LF: Healers & GTG

The flow of traffic to Better Heals and Gardens is still rather low, which is ok, the site is still growing and admittedly, I do not post as often as I would like. This is simply because my schedule is fairly packed right now and I tend to do a lot of research before posting. However, I would like to know who I am speaking to in terms of my visitors’ healing skill and ability.

Think of this as a “Getting To Know You” exercise. If most of my readers are skilled healers, then I do not want to bore them with content geared at new healers and vice versa. So, if you have a free moment, please review the poll below and tell me your opinion of your own healing ability – if you aren’t a healer, but you want to refer someone to Better Heals and Gardens, then respond with what you think their level of healing ability is.

No matter what the poll results show, understand that the concept behind Better Heals and Gardens remains unchanged. My objective is still to connect new healers with veteran healers and to help foster progress in their healing ability; however, if more veteran healers than new healers are visiting, my post topics and tactics will vary a bit until my audience becomes more well rounded.

I am currently working on a post series entitled “A System of /readycheck’s and Balances”. The first entry is centered on healer evaluation and readiness and will be posted soon – most likely on Thursday of this week – so stay tuned.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

So You Think You Can Heal…?

My philosophy (and the major premise behind this blog) is that when given an appropriate amount of starting knowledge and enough time to practice, anyone with the right attitude, can become a healer so great that others will think they learned from Cenarius himself. Just as with anything else, healing comes more naturally to some than it does to others. All this means is that some people have to work harder and practice more than others.

Cenarius Instructs Malfurion, Tyrande and Illidan

What, you don’t think so? Then I think we’ve found your problem… As with so many other things, our attitude often dictates our ability.

I am going to pull in bits and pieces from an article that was written by Bob Lodie, “It’s All About Beliefs”. Now granted, this article is written from a business perspective; however, the basic truths it reveals about a mindset dictating performance hold true regardless of how they are applied.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the significance of our beliefs and the mental models, or mindsets that shape our behavior. According to the psychologists interviewed for the piece, we act and perform in accordance with the beliefs these models tell us is true.

Yet most of us have some flawed or erroneous beliefs, which in turn misguide our interpretation of our world. As a result, we see the world not as it is, but as we are – and it’s this flawed interpretation that drives our attitude and behavior.

For example, if you think something is not possible or out of your reach, you’re probably not going to commit much energy and resources to accomplishing that goal. Whether it’s gathering new assets, landing a big client, or simply getting out of the office at five o’clock, your thoughts influence your actions.

The bottom line is that our beliefs become our truths and reality. Henry Ford explained it best when he said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

Oh, I know what you’re thinking… “Come on, Rooty, surely you don’t think that any idiot can heal?!? Stupid people are always wiping a raid because they can’t move while they DPS or because they suck at gaining snap aggro when they tank… why, oh why, would we want to let a some stupid newbie heal???” You’re right, stupid people do make mistakes and they do cause wipes (for more elaboration, please see Bellwether’s blog post, “Why the Wipe?”); however, there is a key difference between a stupid person and a newbie healer, i.e., attitude – unless in fact, the person is a stupid, newbie healer and then, you have me at a loss. But, I digress…

Stupidity, or insanity as Mr. Lodie defines it is, “…doing the same things over and over again, while expecting different results.” So, if you – or a healer you know – find yourself in the situation where your raid group or your party wipes repeatedly, do not brush it off as bad healing on your part! Get with the raid or party leader and dig into the reason for the failure. Ultimately, if your healing is the problem and if people are telling you that you are the reason for the wipes, that your healing stinks, or that “ur doin’ it rong” do not – let me repeat that – DO NOT presume to think that you cannot heal. Rather, take a moment to look into how you heal. Again, don’t be stupid. Don’t think that you can heal every fight the same way, don’t think that spamming the same spell is going to cut it, and don’t think that just because you haven’t used an ability before that you don’t need to use it. That mindset, ladies and gentlemen, is stupidity at its finest and it will lead you down the road that leads to a dead end —> “I suck at healing… everyone dies…”

Have you gotten to that point of no return? Have you stopped playing your Druid, Paladin, Priest, or Shaman because you really want to heal, but think you can’t? If that is the case, please read on. If not, you’re probably done here (but let’s be honest, by this point, you’ve probably already decided to skip the optional ‘Wall of Text’ boss and move on to a progression boss).

Changing Your Mindset

In order to replace old habits though a change in your mindset, there are three steps you should follow:

1. First, begin by specifically identifying the results you want.
2. Then create and develop actions that will accomplish those results.
3. Lastly, examine your beliefs about those actions to determine if they are holding you back.

