think so. I've find my healing abilities when my Elementalist is Water Attuned to be quite adequate. Doesn't make me a Holy Trinity Healer, but a little healing does make a difference.
If healers were too effective, then every group would need a healer, and that would screw up the whole grouping dynamic. So I really think it was just bathwater that they tossed.
Yeah water is very effective within the scope of the game. Not sure why some dismiss the healing capabilities so much. I was a bit surprised how well they can do upon using it myself considering how much some downplayed it.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
You can't heal the way you can in a "holy trinity" MMO at all.
There are ways to make you feel like you are more useful to your group in a Support role though.
First off, Condition Clearing (Cleansing) is huge in this game especially the Dungeons so Professions and Builds focusing on that are really helpful/important. Mesmer and Warrior both have some really strong builds for this.
Second, the game is designed so that people will drop in the harder group content (Downed State and Defeated). There are builds that focus on helping people get back into the fight. Warrior and Mesmer once again can get "Battle Rez" abilities to help with that. Guardians with their Shields and Bubbles are really good at this. One interesting build is Thief as one of the few Professions in the game that gets really good Haste buffs - and that Haste Buff lets you Revive people faster.
Finally, Elementalists specializing in Water have a lot of Support abilities including minor AoE Heals. Same goes for Engineer - some very strong Support builds for that Profession as well.
I call pure BS on this statement....
The holy trinity still exists in GW2, but the whole idea is to give you freedom of choice rather than being forced into a role you don't want to.
If you WANT to be a healer, try Staff Guardian. You need to get to around level 20 to actually be an effective healer though.
So how are those single-target heals working out for you in GW2? Oh wait...
i like healing. not playing "whack a mole" with HP bars but actually keeping my team mates alive and saving them from sure death. it gives me more pleasure then getting the final blow on an enemy. call me a healer at heart but in every mmo i've had at least one healer.
i dunno, maybe i just havent found the calss for me yet in this game (i've only tried Guardian, engeneer, thief so far). i like the Guardian because you can shield your mates from damage but the healing is very very limited.
Apparently, you missed your chance to learn Defense and Control (CoX is shutting down) as viable alternatives to the standard trilogy Big Green Glow.
But the big green glow (Empathy) "healer" was the least effective brand of "healer" in that game. Preventing and limiting damage are always superior to reactively healing it.
GW2 is going to be looking for ex-CoX players, I suspect.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
This is one of the biggest things that kept me from buying GW2 and might never buy it. I never buy a game until a month after release, never. I'm definitely a healer at heart. I've always liked clerics, druids, etc. They should have an option if all you want to do is heal, you should be the greatest healer you can be. If all you want to do is be a glasscannon, you can be. If you want to be the immovable object, you can be. I don't like how everyone can do everything, it dilutes the roles in a party, and people won't know what they heck to do.
Comments
The most reliable way of getting healing in there is applying regeneration boon. The rate of healing is small, but they stack for long duration and is well worth the investment.
Also consider investing point in traits that raises your compassion.
I actually sorta felt like a healer playing my ranger :P. All my utility skills were support based. I AOE healed AND rezzed pplz while firing arrows away. It was a good feeling. I think one of the guardian elites gives you a lot of support spells. Have a go at that
I call pure BS on this statement.
My new level 29 Staff Guardian heals & AOE heals like a MOFO! The Staff Guardian, bar-none, is the absolute definition of a "Healer".
My 37 Charr Warrior specced full toughness with an emphasis on defensive utility skills & mace+shield and I was able to tank SEVERAL TIMES OVER more than any other class, not to mention I had almost triple their HP.
Not to mention my Charr Warrior can also spec full dps and hit as hard if not harder than a dps Thief or Ranger.
The holy trinity still exists in GW2, but the whole idea is to give you freedom of choice rather than being forced into a role you don't want to.
If you WANT to be a healer, try Staff Guardian. You need to get to around level 20 to actually be an effective healer though.
The Theory of Conservative Conservation of Ignorant Stupidity:
Having a different opinion must mean you're a troll.
If this is really true, I would recommend you try out the staff elementalist. "Saving" teammates in this game mean more than just healing, it's removing conditions for them, crowd control for them when they're in trouble, and giving them appropriate boons depending on the situation...just to give a few example.
Staff elementalist is able to heal, remove condition, and has many crowd control abilities, it can play a great support role if you spec it right and sounds like it might be something you're looking for.
