i always play the heal class and I've read around the net and it seems like the healer class in this game is super overpowered, and that sort of sounds good, except im waiting for the nerf bat to swing.  Also if the healer class is so popular i will lose that groups really want me thing that makes being the healer enjoyable.

Anyone who has played the healer agree or disagree that they are over powered at the moment?

I wouldnt say its any more popular then any other class except SM.   On the overpowered topic it really matters what you consider overpowered.  You can solo pretty much any PVE content around your level that isnt ment for groups.  The reason people think they are overpowered because you have no downtime and its efficent but not very fast just very efficent.  A sorc, ass will kill faster but has more downtime but in the end they will kill more.

thanks i have a different question also:

This appears to use a UI of lotro, one thing that really bothered me was it was hard to keep track of positive buffs and debuffs, or knowing what was effectiing you, because of those tiny little pics, is it that all over again?

If anything, every class has been called overpowered at one stage or another, supposedly what I've heard, clerics are OP'ed until they get 30+ where it slows down for them, and when groups are easier to get exp for them, and not heard much about chanters but my mrs is loving playing hers but shes only a lowbie at the moment lol!

Chanters and Clerics have heals, chain armour, shields, one handed or two handed weaps, so yer thats why they are classed OP'ed really, but the game is pretty much balanced at the end game.

Hey happydan,

There are two healer classes in Aion. The first is Cleric, and the second is Chanter. Cleric leans more towards pure heals, and Chanter leans more towards buffs.

The reason that the the class seems OP is that it is not a standard MMO healer class. Its a lot more like classic D&D Cleric. I don't know if you ever played pen and paper D&D, but to describe further: you're not a cloth mage. You can wear chain armor, carry a mace, you can use a shield, and you have some offensive spells as well as heals.

So, Aion Chanters and Clerics aren't really OP, so much as exceedingly well balanced between melee and magic, and they are much more durable than the class you're probably used to. They aren't the best at any one thing except healing, but they can do a bit of everything in a pinch, which makes them good for solo play and survivablilty. You get to do a bit of everything, which really appeals to people. I'm sure if you want to you can become a Cleric and be a dedicated healer with a staff and cloth armor. There will also be many Chanters and Clerics who make their characters holy offensive fighters.

Hope that helps.

Originally posted by sbanting

 

Chanters and Clerics have heals, chain armour, shields, one handed or two handed weaps, so yer thats why they are classed OP'ed really, but the game is pretty much balanced at the end game.

I agree.  I just played a Cleric to 13 having gotten my Sorc to 15.  I definitely feel the lack of DPS and CC with the cleric verses the Sorc but I get to be tougher and of course the heals.  With teh windup time on heals though I think it is pretty balanced and having played Assasin, Cleric, and Sorc now I can definitely say each has its pluses and minuses and is what I think is balanced.

Originally posted by Tisiphone

The reason that the the class seems OP is that it is not a standard MMO healer class. Its a lot more like classic D&D Cleric. I don't know if you ever played pen and paper D&D, but to describe further: you're not a cloth mage.

Well said,  and I agree not overpowered just less good at several things.

Originally posted by Tisiphone

Hey happydan,

There are two healer classes in Aion. The first is Cleric, and the second is Chanter. Cleric leans more towards pure heals, and Chanter leans more towards buffs.

The reason that the the class seems OP is that it is not a standard MMO healer class. Its a lot more like classic D&D Cleric. I don't know if you ever played pen and paper D&D, but to describe further: you're not a cloth mage. You can wear chain armor, carry a mace, you can use a shield, and you have some offensive spells as well as heals.

So, Aion Chanters and Clerics aren't really OP, so much as exceedingly well balanced between melee and magic, and they are much more durable than the class you're probably used to. They aren't the best at any one thing except healing, but they can do a bit of everything in a pinch, which makes them good for solo play and survivablilty. You get to do a bit of everything, which really appeals to people. I'm sure if you want to you can become a Cleric and be a dedicated healer with a staff and cloth armor. There will also be many Chanters and Clerics who make their characters holy offensive fighters.

