I have a number of thoughts/comments around raiding I wanted to share, so I shall just smush them all into one post.
1. Is it a full moon or something?
Isn't it odd how sometimes everything just seems to go all so wrong? I mean how on one night a raid seems to just be so off.... dps, healers, and tanks. We had one of these nights this past raid week where it was just such an off night. But nearly the same group came back the next night and kicked ass. I don't get what makes an off night an off night. Was it a full moon or something?
2. 1/10 = 10%
Now continuing from this first point, I won't start the whole debate again around 10 man vs 25 man raids. But Jess and I have talked about how a single raider carries more weight, or responsibility in a 10 man. One person is off, or not carrying their weight, that is 10% of the raid. Compare that to 1/25... I don't know what that is, but I know its less than 10% (complicated maths FTW).
I think its much harder to carry dead weight in a 10 man vs 25 man. Or maybe it is just more noticeable in a 10 man. Am I thus saying 10 mans are in a way harder? Well I don't know, because on a per raider basis I know that 25 man bosses require more dps. But I will say that yes, you do carry more responsibility to a raid in a 10 man.
3. "Feminine healing"?!?!
Larissa at Pink Pigtail Inn did a post bringing back up the old subject of gender stereotypes in WOW and how as much as she hates it, she feels that healing is "girly". The post and some comments talked about healing as standing in the back... being nurturing, passive.
It made me laugh because yes, I am a healer. Yes, I am female. But I bristle at the notion that healing is girly or that females tend to play healers because it is passive and nurturing. Maybe I play a healer not because I am nurturing and passive but because I know how to multi task and can time things well and quickly react to changing situations not only by the bosses but by what your raid members do? How about that huh huh huh? (Sorry maybe a little miffed here).
Now on the "passive" front, maybe its just different for me because as I told Jess, I am probably a healer with a tank attitude. Though Jess did point out that none of our tanks have attitude. Its true, except for when Jess tries to get lippy with me, our tanks don't have attitude. But what I meant with a tank attitude, was perhaps being more aggressive, taking charge, and wanting to run the show.
Trust me, you can take charge even if you aren't a tank. My guild has now taken to calling me the Empress Raid Leader, a nickname oh so lovingly conferred upon yours truly by one of our hunters Kalthan.
"A healer with a tank attitude". That's a good expression and the way I'd like to see me. I never used the word "passive" in my post, even though someone may have done it in a comment.
ReplyDeleteOne reader suggested me to see the healing role as a field medic, rather than as a nurse. And I must say that I liked it a lot. I think the comments on this post give a lot of inspiration and some suggestions on alternative stereotypes and ways to see a healer.
I definitely don't intend to spread and enforce prejudices. I'm the opposite. I want to fight them. Even when they appear from myself.
I know exactly what you mean with the full moons. Our guild only raids 2 nights per week so our first night is vital to clear all the stuff we've killed in the past and sometimes that simply doesn't happen. One week we get stuck on silly stuff like Kologarn or Thorim or something, then the next week we 1 shot all the way through vezax, very strange.
ReplyDeleteAs for carrying your own weight, while what percentage each person contributes should be higher I think that the potential for royally screwing things up is much higher in 25 compared to 10. The guild officers and I usually compare raiding to herding cats when one or two of our raiders just do some mind boggling things and actually hinder our progress instead of help or even passively act as dead weight.
Healing is girly?!? I'm a dude and I heal the living crap outta peeps!!! But I have noticed that a pretty significant amount of the other resto bloggers around here are girls. Don't really have an explanation except people play what people want to play.
Wait...girls play WOW?
ReplyDeleteOkay so...my main is a Belf girl pally tank, but I am a guy. Okay so she's a girl because I just can't stand the guy Belf...
We have a mix of dps, tank and healing roles filled by both genders.
I think people who think girls should be healers are dumb. Some girls are just better at making things go boom. My main through Wrath was always my hunter, but I really find I enjoy tanking and now play the hunter to relax and have some fun.
#2: I agree with you 100% about 10-mans requiring more performance per raider to be successful in contrast with 25-mans.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I've seen an issue where it's not the case is when that mindset of "I'm one of 25 people" leads to slacking.
I was in an Emalon-25 pug a week or two ago where I'm convinced the slacker mindset led to failure. The DPSers and healers in the run just weren't all there...not paying attention at all. I don't know if they thought they'd get carried or just weren't paying attention.
So yes, each raider carries more responsibility in a 10-man, but that "mentally AFK" attitude can cause a good deal of trouble in a 25-man.
