How to Improve Dragon Knight Healers in gameplay

Tasear

ATreeGnome wrote: »

Too be honest, I don't think that DK healers are really all that far behind. In terms of raw HPS they are actually pretty competitive with templars and even superior to most other classes. I think their biggest issue is that they need another synergy (or to have the game changed to not revolve around Alkosh) and for DK tanks to not be such a dominant choice. If you look at their utility in its own right it's very powerful - they can use chains, talons, engulfing flames, and provide minor brutality. The only problem is that DK tanks do all of that too and are by far the easiest choice for main tanking in most trials.

Yeah that's the thing they are the only class having big issue clashing with tank utility. Even if you don't consider tank issue there's also Stamina, and Magicka dps they can clash with. Giving them a synergy would most defiantly resolve the immediate issues for them, but they have a lot of play style issues and unusable or very situational skills.

Feanor

I also think classes should have strong points and weak points, and that naturally isn’t compatible with the mantra that every class should be good at every role. I think that “play as you want” leads to a bland game in the end where everything is more or less the same because otherwise you can’t balance it properly.

As for DKs they are the only class with Major Mending for a notable duration with Fragmented Shield. Their healing skills lack a bit, so you’re more dependent on the Resto tree - which isn’t that bad because most healing comes from stacking Healing Springs anyway.

What I would generally like for Healers is less buff jobs and a strengthening of healing as a core ability - which means less smart heals, less one shots but more potent DoTs, and more mechanics that specifically give Healers a job (like the NPC battle in Malatar where you have to keep the NPC alive).

Wing

just wanted to chime in and point out that compared to wardens and templars, DK lacks both the passives for it (both wardens and templars have great passives for healing) and that ONE solid heal.

-breath of life is amazing, obviously, its a great emergency single target heal for the templar and the target

-fungal growth heals the warden and targets, applies minor stam and magicka regen to all, minor toughness, and probably procs major mending


DK does not have that, it HAS major mending and its good but takes a bar slot, it HAS a decent single target heal but its self only OR in the case of cauterize has really wonky timing and mechanics applied to it and once again uses a bar slot AND has no useful passives.

everything DK could bring to the table could be better accomplished in the restoration staff line, the thing that Warden and Templar bring to the Resto line are.

-a not self only burst heal, resto lacks this, both warden and templar have this
-passives that grant unique or useful benefits to the group (especially warden)
-group benefits other then healing, resource restore, cleanse, mass major buffs etc.

DK has to slot a lot of skills to do what warden and templar do with 1, does not have any passives, and does not bring anything extra to the group, molten weapons would be cool if everyone didn't just have that buff already, and lacking some form of group emergency heal is terrible, maybe if dragon blood effected another target but I don't know.

DK's can be healers, but templar and warden just do everything better and more.

Tasear

Wing wrote: »

just wanted to chime in and point out that compared to wardens and templars, DK lacks both the passives for it (both wardens and templars have great passives for healing) and that ONE solid heal.

-breath of life is amazing, obviously, its a great emergency single target heal for the templar and the target

-fungal growth heals the warden and targets, applies minor stam and magicka regen to all, minor toughness, and probably procs major mending


DK does not have that, it HAS major mending and its good but takes a bar slot, it HAS a decent single target heal but its self only OR in the case of cauterize has really wonky timing and mechanics applied to it and once again uses a bar slot AND has no useful passives.

everything DK could bring to the table could be better accomplished in the restoration staff line, the thing that Warden and Templar bring to the Resto line are.

-a not self only burst heal, resto lacks this, both warden and templar have this
-passives that grant unique or useful benefits to the group (especially warden)
-group benefits other then healing, resource restore, cleanse, mass major buffs etc.

DK has to slot a lot of skills to do what warden and templar do with 1, does not have any passives, and does not bring anything extra to the group, molten weapons would be cool if everyone didn't just have that buff already, and lacking some form of group emergency heal is terrible, maybe if dragon blood effected another target but I don't know.

DK's can be healers, but templar and warden just do everything better and more.

I think if they just adjusted current tool DKs wouldn't have to be required to use resto staff for everything. They would have their own playstle.

Wing

your proposed changes:

-cinder would end up very much like templars ritual (sans cleanse) and im not against that, giving it a burst heal synergy like blood fountain or budding seeds, or perhaps even allow the DK to cast it again to pop a larger aoe heal, a bit more like budding seeds (chose aoe dot heal or instant heal)

-cauterize, I think because of the crit bonuses making this skill any kind of decent would make it overloaded, I would much rather it be the heal over time but work like a standard dot (once every 2 sec) rather then once ever 5, this would also make it less punishing to reactive it early (you constantly lose the last heal tick in actual gameplay) and make the damage morph work the same.

-I would add in a passive that gives targets healed by the DK while under 40?% health a damage shield for 2 seconds, some small amount, 1k-2k, to act as a buffer so DK heal dots can work and to keep in the unique DK flavor of shields and dots.

-I would also add a unique 5-8% damage buff to all light attacks on molten armaments for all effected rather then the self only heavy attack buff, most dps parses consist highly of light attacks and this would add further benefit to bringing DK's

-and finally change mountains blessing to give anyone healed by an earthen heart skill 3 ultimate on a 6 second cooldown, rather then the DK only on cast.


I like the idea of DK's doing their healing through dots and shields, so lets work with that and expand on it to end with something unique, strong, and thematic. cinder storm would be great, healing over time, granting ult, and shielding allies when they are on low health so the heal dots can do their work, it can be re cast to provide a burst heal when needed. and cauterize would work a little bit better constantly throwing out little heals to those in need.

with that kind of play I could live without a burst heal and would really enjoy the unique flavor and protection a DK healer would bring to the group.

Iskiab

I looked at DK healing, what discouraged me was the size of the aoe healing abilities. 6m radius is ridiculously small making it useless for pvp.

It has nothing to do with tooltip values, it’s all about how functional the abilities are.

Tasear

Iskiab wrote: »

I looked at DK healing, what discouraged me was the size of the aoe healing abilities. 6m radius is ridiculously small making it useless for pvp.

It has nothing to do with tooltip values, it’s all about how functional the abilities are.

Yes they only need functionality to skills

Moonsorrow

Best way to play DK healer is to wait for Elsweyr and then login to Necro healer.

Tasear

Moonsorrow wrote: »

Best way to play DK healer is to wait for Elsweyr and then login to Necro healer.

^ only class that unfortunately gets these comments. While no harm in this comment, it speaks to greater true.