Hope that helps.

I just started playing, but my initial impressions so far -- this is the first MMO that for my playstyle, nailed the Cleric class spot on.  Good example of DnD -- anyone who played NWN and played a Cleric has a great idea of IMO what a Cleric should be.  I can heal, do tank and offenseive spell -- all well enough.  Obviously I am great only at healing, but can do the others more then well enough.  Everything I have read, this is the class through end game.
 

 also aion isnt a purely pve game, in fact after level 20 youll be seeing alot of pvp whether you want to or not because the main zones are pvp flagged with the other realm.  in pvp clerics are no overpowered, their heals are very nice so assassins and mages target them and healers arent strong enough to endure a good dpser for too long, at the same time if they know what theyre doing they hold their own, the games had 2 years of balancing in asia, the nerf bat isnt being swung wildly.

thanks everyone! you really sell the game well:)

can anyone comment on the ui managing buffs or debuffs though?  I played a minstrel in lotro online and i really didnt like those tiny icons that i could barely make out to manage them.

 well chanters and clerics both have 2 1 hour buffs that i know of and chanters have 3 auras by level 20 that are on if they turn them on and youre in range, other then that healers dont run much for buffs outside of potions/food,  the icons are small but you may be able to fool with them, i have no issue with them myself as i know what they are, debuff wise your  health turns colors when stunned/snared/rooted as does your targets health

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Originally posted by happydan20
thanks everyone! you really sell the game well:)
 
can anyone comment on the ui managing buffs or debuffs though?  I played a minstrel in lotro online and i really didnt like those tiny icons that i could barely make out to manage them.

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That's trickier to answer. Best bet, watch YouTube videos of PvP / gameplay or look for screenshots. The icons are very typical MMO-style - top right screen. I cannot remember how big the LOTRO ones were in comparison.

If you don't get an answer, send me a PM to remind me and I will post a screenshot when I'm at my gaming computer.

i have and they look exactly the same, the problem in lotro is that minstrel buffs are 5-15 seconds so you have to manage them.  Debuffs are so tiny that you dont actually know whats being done to you.

If it as another poster said, the buffs are longer, and the status changes are reflected in your health bar instead, that might make up for it.

I didnt feel the two healer classes are overpowered. The balance of power greatly shifts towards the advantage of scout classes in the later game. Healers are always needed; I found Chanter and Cleric enjoyable, tho healers are not my kind of thing. But good to play IMO. Well, the usual stuff. ;)

Originally posted by happydan20

i always play the heal class and I've read around the net and it seems like the healer class in this game is super overpowered, and that sort of sounds good, except im waiting for the nerf bat to swing.  Also if the healer class is so popular i will lose that groups really want me thing that makes being the healer enjoyable.

 

Anyone who has played the healer agree or disagree that they are over powered at the moment?

Not overpowered at all, they are powerful enough to just about manage their solo quests.

What I have seen of pvp as a healer shows that they seem to be able to hold their own but would lose to a more skilful player.

My experience as a healer so far: Problem for me leveling my Cleric was that except for the Blackclaw-camp there was absolutely no healing needed up to level ~24-25.

You only kill single mobs, never have to deal with groups or such and the damage classes just burn through with pots, bandages and resting. I have never felt so useless as a healer in another game before, never got tells like i got in other games. Of course, from 25 on there will be healers needed for instances and PvP, but up to then everyone pretty much levels on his own.

I always liked in other games that i started to heal others with my single small heal and HoT at level 3 or something, but in Aion this wasn't the case for me at all. Instead the dmg-classes were stealing my mobs left and right while i couldn't tag them fast enough with too little burst damage.

As to the UI, i find healing quite awkward and uncomfortable at times. Targeting is ancient with both the F1-* keys or clicking the player in your group frame. As far as i know there is also no mouseover working in the game, so direct aiming isn't an option.

