An uneven distribution of healers between teams results in a near-certain loss about 90% of the time in Outpost Rush (OPR) and Arena matches. This scenario can be quite frustrating for those not part of a premade duo or a 5-stack group benefiting from their dedicated healer. AGS, we implore you to take action regarding the healer situation.
The state of healing in Arena is far from balanced. It necessitates anti-healing abilities and an excessive level of coordination within a team to eliminate a player who seems to only press two buttons repeatedly.
In general, healing dramatically alters the pace of games. For instance, World of Warcraft has been dominated by the unchanging combination of 2 DPS and a Healer for years, making it somewhat dull.
-Yes, it requires skill.
-Yes, it adds depth.
But it has transformed the game into something it wasn’t intended to be when healers are absent. The presence of healers in games often means you don’t need to learn from your mistakes, at least not the glaring ones and need more New World Coins. Made a positioning error and took a headshot or a fireball to the face? Not a big deal, a short cooldown heal just erased all that damage!
Suddenly, every game balance update assumes that everyone is playing with 2 DPS and 1 Healer. Everything in the game becomes balanced around this setup, and every Arena match lasts a mere 5 minutes. This isn’t what I want. I’ve experienced it from both sides, as a Healer and as a DPS.
Until they address the synergy between “shirking heals” and “ankh,” healers are the least of our problems.
To assess if “shirking heals” + “ankh” is overpowered, you should not compare it to “shirking heals” + “ankh” + a healer. Instead, compare it to “shirking heals” alone and to having no healing support at all.
In this context, you should ask whether “shirking heals” + “ankh” is potent enough that someone with only “shirking heals” can still have a fighting chance and occasionally win (achieving a 30-50% win rate) compared to someone with this combo.
You should also inquire if “shirking heals” alone is strong enough that someone with no healing abilities can still stand a chance and occasionally win (achieving a 30-50% win rate) compared to someone with it.
If not having any of these abilities still results in a 50% win rate, that ability is essentially useless. Conversely, if not having any of these abilities leads to a win rate of less than 20%, that ability becomes nearly mandatory and creates a barrier for PvP against those without it. This is how we discern what is overpowered and what isn’t.
It’s expected for players to optimize their builds to perform well in PvP; that’s normal. Your win rate increases with every adjustment, whether it’s slotting high-tier gems, using 700 Gear Score equipment, or choosing the right perk. However, if a single element significantly impacts win rates, it’s a sign that it might be overpowered.
In their current forms, I believe that “shirking heals” + “ankh” and “shirking heals” both fall into this category when compared to having no healing abilities. They do enhance the health and dynamism of PvP (boosting light armor mobility builds, which I appreciate), but they should be adjusted to be less overpowering or more accessible, granting those without healing abilities a fair chance to survive and adapt.
Those who don’t recognize this and believe these elements are perfectly balanced are likely reveling in their power and inaccessibility. You can change all that with New World gold coins.