I voted hybrid, but I also think the class needs a bit more specialization, but not just reducing it to dd OR healer. WAR already got pure dds and healer.
The great thing about the class in melee is the possibility to support, either deal damage and support own side when pressured or vice versa heal and support damage on the assist target. And I would strongly recommend to keep that coz there are also other classes, pure dds and pure heals, so no need for another one.
Having the class as another DD with selfheal is just nonsense. Choose Slayer or Mara or … then.
Using a hybrid in a Group is not a typical 2-2-2 setup, you either lose offensive potential for some more durability or vice versa. I think it’s good for a game to offer some options.
To have useful, but not over performing hybrid is quite hard to balance, but there are some things which partly balance themselves due to the situation.
Healing <-> Damage
If a wp/dok could heal like full healer while dealing damage like a full dd or having the debuff potential would be truly op.
Current situation:
On a healing slot (max sacrifice rest torture) you are only able to assist on the main target as long as the enemy is weak and doesn’t apply pressure, or the enemy doesn’t use defensive stuff (guard …). Otherwise you switch on anything soft, pets, some healer between detaunts … I regularly deal more damage in the scenario stats in the end when playing like that, than when playing on damage simply due to more essence lash and softer targets. But this “damage” is mostly useless coz only very little of it is on the main target. Even when it’s possible to produce good healing numbers with that, a dok is missing possibilities to heal against a long strong focus, wp has some options for that, but also not perfect.
On the other hand, when skilled on damage (max torture rest sacrifice) you often use the grp heal style but the target in typical fights has guard and you some debuffs which leaves you with some 350 grp heal per style. That would be too much if you would deal damage like a real dd but, even when some people dream about it … even Doks does deal less damage on target than a choppa or we. When someone is pressured and you want to heal him with the channel you typically switch to any softer target than the main target. So this damage is again wasted.
In summary, even when you are able to produce some high numbers on both, heal and damage board some/most of your healing or damage is wasted. So in a balance approach the hybrid version wouldn’t need a heal + damage = 100 %. That would vastly underperform.
Possible changes
Overall:
When slotting 2 hand / dual casttime on resurrection is doubled
Reintroduction of the old ae heal style with an added base value (overall higher value than grp heal style)
Reduction of the base heal value of group heal Style for example 100 or 150 (possibly also only when 2 hand/ dual)
Melee “hybrid”
Empowered Transfer Tactic:
-Willpower buff like on ab ex. Buff via hitting.
- 25% damage debuff
- higher base value and % on Grp heal Style
- higher base value and % on new/returned ae heal style
- normal resurrection time (means back on normal if 2 hand / 2 weps used)
- 125% heal from devour essence
- 10% strikethrough on melee healing tree abilities.
Tactics with heal reduction (e.g. divine fury)
These Tactics still influence your cast heals heal value and your damage value. So if you slot them you get better melee heals but lose cast heal potential, slotting both would probably be stupid
but still having their influence would offer a melee healer a good option to adjust to the situation and offers more masteryoptions.
A 25% damage debuff is enough, because in most situations the melee healers damage would not be on a main target, but when he chooses to risk lesser healing and places himself in the thick of the fight, his damage counts. Having useless 2-digit damage numbers on melee healer would not compensate the higher risk for your positioning and the additional target selection. That would only be that case if you would make it as braindead as on .ab ex but I really hope you do not include crap like ignoring target defense (parry, armor, tough, guard…..)for healing output.
Damage “hybrid”
I would not suggest to really increase the damage, also in the case of the WP. Perhaps guilty soul tactic slot could be used to include a more single target damage tactic.
For the class in “damage” skill I would like to see a role like offensive supporter and not just another dd.
I would include 2-3 more usefull debuffs or Buffs to improve the group utility. Str Toughness debuffs are plenty around so useless. Ini from wp is better but also several in game.
Very suitable would be buffs for friendly players or Group, but not you, something unique or stacking to make it an interesting group option. (Good for Group play, not really op/usefull in solo/pug)
For example:
-Deals x damage and buffs your defensive target (not you) with +15% damage for 10 secs.
-Deals x damage and let your grp regain x ap over 9 secs.
-Deals x damage and buffs your defensive target (not you) to receive 20% more heal for 10 secs. (only for castheals like working now)
-Deals x damage and gives friendly player cc immunity for 5 secs
(I just want to give an idea in which direction I think here.)
The new/returned single target heal and the channeling healstyle could still be used with an ok heal value, transfer essence has such a low output then on normal targets that it doesn’t really make a difference and it is better to use any other style (buffs debuffs damage).
Conclusion
Keeping the hybrid and adding changes like outlined above would make the classes more interesting and valuable for groups, especially the melee healer. It won’t just produce another melee dd and another healer. Also the classes would keep its current training curve: Positioning, targeting enemy and friends and using off or def abilities depending on the situation in that second.
Greetings Starilas