Healer (video games)

Last updated

A healer is a type of character class in video gaming. When a game includes a health game mechanic and multiple classes, often one of the classes will be designed around the restoration of allies' health, known as healing, in order to delay or prevent their defeat. Such a class can be referred to as a healer. In addition to healing, healer classes are sometimes associated with buffs to assist allies in other ways, and nukes to contribute to the offense when healing is unnecessary. [1]

Contents

When both healer and tank classes exist, a common grouping strategy is for the healer to focus healing on an allied tank, while the tank prevents other allies, including the healer, from losing health.

Healers are often represented as a fantasy spell-caster (such as a cleric, druid or shaman), a realistic combat specialist (such as a medic or paladin), a science-fiction technician (such as a repairman or engineer), or the like. Often, female gamers are associated with or stereotyped as always playing healer-class characters, with such characters being noted as often female as well. [2] [3]

History

Cosplay of the Medic from Team Fortress 2, an example of a healer-class character MCM 2013 - Team Fortress Medic (8979388310).jpg
Cosplay of the Medic from Team Fortress 2 , an example of a healer-class character

NetHack , a single-player roguelike video game, first released in 1987 includes a description of healers in its accompanying guidebook. It states:

Healers are wise in medicine and apothecary. They know the herbs and simples that can restore vitality, ease pain, anesthetize, and neutralize poisons; and with their instruments, they can divine a being's state of health or sickness. Their medical practice earns them quite reasonable amounts of money, with which they enter the dungeon. [4]

Other early examples of video games with healers in them include Chrono Trigger (1995) and Final Fantasy VII (1997). The former includes the character Marle, who is portrayed as a water mage and performs healing functions. [5] Final Fantasy VII featured the magic-based character Aerith Gainsborough, who was able to restore chunks of health to the player's party. She would go on to become one of the more iconic healing characters in gaming. [6] Unreal Tournament (1999) included healing in multiplayer gameplay. Healers were a markedly important facet of gameplay in the 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft . [7] America's Army: Rise of a Soldier (2005) rewarded players for healing teammates. [8]

Healers are often incorporated within the broader Support-class subset of characters in a game's playable roster. As such, healers and support characters are commonly associated with each other. [9] [10] Valve's Team Fortress 2 (2007), a first-person shooter (FPS) incorporated healers into gameplay. The game featured three support characters in general, with one being dedicated to solely healing. Team Fortress 2 featured competitive multiplayer, in which healer characters have been noted as vital in gameplay. [9] [11] In such competitive multiplayer, healer-class players have been noted as an underappreciated. [9] [11] Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (or MMORPGs) have been noted by PC Gamer to have a "usual problem of there being too few healers or tanks because most people want to be able to level and solo efficiently." [12] Some players have been documented to prefer selecting healer-class characters in competitive multiplayer modes, who have cited a desire to help teammates and a relative accessibility as reasons why. [11] Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of The Face wrote that "healer roles [in shooter games] stand out because they don't depend on hand-eye coordination, making them attractive both to players who find 'twitch-shooting' a turn-off and people with disabilities that affect their accuracy and reflexes." [11] In the 2010s, a community sprung up around the concept of "healslutting", which sees some players submit to others while role-playing a healer character. [3]

Roles and abilities

Multiplayer games featuring healing are not limited by genre, as the class is present in a variety of genres including role-playing games (RPG), first-person shooters (FPS), and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA). [9] [11]

A healer is generally tasked with restoring health, removing poison-like effects, and reviving fallen party members. Different games may include different mechanics, such as the ability to deal damage or to enhance the attributes of their allies. Healers require a degree of situational awareness, as well as resource management in regards to their kit. [11] In shooters, healing abilities, such as throwable health packs typically aim themselves. However, there are examples of healer characters that do require shooting finesse, such as Ana of Overwatch , who is equipped with a hypodermic rifle. [11]

In parties that include both a tank and a healer, it is customary for the latter to heal any damage taken by the former. [7] In small groups, they may also be tasked to heal the group as well, but in large scale group-play there are typically specific healers assigned to party-wide damage (typically taken indirectly, via lesser minions, spells or environment/habitat of the boss).[ citation needed ]

Specifications

Targeting specifics

Healers fall into two major categories when it comes to targeting options: Single-Target and Multi-Target.

Single-Target healers often have much more potent spells than their Multi-Targeting counterparts, such as those that fully restore a target's Health or resurrect an ally that had previously lost all their Health.

Multi-Target healers tend to lack potency, but heal multiple allies (often the entire Party) with abilities. In Tactical RPGs or open-world games, their spells may utilize an Area of Effect (AoE) mechanic. Healers that fall into this sub-type often do not possess resurrection spells.

Healers often do not utilise only one targeting system. Targeting options tend to depend on the skill rather than the character.

Sub-jobs

Healers have a small number of roles that they can be delegated towards. Often, a healer will fill one or more of these roles. Alternatively, a healer may fill one of these roles in addition to some other job, such as damage dealing (Battle Cleric, Druid), inflicting negative statuses on enemies (Witch/Warlock), or even drawing in damage (Paladin).

