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Leveling as restoFollow
9 posts
Would leveling a druid as resto be that bad? I level a holy pally and it took forever to kill mobs, however I figure being able to shift into cat form and throw on some cheap feral gear wouldn't be as bad. Anyone done it? I would be leveling with all rested exp also.
If you're levelling resto, you should have very little down time and very few corpse runs, however you'll also kill mobs slow. While yes, a feral set can offset this some, you're still going to be doing significantly less damage than you could as a feral spec.
The problem is that druids are hybrids. Most other classes get about 0.75%-1.2% DPS increase per talent point, maybe more on the single point items (i.e. ruin for a warlock). But hunters, rogues, etc. usually get about 1% crit, 1% hit, etc per point. Druids on the other hand get 2%+. As you start hitting higher levels, things like mangle and LotP become necessities for dealing any sort of damage. However, you can still kill mobs that way, it's just going to be slow.
My advice would be to level feral, maybe switch at 58 to resto when you hit outlands and just level to 70 on instances. If you really want to level resto, I'd recommend doing a lot of instances along the way - supplement your lack of feral talents with blue feral gear, and actually use your spec along the way. Also, be sure to pick up naturalist and OoC, as those six points can increase your DPS by >25% in cat form.
The problem is that druids are hybrids. Most other classes get about 0.75%-1.2% DPS increase per talent point, maybe more on the single point items (i.e. ruin for a warlock). But hunters, rogues, etc. usually get about 1% crit, 1% hit, etc per point. Druids on the other hand get 2%+. As you start hitting higher levels, things like mangle and LotP become necessities for dealing any sort of damage. However, you can still kill mobs that way, it's just going to be slow.
My advice would be to level feral, maybe switch at 58 to resto when you hit outlands and just level to 70 on instances. If you really want to level resto, I'd recommend doing a lot of instances along the way - supplement your lack of feral talents with blue feral gear, and actually use your spec along the way. Also, be sure to pick up naturalist and OoC, as those six points can increase your DPS by >25% in cat form.
I've leveled 29-50 resto and it really isn't a big deal. Not sure how I'll fare in Hellfire Penninsula at 58, but we shall see. And yeah, you got it right, most grinding will be done in a cheap feral set. Agi and Stam and a bit of Int when you can find it. Don't be afraid of picking up priestly cloth pieces to heal instances in--not much leather healing gear that I could find (so far).
I think I heard that in 2.4 they're boosting the xp you get from mobs in instances, so that will make your leveling even easier. Suffice it to say that getting a group as a specced healer isn't difficult. I freakin' love healing as a druid.
I think I heard that in 2.4 they're boosting the xp you get from mobs in instances, so that will make your leveling even easier. Suffice it to say that getting a group as a specced healer isn't difficult. I freakin' love healing as a druid.
Skribs wrote:
The problem beauty of it is that druids are hybrids
FTFY ;)
Edit: In addition to Omen of Clarity (an absolute must), I'd recommend picking up Ferocity in the feral tree asap as a part of your resto build. It's a quick 5 pts that makes that Claw spam go just a bit faster. I'm going as far as Feral Charge, but you don't really need it outside of PvP.
Edited, Mar 25th 2008 12:34pm by AynLoD
Ahh, I remember when I leveled Restoration.
Of course, back then Restoration was the only talent tree worth spending points in. Especially since Innervate was the 31pt talent. The main way to attack stuff back then was to engage in caster form with a dagger and just heal yourself 'til the mob died.
Heh. Yeah.
Level however you like to. It doesn't really matter how you spend the talent points until level 70 anyway.
Of course, back then Restoration was the only talent tree worth spending points in. Especially since Innervate was the 31pt talent. The main way to attack stuff back then was to engage in caster form with a dagger and just heal yourself 'til the mob died.
Heh. Yeah.
Level however you like to. It doesn't really matter how you spend the talent points until level 70 anyway.
Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.
Quote:
The problem beauty of it is that druids are hybrids
I meant problem. It is a beauty in most respects, but it's a problem when you're trying to do off-spec stuff. Yes, I am a resto druid and I can still DPS, tank, or heal...but when I DPSed a fight because HoTs werent needed, I pulled less damage than the tanks did in prot gear. Granted I wasn't using wrath, but still, talents are much bigger for hybrids than they are for other classes. Thus, it's a problem when you do off-spec stuff.
I have a friend who's leveling a holy priest. He's doing it all through instance runs and zero grinding and as few non-instance quests as possible.
It's working great for him. He never has any trouble finding groups, is always fully geared with blues, and has a great handle on th ins and outs of healing. He'll be able to step right into our Kara rotation when he dings.
I think restos have a bit more flexibility than that and you can do some solo quests, but instance runs may be the way to go for you.
It's working great for him. He never has any trouble finding groups, is always fully geared with blues, and has a great handle on th ins and outs of healing. He'll be able to step right into our Kara rotation when he dings.
I think restos have a bit more flexibility than that and you can do some solo quests, but instance runs may be the way to go for you.
skribs wrote:
I meant problem....Thus, it's a problem when you do off-spec stuff.
AynLoD wrote:
;)
I know bud. I was just bein' a goof.
Kisses and hugs.
If you really want you can, but don't feel you NEED to be resto to heal while you're still leveling. Feral is true hybrid pre 70, able to do whatever the party needs. If tanking doesn't interest you balance shouldn't have any trouble healing either.
im leveling and will probably be for life, balance.
the instances i have ran so far(upto ST) i can heal better than most hoyl specced priests iv been with. i have a great MP5 and 201 +healing at lvl50, my rejuve is enough to keeo a tank alive agaisnt 2-3 mobs.
i dnt see why you woudl want to level as resto until maybe you get to outland.
I have been respeccing resto at x9 for some pvp, which is very fun.
if you want to heal in instances, i advise going balance as you can solo fast and have no problem healing in groups....and 2shotting mages in BG is fun
just my 2 cents
the instances i have ran so far(upto ST) i can heal better than most hoyl specced priests iv been with. i have a great MP5 and 201 +healing at lvl50, my rejuve is enough to keeo a tank alive agaisnt 2-3 mobs.
i dnt see why you woudl want to level as resto until maybe you get to outland.
I have been respeccing resto at x9 for some pvp, which is very fun.
if you want to heal in instances, i advise going balance as you can solo fast and have no problem healing in groups....and 2shotting mages in BG is fun
just my 2 cents
My (feral) druid is in a levelling guild, and a resto druid is levelling alongside me.
He levels ridiculously fast (I can't work out how) - half the time he is online he is pvping. Probably more important is that he loves the resto tree so he never gets bored...
Being a resto also means that he gets invites to loads of instances that a dpser would be fighting for group space for. As a result he always has a good number of blues in his gear.
I have duoed with him as well and he really seems to know his class well - and puts out reasonable dps - although now that we are moving through the 40's he is well behind a feral in that regard - so he might be a bit slow when solo grinding - but your rested xp could make up for that.
So I would suggest you can happily level as resto.
He levels ridiculously fast (I can't work out how) - half the time he is online he is pvping. Probably more important is that he loves the resto tree so he never gets bored...
Being a resto also means that he gets invites to loads of instances that a dpser would be fighting for group space for. As a result he always has a good number of blues in his gear.
I have duoed with him as well and he really seems to know his class well - and puts out reasonable dps - although now that we are moving through the 40's he is well behind a feral in that regard - so he might be a bit slow when solo grinding - but your rested xp could make up for that.
So I would suggest you can happily level as resto.
9 posts
Thanks for all the advice. I respecced last night to Resto and the few instance runs i did I enjoyed it a lot. Now my friend will be leveling either a boomkin or a shadow priest along side me so we got the DPS covered. I have to say the biggest benefit so far to being resto is i'm needed in groups, as dps is a dime a dozen.
