Im waiting for a buddy key and im reading up on the game as much as I can.  In MMORPGS I tend to gravitate toward healing classes.  Each game seems to have its own culture surrounding healers.  In original eq (due mostly to game design) they were treated poorly, anarchy online has marginalized healing a lot with the medkit treatment stims etc.

I enjoyed healing in wow and doing instance runs (I still play) BUT the game has pretty much turned into a mad rush for the end game no one groups no one does instances, and its lost a lot of fun.

I should point out ive never played twitch games, and fully intend to enlist whatever aim asist the game offers.

I realize this game is "different"  but I just want to understand how my favorite profession plays out in it.

I've planned from day one to be a medic, and so far I have seen a use for them.  Everytime I've kept someone alive, I've always received a proper thank you in return.

So far I like where I am, as I can still solo, and am never rejected from a group.  Everyone always likes the idea of having someone watch their backs and keep them alive in the heat of the moment.

But most of all, I think "you" as a player will determine whether or not your specific class is important.  Same pretty much goes with most other classes as well.

thanks for the info,  again as i dont have the game yet, i dont know.  In most games you cant do a lot because you cant be in the middle of casting as someone is dying, or for regeneration purposes.

I gather this game doesnt follow those conventions, how does the play expierence work out?  What is it that you do as a medic (even though you dont get that rank until later i understand)

Truthfully I've found only really one use for a healer. That's when we were going to do Pravus with severly low levels. The healer was able to keep us alive so we could triumph. I haven't gotten further then the divide (although I sure could use a medic buddy to take down a stalker) I've been able to solo all the quests just fine, without anyone (haven't done the instances yet).

Higher level players will be able to tell you if the medic flushes out to be useful at the endgame or not.

The game is too fast for me.  To be a good healer I assume you will need good reflexes.  You will also need to consider that there are 2 thing to heal, health and armor.

Healers where THE most catered classes in EQ, but some couldn't solo (the players behind them, because all these healing classes where solo-friendly), yet most peoples and classes couldn't solo well in EQ...and yet, most healers where good soloers.  Blame EQ as a whole, not what they did to healers...healers where heavily wanted, and most of them good soloers...the worst soloing classe for healers was the cleric and it did solo all the way to the max level if it want, fighting undead...tells to a ranger or a rogue about how the game was not friendly for them...hehehe.

Well i will say there is no real casting time when you use either the tools or logos ability.  There is a short cool down of course but overall, if you don't heal someone right when they need, it would be either a case of latency or at your own hands.

As for my experiences, I have had fun going on my route to medic.  I am useful in any battle, and yet at the same time, still a force to be reckoned with on the field.  I find that I can do just about anything, I want to.  There are limitations of course, such as armor and weaponry you will be unable to use, but that goes for all.

I dont want to get into an eq debate but its very simple to me.  Healers had to stay seated, that means you never got to loot anything.  That means no money.  You have a buff that everyone expects and needs that costs a lot of money, that was given only a slight margin on the market to other players past the costs of the reagent. 

You were expected to be well geared with no income, in fact losing money everytime you went out. 

ANYWAYS

I like what im hearing about if i go the medic route, even if everyone around me is soloing, i can still enjoy the game, and be viable in a group.  Sounds a like like being a shadow priest in wow.

I havent considered the speed of battle and that effect on healing but thats one that I'll have to experience myself.

Originally posted by happydan20

I dont want to get into an eq debate but its very simple to me.  Healers had to stay seated, that means you never got to loot anything.  That means no money.  You have a buff that everyone expects and needs that costs a lot of money, that was given only a slight margin on the market to other players past the costs of the reagent. 

 You were expected to be well geared with no income, in fact losing money everytime you went out.  

Well, if you don't want an EQ debate, don't argue...otherwise you will get 1.

This argument is semi-valid only for clerics, druid and shaman neither sit, neither have to pay huge money.  Then, a cleric can always says he will only join a group that have a master looter which divide everything and that refund all the re-agents used...and guess what, all the best groups would accept if not come forward to you with that option.

