Question about "Looking for tanks and healers" for groups

Deepfry

I thought that one of the main points of ESO was that there were no longer the "tank / dps / healer" stereotypes?

Whilst there are still "pure DPS" characters, it seems to me that "tank" and "healer" are far less stereotyped, especially at lower levels when you need to be able to do reasonable DPS in order to level up.

So, for example, what exactly do people mean, at levels 10-40, when they say they are "looking for a healer"?

What exactly are they looking for? A player with a pure healing spec? Or just a player with some healing skills?

PS: I ask this question for 2 reasons. Firstly out of curiosity, to try to understand this new game. But secondly because I have a Templar who I hope one day will be a serious healer, but who for the moment is 1/3 healer and 2/3 DPS, simply to be able to level up properly. So should I be joining groups as a healer, or as a DPS?

ElliottXO

If they look for a healer it means somebody with a restoration staff, since only them have the means to heal efficiently trough a dungeon (magicka return on heavy staff attacks).

If they look for a tank it means somebody with a shield, since only them can aggro and block efficiently.

In short: the weapon determines your role. Other setups can also finish a dungeon (e.g. 2 templar off healers), but you can't bet on that since the party will be created randomly.

So anyone with brains will only queue as a healer if he has restorations staff skilled, and anyone who queues as a tank has shield skilled.

And no: ESO never claimed to get rid off the stereotypes. They are just not that absurdetily specialized like in other games (tank can't take 20x more than a DPS).

Deepfry

ElliottXO wrote: »

In short: the weapon determines your role. So anyone with brains will only queue as a healer if he has restorations staff skilled, and anyone who queues as a tank has shield skilled.

Thank you for your answer.

So are you saying that having a Restoration staff equipped + Restoration staff skills, is enough to be a "healer" ... and I can put all other skills into DPS in order to be able to level efficiently?

ElliottXO

Deepfry wrote: »

ElliottXO wrote: »

In short: the weapon determines your role. So anyone with brains will only queue as a healer if he has restorations staff skilled, and anyone who queues as a tank has shield skilled.

Thank you for your answer.

So are you saying that having a Restoration staff equipped + Restoration staff skills, is enough to be a "healer" ... and I can put all other skills into DPS in order to be able to level efficiently?

I recommend about 3 healing skills in total, either from the restoration line or mix up with class abilities. Then one support/DPS or CC skill and one stamina skill (I like circle if protection if the tank plays along).

That makes you then a healer. Other setups can also work but then it's always a gamble with your other group members. If you take 3 healing skills things should not go wrong.

Shimond

I don't know that they've ever said they want to abolish the holy trinity or that the tank and healer roles were unnecessary. In my experience the roles do exist in the game and are needed, really. The difference is your class choice does not determine your role - the weapon type does (so anyone can do anything).

reggielee

On some dungeons I have to use all my healing skills to keep everyone up, no way could someone with just a couple healing spells and a restor staff could do it. No wonder I keep getting gracious thanks from my groups as I know I am not the best healer out there but if enuf people are queing up with only a staff and one heal it must be horrid out there for groups

Comaetilico

Deepfry wrote: »

I thought that one of the main points of ESO was that there were no longer the "tank / dps / healer" stereotypes?

Whilst there are still "pure DPS" characters, it seems to me that "tank" and "healer" are far less stereotyped, especially at lower levels when you need to be able to do reasonable DPS in order to level up.

So, for example, what exactly do people mean, at levels 10-40, when they say they are "looking for a healer"?

What exactly are they looking for? A player with a pure healing spec? Or just a player with some healing skills?

PS: I ask this question for 2 reasons. Firstly out of curiosity, to try to understand this new game. But secondly because I have a Templar who I hope one day will be a serious healer, but who for the moment is 1/3 healer and 2/3 DPS, simply to be able to level up properly. So should I be joining groups as a healer, or as a DPS?

this is a misinterpretation of what was said...

they never stated that there will be no roles such as tank and healer... but that there will be no class-role block... that is to say that being a DK don't automaticaly means that you are a tank... being a templar don't means being an healer... and every single class can cover every single role...

also by thx to the ability to build hybrid class is it possible to even run group content without specific roles... but being able to do it doesn't mean that it is conveninet... as the devs themself stated in a few interview; you can complete a dungeon with 4 dps, but doing it with a "proper party setup" will make it easier and faster

Deepfry

reggielee wrote: »

On some dungeons I have to use all my healing skills to keep everyone up, no way could someone with just a couple healing spells and a restor staff could do it. No wonder I keep getting gracious thanks from my groups as I know I am not the best healer out there but if enuf people are queing up with only a staff and one heal it must be horrid out there for groups

What level are you ?