Just wanted to chime back in here, since I was one of the pro-resto folks. After doing the level 50 Druid quests last night, which involved, strangely, killing level 51-54 silithids in UnGoro, I'm considering going back to feral and trying Mangle out. I realize that the bugs are a pretty tough fight for melee with their high armor and hp, but damn that was a frustrating hour or two. I'm thinking the bastids in Hellfire will be similarly tough as resto.
My new plan may be to respec feral until 60 or so, then go back to resto and focus on instances. Gear will all be Outlands gear by then, so hopefully whatever soloing I have to do will be less painful.
On the other hand...
This was my first instinct as well, but now I wonder if tanking isn't really the best way to guarantee yourself a group. Pre-OL, you don't even really need a real tank for most instances (up to ZF at least). As long as you have somebody in mail or plate holding the mobs off the healer, all you really need is a decent healer. In OL, you start needing a real tank. Lucky for us druids, we are a true seamless hybrid--we can do two things almost equally well with the same feral build.
So healers are the easy groupers up to 50 or so, then tanks are the easy-groupers after that. I dunno, just an educated guess, and I haven't really decided for myself yet. I know I enjoyed tanking on my prot pally and I'd kinda like to see what beartanking is like.
My new plan may be to respec feral until 60 or so, then go back to resto and focus on instances. Gear will all be Outlands gear by then, so hopefully whatever soloing I have to do will be less painful.
On the other hand...
Mikewai wrote:
I have to say the biggest benefit so far to being resto is i'm needed in groups, as dps is a dime a dozen.
This was my first instinct as well, but now I wonder if tanking isn't really the best way to guarantee yourself a group. Pre-OL, you don't even really need a real tank for most instances (up to ZF at least). As long as you have somebody in mail or plate holding the mobs off the healer, all you really need is a decent healer. In OL, you start needing a real tank. Lucky for us druids, we are a true seamless hybrid--we can do two things almost equally well with the same feral build.
So healers are the easy groupers up to 50 or so, then tanks are the easy-groupers after that. I dunno, just an educated guess, and I haven't really decided for myself yet. I know I enjoyed tanking on my prot pally and I'd kinda like to see what beartanking is like.
Scholar
27 posts
Although I leveled as Boomkin, I've done a lot of post-70 questing as Resto and it really isn't that bad. You just want to stay away from hardcore farming.
If a quest calls for you to kill 20 of something, you will still spend more time finding the mob you want to kill, than actually killing it. Due to the high-powered hots, you can also gather a few mobs together with MF/IS and then barkskin/hurricaine them while your green swirly ticks away.
I switched back to moonkin for a bit and went right back to the tree. I missed invincibility too much.
If a quest calls for you to kill 20 of something, you will still spend more time finding the mob you want to kill, than actually killing it. Due to the high-powered hots, you can also gather a few mobs together with MF/IS and then barkskin/hurricaine them while your green swirly ticks away.
I switched back to moonkin for a bit and went right back to the tree. I missed invincibility too much.
39 posts
If i put on my feral gear (greens and blues) on my 70 resto druid, i do just about the same damage than my 61 rogue, and almost the same crit (1.2k ish) from evicerate/ferocious bite. so ... my opinion is: it's possible, but really hard to lvl and i wouldn't recomend it.
