Larisa over at http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com put up a moving post this week about leaving her guild and the happy ending of getting back with them. Also she linked an interesting post by Calli at http://pewpewlazerz.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/a-confession/ over getting older and not having reflexes like "rattlesnakes on crack" anymore which is a great line which tied in with some of the issues she had been having playing DPS in a progression guild.
I find myself in a similar position as I hit the big 40 this year and am now finding that my reflexes are not what they used to be, hard modes in games such as Call of Duty or Halo are a lot harder as I don't get that first shot off before some computer generated baddie filled me full of pixilated lead.
However in WOW I think I am luckier in a way as I play a healer. If you have read the blog in the run up to Cataclysm I was originally on the roster as a dps type (boomkin) but after various changes switched back to healing. Now I run a Boomkin offspec and have done some of the easier raids such as BH and consistently find myself mid to bottom on the dps meters. I think its because I just don't pick up the rotation quickly and don't react to procs as quickly either.
But healing now healing I rock at. I have been consistently been one of the top healers in the guild all the way through BC and Wrath. I can carry idiots through 5 man PUGs abet with a bit of sweat but most times unless they insist on pulling the whole room most people tend to walk out of an engagement alive (of course I lose the odd dps but hey don't stand in the fire for ages stoopid).
I have pondered why I am much better at healing than dps a bit recently and feel its because healing is slower paced but much more tactical. Generally during boss fights you are always planning ahead, especially as a druid as it takes time to run up HOT's and we don't have much in the way of tank saving specials like lay on hands. I find during fights I am planning using cooldowns for damage spikes, anticipating curses/ magic debuffs, planning Innvervates so I can get the best use out of them and watching timers for tank switches.
Hyper reflexes don't seem to help much with healing especially during Cataclysm as if tanks dip too low saving them is an uphill struggle with huge health pools. Also if you not pre planning for damage spikes or AOE raid damage generally its too late when you are not getting things in place before they happen.
So does anyone else find this they their reflexes are not what they were? Do you find the tactical pace of healing doesn't need hyper reflexes but the ability to plan ahead a few moves and keep your head when things go a bit wobbly?
Zetter
2 comments:
Towards the end in wrath I dipped my toe into healing with my druid alt and I must admit I enjoyed it immensely. In spite of the responsability that comes with it, I felt more relaxed than as a dps:er. Less e-peening, less competition. If you keep the group alive you're good enough, obviously. If you dps you can always be questioned, there's no end. I hesitated for which character to play as my main in Cataclysm. I ended up sticking to my mage. Perhaps I would have made a wiser decision if I had switched to healer. It isn't as if I'm getting any younger...
Its the one thing that got me about DPS is chasing the meters its very black and white this is the number and thats you.
Healing isnt down to the numbers really it tends to be how the team perform and did every make it back alive.
I think this is why I prefer it even though when I say its less stressful than dps our resident pew pew ers question my sanity.
Zetter
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