Shared Topic: More or Less Diversity?

This week's Shared Topic at BA is from TyphoonAndrew of Typhoon Andrew's Eye of the Storm:

Where is the line between Diversity and over specialisation? Or should the classes be homogenised?

This was a topic that I wanted to talk about, but may have lots of other healers saying WTF.

I read a lot of healer blogs and there is often a lot of complaining we don't have certain abilities.  Druids complain we have no mitigation type spells to reduce a tank's damage, or a threat reducing ability.   Paladins used to complain that they had no AOE spells (they do now though, with that OP discoball).  Shamans complain about the lack of HoTs.

But I actually LIKE being a Druid so that I have special abilities that nobody else has.  I like HoTs healing, I like being able to run while I heal.  Instant cast AOE heals woot!  I liked being the only character who could Battle Rez.  It made me feel special, a vital part of a raiding team.

So obviously, hots healing and movement are OP for big movement fights, so of course we have to take a small hit - hots heal for pissy amounts sometimes.  We can't do big heals very fast out of CD.  Our direct heals are slow.  That's the price we pay for our awesome running around ability.

And now Warlocks, DKs can Battle Rez.  So that means my special BRez ability and usefulness took another step down.  Because you can only use 1 per 10 man anyway, or 3 per 25.  "Oh we have a warlock and DK already, we can sit the druid out for another pally healer."  Bleh.  Not that I have that problem but I can imagine other people saying that.

I used to like how pallies were great at tank and single or dual target healing.  Now they can do massive AoE healing as well, I feel like they just jumped in and took my job away.  Not saying they couldn't do it before, but it was more challenging before - it could be done but pallies had to be quick on their feet (or kb/mouse) to do it.

Shamans had their own utility with nice chain healing and some fast heals.  But bloodlust was their golden child.  And giving bloodlust to hunters and mages?  That made it bad for shamans, because now their healing could be easily replaced with a dps and another healing class.  That is the essence of what I am trying to say - the special things your class had made you an invaluable addition to the raid.

But, as more people complained, Blizzard listened and changed things.

Now the healing classes feel a little bit homogeinised.  Now all healing classes can be substituted easily into a tank or raid healing role.  Hell you could have a raid of 10 druids and probably be able to do any boss fight.  Or a raid of 10 paladins.  Or a raid with 3 healers who were all the same class and spec.  The point is, I liked that each class was suitably unique and ALMOST defined to their role.

I can only talk from a Druid PoV so what I am saying is that I liked the difficulties that my class had.  I like the challenge of not having mitigation abilities because it made me heal that much harder, which in turn made the tank's job more challenging (as I would pull agro).  So the obvious symbiotic relationship that has is that the tank and raid has to take less damage, right?  Make the tank play better so that I play better.  Ok, so I don't have a big heal (LOH) - well keep hots up and time my CDs so I can do the top up someone who's gonna take a big hit with what I have.  So if I have difficulty on my own, team me up with a paladin or priest and we'll have a nice symbiotic relationship.

Now I noticed I am getting some mitigation type abilities.  I feel like Blizzard is saying to me "You have Paladin/Priest envy, so here you go, you can be more like them."  But it is a good ability and I am going to use it and it will make me a better healer, BUT is it more to help the lazier or weaker druid healer because they have difficulty keeping up their target?

And priests are getting a buff to Divine Hymn soon.  Holy priests were a challenge in Cataclysm, and now they want to be more like Druids.  Hmm.

So more diversity, more multiclassism!  Who wants to be all the same anyway right?