(I actually did tried to lvl 60 - 70 resto with no success.i had to go feral untill 68, and then instance alot till 70 to replace my feral gear with healing)
(I actually did tried to lvl 60 - 70 resto with no success.i had to go feral untill 68, and then instance alot till 70 to replace my feral gear with healing)
there is no point speccing for healing at low lvl(below 55) as you can heal just aswell (actually even better i feel) as balance, even as feral in int gear you can heal easily upto at least zf
Quote:
as you can heal just aswell (actually even better i feel) as balance
Say what? Please explain. You must be defining "heal even better" as off-dpsing while not healing, thus shortening the fights and amount of healing required. Else I cannot fathom how you could see Balance as having more efficient or bigger heals that Resto.
i have healed every instance i have ran at least once and im balance, and all iv needed to do even on bosses is wait for the tank to get to enough hp to need a regrowth and then rejuve, then stick my feet up.
why this woudl be any different as resto i do not know, other than the regroeth critting more which would be a waste any way when the amount of healing wouldnt require a crit.
on trash its just a rejuve to keep even clothies alive if they pull hate.
i have ran brd as tree and chicken and it wasnt any harder as chicken, plus once the tank is hotted up getting the big starfires is still possible.
at low level speccing into healing isnt needed.
jsut like speccing into prot as a warrior at low level is pointless as you can DPS tank easier than TPS tank.
its also the same as that at low level holy paladins dps better than retirb, rather backwards but true.
why this woudl be any different as resto i do not know, other than the regroeth critting more which would be a waste any way when the amount of healing wouldnt require a crit.
on trash its just a rejuve to keep even clothies alive if they pull hate.
i have ran brd as tree and chicken and it wasnt any harder as chicken, plus once the tank is hotted up getting the big starfires is still possible.
at low level speccing into healing isnt needed.
jsut like speccing into prot as a warrior at low level is pointless as you can DPS tank easier than TPS tank.
its also the same as that at low level holy paladins dps better than retirb, rather backwards but true.
The only way I could see balance being as good as resto for early healing is the general lack of +healing and mp/5 on gear. Dreamstate and Lunar Guidance give a decent amount of +healing and mp/5 and allow you to somewhat ignore spirit, focusing on gear with more Int.
That being said, I've tried farming as balance, I've tried as resto, and neither one is as fast as Pounce > Mangle > Shred > FB > dead (or mostly dead) mob. That, and the whole "zero downtime waiting for mana".
That being said, I've tried farming as balance, I've tried as resto, and neither one is as fast as Pounce > Mangle > Shred > FB > dead (or mostly dead) mob. That, and the whole "zero downtime waiting for mana".
Unless you are leveling with a group of friends, leveling as a healer is pointless, especially when you have such a functional soloing spec as feral.
With the lowered xp per level and increased xp per quest, the amount of use you get out of any piece of gear while leveling to 60 is significantly reduced, as is the ratio between xp from instance running vs xp from solo questing.
And finally, on the rare occasions you do actually run an instance, a feral with healing gear can heal just fine too.
I realise there are people who simply don't like feral playstyle, or who really love resto, but if efficacy and/or efficiency factor into your equation at all, feral is the only choice for leveling up to 60, with a slightly honorable mention to balance.
With the lowered xp per level and increased xp per quest, the amount of use you get out of any piece of gear while leveling to 60 is significantly reduced, as is the ratio between xp from instance running vs xp from solo questing.
And finally, on the rare occasions you do actually run an instance, a feral with healing gear can heal just fine too.
I realise there are people who simply don't like feral playstyle, or who really love resto, but if efficacy and/or efficiency factor into your equation at all, feral is the only choice for leveling up to 60, with a slightly honorable mention to balance.
I leveled until Outland as Resto... and realized that I spent most of my time in cat form (I went healer to group with my friends... but they weren't on 100% of the time I was on) so switched to feral (still feral after clearing T5 stuff)
So... basically, I think it's better to be Feral and have some healing stuff for your instance runs, than to be resto with some dps gear, while leveling.
Edited, Mar 28th 2008 11:52am by ParaThor
So... basically, I think it's better to be Feral and have some healing stuff for your instance runs, than to be resto with some dps gear, while leveling.
Edited, Mar 28th 2008 11:52am by ParaThor
I agree with parathor. If you want level as resto I would as do a lot of 5 man dungoen quest it probably faster way level with that build.
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