Or only one of the cleric classes? I just started and like the Warden but would really like to focus on healing. Pointers?

Yes, wardens can be main healers.

They play different then other healers, you can't wait for the damage to occur to respond, you have to be out ahead of the damage with your heals over time (HOTs).

The problem you will have with a warden is in solo, they don't put out much dps in combat.

Hmm I see, not too sure how I feel about focusing on HoT's. Id rather be more of a burst healer. Can anybody give me a quick rundown of the healing classes? Ive searched the net but cant find a good one : (

I remember reading from another wiki site that clerics have the problem of not being able to keep classes like monks alive in a group/raid because monks tank based on high avoidance instead of mitigation. This means they'll receive high bursts of damage that a cleric has a very short time to react on making it difficult to keep up, versus a druid's HoTs will make the spikes easier to manage.

So in relation to your question, I think Cleric would be more of a burst healer like you said, while keeping in mind that some tank classes are easier to keep alive with HoTs. Then again, I'm also hearing monks are pretty undesirable tanks right now so you might not have to worry about that much lol

I play a monk and warden and love them both, although they both seem somewhat unconventional in their approach of their role in a group. I just solo most of the time anyway. Wardens are great soloers if you have the right gear/spec for it. I think a cleric is the obvious choice though for a clearcut healer type. I haven't played one though so I can't really tell you more then that.

Originally posted by ZenNature

I remember reading from another wiki site that clerics have the problem of not being able to keep classes like monks alive in a group/raid because monks tank based on high avoidance instead of mitigation. This means they'll receive high bursts of damage that a cleric has a very short time to react on making it difficult to keep up, versus a druid's HoTs will make the spikes easier to manage.

So in relation to your question, I think Cleric would be more of a burst healer like you said, while keeping in mind that some tank classes are easier to keep alive with HoTs. Then again, I'm also hearing monks are pretty undesirable tanks right now so you might not have to worry about that much lol

I play a monk and warden and love them both, although they both seem somewhat unconventional in their approach of their role in a group. I just solo most of the time anyway. Wardens are great soloers if you have the right gear/spec for it. I think a cleric is the obvious choice though for a clearcut healer type. I haven't played one though so I can't really tell you more then that.

I just feel like figuring out all of the HoTs and managing them would get very tedious. How do you feel about this? And do you find yourself healing more in groups or doing melee?

I try and do a lot in groups whether it be healing, melee, or ranged dps. It's a class fairly capable of anything so some groups expect me to be pitching in more then just a dedicated healer. When all of your healing is over time anyway, it's gets a little boring to just watch them tick unless you're doing something else along with it so if that's what you meant by tedious, then yeah, it can be a bit. I melee or throw an occasional damage spell if I have spare mana all the time to keep it more interesting, but I've seen some wardens just play healbot and I don't understand how they stay awake.

If we're fighting something more challenging, I'll focus just on healing and there's plenty of time to manage it all with a warden. I also healed as a druid in WoW and it was a lot trickier then EQ2. With weaker HoTs and a few different ones to balance out based on mana conservation, plus your instant heals on cooldown options, WoW druids were tough without a solid casting order. Wardens are nothing like that to me. I think cleric healing would be more challenging here since it's reactive healing rather then predicting damage, but again I really don't know the comparison beyond that. The clerics I group with tend to get bored though if I'm not just backup healing, since my heals should be on the tank first leaving the cleric to just wait for an emergency.

Managing HoTs is really easy here though. You use the HoTs or group HoTs when predicting damage, and the heal+HoT when you see someone losing health quicker then that. The bigger pain to me is managing curing everyone on top of healing, because some ailments will outdps any heal you have. Not curing them will be the slow-death of the entire party. Mobs seem to drop different ailments on a party more then damage sometimes. I would love SOE forever if they added a spell to deflect incoming ailments indefinitely in exchange for some concentration or mana per second. I guess that would make it too easy though.

Originally posted by Ozreth

Originally posted by ZenNature

I remember reading from another wiki site that clerics have the problem of not being able to keep classes like monks alive in a group/raid because monks tank based on high avoidance instead of mitigation. This means they'll receive high bursts of damage that a cleric has a very short time to react on making it difficult to keep up, versus a druid's HoTs will make the spikes easier to manage.