Guild Wars 2 Thief Guide - Elder Scrolls Online Guide
I've leveled healers in other MMOs too and though I'm not sure I miss it, this topic made me think about it at least. Then again, it also made me think of the negative aspects of healing... noteably, even if the tank is a total noob and pulls too much, he'll yell at you. As a tank I've also experienced the opposite lol
Like some people have said, removing conditions is vitally important in GW2 since many enemies do so much damage. If you're not worried about the glory that comes with it (since no one will probably know who's removing what), then it's a decent alternative. And yeah, it seems the Engineer is actually quite good at healing. My buddy has kept us alive quite a few times already with his water jet thingie and the healing turrets.
GW never had a healing class in the classic 08/15 way.
For example in GW1 the monk was rarely used to directly heal.
GW in general takes a different approach in healing support , wich is more a crossover between multiple classes and grouping setup. In GW1 uncountable builds were created ,Underworld early duo ecto farmbuilds with monk ect later on total different builds.
GW is different ...the holy trinity doesnt apply that much here, but honestly i dunno bout how it is in GW2 right now
Necromancer has a couple of heal and ressurrection skills (mostly AoE based) in it's arsenal. I've picked them as support for Wv3 with guild - most minions are useles there anyway
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, necro also has some nice remove debuff skills for party AoE and drops them as damage on enemies (tricky skill though...)
It's overall a good thing that there aren't pure healers. I know that upsets some people, but honestly the people who don't like this are a small minority. Just look at Holy Trinity games and the difficulty with finding healers and tanks. Ignoring immersion issues with HT, there just aren't enough people that want those two roles. It's a poor game design.
Like people have mentioned, GW2 does allow for a lot of support for the people you are with. Some of it is healer, some of it is condition cleansing, some of it is crowd control, some of it is boons. No matter what you'll still be attacking bad guys a lot, however. This really makes sense if you think about it. If you were a medic in a military squad, do you think you'd just sit back and do nothing until people got hurt in a firefight? No, you'd shoot back and your gun wouldn't be magically shooting bullets that can't hurt anything. One thing I really like about GW2 is how the combat system overall results in behavior that is just more sensible than any HT system.
So I'd try out the various options here regarding condition removal, buffing, causing conditions (blindness and others are great for lowering damage), crowd control, etc. Don't just focus on trying to heal if you want to do support, because there are a lot of options to help out your team mates and healing is not like in HT games. If you still can't get into it or into any other sort of build...then maybe GW2 isn't the best game for you.
i hear you, my main characters have always been healers, its weird not having one.
I think they attached smaller amounts of healing to a lot of different abilities that effect those around you. If specced for more healing (staff water Ele) and equip +healing gear and upgrades I think you'd more than be able to assist your group in a healing capacity. Enough to hold someone up for a period of time? I hope not.
I don't think so. I've find my healing abilities when my Elementalist is Water Attuned to be quite adequate. Doesn't make me a Holy Trinity Healer, but a little healing does make a difference.
If healers were too effective, then every group would need a healer, and that would screw up the whole grouping dynamic. So I really think it was just bathwater that they tossed.
I don't think so. I've find my healing abilities when my Elementalist is Water Attuned to be quite adequate. Doesn't make me a Holy Trinity Healer, but a little healing does make a difference.
If healers were too effective, then every group would need a healer, and that would screw up the whole grouping dynamic. So I really think it was just bathwater that they tossed.
Clearly you have very little experience with group combat systems in various games. There are tons of other options. Heck, GW1 itself had some of them.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Support is great in this game. Its incredibly powerful and useful.
But you won't be able to save idiots like in other games they have to cooperate with what you are doing. And you need to cooridnate what you are doing.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Yeah water is very effective within the scope of the game. Not sure why some dismiss the healing capabilities so much. I was a bit surprised how well they can do upon using it myself considering how much some downplayed it.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
You cant please everyone , but the whole concept of not having fixed roles, is to take away the set tank , set healer etc in most other mmos.
I think most would like this tbh, everyone becomes more versatile.
So how are those single-target heals working out for you in GW2? Oh wait...
Apparently, you missed your chance to learn Defense and Control (CoX is shutting down) as viable alternatives to the standard trilogy Big Green Glow.
But the big green glow (Empathy) "healer" was the least effective brand of "healer" in that game. Preventing and limiting damage are always superior to reactively healing it.
GW2 is going to be looking for ex-CoX players, I suspect.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.