So, how does this translate to WoW and your healing?

Number one is an easy one to cross off the list. As a healer, the result that we want is that the raid group or party makes it through the encounter without wiping. Notice, I didn’t say that everyone is alive at the end of the encounter, nor did I say that everyone finished the encounter at full health. Those things are awesome, gravy in fact, but they are not necessary. Sometimes, one of the hardest facts to deal with as a healer is that you have to chose who lives and who dies and you have to chose correctly.

Number two is a bit more tricky, but it is still doable. This is where the starting knowledge and practice come into play. First off, know your class. If you are healing, then you are either a Druid, a Paladin, a Priest, or a Shaman. Period. Potions, band-aids, and healthstones don’t count. Sorry Rogues, I am sure there is a spot light for you somewhere, but this is not that place. As one of the four healing classes, you should know what every skill, talent, and ability does for you and what it can do for anyone else in your group. Lately, I have observed several of the healers from my guild that do not use their class to the fullest of its ability, meaning not that they weren’t maxing out the meters, but that they are not using core abilities that should define their class and the related healing style. Don’t fall into this trap. Get on WoWWiki or WoWHead or dig through the forums at Plus Heal and learn your class. Don’t copy the number one talent build from Talent Chic and presume that you are good to go – you MUST develop an understanding for what each talent does and its impact on the other talents.

In terms of practice… this may sound cruel… practice on pugs. Much like those vile companies that test their products on animals because it is cheaper and faster – you should test your skills out with a pug group. Several thoughts behind this suggestion…

A) It is easy to get a group as a healer, even if you need to work on your skill.
B) Wiping is damn near an expectation with a pug group – so even if you mess up, it doesn’t really count.
C) I say this truthfully, if you can successfully heal a pug group, you can heal almost anything.

That brings us to number three – the most difficult step and the reason for this post. Are you your own worst enemy? It’s time to re-evaluate what you think about yourself as a healer. If you think you rock, you’re probably a touch conceited, but you’re also right. If you think you suck, then, not only are you wrong, but you are doomed to continued failure. As I tell my employees nearly every day, “Do not consent to defeat before the battle starts.” Go into your brain and press your reset button and give yourself a fresh start. Before you attempt to heal again, assemble the knowledge you gain from reading blogs, forums, or websites and from talking to other healers or your raid leader and learn from it. Put into practice what you learn, give yourself time for trial and error, and don’t be guilty of being stupid – do not repeat the same set of actions expecting different results.

One final thought: If for some reason, you are still thinking that you can’t heal, bare in mind that you have just slain an incredible wall of text from a newbie blogger. If that doesn’t show your dedication to improvement, nothing does. Now, leave me some feedback, then close your web browser and log into WoW, get on your healer, and give it your all.

So you think you can heal? …You’re right!

This post is dedicated to SCarefoot. Thank you for your post suggestion, thank you for thinking that I am awesome (even when I have done nothing substantial enough to justify that opinion), and thank you for reading.

A Tree Druid In Any Other Form Is Still A… Resto Druid?

Tree of Life Form

Tree of Ages Form

Tree of Eternity Form

So, there is a lot of talk going around about Druid forms (As we all know, the Men in Blue have promised that new form artwork is coming and that the updates are going to be worth the wait). Specifically – and more importantly, of a special interest to me – is the current discussion around Tree of Life (ToL) form. In short, “Do Druid Healers like Tree of Life form?”

I haven’t seen a complicated question like that since I watched, “Who’s the Tank?” No matter how you look at it, there isn’t a simple answer to that question. Much like all the relationships in my life, “It’s complicated…” I love the concept – who would have thought, a Druid named Liferoot likes the concept of being an ent – but, I think the artistic execution is currently somewhat lacking – especially given all the attention Blizzard has given the other artistic details of the game recently.

So then, where do we go from here? It seems to shift or not to shift is the question… to me, the answer is simple, if you don’t like shape shifting or you don’t care for the concept of forms (their current appearances aside) then I am willing to go out on a “limb” and say that the Druid class isn’t the right choice for you. This is not to offend anyone; however, the Druid class is built upon the concept of varying class utility based off of each form set and the related abilities. With that in mind, the forms should follow their functions and from my Resto Druid perspective, ToL form suffices nicely.