So in relation to your question, I think Cleric would be more of a burst healer like you said, while keeping in mind that some tank classes are easier to keep alive with HoTs. Then again, I'm also hearing monks are pretty undesirable tanks right now so you might not have to worry about that much lol

I play a monk and warden and love them both, although they both seem somewhat unconventional in their approach of their role in a group. I just solo most of the time anyway. Wardens are great soloers if you have the right gear/spec for it. I think a cleric is the obvious choice though for a clearcut healer type. I haven't played one though so I can't really tell you more then that.

 

I just feel like figuring out all of the HoTs and managing them would get very tedious. How do you feel about this? And do you find yourself healing more in groups or doing melee?

IMO playing a Warden there is not much "managing" HOTs. In most cases you just mindlessly spam your heals all through and repeat as soon as the first one is up again.

Healing with my Warden was rather a management of HOT-cooldowns for the best spam-routine than actually intelligently managing my healoutput, so to say.

Originally posted by VoIgore

Originally posted by Ozreth

Originally posted by ZenNature

I remember reading from another wiki site that clerics have the problem of not being able to keep classes like monks alive in a group/raid because monks tank based on high avoidance instead of mitigation. This means they'll receive high bursts of damage that a cleric has a very short time to react on making it difficult to keep up, versus a druid's HoTs will make the spikes easier to manage.

So in relation to your question, I think Cleric would be more of a burst healer like you said, while keeping in mind that some tank classes are easier to keep alive with HoTs. Then again, I'm also hearing monks are pretty undesirable tanks right now so you might not have to worry about that much lol

I play a monk and warden and love them both, although they both seem somewhat unconventional in their approach of their role in a group. I just solo most of the time anyway. Wardens are great soloers if you have the right gear/spec for it. I think a cleric is the obvious choice though for a clearcut healer type. I haven't played one though so I can't really tell you more then that.

 

I just feel like figuring out all of the HoTs and managing them would get very tedious. How do you feel about this? And do you find yourself healing more in groups or doing melee?

 

IMO playing a Warden there is not much "managing" HOTs. In most cases you just mindlessly spam your heals all through and repeat as soon as the first one is up again.

Healing with my Warden was rather a management of HOT-cooldowns for the best spam-routine than actually intelligently managing my healoutput, so to say.

 

So when its all said in done, which healing class would you guys suggest for somebody who wants to focus on being a group healer, but dosent want to get bored?

You might want to try a shaman (mystic/defiler). They seem to have a lot of options, with buffs, debuffs, dots, wards, direct heals like clerics, shapeshifting like druids, no HoTs to leave you sitting there watching the ticks/cooldowns, food summoning and SoW for convenience, and some helpful pets/spirits to summon. I'm about to try one myself because they seem like a pretty interesting healer class. I have a lot of fun with my warden, but I've always liked HoT management over direct healing. Shamans might give you the versatility of druids to do many things but with direct heals instead of HoT management.

Originally posted by ZenNature

You might want to try a shaman (mystic/defiler). They seem to have a lot of options, with buffs, debuffs, dots, wards, direct heals like clerics, shapeshifting like druids, no HoTs to leave you sitting there watching the ticks/cooldowns, food summoning and SoW for convenience, and some helpful pets/spirits to summon. I'm about to try one myself because they seem like a pretty interesting healer class. I have a lot of fun with my warden, but I've always liked HoT management over direct healing. Shamans might give you the versatility of druids to do many things but with direct heals instead of HoT management.

The problem with Shamans is the heal casting is slow. In most groups that I have been in they are not the main healers. That will go to either the plate wearers or the druids. Shamans are great with their wards to prevent damage. Plus they have some of the best debuffs in my opinion.

But for the Op. Wardens do make excellent main healers. Yes you have Heals over time to manage, but you also get direct heals that are fast casting. Also if you do your AA lines right. Such as strength in the druid line there is an ability to add a heal on your combat swings so you just don't have to sit back and heal. you can get in the combat and help with dps and heals.

Now I personnaly never played a Warden. Mine is a fury. We do have some of the same heal spells but the warden gets more direct heals than the fury. The thing I liked about the fury was at a high level he gets a healing spell that you can cast right before battle then 10 seconds later gives a big burst heal to start you out. Something I don't think the Warden has.

Good luck on any choice you make, but most of all have fun.

This has all been really helpful guys. Looks like im just gonna have to try them all out : /

Although I think ill end up sticking with Warden.