What a long strange trip it is

Let's talk about WOtLK (Healer perspective)

Posted Apr 07, 2009 by wrooom

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I wasn't sure about how to name this article guess its current name suits it best as it is about everything I have experienced since November 13 which was a devine mixture of joy, exceitement and frustration at the same time.

JOY AND EXCITEMENT 

Of course there was! A new so long-expected addon released and finally a boat arrives at a Harbor you haven't even got used to yet, and takes you to a whole new island of adventures. And this island, designed so beautifully, fills you with the satisfaction for something you've long awaited and can finally posess.

New lands, new races, new quest mechanics - someone may complain but to me it was all about perfect. With the exception of my graphics card perfomance it was like getting into an Imaginationland where everything you could think of was already there.

I flew through my 5 levels from 70 to 75. And that was when the frustration came in.

FRUSTRATION

The gear started to wear off. The gear I worked so hard and so patiently (being a casual player it does take time and patience) and stacked it with expensive gems so perfectly. My tier 4 gear that, I know, wasn't the top of it, and there was still  Tier 5 and Tier 6 and I still had quests in my log to get there, but it was perfect for heroics and raids (with the exception of the Sunwell, Mount Hyjal and Black Temple). And I realized now that it is time that I had to start it all over again. And probably I am a melancholic type because that frustration took me far enough to start playing with my lower level characters instead of improving my priest and  make it to the 80 asap.

For last 2 levels I had to respec into disc/shadow (something I was told to do all the time since level 10 but never did) because i really started to feel the lack of spell damage I deal. The mobs were hard to deal with as most Storm Peaks and Icecrown quests are level 80. It was my first experience as shadow and it took me awhile to get used to new spells and abilities. I loved Smite so much as Holy I couldn't stress how there is not a shadow spell that has no cooldown!  After awhile I figured what formula is best for me (Vampiric Touch, Shadow word: Pain, Mind Blast, Mind Flay, Shadow Word: Death if its not dead yet) and it started to get much better. I never ran out of mana since then and leveled to 79 and half the way to 80 with ease.

Now I am back on the track. BUT all of my realm friends are far ahead and raiding  Naxxramas and most of them are ready for Ulduar. I am leveling my tailoring (which is 410 only) so i could get the craftable epics at cheapest cost at 80. However the hardest gap to fill wouldn't be gear at all but the knowledge. While everyone on my realm seems to already know all Northrend dungeons tactics I only have experience in Utgarde Keep and Nexus which is close to zero in comparison.

REBIRTH

At this point I guess what matters the most is what surroundings you have. If there are friends that are willing to help you then there is no problem at all. If there is not, then you would most probably have to face dealing with pick-up groups and them complaining about your ignorance in terms of tactics even though you might warn people each time you step in a dungeon that you are a first-timer and know your class but not this specific dungeon tactics.

It is good I do have friends willing to help. And hoping to get back to healing soon as I am already missing it a big deal. And let's hope I will still be as good as I was told to have been  in 'good ole' TBC times =) 

Don't hesitate to post your experience with WOtLK in here. Would be really interesting to know other players' opinions and thoughts.

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  • wrooom said 
    Fri, Sep 18 2009 9:50 AM ()

    Heh healing seems the only thing I am good at with my priest :)

    I am absolutely unable to squeeze highe numbers out of my DPSing whilst in Shadow spec. And I know why. Firstly, its healing gear (I had a long break from WoW and have only started doing heroics recently) which lacks hit rating and has all the spirit i do not need. I end up being full mana but dealing  small amount of damage. This is, however, fixable. The worst problem is habit issues. Even in shadowform I intend to heal rather than DPS. it's a habit i cannot quit. I never start to cats  harmful spells before I make sure  all the targets have vampiric embrace on them. and that takes  much more time than just spamming AoE all the time (most WoTLK encounters are  all about AoE).

    So, although I check both Damage and Healing options in LFG I still prefer healing over  dealing damage as my character is much more efficient as a healer.

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  • HellaBella8 said 
    Mon, Sep 14 2009 4:22 PM ()

    Dear Wrooom,

    I find it interesting that you speced your Priest a combo of Shadow/Disc. to level.  I think I'll give that a try.  Currently, mine started as a Holy til about 40's, then respected to all Shadow to level.  Now at 63, she is a Disc., but I'm getting way less done and it's cut into my heals for groups and kills for staying alive!

    I still love healing the most and will respec her back to full Holy for Only heals.  After all, she is my first toon and who gave me my DK.

    Heals on Wheels,

    Izzy

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  • wrooom said 
    Wed, Apr 8 2009 4:50 AM ()

    Hello Seby.

    I am sorry to hear about what happened to your account. I am not familiar with such issues so not sure if there is any chance to get it back for you, but I sincerely hope there is.

    When something like this happens (any bad moments in the game) I always tell myself that maybe it is time to have a rest from WoW but it usually lasts for a few days and I get back to playing. My cure used to be rolling new characters but now with the new achievement system there is plenty things to do even if you fail emotionally to do anything serious like  raid or heroic. Also I like flying about Northrend picking herbs. Recently I've completed World Explorer achievement and I must say it was rather entertaining as I like travelling. Also discovered a few places I haven't been before.

    So guess if you don't feel comfortable with the game/environment/other players, just take a rest and do something new, something you haven't done before, in game or outside of it. It certainly helps a lot =)

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  • seby200 said 
    Tue, Apr 7 2009 4:29 PM ()

    hello, i just read your story and i am felling a lot of connection with it. when i was leveling my priest to lvl 80, oh about lvl 78, i had 2 replace all my hours and hours of work in BT hyjal and other raid. then at lvl 78 i was hacked by a gold farming company and couldn't get my account back. i was so MAD at blizzard for haveing so much that kept me from getting my account back and that i have 2 remake an acount and person in the game. so i went and started to make a 2nd troll preist but got 2 lvl 4 and broke down and became unable to lvl any farther due to the resent loss of my preist. so i found myself lvling a BE pally 2 weeks after the expansion had filled me with joy. i hated lvling again because i had no money no guild ad and few friend that i could bare to talk to that didnt make me think to much about my so loved presit. now i have lvled to lvl 72 on my pally and am beginning to, after all this time, start to get mad again at the quests, at blizzard, and at asia in general. I hated lvling my pally and finaly i have almost completed something that sould have been done a long time ago. i hope you have lots of fun raiding as a shadow priest and hope that you can start to heal ( i was a holy/ dec priest all the way to lvl 78 also, i fell your pain when you say that you everyone told you to do diffrent).

                                                                                                                                                          understandingly,

                                                                                                                                                   a lvl 72 pally stranger

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