In sexual roleplay

Choosing to play as a healer may sometimes be done as part of a dominant–submissive roleplaying dynamic. In "healslutting" (a combination of the words "heal" and " slut "), players engage with one another both in-game and through external avenues as one player assumes the healer role, submitting to the player who has selected an offensive- or tank-class character. The term gained widespread popularity through the 2016 first-person hero shooter Overwatch , in which the character Mercy is a dedicated healer commonly used by female players who largely wish to avoid direct combat. [13] Aside from "healsluts", healer-class players may also conversely identify as "healdoms", in which they assume the dominant role in the dynamic as they can "control whether their partner lives or dies." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

In tabletop games and video games, a character class is an occupation, profession, or role assigned to a game character to highlight and differentiate their abilities and specializations.

Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range weapons, and can be used in combination with other tools such as grenades for indirect offense, armor for additional defense, or accessories such as telescopic sights to modify the behavior of the weapons. A common resource found in many shooter games is ammunition, armor or health, or upgrades which augment the player character's weapons.

In role-playing games, a status effect is a temporary modification to a game character’s original set of stats that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing video games. The term status effect can be applied both to changes that provide a character an advantage, and those that hinder the character. Especially in MMORPGs, beneficial effects are referred to as buffs, and hindering effects are called debuffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tank (video games)</span> Style of character in gaming

A tank or meat shield is a character class commonly seen in co-op video games such as real-time strategy games, role-playing games, fighting games, multiplayer online battle arenas and MUDs.

Crowd control is a term used in MMORPGs and MOBAs to refer to the ability to partially or completely disable one or more players or mobs, hence limiting the number of opponents actively fighting during an encounter. It can also refer to abilities that influence or prevent the abilities or actions of other characters. Crowd control can be extremely powerful, controlling the possible outcomes of an encounter, as it forces opponents to use a smaller set of abilities/actions. Players use crowd control to create offense/defense ratio imbalances between themselves and their opponents; used properly, CC often renders an opponent nearly useless, allowing the CCer to use abilities/actions against an opponent without fear of retaliation or response. In a group setting, crowd control often makes combat safer, easier, or viable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.Va</span> Fictional video game character

D.Va is a character developed by Blizzard Entertainment for their Overwatch franchise. She was introduced at launch in their 2016 first-person hero shooter video game Overwatch and returned in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. She features in the franchise's related animations and literary media. Outside of Overwatch, D.Va also appears as a playable character in the crossover multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game Heroes of the Storm and as a gameplay announcer in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. In English-language media, D.Va is voiced by Charlet Chung.

This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.

<i>Overwatch</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Overwatch was a 2016 team-based multiplayer first-person shooter game by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was first released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016 and Nintendo Switch in October 2019. Cross-platform play was supported across all platforms.

A hero shooter is a subgenre of shooter games which emphasizes "hero" characters that have distinctive abilities and/or weapons that are specific to them. A hero shooter can be a first-person shooter or a third-person shooter.

The Overwatch franchise, a series of first-person shooter games developed by Blizzard Entertainment consists of 38 playable characters across both games. The original 2016 game, Overwatch, featured 32 playable characters known as heroes and a number of supporting characters as part of the game's narrative, which is told through animated media and digital comics outside of the game. Its sequel, Overwatch 2, was released in October 2022 and replaced Overwatch. The sequel builds upon the same hero roster and added more characters, currently consisting of 38 heroes. However, as Overwatch 2 had been developed to be a faster game with five-versus-five teams rather than six-versus-six, several of the characters had tweaks or major rebuilds within Overwatch 2, as well as different character designs.

Zarya (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Zarya, full name Aleksandra Zaryanova, is an Overwatch character who first appears in the 2016 video game of the same name, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Dolya Gavanski, Zarya is a Siberian champion weightlifter who enlists in a local defense force after her home comes under attack from robotic forces, later joining the restored peacekeeping force Overwatch. Conceived due to Geoff Goodman's desire to include a heavy weapon wielding character into the game, she was designed by Arnold Tsang after watching a weightlifting competition, feeling the concept would make for a strong character. Since her introduction, she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise, and later in another Blizzard developed title, Heroes of the Storm.

Mercy (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Mercy is a character developed by Blizzard Entertainment for their Overwatch franchise. She was introduced at launch in their 2016 first-person hero shooter video game of the same name and again appeared in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. Mercy has also featured in its related animated and literary media. Lucie Pohl voices Mercy in English-language Overwatch media.

Mei (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Dr. Mei-Ling Zhou, commonly simply referred to as Mei, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Originally conceived as a Canadian bounty hunter named "Frostbite" who encased her targets in ice, she was changed due to the developers feeling a light tone was necessary for the character, and redesigned her as a cute, Chinese scientist. Voiced by Yu "Elise" Zhang, Mei is stationed in Antarctica as part of the efforts of "Overwatch", a global peace-keeping force, to monitor climate change. After being revived from cryopreservation, she helps the reformed group combat a global threat, utilizing a pistol that can either generate ice beams or generate ice constructs, accompanied by her sentient drone Snowball. Since her introduction, she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise, and later in another Blizzard developed title, Heroes of the Storm.