With that being said, again, I do think that the healing form (and the Balance form, for that matter) needs some work from a cosmetic/artistic sense. Personally, I would love to see the form progress in phases, much like the Tree of Life / Tree of Ages / Tree of Eternity progression from Warcraft III (think Bear form vs. Dire Bear form if the skins were different). As I said to Matticus tonight on Twitter, who wouldn’t like a glowing aura of leaves/butterflies/etc?

In terms of the cosmetic side of the healing form, there have been a lot of suggestions and interesting points brought up, i.e., Tauren vs. Night Elf forms, Tree vs. Dryad/Elf/Other forms, Armor Set and/or Weapon Reflection vs. No Armor Set and/or Weapon Reflection, Glyph Based Appearance Changes vs. Non-Glyph Based Appearance Changes, and Show Forms / Don’t Show Forms Interface Option (Sydera of WoM).

I think that all of these are valid form alteration suggestions, with the exception of the “simple solution” of not showing forms. It is a quick fix and it would satisfy some players; however, I will say it once again, if you don’t like the concept of shape shifting or using forms then you probably rolled the wrong class – elf form is not why I play a Druid, nor should it be why anyone else plays a Druid (again, that is purely this author’s opinion).

On the Armor Set and/or Weapon being reflected through the form idea, I think that showing the armor would be much more “iffy” depending on how it is executed – seeing as how this would likely further complicate an already complicated and time consuming art design process – I don’t see it happening. What I do see potential for are ToL enhancements and cosmetic effects tied into tier set bonuses or the armor sets themselves.

In terms of Night Elf vs. Tauren distinctions in ToL form, I see these as a must. Every other form has some alteration that indicates the faction/race of the Druid in question.

I do not support the idea of Glyph based cosmetic changes – Glyph spots are a precious commodity and as far as I can tell, they will continue to be – I do not see the rationale behind losing character effectiveness/utility to alter a cosmetic effect.

In terms of the actual form itself, I enjoy ToL form; however, I am still fairly open to the idea of tweaks or changes to the shifted model. I think that with a little bit of creativity, the ToL form could be made to look outstanding. As it is now, the model looks bland, there is a lot of model tearing and a general lack of detail (the necklace is a nice touch though). Here’s a thought: what about form alterations done through the Barber Shop or maybe through reputation or standing with the Druids of Moonglade (Cenarion Circle / Cenarion Expedition)?

All in all, ToL form is fun and I greatly enjoy it. It adds a dimension to the gameplay as a Resto Druid that I wouldn’t do without. I think that if the model was updated with some of the changes mentioned here and elsewhere most every Resto Druid, including myself would be delighted.

What are your thoughts?

-Liferoot

The Heart of Magic

Alexstrasza Claims The Heart Of Magic

Tonight marks the second time that our core raiding team has downed Malygos 10-man style.  I have to say that this fight is still incredibly intense and althought I hate to say it, we still struggle with it… tonight we had about 15 failed attempts before we were able to put the dragon to rest.  I do think; however, that from a healing perspective I have this fight down.  I have clearly seen what a disadvantage some healing classes would have on this fight and quite frankly, the resto druid shines.  During the vortex phases, it would be impossible without HoTs and the same goes for the second phase because of all the raid party movement in and out of the magic barrier bubbles.  For all the hard work in the first two phases, Blizzard did give healers an easy sauce job for phase three.  Basically, target yourself, stack the HoT on yourself, then after each spark movement, burn the raid wide heal effect.  Flame shield of course keeps you alive during times when Malygos tries to go all crazy on you.

On our successful attempt tonight, we actually downed Malygos about 30 seconds prior to the enrage timer.  As we develop more, we will push that timer back each time.  Time management is a critical portion of this fight.

Congrats again, DoA!  We are getting there for sure!  Ulduar may be a challenge, but I think it is one that we are nearly prepared for.

Watch out Arthas… DoA is coming for you!

Sapphiron - The Mighty Frost Wyrm

Tonight we finished up another 10-Man run of Naxxramas.  Because of my schedule, I joined the run late.  Naxx is an interesting place to be a healer.  All the different quarter bosses have various demands on the healing team.  Loatheb for example is a jerk, lol.  Interestingly enough, Sapphiron seems to give us the most trouble…. hmm

The Obsidian Sanctum Stands Empty

Sartharion - The Onyx Guardian

Tonight we downed (yet another time) Sartharion, Shadron, Tenebron, and Vesperon.  However, tonight we took them out 25 man heroic style with a few people picked up from the streets of Dalaran.

