A healer and his team

[SquireMuldoon]

I recently read a very insightful guide about being an empathy healer, just like my character is. I think it would be helpful if the rest of the Babylon Services Division group read the guide because it outlines how other team members can make the healer's job more effective.

Its fairly brief, and can be found here (http://coh.stratics.com/content/gameplay/guides/workingwithempathguide.php)

[Catachan]

As an empath defender from the very beginning of the game (yes, a dedicated empath), I can pick that apart...

1) Advancing far enough ahead of the team to be well-outside the PBAoE heal radius

PBAoE is all well and good, but against certain enemies, if they attack scrappers/tankers on the edge of your PBAoE with area effects, you will get hit too.

The best method is a move-and-fire empath. Move in, make your shot, move again. Stay in one section too long and your teammates will naturally move towards you, meaning they pull the foes in closer.

4) Allowing impediments such as catwalks, walls, buildings, fences, etc to get between yourself and the empath

Just as much the empath's job as the fighter's.

It's also the team leader's job to call where the fight is held and control the team. He's not there just to invite people.

5) Failure to watch the empath's endurance bar just as s/he is watching team members' health/endurance bars

The empath should be notifying the team if there is a problem with his role. Endurance, recharges and the like all fall under this. I'd rather have the fighters in my team looking at the enemy and concentrating on their own moves.

The empath is constantly having to throw large, targetted heals to keep someone alive. This is usually the result of said someone drawing too much aggro for his/her defenses ... or being too far away to be included in the PBAoE heals the empath is using to top-off the rest of the group.

A targetted heal, while not effecting a large group of people, gives around double that a radius heal does, and for less endurance. It's not always advisable to fire healing aura as not everyone needs it at the same time, and you can make do with a heal other, and save some endurance.

Someone dies a lot despite the presence of an empath. This is usually the result of the 2 previously-mentioned issues being repeated over and over and the empath simply making a judgement call not to waste healing/endurance on said someone anymore, as it takes away from what the empath can do for others who are more group-oriented and less self-centered. (The basic premise being the empath is choosing to let said someone learn the hard way after all other options have failed.)

OK, so if that person is the only tanker in your team, are you going to leave him on the floor while that 3+ Boss pummels on your blasters? I think not. Empaths don't have room to be neive.

Broadcast that you're looking for an empath. Don't ask for a healer if what you really want is an empath. There are many who can heal but few who are dedicated to it like true empaths are.

The distinction is subtle but important. Healing is an empath's focus; if you ask for one you're more likely to get someone who has as many enhancements as s/he can possibly slot into healing powers as is possible for his/her level ... as opposed to someone with 1 or 2 healing powers that are enhancement-neglected. This means stronger healing abilities when compared to garden-variety "healers".

Call any Empath a "healer" and he'll more than likely leave the group. In many servers it is considered a slang and derogatory term for an empath. You'll often find other Defenders getting thrown off of teams they've just joined because "you're not a healer". An empath is NOT only a healer. He can also prepare you before, during and after a battle ready for the next round. Buffs are included with an Empath, remember.

I might be a bit elitist here, and I apologise if I am. Any empaths here are welcome to slam into me as they see fit, I'm just talking from my 41 levels of experience as a dedicated empath.

[SquireMuldoon]

Whilst I dont agree with every aspect of that particular article, I felt it would give a certain amount of insight to the Empath's role for people who have not played one before.

And yes, I do think you are being rather elitist.

The point about watching an empath's endurance is a perfectly valid one. With a full team, an empath is looking at 7 health bars in addition to the location of all those team members so he can best place himself AND watch out for the enemy. Wheras fighters geneally are looking at the enemy and their own health and not much else.

It makes perfect sense to watch your empath's endurance so that you dont get overenthusiastic and pull a load of creatures before the empath has a chance to type how low on end he is.

There have also been quite a nuber of times where I have played in teams that spread out too much. They dont stick close together enough for radius heals..... and believe me... they HAVE needed them. Sometimes it is the lone scrapper or god forbid blaster who thinks he can run ahead of the team and take on the world.... or thinks that chasing a +3 boss on his own is a good idea while the team has a mob on thier hands. But its not always offensive characters. Sometimes its defenders and controllers that hang waaaaaay back. As an empath I try to stick reasonably close to the offense team.... but when the hangers back invariably draw a lot of long range aggro... guess what.... they are TOO FAR back for radius heal.

Maybe the point about AoE damage from mosters is more of a problem at the later levels, but at the levels we are currently playing at... its almost non-existent. Therefore, consideration and a playing style should be addopted for that.