Healer class?

[Kurwa]

Just wondering if there is any rumors about healers or how healing in like raids and such will work?

[Syr]

I haven't heard about any healer classes, and I cant think of any pure healing classes in the lore either. Maybe they will have a Force Heal or Medic ability, or First Aid like WOW.

[Rell]

Good question Kurwa.

I've mentioned a thousand times already that I enjoy playing support classes in other MMO's and I was hoping that SWTOR brings some form of healer to the table.

Some good theories I read were about droids being able to control various other types of droids and using them as needed: i.e.: healing, combat, etc.

[GreyEagle]

Master Doc/TKM

[Ambrosius]

It would be cool if they could make raids and such work without actually having a healer class but I wouldn't mind having it really.

[Nuo]

In KOTOR, you had the Heal talent tree that could be used by any Jedi. I imagine that a similar ability will be available to Jedi as an AOE heal in a similar fashion. Droids (if they are in fact a player class) will most likely have to fend for themselves because a Force Heal won't affect droids.

[Hemophage]

I posted a comment in another thread about this same idea. Apparently, it has been announced that there will NOT be any non-combat class. So my question was are they going to go Diablo 2 style, with Medpacs for everyone, or they going to have a talent tree for each/some classes the combat medic(trooper) force healer(jedi) Life stealer/healer (sith)??? interesting ideas

[Thelxepia]

Apparently, it has been announced that there will NOT be any non-combat class.

I will probably in the vast minority with this particularly sentiment, but if this turns out to be true, I will be profoundly disappointed. If they did that, they could redeem themselves for me with a skill tree sort of approach covering various sub-topics, and how specialized you get in them depends on where you spend your points. That's what I really liked about the original SWG skill-tree approach -- near infinite flexibility without allowing one character to have it all.

[Samael]

why would anybody want a healer class in a mmo? this is the one game i dont want to have to be shouting LF Healz!!!

[Velcor]

why would anybody want a healer class in a mmo? this is the one game i dont want to have to be shouting LF Healz!!!
Not having a healing class would make raid encounters very gimmicky...

[Samael]

Not having a healing class would make raid encounters very gimmicky...

doesn't that make it more exiting!!? can't you feel the rush!!?!?!?!

[Interius]

I ca totally see medics and jedi healers, not sure about sith side tho...

[Sana]

As Hemophage mentioned, if they did give Sith some type of healing ability it would likely be some kind of life draining skill, that is, draining health from opponents to heal yourself and/or others.

[Seydis]

I don't really care if they have any kind of healer class. Looks like they won't anyway since each faction will have only four classes (all being combat-based). The main thing I never liked about the healer class (at lease in SWG), was that if you had a big group for a raid, you had to have a healer to buff everyone. Having to depend upon that class for buffs resulted in a lot of time wasted getting buffed that could have been spent doing the actual raid.

- Seydis

[Traggush]

Honestly there better be a medic class, if not everyone and there mother will have a medical driod companion.

[Sashi]

Im sure there will be different specializations within the classes not neccesarily a healer "class" per say.

[Jaciable]

I'd totally be a Medic Bounty Hunter!!!

....Hah... not really. Unless I could overdose people.. then I'd consider it.

[Jenqui]

If there are to be raid encounters as suggested at E3, there has to be a "healer" of sorts. But this leaves it wide open. My hope is there is a hybrid of classes as previously mentioned or healing droids (companions) and/or stimpaks. But because we are far away from release im sure that they havent even figured that question out.

[Zen'zukai]

I think it could work if each class had unique healing specialties. So it would never be one or two classes doing all that healing, and having specialized healing abilities would create several instances where one type of healing is more useful than others. I think it would work well that way. Maybe for instance, jedis are good at aoe healing the party for small amounts of health, a smuggler could be better at reviving a fallen foe in combat by dragging them behind cover and administrating first aid. Or a bounty hunter could let loose a flurry of blaster bolts into the face of a foe, then use the now heated blaster tip to cauterize his ally's wounds :D. The sith could... well. .. they could give their ally an honorable death by leeching his remaining life force :p

[Sashi]

I agree with Zen. The heals will probably be speicalized within the class, and I like the idea of some situational expertise per class.

[Ambrosius]

I'm sure they'll figure something out but even though they say that there will be no non-combat classes that doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be any class that can actually heal. In WoW there were Priests/Paladins/Druids, all could heal and all could DPS. I think it would be nice if everybody could heal up to a certain extent in Raids but would have to work together somehow to keep the whole raid alive, not sure how this could be implemented though.

[Witchcraft]

Anyone played the recently released The Chronicles of Spellborn? The first truly innovative MMORPG I've played in a very long time. Apart from a really deep combo system (where you can actually create all your own combos as opposed to synchronized button-mashing like Age of Conan), a completely FPS-twitch based combat system (think damage avoidance, circle-strafing, etc. instead of rolling a die to determine parry, dodge, block), and an AWESOME STORY...

Apart from all that...

They broke the holy trinity.