The Spellweaver Has Been Slain

Relocated Post From:  http://betterhealsandgardens.blogspot.com

Originally Posted – 03/06/2009

Malygos - The Spellweaver

Tonight, the raiders of Dead on Arrival laid Malygos to rest. With a little help from Alexstrasza and a lot of help from Lady Luck, we managed to slay the leader of the blue dragonflight some 30 seconds after he had already become enraged. Let me just tell you, it was the most epic raid I have ever been a part of and it will for some time to come be what I consider to be my crowning achievement as a druid healer.

I would like to recognize all of the awesome people that made up the raid team tonight (in alphabetical order – for your WoW Armory searching convenience) :

Blueperson – An Officer of DoA and our Main Tank tonight; a Druid who defies the saying, “Jack of All Trades, Master of None.” Tank, DPS, and Healer – He does them all well and tonight he soaked some hits that would have made any Warrior’s butt pucker!

Brinbanhorse – A Veteran Raider; a Survival Hunter who always seems to help us through a tough raid!

Diesal – A Veteran Raider; a Feral Druid who can Tank and DPS and impress you no matter what role he is filling.

Eaus – A Veteran Raider; a Warlock who never says die… unless he is talking to the bad guy. He’s gonna curse you up, sweetcheeks!

Holypoke – DoA’s Guild and Raid Leader; a Paladin without equal in any aspect, and an all-around awesome guy who brings together our group week after week to accomplish the impossible!

Hotshock – A Veteran Raider; a Shaman who can crank out some serious DPS (and some fine heals when she wants to)! Storm, Earth, and Fire definitely heed her call!

Kethara – A Veteran Raider; our Number One Huntard Extraordinaire who proved tonight that he can manage some serious DPS when he pulls his head out of his ass! Great job tonight, bud!

Liferoot – An Officer of DoA; What can I say, I’m the Root of Life! Don’t you wish your healer cast HoTs like me?

Polymyxin – An Officer of DoA and my favorite Co-Healer; she has single-handedly put my faith back in the priest class!

Skullur – A Veteran Raider; Crit Chicken, Boomkin, Laser Fowl… call him what you may (I call him Dad), he rocks the socks off the DPS chart!

Guys, you rock! There truly is nothing else to say about it! We have come so far in such a short amount of time! Hard work and dedication have paid off and have prepared us for Ulduar!

So, more on what it is like to heal this raid…

First off, tough does not even begin to explain this fight. The HoTs definitely made it happen tonight – at least from a Druid healing perspective. Rejuvenation and Lifebloom (and Wild Growth – despite the cooldown) were definitely my friends tonight. Overall raid healing is critical to the success of the group when it comes to taking down The Spellweaver. But then, of course, Malygos likes to beat your tank like he owes him money. I had to whip out the ER combos several times tonight – Nature’s Swiftness+Healing Touch and Swiftmend, FTW! The Tank healing is where healer coordination is critical. If it hadn’t been for Polymyxin focusing on the tank and helping me with the raid party, tonight would never have happened. All the HoTs in the world don’t replace a well-timed and desperately needed, Uber-Powered Greater Heal.

However, it was not awesome healing that completed tonight’s raid, nor was it an uber Tank, nor was it Quad-Damage style DPS… it was teamwork. Bring together your core people and raid with consistancy and learn each other. Even the mightiest foe will fall to a team that functions like a well-oiled machine.

Polymyxin and I have been healing raids together for about 6 months or so now and in that time we have become very familiar with and very comfortable with one another’s healing style. Yes, I said it, healing style – believe me or not, everyone has a healing style and some people play a class using a healing style that was not meant for that class.

Healing Style is one of the things that I will be discussing in greater detail with later posts. I still have 3 other healing class toons to level. My Priest is just under level 80 (let’s say 74), my Paladin is level 67, and my newest healer, my Shaman is level 26. Can you tell that I like to heal? I cannot say that I fully understand the healing mechanics of Priests, Paladins, or Shamans – so please take any advice I give to those classes with a spoon full of common sense; however, I am fairly certain that I would give most any other Tree of Life a run for their healing money… That includes Bob, the Shadow Druid – You know who you are!

So, it has been a slow start with my blog… what can I say… Life and Liferoot have been crazy lately. However, I will be adding more eye-candy and I will be writing more posts in the near future. I am not planning on going in the number crunching, theorycrafting style direction with this blog; if that is what you are looking for, you have my apologies, but the closest I am going to come is a link to a well-respected forum or site. However, if you are looking for fine tuned advice, practical healing tips (screw those quadratic formula style equations), and some good old fashioned fun and humor, then you have come to the right place.

Goodnight all and R.I.P. Malygos!