Hey all, thanks for clicking.
I'll try to avoid being long winded here. Just interested in some feedback and perhaps an insight or two I hadnt thought of.
Basicly, my situation is as follows.
I have a pair of pallies on 2 different servers. The first, on my 'Alliance server' (70 Dwarf Holy -- my main on that realm) is in a very BG/PvP oriented guild, so while I have a good amount of experience in PvP, I'm still very raw in PvE/Instance type content.
The second, on my 'Horde server' (I have a 70 Prot Warrior main on the realm, where I've always been aligned with PvE-minded folks) is now a few bubbles shy of 58, and should be in outland this weekend. In order to make levelling him through 60 quicker/easier, I specced him Ret... but I've always known I want to make him a healer for end game PvE content.
As I hit outland, and plot out how and when I'll get to the point where I'm respeccing to Holy, it occurs to me that I have a few viable options...
A) Stay Ret and primarily solo quest/grind through about Lv 67. Respec Holy at that point and begin healing the Auchindoun and CoT instances for XP, practical experience, Rep and Healing Gear.
B) Respec Holy as soon as I can run Ramparts, and level the rest of the way primarily via Instances.
C) Respec Prot now and level up doing both solo questing/grinding AND instances/group content through 68-69, at which point I respec Holy to get my feet wet over the last couple of levels.
I can see advantages/disadvantages to all three. Staying Ret would probably be the quickest, but least interesting (its the path I've already taken twice and will be going through again on a Hunter over the next month or two). Going Holy now and sticking to instances would be of huge benefit once I hit 70, but I'm quite certain that'd take significantly longer to achieve. Going Prot now may give me the best of both worlds, but I'm pretty sure, given the choice between solo questing and running instances, I'd just do 90% solo stuff anyway (as I did on my warrior in spite of having a spec built for tanking instances). And if/when I do Pally-tank an instance I'd just miss my Warrior and perhaps resent having to learn another set of tanking mechanics I'd be using so sparingly and temporarily.
So... What would you do in my shoes?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Edited, Mar 14th 2008 3:55pm by soobooboo
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I would opt for a variation of B.
Spec Holy now, but don't "primarily run instances". You can still level through questing too. Mix it up so that you don't take too long to get to 70. That will give you more experience healing in instances, but won't slow down your leveling too bad.
Learning how to heal via a re-spec at lvl 70 is going to require a very patient group. As you know, the instances at 70 require you to be more knowledgable about your spec. If you are just starting to learn it, then you will be behind the curve. Of course, if you are running with a guild or friends that don't care, then you can do whatever you want.
Spec Holy now, but don't "primarily run instances". You can still level through questing too. Mix it up so that you don't take too long to get to 70. That will give you more experience healing in instances, but won't slow down your leveling too bad.
Learning how to heal via a re-spec at lvl 70 is going to require a very patient group. As you know, the instances at 70 require you to be more knowledgable about your spec. If you are just starting to learn it, then you will be behind the curve. Of course, if you are running with a guild or friends that don't care, then you can do whatever you want.
Honestly, I don't think there is a right answer to the question. It depends on too many things.
Personally, I leveled as Holy from about 40 to 70. I know it probably wasn't the fastest possible way to level but, it wasn't severely gimp either. I hit instances here and there when I was the appropriate level. Otherwise, I just quested normally. For a while I carried around a set of holy gear and a set of dps gear, but eventually in Outland, I just ditched the dps gear and focused on doing dps that benefitted from the spell damage on my healing gear.
One advantage to questing Holy was I didn't have to relearn how to solo at 70. If you spec Ret or Prot with the intention of going Holy at 70, you're using a different set of mechanics than you'll probably use when you're Holy.
Take your pick on spec. Ultimately, it's probably a six of one, half dozen of another type of question. Pick the spec that you'll enjoy playing more and the one that will work with how you want to level (i.e., more solo or include instances).
Personally, I leveled as Holy from about 40 to 70. I know it probably wasn't the fastest possible way to level but, it wasn't severely gimp either. I hit instances here and there when I was the appropriate level. Otherwise, I just quested normally. For a while I carried around a set of holy gear and a set of dps gear, but eventually in Outland, I just ditched the dps gear and focused on doing dps that benefitted from the spell damage on my healing gear.
