It Isn't Easy Being Green

One of the most difficult aspects of group play that is often beyond control is when gamer friends leave, either the game or your server. It begs the question, especially if you know you were a lynchpin in the daily/weekly activities, if you were partially to blame... even if you couldn't prevent it.

One of the biggest problems I have with WoW is the immense impact healers have on the game balanced against the draw of a DPS class. I'll admit it, playing a class like my mage where I can do 10k+ damage in the span of a couple of GCD's (AP/Trink Fireball, POM Pyro, Fireblast, Blastwave) makes me giddy at the power that I can unleash. Compare that to the fact that I can keep a 3 stack of lifebloom up on 3 targets while LOSing CC's and it's quite evident why there are so few healers in this game. It's not flashy, but it's effective. The subtlety of using a Nature's Swiftness Hibernate on an opposing resto druid into Cyclonex3, Bash, Maim is completely lost on the unwashed masses who stand at the road to Stormpike GY chain casting steady shot, frost bolt, or whirlwind with 2 axes. This is WAR and who doesn't want to kill someone. Standing in the back, behind a stone pillar healing the gloryhounds is for wussies.

Because of this, managing arena teams with a group of friends is near impossible if you're the only healer. There's no possible way, short of cannibalizing Personal Rating, to get to play with everyone on 2's and 3's teams. Not to mention the billions of whispers you get from randoms saying, "Hi, I'm 3/5 Brutal with S2 weaps. Let's do 2s for 2050."

Sadly, this is what's happened with my group. Loaded up with DPS classes, I tried to juggle teams, but eventually just stopped because I wanted to committ myself to some synergy building and some real daily effort, and slowly but surely, people have left. I know it's not my fault; I don't believe that I can be expected to help everyone. However,as the only dedicated healer and a once 2k rated druid, managing expectations becomes part of my online experience.

So, cheers to those that have gone to find their fortune on another server or find other (better, of course) things to do with their time. I can only wish them luck, but I miss rolling into a BG, with a variety of classes, with other healers supporting me, and perhaps with me playing my mage. Because, hell, I want to see big yellow numbers sometimes. Not just green.