Dragonflight Season 3 Healer Adjustments Assessed - Healing Issues Resolved?

Heading into Season 3 of the popular online game World of Warcaft: Dragonflight, the developers at Blizzard implemented a series of changes aimed at improving the healing mechanics. These changes were made in response to significant player feedback, which pointed out that healing in the game had become frustrating and less enjoyable compared to previous expansions. The changes were intended to make resources matter more, enhance single target heals, and adjust raid survivability cooldowns. In this blog post, we will delve into the impact of these healer changes and explore some additional resources that shed light on the underlying issues that contributed to the state of healing in the game.

The Problem with Healing in Previous Seasons

Throughout the expansion, there has been widespread discussion among healers about the overall state of healing in Dragonflight. In previous seasons, healers faced challenges and desired changes to make the healing experience more satisfying. The guide writers, Jak and Theun, have covered many of these talking points in their articles. Additionally, thanks to Jordan/bansheeirl, we now have comparative charts that illustrate how healing has evolved since the Antorus, the Burning Throne expansion. These charts provide valuable insights into the healing landscape and help validate the concerns expressed by healers throughout Dragonflight.

It is important to note that overhealing numbers are not the sole metric to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of healing. Encounter design also plays a significant role in these numbers. Nonetheless, the charts examining overhealing on the top 50 public boss kills from each raid in Dragonflight reveal a consistent trend of overhealing reaching its highest levels since Antorus. This data aligns with the perception that healers have become too powerful in raid environments.

As evidenced by these numbers, the changes implemented by Blizzard in Season 3 were aimed at addressing these concerns and restoring balance to healing in Dragonflight.

Blizzard's Goals for Healing in Season 3

Blizzard approached the healing issue in Dragonflight with several goals in mind. First and foremost, they wanted to provide healers with interesting abilities and choices that require resource management. The intention was to reduce overhealing and make mana management more significant in the healing process, resulting in a more engaging and enjoyable healing experience across the game.

Secondly, Blizzard recognized the need for single target healing spells to have a more noticeable impact on a character's health bar. The developers wanted these spells to serve their purpose effectively and reduce stress for healers in Mythic+ dungeons.

Thirdly, adjustments were necessary for group healing spells. Over the course of Dragonflight, these spells had undergone numerous modifications and seen an increase in their total throughput. While they efficiently brought raid groups back to full health from a damaged state, their effectiveness needed to be balanced.

Lastly, Blizzard identified the need to reevaluate raid survivability cooldowns. Although these cooldowns provided a moment of resilience for raid groups, they had become too potent, making the raid feel nearly invulnerable. The developers aimed to adjust the combined power of these cooldowns to strike a better balance.

The adjustments made by Blizzard were comprehensive and aimed to address the core issues in healing gameplay. To gain insights into how successful these changes were, let's review each aspect individually.

Review of the Season 3 Healing Changes

• Single Target Healing Spells

The changes made to single target healing spells have generally been successful. With the exception of the spell "Holy Shock," which requires some fine-tuning, most single target healing spells have reached a healthier state. Players have reported noticeable improvements, with spells like "Riptide" now visibly moving health bars. The adjustment in the distribution of healing within these spells has made them more satisfying to use.

• Group Healing Spells

Addressing the potency and effectiveness of group healing spells in Dragonflight was a step in the right direction. The modifications made during Season 3 have made these spells more balanced, preventing them from overpowering encounters. However, it is important to note that further improvements may be required in future expansions to achieve optimal balance in this area.

• Raid Survivability Cooldowns

The changes made to raid survivability cooldowns have been focused on specific spells like "Rallying Cry" and "Power Word: Barrier." While these adjustments have contributed to aligning the power level of these spells, there is a larger issue at hand. Many classes have defensive talents that, when combined with these cooldowns, create an almost invincible raid environment. It is crucial for Blizzard to address the overpowered nature of these talents to achieve a more balanced healing experience.

• Mana Generation

Mana management has been a challenging aspect of healing in Season 3. Some healing specializations, such as Mistweaver Monk and Discipline Priest, have seemingly infinite mana, while others like Restoration Druid and Holy Paladin struggle to sustain their mana throughout encounters. The disparity in mana effectiveness across different specializations needs to be addressed to provide a more consistent healing experience.

In conclusion, while the Season 3 healer changes have had some positive impact on healing in Dragonflight, there are still areas that require further attention from Blizzard. The adjustments to single target healing spells have shown promising results, and the modifications to group healing spells have achieved a better balance, although more work may be needed in future expansions. Raid survivability cooldowns and mana generation also remain areas of concern that will require ongoing improvements to create a more harmonious healing experience for players.

How Does Healing Feel in Season 3?

• Mythic+

The changes to healing mechanics in Season 3 have made healing in Mythic+ dungeons more enjoyable compared to previous seasons of Dragonflight. The issues encountered in higher-level keystones are less prevalent, and proper cooldown planning allows healers to effectively manage bursty damage. Unlike raids, mana issues are less prominent in Mythic+ dungeons, as healers can regain mana between pulls.

• Raid

The experience of healing in raids during Season 3 varies depending on the healer's class. Mistweaver Monks, for instance, generally do not face mana issues and possess efficient healing capabilities for important damage events. Similarly, Discipline Priests experience minimal mana concerns and can deliver short yet potent burst healing thanks to their tier bonus ability. Conversely, most other healing specializations struggle with mana management and find it challenging to sustain burst healing. Restoration Druids and Holy Paladins, in particular, have seen their burst healing potential reduced. Restoration Shaman, on the other hand, strikes a better balance between throughput and mana management but still encounters mana issues. Despite their effectiveness, Restoration Shamans are not widely played due to the absence of a raid buff.

Abundance of Healing Cooldowns - Problem for The War Within?

The abundance of healing cooldowns has contributed to healers feeling too powerful in certain situations. The availability of multiple cooldowns with short recharge times allows healers to layer these abilities, resulting in extremely high burst healing or consistent coverage of damage events. This abundance of cooldowns has the potential to create either full health or death scenarios, making encounters less challenging or predictable.

Addressing this issue will require either reducing the number of healing cooldowns or adjusting their potency relative to their cooldown duration. Both approaches have their challenges, as significant changes to talent trees and encounter design may be necessary. Blizzard will need to carefully consider their options to strike the desired balance between healing cooldowns and encounter difficulty.

Written by WowCarry