Totally support that 10mans allow for zero dead weight. Each person needs to be on their toes. It's true bosses don't hit as hard as they do in 25s, but the chaos of the fights is the same with fewer people to do it and fewer chances to recover from mistakes.
ReplyDeleteIn TBC I (female player) was a tank bear because I loved how much control it required. I think of TBC with more focus on tanks, and now in wrath I play 3 healers, largely because I hate where bear tanking went and I love how challenging healing is in Wrath. So I'm a player that plays for the challenge.
Not sure if that fits any "girl" stereotypes.
Healers that I see living up to "weak girl" prejudices I usually dub as bad healers...
1) Yes, I see that happen quite often. Eventually it's like a lemon law return ... you have to admit that it just isn't happening and go home empty handed before the MT's repair bill exceeds the guild allowance. When the MT hits 75G, I call it a night.
ReplyDelete2) Your numbers are inescapable. Yes, there is no room for dead weight in a 10-man. And yet, a 25-man is much more demanding on the MT and MH. So, really, the 10/25-man discrepancy is in the DPS and raid healing rank and file. Which seems awfully unfair to me.
3) I actually try to heal angry, I privatly think it gives me more crits. :) I've never considered healing to be a feminine thing, but then again, I can't help but notice that my healer is, in fact, a female NElf. I didn't do it on purpose.
(Funny thing is that I have in the past considered getting Jasra a new identity as "Jazreal" but I'd feel like I was killing her or something. I guess that voice in my head was intended to be feminine.)
I'm a guy that plays on a female resto druid. Does this mean I'm more in touch with my feminine side? ;)
ReplyDelete@Larisa: Yes, you didn't mention passive in your post. But the phrases "standing in the back" and "dutifully" got me maybe thinking in that general "passive" tone. I may stand in the back, but I'll stand there telling the tank what to do. But then again, I'm bossy like that. I have always been upfront in saying that I am not the typical nice green swirly healer. ;)
ReplyDelete@Sunkist: Yes, it is true that the majority of the resto bloggers are female. Hmmm...
@For the Pie: Yes, ZOMG real girls! With bewbs!
@Misneach: Yeah, I haven't been in a ton of 25 mans, but I'm sure with pugs the slacker mentally sneaks its way in.
@Valkure: Yep, I do agree with the fewer chances to recover from mistakes in a 10 man. Wait so are you another Chicago area blogger?
@Grimmtooth: Aww we all know that heals don't crit. Hahaha... trade chat humor FTW. But actually I don't know if I heal angrily, but maybe I do heal with a little bit of the "Bring it, lets see if you can outdo my heals" attitude.
@Jaz: I'm not sure... I would say it just makes you more awesomer.
K -
ReplyDelete1) Off nights happen =) We try to laugh them off as they come. It's healthier than being frustrated.
2) I completely argree that 10 mans require more from each player, indiviually. However, with the exception of sarth +3, my experiences have been that the 10 man content is tuned in a much more forgiving manner than the 25 man content.
Take that with a grain of salt though, because I am a 25 man raider going through 10 man content in my 25 man gear. It is very possible that in the gear that is available to those that are being exclusive to 10 man content it is tuned very well.
3) I certainly don't see myself as passive at all =) I have more of the attitude that "I can run this raid, keep all of your asses alive, and still dodge the fire. What is your problem?". I definately think that I multitask well, and that I react faster to most situations than others =)
There is nothing passive about how I play WoW, even if I am a girl AND a healer ;-)
@Beru: Yes, I do think when folks say 10 mans are so easy, they do have to consider whether they started 10 man Ulduar in 25 man Naxx gear, or whether they progressed through it with 25 man Ulduar gear. Our guild pretty much went from 10 man Naxx gear to 10 man Ulduar gear.
ReplyDeleteI do think that you are right that healers are great multi-taskers!
The healing being a girly thing is sort of funny. My wife said something about not being able to imagine a healer being male, so to spite her I have a female resto druid. She's become my raiding character since my wife enjoys DPS much, much more. Actually, my wife can't stand healing at all.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the attitudes of other healers, but I have ways to get back mana on (relatively) short cooldowns. Keep pulling I'll figure it out. Seems most other people in raids/heroics don't agree with that.
RE: #1. OMG...we've had that ALL WEEK. Midsummer doldrums? I dunno, but we sucked majorly for 3 nights this week.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Funny thing is most of the healers I usually heal with are male. So its a funny concept for me as well.
ReplyDelete@Kestrel: Maybe there are more off nights in the summer because the raiding compositions are constantly changing. When the folks or toons you are raiding with aren't the same night to night, its more difficult?