Classes are no longer equivalent to their relative-function in a group. Warriors are not tanks. Rogues are not DPS. Casters are not healers. EVERYONE can and WILL DPS...very well. EVERYONE can heal...and MUST heal for success. Everyone can avoid damage and tank...and everyone...I mean EVERYONE has a multi-faceted role in group-encounters. Each class feels unique, has different mechanics, and is basically a different play-style...they excel in different situations...but they designed the encounters to foster (if not necessitate) DIVERSITY in group make-ups.

So you got three friends who are rogues...you're kewl. You've got 5 friends who are casters and one who's a warrior...you're still kewl. Groups succeed because of superior tactics and on-the-fly adjustment to the FUCKING AMAZING MOB AI. Mobs that duck behind cover, lure you toward their stealthed friends, mobs that actually use LOS to prevent your sniper from picking him, or, my personal favorite: mobs who automatically assess the entire party (level, hps, dps, etc.) and go for the EASIEST target first while actually using crowd control to manage your party and pick you off like an Arena team. There's no such thing as "taunt" or "agro" as you know it...at all. The fuckin' game is exciting.

Wow, I'm ranting...anyway, the game was really fun. The pvp was faster and more furious than any other game I've played besides UT...and maybe old school Quake. The reason I even mentioned this is because I have a funny feeling Bioware (in making encounters feel "epic" and players feel "heroic") will give every person the ability to support their "party" with different style companion characters. If you're a healer you can use a big trooper and maybe a roguish sort for support. If you're a bounty hunter you can grab a healer and maybe some kinda buff-support class. Dunno how it'll be implemented but it really sounds like the game is going to be solo "friendly" and to me that means scaling survivability at all levels. They're not gonna force you to group but they'll reward you for doing so, right?

[Sansa]

I watched health bars for 4 years. I'm hoping they work something out that everyone has to be part of the healing in someway.

[Assiel]

I understand why many people prefer to not have healers in game ("LF1M -Healer...been ready to go for 30 mins otherwise"). However, I prefer having specialized healers for two reasons; 1) I prefer a specialist to a jack-of-all-trades and 2) I know who to blame for a party wipe ;)

[Samael]

I understand why many people prefer to not have healers in game ("LF1M -Healer...been ready to go for 30 mins otherwise"). However, I prefer having specialized healers for two reasons; 1) I prefer a specialist to a jack-of-all-trades and 2) I know who to blame for a party wipe ;)

if party wipes i always blame the tank.

[Assiel]

if party wipes i always blame the tank.

Haha! You play DPS classes by chance? ;)

[Velcor]

I understand why many people prefer to not have healers in game ("LF1M -Healer...been ready to go for 30 mins otherwise"). However, I prefer having specialized healers for two reasons; 1) I prefer a specialist to a jack-of-all-trades and 2) I know who to blame for a party wipe ;)
Heh, you also know who won't be healing you after said wipe.
As a person who plays a tank mostly, I treat my healers like gold.
Those are the guys that cover your mistakes and do the most raid saves.

[Samael]

Haha! You play DPS classes by chance? ;)

hey good guess, I always play dps. I did play tank for a bit in ffxi and i was badass mofo tank if i do say so myself. but i still blame tanks for sucking ass if party wipes.

[Silus]

Lets hope for something like a Field-Medic that got like average damage and stuffed with healing/buffs abilities.

I do hope that all classes got some sort of healing ability.

[Assiel]

Lets hope for something like a Field-Medic that got like average damage and stuffed with healing/buffs abilities.

I do hope that all classes got some sort of healing ability.

You just named the class I hope to play but it seems it will not come to fruition.

[Zen'zukai]

I'm not too stoked for any dedicated healing class. I don't think they are needed, at all. I've been playing table top role playing games for longer than a decade (I'm only 25), and we never really need healers. Most of the time its just one of two people who take it as a sub-element to classes they build.
We never have issues with healing, and before anyone starts saying table tops and video games aren't comparable, think about where all the original combat mechanics for RPG's came from.

[Assiel]

I'm not too stoked for any dedicated healing class. I don't think they are needed, at all. I've been playing table top role playing games for longer than a decade (I'm only 25), and we never really need healers. Most of the time its just one of two people who take it as a sub-element to classes they build.
We never have issues with healing, and before anyone starts saying table tops and video games aren't comparable, think about where all the original combat mechanics for RPG's came from.

I see your point Zen. However, in your view, how would healing in an end-game raid (specifically the large 20-30 toon type) work?

I am not saying it will not work, just that I can't think of a successful game that hasn't used the standard trio.

It is very possible that I am just unable to think outside the box. As it stands, I am thinking end-game will suffer without a dedicated healer.

I should point out I wholeheartedly welcome a step forward in MMO development as long as it is still fun.

[Dargus Faselli]

Well, you have to understand raids most likely will NOT be 25 men on one oversized boss. I see it as a battlefield. For instance the Sacking of Courosaunt. We arrive on the ship and fight the Jedi. We then must accomplish our main objective, shutting down the defense grid for Corosaunt. Things of that nature shouldn't require a said healer, as heals should be able to be taken care of through supplements and first aid.