I can imagine that being in a PvP situation where i'm constantly in movement with W,A,S,D i may have a hard time and hurting hand targeting my mates with the F-keys at the same time i'm moving.

It also seems to me that the server registers incoming healing a split second too late and has priority on incoming damage or something. It often happened to me that a player was low on health, i healed him to full and then by the next hit he took he got killed, as if the server still had him on low HP and registered the incoming damage before my heal. So unlike in other games were i often saved someone on 10% by a split second, in Aion i have to be very quick on the trigger with my heals.*Edit: i play with 60ms, so lag on my side shouldn't be a factor in this.

VoIgore is right about the chunkiness issues he points out but I think they are mostly pervasive in the game not just priests.  Don't get me wrong, Aion is in a good state but it lacks a lot of the polish of typical Western MMOs (perhaps this is due to its Korean roots).  There are lots of little things that are clunky and awkward even though the core game is solid.  Tagging is stupid in Aion with the kill credit going to highest DPS and it has a number of problems. 

I do find lots of folks need healing though even if just as a courtesy/convenience type thing and I have met and made friends in keeping an eye out for folks in trouble.  I also get a kick out of looking for folks that die and offering them a rez though there are consumable items any class can purchase and carry that will do a one time rez, they are appropriately pricey though.  The targeting is crap with just basic 'target next X' and no 'target previous X' or other more advanced bindable target controls.  What really is annoying is that there is no skill forwarding so if you have a mob targeted and want to toss a heal on his target you must manually change to his target or the heal will be applied to your own character.  Lastly, the HOTs you get early on are mostly useless due to the short duration and small boost, I like HOT healing over big heals but perhaps this is just a preference (it is also odd that you get two hots by like 10/11 and they are mostly the same and do not stack.

All that being said, I think those issues are why the class is not OP.  Clerics, not as familiar with Chanters, give up greatness at damage and CC and other things in order to get the support option of heals and the trade off is done right.  But go play a Cleric for a couple days then switch to a Sorc and see the serious damage and CC abilities and then go back to Cleric and you will see the price the Cleric pays.  Like it has been said about D&D Clerics, good at several things but master of none, save healing, while other classes are true masters of their role.

Originally posted by happydan20

i always play the heal class and I've read around the net and it seems like the healer class in this game is super overpowered, and that sort of sounds good, except im waiting for the nerf bat to swing.  Also if the healer class is so popular i will lose that groups really want me thing that makes being the healer enjoyable.

 

Anyone who has played the healer agree or disagree that they are over powered at the moment?

nha not op but they can survive a gank fest some feel they re op because of the heal they will probably serf heal in cleric

Hej,

I am currently leveling a Cleric (Level 15) and I had a lot of fun so far. Previous chars have been a Priest in WoW and thats why the cleric has been the perfect choice for me. It does ok DMG and the chain-spells are fun (and look nice) So far I have 1 melee chain combo of 2 spells, the second one with a chance to stun the target, and a cast spell chain combo of 2 spells. In addition to that I got a root spell.

As buffs there are 2 60 minute buffs for HP and armor (or so) and a 30 min self-buff that has a chance to deal dmg to the target.

Most importantly - The heals: One big heal and 2 HoTs, a short one with initial heal and a long one w/o initial heal. It seems they can't be on the same target at the same time.

I can solo each Q as long as I get my heals out inbetween. The HoTs don't tick high enough to just use them, it is usually needed to put out a big heal now and then. Biggest diff to e.g. WoW is that the Cleric can wear Chain, like a Shaman. But so far only the Cloth items had +Mana.

So far I have enjoyed it a lot and I guess it will continue to do so.

 I wonder, as a healer will an end game player mostly be doing PVP or does AION offer plenty of PVE raid content? 

Perhaps I'm way out of the ballpark here, I don't know =) 

Originally posted by Rothnir

So far I have enjoyed it a lot and I guess it will continue to do so.

Hello Rothnir!

If you can make the time, i'd be interested in your further thoughts about the cleric once you reach the early 20s.