What's wrong with an Active Mana Regen Model?

#0 - March 10, 2010, 7:41 p.m.
Blizzard Post
O.k. So I'm sick of reading post after post of:
  • We don't want to run out of mana and...
  • We don't like to just sit there doing nothing.

    So what is wrong with an Active Regen Model: Meaning: Each class is given a talent Deep in the Healing Trees that:

  • Holy Priests: Any Direct Damage Holy Spell returns mana equal to 50% of the damage inflicted.

  • Disc Priests: Penance now restores mana equal to the damage inflicted on the target.

  • Shaman: Nature Spells return mana equal to 50% of the damage inflected.

  • Paladins: All instant cast abilities return mana equal to 50% of the damage inflicted.

  • Druids: (Assuming the remove Tree of Life) - Nature Spells return mana equal to 50% of the damage inflected.

    This does quite a bit to make Healing "Fun"
  • Mana can Remain Relevant without being boring.
  • When players out-gear an instance, the Healers still have something to do.
  • Players need to decide whether they need mana or healing more at any particular moment
  • Encourages players to not "over heal" because they are not only losing the mana from the heal, but also the mana from not casting a mana regen spell.
  • Forces healers to stay situationally aware, as opposed to the unit frame tunnel vision.
  • Could theoretically bring back "healer rotations" w/o the boring aspect of just sitting there doing nothing.

    Anyhow, just my thoughts.
  • #14 - March 10, 2010, 8:52 p.m.
    Blizzard Post
    I'm not sure we'd ever do a "deal damage to heal" model. It might work for new classes, but feels like a big change to existing classes that players know and love.

    Having choices to get mana back is good. Standing around to regen mana is bad.

    However, we still ultimately need a way that healers who are playing badly, trying to keep alive an undergeared / underskilled tank, or just tackling content that they're not yet ready for, can run out of mana to the extent that the encounter is over.