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Discussion on healing item sets
Raz415
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Hello, I think it's about time we sit down and talk about what the idea is behind healing sets and what they should bring to the table. I keep seeing new set after new falling doing the same mistakes as before, and as a result I don't think there's much excitement about them anymore. I'm not saying you guys need to drop what you're doing and fix healing sets for Summerset, but I think we need to talk right now and decide what we will do moving forward.
What is the core goal of item set bonuses for healers?
- Are they supposed to be a core part of our healing numbers, so that they are needed for veteran content? If that is the case, then let me tell you: right now, our healing numbers on SKILLS are so high that we DO NOT look for any extra healing (be it healing increases or direct heals). Our healing skills on their own can provide the numbers we need to keep people alive while doing content, unless someone makes a horrible mistake. People generally only get enough HP to survive 1 shot kills, unless they are tanks. That means that overall health pools are on the low side; tanks still need to be healed though, so our healing skills are overhealing A LOT on anyone except a tank. I think that for the health of healing, healing skills should have their numbers reduced by A LOT, while tanking sets (and maybe passives as well) should provide a lot more Healing Increase %. That way, healing sets that increase healing would be welcome and loved. I am personally a big fan of this; sets improving stats, damage or healing or providing pure % decreases to resource cost is the old WoW way, and I never found it fun. It was a big part of the "nr 1 top DPS is king" mindset.
- Are they supposed to provide utility? Then why create so many sets that provide only healing as a benefit? We have quite many that provide both healing % increases and direct heals through pretty fun ways - this is great for players who love throwing out big heals. But why keep them coming with Summerset? Why release TWO of them with Summerset? If the usual purpose is to provide utility though, we can do better. SPC and Worm Cult are cookie cutter healer sets right now and in my eyes, they suffer from the same problem: they are both powerful and boring. You put it on and forget about them. WC is passive, while SPC can also be considered passive since you're overhealing most of the time anyway. I also think they lack imagination - I support the idea of condensing buffs from different sources and classes to things like Minor / Major Savagery, BUT sets can be the refreshing exception. They can bring UNIQUE and FUN utility to a group without making the game harder to understand.
Personally, I think that item sets are restricted to too simple mechanics. Maybe you guys are concerned about having set bonuses that are not always on, "reliable", etc. Most gamers will say that consistency trumps potential and will pick the "always on" kind of utility. They are not wrong, but I think that in an MMO the devs should create opportunities for people to pick something else, for the purpose of having fun while still doing hard content. If the devs manage to create a proc set that is no more than 5% weaker in simulations, in my eyes they have done a fantastic job with that set.
What CAN item sets do?
I think that the sky is the limit. We have homogenized buffs now, and I think the game is much easier to understand now than it was years ago. If there is any place in this game for unique effects, it's item sets. Summoning things and creating puddles of X on the ground around an ally or enemy is nice enough sure, but you can do soooo much more.
You could have sets that drastically change the playstyle of a class. Crazy example: Sun Shield shield value is reduced by 70%, but it is placed on up to 5 allies around you and heals for X health over 5 seconds. So, the question is: are you willing to make sets that allow for usage of skills in very different ways?
You could have sets that shift the power of skills, with a slight gain: Regeneration gains the effects of both morphs, but costs more magicka. Would you be willing to make sets that affect morph choices?
You could have sets that give new skills to the player... either monster skills or player skills (no one would complain about NEW skills, but it might not be justified to have new animations etc for something that might not stay in the game as the game moves forward). I wouldn't mind having similar to Frozen Gate as an item skill, or other utility spells (burst heals or Bolt Escape would be far too strong and would feel mandatory).
I'm sure everyone can come up with examples, but the idea is that devs discuss the purpose and limits of healing sets and design new ones accordingly.
What is the core goal of item set bonuses for healers?
- Are they supposed to be a core part of our healing numbers, so that they are needed for veteran content? If that is the case, then let me tell you: right now, our healing numbers on SKILLS are so high that we DO NOT look for any extra healing (be it healing increases or direct heals). Our healing skills on their own can provide the numbers we need to keep people alive while doing content, unless someone makes a horrible mistake. People generally only get enough HP to survive 1 shot kills, unless they are tanks. That means that overall health pools are on the low side; tanks still need to be healed though, so our healing skills are overhealing A LOT on anyone except a tank. I think that for the health of healing, healing skills should have their numbers reduced by A LOT, while tanking sets (and maybe passives as well) should provide a lot more Healing Increase %. That way, healing sets that increase healing would be welcome and loved. I am personally a big fan of this; sets improving stats, damage or healing or providing pure % decreases to resource cost is the old WoW way, and I never found it fun. It was a big part of the "nr 1 top DPS is king" mindset.
- Are they supposed to provide utility? Then why create so many sets that provide only healing as a benefit? We have quite many that provide both healing % increases and direct heals through pretty fun ways - this is great for players who love throwing out big heals. But why keep them coming with Summerset? Why release TWO of them with Summerset? If the usual purpose is to provide utility though, we can do better. SPC and Worm Cult are cookie cutter healer sets right now and in my eyes, they suffer from the same problem: they are both powerful and boring. You put it on and forget about them. WC is passive, while SPC can also be considered passive since you're overhealing most of the time anyway. I also think they lack imagination - I support the idea of condensing buffs from different sources and classes to things like Minor / Major Savagery, BUT sets can be the refreshing exception. They can bring UNIQUE and FUN utility to a group without making the game harder to understand.
Personally, I think that item sets are restricted to too simple mechanics. Maybe you guys are concerned about having set bonuses that are not always on, "reliable", etc. Most gamers will say that consistency trumps potential and will pick the "always on" kind of utility. They are not wrong, but I think that in an MMO the devs should create opportunities for people to pick something else, for the purpose of having fun while still doing hard content. If the devs manage to create a proc set that is no more than 5% weaker in simulations, in my eyes they have done a fantastic job with that set.
What CAN item sets do?
I think that the sky is the limit. We have homogenized buffs now, and I think the game is much easier to understand now than it was years ago. If there is any place in this game for unique effects, it's item sets. Summoning things and creating puddles of X on the ground around an ally or enemy is nice enough sure, but you can do soooo much more.
You could have sets that drastically change the playstyle of a class. Crazy example: Sun Shield shield value is reduced by 70%, but it is placed on up to 5 allies around you and heals for X health over 5 seconds. So, the question is: are you willing to make sets that allow for usage of skills in very different ways?
You could have sets that shift the power of skills, with a slight gain: Regeneration gains the effects of both morphs, but costs more magicka. Would you be willing to make sets that affect morph choices?
You could have sets that give new skills to the player... either monster skills or player skills (no one would complain about NEW skills, but it might not be justified to have new animations etc for something that might not stay in the game as the game moves forward). I wouldn't mind having similar to Frozen Gate as an item skill, or other utility spells (burst heals or Bolt Escape would be far too strong and would feel mandatory).
I'm sure everyone can come up with examples, but the idea is that devs discuss the purpose and limits of healing sets and design new ones accordingly.
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Lightspeedflashb14_ESO✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭Honestly, if the set doesn't give resources or increase the damage of your team, it is never going to be more then a "fun" set. -
Raz415✭✭✭Lightspeedflashb14_ESO wrote: »Honestly, if the set doesn't give resources or increase the damage of your team, it is never going to be more then a "fun" set.
I mean, if YOU do extra damage, this increases the damage of your team. Of course, it's hard to beat enabling 4-5 allies to do 1000 damage each, but it's not impossible. They just need to be a bit imaginative to give healers damage in PvE that won't make things worse in PvP.