Another day, another Pick-up Group. That's not exactly the way it was. I finally got the time together and logged into the Looking For Group Channel. I ticked that I could offer healing because, well, I did last time.
Not long later I was invited to a run heading into the Hellfire Ramparts. Ramps. I even had a quest for it. Rock on.
Now in a perfect world I should be playing to my Boomkin spec strengths and observing a proper healer at work. At least for my first time into the instance, right?
But no. Seems like there's never a healer around when you need one. So rather than sit around I offered to do it.
And I went ok. The tank learnt pretty quick not to run in too hastily and we made it to through to the last boss. In fact I got the achievement for the instance but I still needed the bloke riding the dragon for my quest.
Unfortunately, by this time the group was falling apart. My server tends to the Australian so they're a good few hours ahead. Second time the boss wiped us it was just me and the Group Leader.
DK - I can tank it but we need at least a DPS
Me - I can DPS but then we need healz
In the end we reformed a whole team. Enough, in fact, to reset the instance and run it again. This time we had a good high level tank who was clearly very experienced and helpful. Bugger it if he didn't disconnect and then log on long enough to apologize for his computer.
So we ended up four-manning the same last boss. We wiped. I couldn't stay alive. And I couldn't keep the tank alive.
From a personal development point of view, I suppose, it was good: I had actually learnt enough about what I was doing to completely understand that... well... I just didn't have the healz to pull us through.
I could tell the GL (now tanking) was getting frustrated. Everybody kind of wandered away after the second wipe. They didn't say anything direct but I know that blaming the healer is common phenomenon.
And if it happens when it's unjustified, you can bet your last murlock it happens when the healer really is at fault. Oh and I accidentally rolled on a piece of plate and won it. I really was *that* guy.
I will be addressing this two ways: I'm leveling a proper healer. A Dranei priest. As soon as he hits 20 I'll be running every instance I can get my paws on.
And for my Druid, it seems if I want to run instances I need to be ready to heal. I'm not ready to give up my spec. So I'll need another. That's 1000g for dual spec that I need. AH here I come.
5 comments:
Ya may wanna be careful with that implication that a drood isn't a 'proper' healer.
Piggyig / Malygos
Oh it's not the Druid it's me... and being spec'd up as Moonkin.
I had a look at the resto tree talents last night. I can't imagine how anybody levels that thing.
I'd say if you like your spec, just try to find DPS spots in groups rather than feeling like you have to heal just because you technically can. My main is a holy pally, so I also play a hybrid class, and though I technically can tank with that spec (like, say, if there was a group with no other tanking class in it and since i do wear plate), I know I wouldn't do a nearly adequate job of it, not only because my armor isn't nearly as high as that of a proper tank, but because I lack damage mitigation talents (not to mention I couldn't hold aggro the same way as a real tank).
Conversely, as prot (I have dual spec - in the above scenario, let's disregard that, lol), I suck at healing, cause my heals aren't as powerful and my mana pool is way smaller (like half what it is in my holy spec).
Groups shouldn't expect us to fulfill roles we're not suited for just because we technically can. If they can't understand that, I say it's their loss ;)
(also, just started lvling a resto druid, hope it's not as hard to lvl as everyone says , lol)
Bah, they shouldn't have pressured you to heal when you weren't geared or specced for it. Seriously. You can do it at the lower levels because nobody has anything like the proper array of tools for filling *any* role but from 60 onwards... bah. You can only off-spec healer if you *really really* know what you're doing (I mean, your class, the instance, everything) and everybody else does as well.
But, hey, well done for pugging at all :)
I'm dual specced, but I geared around spellpower (not enough hit or haste but instead aimed at big heals in resto), so when in boomkin I am not quite as high in dps as the priests I've been pugging with. Having said that - if you haven't dual specced - if it was me, I'd be pretty up front about how I'm balance and not resto, do they want to take their chances or queue up again? Quite a lot depends on the tank in this case; if he has good damage mitigation or is somewhat self-healing (like a blood DK can be) that also makes a difference. Very much it makes a difference if there are going to be trash mobs or a lot of AoE since the heals I need for those situations are further down in the resto tree.
But - a balance in decent gear should be able to tank heal a tank of one of the above two types if your five man is just a tank n spank and the tank doesn't pull too much at once. IMO. I'm still a relative noob so ymmv.
Audhumla - Skywall - H - 74
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