The Unspoken Hybrid Class

Do we have to be what people tell us to be? Do we have to become what people expect of us? In real life, I can't tell you how devestated my parents were when I told them that I was dropping Pre-Med/Computer Science for Architecture. In the WoW, certain expectations are just as strong. There is the preconceived notion that you must conform to certain party structures, certain class structures. Hybrid healer classes have for so long been faced with extreme performance stereotypes. You picked a class who CAN heal, therefore you’re main purpose is to heal. People don’t ask you, they just expect that’s what you’re going to do.

There was a huge, huge debate back when we were in Cykos, my old raiding guild, about a certain Shadow Priest. Not many guilds at the time even allowed any of their priests to spec shadow or druids to go Moonkin. Every raiding guild was always short on healers as is. But the issue came up regarding allowing the Shadow Priest to play the way they wanted to vs. how the raid needed them to. Even loot distribution was a problem. Locks vs. Shadow Priest priorities came to a head on one particular night. There was a ton of arguing and I remember a statement being made about how certain classes should perform the way they were meant to. What does that mean?!

What made this case special was that we had invited the guy into the guild with the full knowledge that he was proposing to stay shadow. And yet we were holding all of these prejudices against him. I remember saying, “Maybe we’re not ready to accept that certain classes can be more than what we know them to be”.... In the end, the guild decided to allow him to stay Shadow but he got last priority on shadow/dmg gear and last priority on healing gear. The ultimate SHAFT! That night and that debate stayed in my head and I promised myself one day I’d put myself in his shoes.

Nearly 10 months later, here I am. In his shoes. Level 70, ready for end-game content and I’m CRINGING every time people say to me, “yo, let’s go run something, you can heal and I can do damage.”

They don’t even ask me if I want to heal, they just assume that’s what I do. And it kind of pisses me off.

The funny thing is that I don’t mind healing. I think it’s fun, an adrenaline rush, it’s a real challenge and I feel great when I’m able to surmount some of the most difficult boss or pvp encounters by healing efficiently.

But that other people get to make gross assumptions on how they want me to play, that’s not cool with me. It makes me want to rebel. “Hey! I do as much dmg as the warlock, damnit, plus I heal while I’m doing dps! I’m valid!! VE FTW!”

Will I try out the Holy tree? Most definitely. I’d love to be the main tank healer for awhile. But I want to do it of my own volition...not because someone says I HAVE to because it’s what my class is supposed to do. That’s just BS.