Because if you are relatively low level (let's say between 10 and 30), isn't it hard to solo quests and level up if you have no DPS skills (or almost none) ?

DotAwkward

Deepfry wrote: »

reggielee wrote: »

On some dungeons I have to use all my healing skills to keep everyone up, no way could someone with just a couple healing spells and a restor staff could do it. No wonder I keep getting gracious thanks from my groups as I know I am not the best healer out there but if enuf people are queing up with only a staff and one heal it must be horrid out there for groups

What level are you ?

Because if you are relatively low level (let's say between 10 and 30), isn't it hard to solo quests and level up if you have no DPS skills (or almost none) ?

As a level 14 Templar I had more than enough skills to have 5+ dps skills and 5 healing skills, plus some passives in both. So really easy to switch between healing a dungeon and solo levelling.

mssteffie

I have a question I'm hoping someone can help me with..I took on the sorcerer/healer role however having done a few runs, I find it very hard to keep watch on all members and keep them healed while I myself are being attacked. Is there some trick to it? Especially when there is a bow and he isn't close to the others. The other problem is I only know two people on the game so I can't get alot of experience without worrying about letting a unknown group down.

Artemiisia

I have always enjoyed being a healer in AoC, where im a T4 healer, here I hoped to become a healer also, I just dont want to be the race that has the best skill line for healing (Argonian)

Hekx

First (well one of the first 10) rules of MMO healing is that anyone getting healed has to make it easy on the healer. If someone has a bow/is ranging and moves themselves out of range/behind you/blocks themselves, it's their responsibility to get themselves healed. Not yours to chase after them or worry about it.
Most players are pretty good about this, you will of course find a few who expect you to chase them.

Gohlar

Deepfry, if you enjoy grouping up for dungeons, this game is not for you. They removed exp gains from pretty much all multiplayer content. Your reward for getting to 50 is having to do another faction's quests.

This is a solo questing game and they punish you by stopping progress if you attempt to do anything else. It sucks.

Artemiisia

that rule dont apply to AoC Hekx, there its the healers job, to heal and only heal and stay with tank, while staying out of AoE, though this MMO healing is quite harder, since you have to run more around healing everyone, since tank agro aint like AoC where he can almost pull the whole thing

Which is kinda a fresh start of a new way of doing things in MMO, that I like, makes the game more versatile for sure and fun. Going up against bosses here where they suddenly choose a random target and you need to react fast not to die, I like it, keeps me on my toes and the element of surprise keeps the suspense alive in fights

jmido8

When they say they want a healer, they mean they want someone who can keep everyone alive during the dungeon. It doesnt really matter if you use a resto staff or 2hander as long as you can keep them alive.

Me for example, I have a resto staff as a secondary weapon but I play 75% of the dungeon using a bow with just 1 healing spell on my bar.

fredarbonab14_ESO

Good thread folks, good stuff.

mssteffie

Well at this point I think I (level 30) and going to hang around the grotto etc and stick with the level 16 and under and see how I do, at least it doesn't take as much magic to heal them lol ..

jesterstear

There is no way to actually inspect another player's build though is there, you can maybe see a few of their items and what weapon is currently equipped once you meet up inside the dungeon, but atm any tom *** or harry can call themselves a healer.


It's a lot easier at level 15 when you gain the ability to hot swap weapons and quick bars. Bear in mind you can only have 5 skills slotted with each weapon so even at this stage you'll have more skills than you can physically swap.

My first ever dungeon run (Banished Cells) was with a Nightblade healing with funnelling, a bow Templar filling in with class skills and my Templar tank squirting out honour the dead whenever anyone went under 50% health. No deaths..

Audigy

The roles still exist because players are still trapped in the World of Warcraft class system. You can do a dungeon just fine without being a pure tank or healer, that's also what players did at Vanilla wow btw.

It however became a trend that for instance a shadow specced priest refused to heal, so players started with the "you must only have healing if you want to join" stuff.

Same with tanks, my Warlock tanked a lot at Vanilla including raid content. If you know what you are doing, then you will succeed. But your group also has to adjust.

Brain is more important than the rest, so if you are declined from a group because you don't have a specific spec from a website, just put the players on ignore and move on.

Because if you are relatively low level (let's say between 10 and 30), isn't it hard to solo quests and level up if you have no DPS skills (or almost none) ?

I play tanky and get along just fine. The only non tank spell that I have is a heal The good thing about this game is, that you can really do what you want to do without worrying about skill tree´s or so.

Everyone will get forward, the game isn't so hard + you play with others all the time, its not like in other games where you must tag mobs or so. If you see someone doing the same quest as you, just go with him and heal. You will get the quest then as well.