I foresee the game to take a lot more skill than what other MMOs require. Taking away the crutch of a healer requires untold strategies, and will require alertness.

Think of it this way. Have you ever seen a "healer" on the field of war? You've seen medics, though you can't really compare the two (one heals to prevent damage, the other heals after sufficient damage is done)

[Thelea]

Im thinking they might do a bacta tank every objective you do ...so you can heal up...than um justmedics you can talk too if you havent tanek that much maybe?

[Praetorian]

WoW: Priest
Age of Conan: Priest of Mitra
Warhammer: healer
Lord of the Rings: Minstrel

For Star Wars though? I prefer the BIG GUNS!

:D

[Keechiat]

I'm looking at Dargus approach and that's what i'm hoping and looking towards as well.
And in a case where you have a flowing combat and moving towards a target, you won't need a person watching just health-bar and not actually the fights.

In addition to this, troopers should have some sort of medic ability lore/functionality wise from the look of things.

Force users on the dark side have some sort of life draining abilities.

For a combat raid that would invade a target, it would also be very very viable to rather use tactics and energy shields/objects to prevent damage in the first place. This would force people to think and utilise a pre-combat strategy and make the combat alot more living the just run in, and start hitting something in the back to the point where it won't notice you.

Many raid encounters in instances tend to be interesting to a certain point, but when you for the 100th time have just healed a damage-soaking tank, you do tend to wonder if it's actually any skill involved, or just spell-casting time it takes for the heal to hit.

So my hopes are that each class should have different spells that are support mainly, should you fail miserably and to the point where you are so damaged that another hit kills you, perhaps you should then think about moving backwards to try and patch yourself up. (yes, this means that some encounters would have to be bigger then a "boss-room" but that's also the whole point of trying to move away from something that is just numbers to reduce to 0)

[Tyrran]

Not sure if this has been said already, but I think it'd be hilariously bad if they couldn't figure out how to do a healer and instead made it so medpacks spawn randomly over levels and stuff.

[DraxxusS]

They can def make a class for a healer and be totally combat based like in WoW i played every healing class and you could still do mad dps at the same time. I think it will be sub-tree based, cuz theres gots to be healz :)

[Assiel]

An interesting article that makes it seem that healer specialists (if not classes) are going to be in the game.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1007266p1.html

[Sashi]

healing branches for the win.

[Inora]

An interesting article that makes it seem that healer specialists (if not classes) are going to be in the game.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1007266p1.html

Yah, I posted that in the Comic-Con thread last night.

[Icarus Craul]

I am hoping that all force users can use Force Heal like in Kotor to heal atleast themselves a little bit.

[Syneous]

I understand why many people prefer to not have healers in game ("LF1M -Healer...been ready to go for 30 mins otherwise"). However, I prefer having specialized healers for two reasons; 1) I prefer a specialist to a jack-of-all-trades and 2) I know who to blame for a party wipe ;)

The Tank:D

I dont want to see everyone with a heal spell per se'

Ive got that pesky trooper right where I want him..he runs off while spamming his Heal just in time for his friends to show up! or his other trooper buddy runs up and uses his heal:(

Myabe make it out of combat heal or something,I dunno.

I like a specialized Healer,its only thier fault if they dont pay attention..could be that DPS guys pulled agro,in which case let the dumass die:D or it could be the Tank pulled too many:D
Or my favorite" healer says, Im sorry I was afk and didnt know you were pulling"

[Azhdaha]

The IGN interview was full of epic amounts of win - I'm excited to see how they do pull healing off now.

[Jenqui]

An interesting article that makes it seem that healer specialists (if not classes) are going to be in the game.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1007266p1.html

Great find... another article hopefully inferring to SWTOR that this will be a game like no other. While there will be elements familiar to all mmo players it will be something non of us has ever seen before..... Hoorah

[Kyon]

ROFL healer class shut down after comicon... sad day for us all. I laugh because of the hype.

[Velcor]

If people are down on healers, don't roll one..
Its like saying I hate pvp so it should be in game.

[Emazallul]

One of the trooper type classes will probably have a heal. But yeah, a heal-dedicated class doesn't sound like it would fit in this game.

[Jorg Kassal]

I just hate waiting for a healer to log on so you can run something. I just hope most of the classes will have the tree for healing, so that you can choose what you want to do.

[Seven]

I don't see having a class completely dedicated to healing, but I can see having a clan that can specialize in it..whilst having most if not all classes able to heal in some way.

[Emazallul]

I just hate waiting for a healer to log on so you can run something. I just hope most of the classes will have the tree for healing, so that you can choose what you want to do.

You'd still have to wait for healing specced players to log on :(

[Seven]

I don't think they'll have everyone with a healing spec. I think it'd be best to let everyone have a little healing, and thus a healer will be less important..except for large raids and in PvP and such.