Healing by Numbers: First Impressions

I originally wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, once the site domain name was registered, but WordPress wasn’t yet installed. I wanted to capture my immediate thoughts after my first experience healing a (non-heroic) instance without the use of my hands. In roughly chronological order they were:

1. Now that he’s hit the level cap, Mr. Phae really wants to start instancing. I spent 3 hours today writing and testing macros, but I’m just not sure if I’m ready. Isn’t the best way to test code in production? Field test!
2. I should probably do a random LFG through the group finder, but I think I’d rather kill my friends than perfect strangers. Let’s invite guildmates. They, at least, are stuck with me.
3. Random Dungeon Finder says: Darkheart Thicket
4. My auto-follow command uses my currently set focus. Should that be the tank? (In retrospect, no, it should not have been the tank.)
5. Oh God, he pulled. Okay, what do all these buttons do again? Oh, that’s right I don’t use buttons.
6. *awkward silence* … “Rejuvenate …2! Uh…. Also Lifebloom! I mean Bloom! Uh … I mean Bloom 2! GAH!! WILD GROWTH!!”
7. Our Demon Hunter tank is great. He’s making me look almost passable.
8. No, Mr. Phae, you cannot blow your entire mana pool in the first 10 seconds of the fight as an Arcane Mage and ask me to give you Innervate. None for you!
9. Okay, I’ve got this … “Rejuvenate 2… Bloom 2… Grow 2… Essence!”
10. Look at me!! I can run with my head tracker and still heal with instant-cast abilities! Hahaha!! I am the T2000! Except not evil or sent from the future or in shape.

The best part of the night had to be the Dresaron fight which, as you may remember, includes an AOE pushback called Down Draft. Previously, I would have struggled to move and mouseover heal, but I was able to use my autorun command, steer with my head tracker, and continue healing my group with instant-cast abilities until it subsided. It felt … strangely epic. By the end of the instance, our group had only a single death (I think due to a group member standing too long in a ground effect). Heroics will undoubtedly be a big step-up in challenge, but normal instances seem completely feasible!