One advantage to questing Holy was I didn't have to relearn how to solo at 70. If you spec Ret or Prot with the intention of going Holy at 70, you're using a different set of mechanics than you'll probably use when you're Holy.
Take your pick on spec. Ultimately, it's probably a six of one, half dozen of another type of question. Pick the spec that you'll enjoy playing more and the one that will work with how you want to level (i.e., more solo or include instances).
I don't think learning the Holy spec is really an issue to him... His Dwarf Pally is a 70 Holy, granted PvP oriented. But he'll still know the tools that the spec makes available to him fairly well.
Don't go way out of your way.. I'd say spec Holy in Outland (not too far in) and go with it. All Pally specs are decent at questing and have comparable strengths and weaknesses. We're not talking about levelling a Protection Warrior here or anything. Then you'll have the role carved out nicely, your friends wont be begging you to tank things for them because that's what you've done up to then after you respec, and you'll have some beginning gear.
Don't go way out of your way.. I'd say spec Holy in Outland (not too far in) and go with it. All Pally specs are decent at questing and have comparable strengths and weaknesses. We're not talking about levelling a Protection Warrior here or anything. Then you'll have the role carved out nicely, your friends wont be begging you to tank things for them because that's what you've done up to then after you respec, and you'll have some beginning gear.
TY for the feedback.
My feeling was that my learning curve shouldnt be quite as steep if I waited until 67 or 68 to respec holy for a few reasons... I know the encounters having tanked them with my Warrior. I know the spec to some degree having done countless Arena matches and BGs. And the group I would (hopefully) be running with has a way of dispatching mobs and packs of mobs with pretty astonishing efficiency. Plus, learning how to play my Warrior has given me a MUCH better understanding of threat management than I had the last time I attempted to run an instance on a Pally (BRD, a few months before the xpac, I believe)
That said, I think youre right (YJ). The downside to going Holy now isnt insurmountable... I'm just looking at it as a black or white thing. I did it once already. Whatever difficulties I may have had (which were nothing compared to the hell of dragging a Prot Warrior through these zones) will probably be lessened to some extent by experience and better gear via instances.
My feeling was that my learning curve shouldnt be quite as steep if I waited until 67 or 68 to respec holy for a few reasons... I know the encounters having tanked them with my Warrior. I know the spec to some degree having done countless Arena matches and BGs. And the group I would (hopefully) be running with has a way of dispatching mobs and packs of mobs with pretty astonishing efficiency. Plus, learning how to play my Warrior has given me a MUCH better understanding of threat management than I had the last time I attempted to run an instance on a Pally (BRD, a few months before the xpac, I believe)
That said, I think youre right (YJ). The downside to going Holy now isnt insurmountable... I'm just looking at it as a black or white thing. I did it once already. Whatever difficulties I may have had (which were nothing compared to the hell of dragging a Prot Warrior through these zones) will probably be lessened to some extent by experience and better gear via instances.
Since you have a L70 "big brother," re-speccing cost shouldn't be a big deal for your Pally. I switched back and forth between Holy and Ret from L60 to L70, running instances for a while and then back to questing. I had my cake and ate it too.
"the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Hermann Goering, April 1946.
Hermann Goering, April 1946.
Quote:
Since you have a L70 "big brother," re-speccing cost shouldn't be a big deal for your Pally. I switched back and forth between Holy and Ret from L60 to L70, running instances for a while and then back to questing. I had my cake and ate it too.
<~ Nortoriously cheap :)
I had a nice weekend with this toon. Dinged 58 and got into outland. Did a few quests there for gear upgrades. Paused for a few hours to finish up and turn in all leftover Azeroth quests (which is a plus, I think my other Pally had 3-4 unfinished BRD quests in his log the entire trip through Outland). Respecced for Heals. Got into a Ramps group with some friends. Knocked out his Charger quest. Ended up 60+ and just about out of rested state.
Its going to take a while to assemble a full set of adequate healing gear. Fortunately the group I usually run with allows me a lot of leeway, at least until I'm into the CR and Aucindoun instances... and by then I should be pretty solid on gear.
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