If noob004 refuses to have a ML or to repay re-agents...it tells you MUCH about the player, his skills and his understanding of the game.  Of course, a player may say: don't hp buffs me, so we use less re-agents and get more money, if he is a rogue, a wizard or a ranger, this could be appropriate.

As a chanter I never gets to loot either...and I can't complain, my groups spoil me...BAD  (there was a rarity of chanters which help me)!  But again, there was a few kids which you learn not to group until they accept a ML and a fair system.  My baby cleric doesn't count, because she was fully decked by my chanter, so as a cleric myself, I couldn't really say I experience it first hand, but I experience it first hand with a chanter, and with a druid.  In life sometimes you have to tells peoples the truth, even if it means you refuse a group once or twice, eventually, they will come around this and they will respect you a lot and desire you in their group when they understand your point, cause eventually, they will.  I have a rune to absorb damages, the groups which insists that I cast it, I was always using group-ressources...not mine...except extremely lately in the game where I didn't care and just wishes to use it, but then, it was my choice, not a group's request.  (In the late game I have millions of PPs, so if I feel like casting rune spells, it wouldn't ruin me)

I was a soloer prior playing EQ...and by playing a chanter and beeing treated extremely kindly by my groups, I become a grouper.  I have no shame to admit it.  That doesn't mean I never encounter a jerk here and there.  The clerics were the most catered class by the game, but there was no shortage of clerics...so if some clerics accept anything...it creates bad habbits in some players.  It was my experience that warriors where often the harsher players...and as a result, I usually have paladins as main tanks...and we did extremely well and I never miss the bad warriors, who eventually come to terms with comon sense (experience may have varied).  Paladins understand the need to repay the clerics re-agents, they have the same spell line!  And paladins keep the chanter alive while the warrior say something silly about aggro or whatever.  But many clerics have the flaw to want to group a warrior for some reasons, because warrior has slightly more hps and are totally dependant...but that is a cleric fault!  A paladin was a tank which can heal himself if needed, but most importantly, may heal other party member (like a chanter or a cleric) to get backs the aggro a warrior was unable to take back...

So...clerics where spoiled by the devs, while chanters where spoiled by the players.  In my experience, it is better to be spoiled by the players!  (both classes where spoiled by the devs and the players, but to make a distinction)

Originally posted by happydan20

I like what im hearing about if i go the medic route, even if everyone around me is soloing, i can still enjoy the game, and be viable in a group.  Sounds a like like being a shadow priest in wow.

I havent considered the speed of battle and that effect on healing but thats one that I'll have to experience myself.

If you visit Pegasus, look up "marek" I'll be glad to help you out when I can.

I've noticed the need for healers more and more as the levels go by.  I'm about to ding 30 tonight with 20 more levels to go.  My main is a ranger (soon to be sniper)  and I've cloned a couple of alts in the soldier line.  I've also rolled another alt to clone a few down the specialist line with one of them to be a dedicated healer.  Healing in TR is actually kinda cool because you get 3 different healing tools and 3 different repair tools.  Healing tools restore life and repair tools restore armor.  The 3 types are in a radius, a cone and direct.  Healers also can use a variety of salvage, cipher (unlocks stuff) and a few others if I'm not mistaken.  I'm not much of a support character player but I dig it and I'll spend some time with it when I'm not messing with my sniper.  I hope this info helped, best of luck to you friend.

It's actually an interesting question, because in a way there are two "healing" classes.  Both medics and engineers fall into, what I think of as, the "support specialist" role.  Engineers specialize in restoring armor, while medics in restoring health.  Of course either one can take on both roles, as can Demolotionists and Exobios.  The neat thing is that you can choose what you would prefer to be best at restoring, and what other abilities interest you to compliment that.

So I'd say that a large proportion of people will be capable of healing/restoring to some extent.  People appreciate it when you heal/repair, but you will still be very active in doing the other things your chosen class is good at. 

Healers are nice and always have a spot, but the nice thing about the game is that your core weapons - pistols, rifles and shotguns are always on par with the soldiers as well.

The difference may be the Rage buff, which you can pickup when grouped with a soldier anyway so the point doesn't matter.

Enjoy the change of being able to actively play a combat role in an mmo finally, and not gimp out your healing abilities in doing so.