Guild Wars 2

There seems to be a disconnect with the transfer of some skills from standard rpg mmos to action oriented rpg mmos. I understand ArenaNet is shying away from targeted heals. At the same time movement is a vital mechanic, especially in GW 2.

I have primarily been playing a Guardian and a Ranger.

For a while I tried running with Healing Breeze on my Guardian and found it lacking, primarily due to the movement mechanics inherent to the games combat mechanics. I have much more success dropping a Healing Spring with my Ranger.

Healing Spring is static while Healing Breeze can move with your character. How is it that Healing Spring is more effective in my experience? Voice from nowhere " L2P noob! " Perhaps, but there are number of items that come to mind.

Issues with Cone vs Dropped AoE

1. Healing Spring presents a visual that other players can clearly see. A large glowing circle on the ground with a defined edge. It is obvious where the zone begins and ends. Healing Breeze has no ground indicator and the effect does little to indicate range or arc.

2. The direction of Healing Breeze doesn’t seem to adjust unless you turn you character with your keyboard or you turn with the mouse and let it snap back into position. Maybe this is just a lag or a delay issue, but it doesn’t always heal in the direction I am facing. Or maybe it is an issue with strafing while using the skill.

3. The shape and area covered by Healing Spring allows players to dodge within or very close to within the healing zone. While healing breeze is “mobile” other players cannot take advantage of dodging and ending up within the healing field.

Disconnect

This is the disconnect I have seen in a number of mmos that attempt to carry over standard rpg cone and directional mechanics into an action setting. I remember using Healing Discs in Tabula Rasa, one was cone and the other aoe. Tabula Rasa also tried to bring more movement into the mmo setting but had a similar disconnect when it came to cone abilities. It was fun to hit a group with a good cone heal blast but it needs to be worth the effort.

It seems many of these games bring over these skill ideas into an action setting and balance them like they are in a standard rpg. If you are going to have a cone or directional ability in an action setting it needs to make up for the limitations listed above. Reward the skill of the player that can make use of the cone, make them useful.

Currently it appears healing breeze is hampered by this disconnect. Leaving the cone skill behind many other instant heals, pbaoe, dropped aoes, and targeted aoes.

Some simple adjustments might include: more healing to others, longer range, wider arc, ground indication where the heal is going, etc. I’m sure an individual being paid to do this stuff can come up with something even more interesting.

Healing Spring
Skill Type: Static AoE Zone
Radius: 240 (480 in Diameter)
Combo Field: Water
Duration: 15 secs (cast is instant)
Cool Down: 30 sec
Healing to self: 4,920
Healing to allies: 2340 Regen over 3 seconds
Total Healing to one ally: 11,700 Regen if you can stay in the defined zone

Healing Breeze
Skill Type: Mobile Cone
Range: 600
Combo Field: None
Duration: 3 seconds (this is a cast bar, can be interrupted)
Cool Down: 40 sec
Healing to self: 6,525
Healing to allies: 1,725
Total Healing to one ally: 1,725 (the duration ticks up to this total, it doesn’t tick for this amount. I tested this with my guardian on some damaged NPCs)

Summary

I understand that you can’t really compare different class skills directly as they are only a part of what makes up the class. However, I do believe that Healing Breeze is a prime example of a standard rpg cone mechanic working its way into a more action oriented rpg, while failing to adjust the skill for the action setting.

To be clear I understand that the guardian can mix in other heals (Symbol of Faith, Virtue of Resolve, Shield of Absorption Sequence, Ray of Judgement, Empower) during that 15 seconds which add up close to the same amount as the single dropped AoE skill. The guardian is a great class for those that like busy work. I do enjoy playing the class.

The issue is that the cone ability does not reward a skilled player for its use. Make Healing Breeze more usable in the action based setting and transfer more of the total class healing over to the skill to make it rewarding to land the skill. Make it a real option. A skill that we have to wrestle with if we want it on our skill bar or not.

Right now it is challenging to make it function in a useful manner, offers little to no reward for doing so, and is to easily toggled off the bar for a different heal ability.

perhaps maybe increasing the size of the cone would help

Yeah, this is exactly why I haven’t used HB in any of my builds. It’s kitten near impossible to get that cone on target with everybody running, dodging, and moving. Would rather see something like healing rain or similar.

I also agree. HB costs, iirc, as many skill points as Healing Spring. It’s effectiveness should measure up. Also, the only time in group play I’ve seen folks cluster in a static area is when they don’t need the healing because they are not taking damage.

The elementalist dagger cone can at least be seen, and is thus easier to target by strafe plus turning. However, the game does not necessarily need more visual FX. The warrior shouts that heal (with trait) are AoE radius FX. Maybe HB should be a shout?

I do know that the skill is not on my bar and is likely to remain so, as long as it works as it does.

They create a no friendly target system… this skill (like mercifull intervention) need a specific target otherwise is useless.

Change the skills?
Create the friendly target system? (<— best choice)
Don’t know…

I can understand that Anet don’t want direct healing, the problem is that some skills need a target (or a directions).