Doctor Archive

This issue has been mentioned here an there and is frequently associated with Bounty Hunters (though I am actually targeting novice medics). This is even touched on in item 34 in Zolar's big list of Doctor issues. I am bringing this up again in it's own thread to provoke more attention since I am of the belief that this is the biggest issue that severely reduces the need for a healer in a group (as well as allowing other classes to be a tad bit over-powered).

Problem: A small stimpak B crafted by a master doctor that has been fully experimented for effectiveness allows one with only the novice medic skill to perform afull health/action heal.

Solution: Increase the medicine use requirement for small stimpak B to be greater than small stimpak A.Make the medicine use requirement of any small stimpackbe directly proportional to the healing effectiveness.

The implications are obvious and I have seen this all too often in both PvE and PvP. I think that it should at leasttake an experienced medic to accomplish this feat (full damage heal).

Don't get me wrong; I am not trying to hurt other classes. I am suggesting we make healers (both medics and doctors) more valuable to adventuring parties.

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for this dilema. If you disagree with me for any reason, I would be interested in hearing why I'm wrong.

-Bel (Master Doctor)

Well, to a small extent I would agree. But I happen to be of the belief that Stim As should be made an item that anyone can use (i.e. they would not require the /healdamage command to work). Stim Bs are really a HUGE market for Docs, and cutting into that market could pur a real cramp in some of the Docs out there.

But, putting Stim Bs so that they have an Ease of Use experimentation trait, and so that they average out to normally be, with average resources, up into the Pharm 1 usage level (say Med use7 or 8) and could then be experimented down to Med Use 5 level, thereby reducing their potency because not a full set of experimentation points could be utilized for that purpose, then you'd start makinga better balance, I think.

I personaly would not call this a top priority, at least not for Docs. Maybe for Medics. But that's just me.

I like your idea of balancing med use experimentation with effectiveness experimentation. That would solve the problem in itself.

I suggest this is a doctor issue because we are the ones making these stim B's and we are the ones that should be able to full heal.

Personally, I'd rather make money by directly applying my skills in a group while doing missions rather than indirectly selling my skills in the form of stim B's thus precluding the need for a healer in a party. Maybe I am just being selfish but I would like any successful party to NEED a good healer.

-Bel (Master Doctor)

I've not seen this problem at all. Remember people have to take medic anyway to use them and although in lower levels this is feasible, almost everyone I know not pursuing medic eventually has to give it up. Compounded by the fact that they have to buy them.

As for parties, most non-medic medics are loathed to use their stims on anyone but themselves and also don't like to be in support. I was once in a party with my guild and when I left, the remaining members argued with themselves over who was going to do the party healing.

Virtually any party wants or needs a doctor/medic along. Remember you can heal wounds too. Most non-medic medics don't even bother with woundpaks.

A dedicated medic on their way to Doctor or Combat Medic or even just Master Medic usually the first to be chosen in any party I've seen. And once you hit Doctor you end up turning down offers constantly.

Well I would suggest that a truly successful part, even loaded with Stim Bs, still does need a healer. Especially Docs and/or CMs. A Stim B is not a guaranteed full heal. For most players with only Novice Medic they are probably not getting more than a 3/4 hel on average with one. WHich is all fine and dandy in most cases, but it also means with the variability of heal, they may only get a half HAM heal. And sometimes that half HAM heal will mean death because they just couldn't keep up wtih the damage dealt. Not to mention the mind use (where a dedicated healer become a free Mind bar for the group.)

Once you toss in Buffs, Bs are OK, but really they just don't cut it. If you are taking on something that you needed to buff for, chances are a Stim B has no chance of keeping up with the kind of damage you'd be taking. Add Pets into the equation and a Stim B starts to look like some Novice Medics unexperimented trash Stim As on those kinds of HAM bars. My groups already go up against stuff that deals out more damage to a Pet faster than I can heal it with a Stim E. It's just a question of how much more damage we can do to the MOB before the Pet goes down while I just sit on virtual auto-heal trying to keep it up as long as I possibly can.

So that's why I say I think it's more of a Medic Issue.

Heck if you're a Doc and groups are tuning you down, either they already have a Doc with them, they are a group of friends that likes to keep ther group to only specific people (i.e., it's not you, they aren't inviting ANYONE they don't know) or they are just plain stupid and have no real idea of what a Doc (or CM as the case may be) can do for them.

Zarlor, Dene: Very good comments, I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. After reading your replies, I don't think this is as big of an issue for doctors as it is for medics. FYI - I voted for doc issue #34 as my highest priority.

Thanks guys!

-Bel (Master Doctor)

I think that Bs are seriously not proportionate to what they do.

Example, I can make a "Normal" Stim C which with good resources and experimentation that is WORSE than an experimented stim B.

I can make a stim B that is 40/400 if I really want to, sure its a bit expensive, but for that to require 5 med use is pretty stupid.

I have always thought that each adv component should add to the med use level, because the med use is figured on what the base pack comes in at.

Master Doctor - aka Stim B salesman.

Just a simple question : Who's making these advanced stim B ?

A medic (even with crafting IV) will never, ever, match the quality that a Doctor can make.

It'sodd to hear people complaining about how hard it is to get medic-crafting ressources, how expensive and unrewarding (financially speaking, I know that, I'm a medic) it is and at the same time saying that novice medics shouldn't be able to use stim B's.

If you're a good doc, selling good stim Bs can be a cash cow. If the medicine use gets bumped, the potential market willconsiderably narrowfor you (peoplemight nothave the skill points) and many professions will simply HAVE TO be medics (and not only novice medics). Think about brawlers. Tanking a white con mob with stim A ? You'll spent 80% of you life sitting. BHs need it too to take some of their difficult marks down.

So what would be the option ? Grouping ? On serious hunting parties a doc is already necessary (and invaluable imho). The only consequence would be to force grouping for low level hunting... And which medic/doc would want to group with a poor Brawler doing crappy missions ? Honestly : no one.

A higher med use on stim Bs wouldn't help docs and medics, really, it would just seriously cripple some other professions.

Leave stim Bs at 5 med use, and just sell them ! They are you're meal ticket. I have never seen a good hunting party refusing the help of a doctor or medic (actually it's often hard to find one). Of course I'm talking about serious hunting on advanced planets, but if you're a master medic or doctor, that's where you should be willing to go anyway...

Just my 2 cents.

I would rather see it stay where it is now. I've bought hoards of AdvStimB and I'm sure a butt load of Docs have been stinking rich of making crate after crate of the stuff. I say dont change it.

I don't consider myself a good healer eventhough I'm a master doc. Self-healing and CM's own the large group healing market. It's really not fun to run around like a headless chicken trying to reach that magic 6m limit for each heal. Super B's make the game go in it's curret condition.

Without the Stim B market POOF over half my income up in flames.

One I realized how bad I stunk at chaotic incombat healing I picked up rifleman and I LOVE it.

doctor's get an income? dude what about mal'practice?

it seems that at the moment pharmacology 1 and 2 are useless and unless you get 3 or 4 you get no benefits . to balance it they can give stim Bbase med use of 11 and maybe wound Bbase med use of 21 it might balance the medic tree but that may hurt doctor income and yes they do make some money.

Oegies , Master Doctor on Tempest

You also forget that those buying the stim b's are not trying to increase their medical capabilities. They're trying to gain XP or credits. Thus, they are not going to be solely healing on their missions. I have found that Doctors are absolutely imperative to take with on missions (or at least a lot less of a headache anyway), not to mention the ability to revive is quite handy as well!