Overwatch is a team-based first-person shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in May 2016. The game, while having several different play modes, generally features two teams of six players each, selecting pre-made heroes from the game's roster, to either attack or defend various objective points on the game's maps. The game supports casual game modes as well as ranked competitive play. Since release, Overwatch has been both critically and financially successful, with a player base of 35 million players as of October 2017.

Brigitte (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional player character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Brigitte Lindholm is a fictional player character who appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch—a first-person shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment—and related animations and literary media. Although Overwatch was released in 2016, Brigitte was introduced as a playable support character in a March 2018 update for the game. Prior to her video game debut, she first appeared in Dragon Slayer, an issue of the Overwatch digital comic series.

Overwatch and Overwatch 2 are team-based first-person shooter games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Overwatch was released in May 2016 for several platforms. The game features a number of gameplay modes that support casual play, ranked play, and competitive modes used for professional esports events, such as the Overwatch League. Overwatch 2 was released in October 2022 with the same player versus player (PvP) modes, and will later include new player versus environment (PvE) co-operative multiplayer modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symmetra</span> Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Symmetra, full name Satya Vaswani, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Anjali Bhimani, she makes later appearances in related literary media and the game's sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan and designed by Arnold Tsang, the character was conceived due to a desire to include a classic fantasy wizard into the game's science fiction setting, expressed through her ability to create constructs from thin air using hard-light technology. A woman of Indian descent, she works for the Vishkar Corporation, protecting their interests while working to expand their influence despite her concerns about their intentions. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.

<i>Overwatch 2</i> 2022 video game

Overwatch 2 is a 2022 first-person shooter game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. As a sequel and replacement to the 2016 hero shooter Overwatch, the game intends a shared environment for player-versus-player (PvP) modes while initially having plans for introducing persistent cooperative modes, though the plans were later scrapped in 2023, focusing the game on its PvP elements. A major change in PvP modes was to reduce team sizes from six to five. Several major characters were also reworked. Overwatch 2 is free-to-play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in early access on October 4 and features full cross-platform play. Blizzard dropped the early access label for the game on August 10, 2023 with the release of Overwatch 2's sixth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junker Queen</span> Fictional character in the Overwatch franchise

The Junker Queen is a character who first appears in a small role in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Designed by Arnold Tsang, she was introduced as a background character in a 2017 update for Overwatch to help establish the game's "Junkertown" setting, she serves as its ruler. Her voice can be heard at various points on the in-game map of the same name, broadcasting over its PA system. In the game's 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2, she was added as a playable character upon release, establishing her real name as Odessa "Dez" Stone and expanding her backstory. Voiced by Siho Ellsmore in the original Overwatch, Leah de Niese took over the role for the character's full reveal in Overwatch 2.

In video gaming and BDSM culture, a healslut is a player who selects a healer-class character to provide healing to another player as part of a dominant–submissive role-playing dynamic.

References

  1. ↑ WoW: The official magazine Spring 2010 (Volume 1, Issue 2). Kill and Cure Pg141- Luis Villazon.
  2. ↑ Condis, Megan (May 2018). Gaming Masculinity: Trolls, Fake Geeks, and the Gendered Battle for Online Culture. University of Iowa Press. pp. 53–55. ISBN   9781609385668 . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Bohunicky, Kyle; Youngblood, Jordan (November 7, 2019). "The Pro Strats of Healsluts: Overwatch, Sexuality, and Perverting the Mechanics of Play". WiderScreen . 22 (1–2). Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  4. ↑ "NetHack 3.4.3: Guidebook for NetHack 3.4".
  5. ↑ Williams, Michael Patrick (2014). Chrono Trigger. Boss Fight Books. ISBN   9781940535012 . Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Donato, Leah (November 16, 2022). "10 Best Healers In Video Games, Ranked". DualShockers. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Lisi, Daniel (June 20, 2016). World of Warcraft. Boss Fight Books. ISBN   9781940535128 . Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  8. ↑ Payne, Matthew Thomas; Huntemann, Nina B. (September 10, 2009). Joystick Soldiers: The Politics of Play in Military Video Games. Taylor & Francis. p. 125. ISBN   9781135842826 . Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Harrison, Will (December 6, 2017). "Healers in competitive gaming get no respect". The Blade . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ Hurst, Marlow (March 29, 2021). "The feminisation of virtual healing". Honi Soit . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (April 16, 2020). "Meet the gamers who love playing healer". The Face . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ Augustine, Josh (January 31, 2012). "DCUO offers a creative solution to the age-old "Where's the healer?" problem". PC Gamer . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ Winkie, Luke (September 12, 2016). "Overwatch 'Healsluts' Turn Playing Support Into An Erotic Experience". Kotaku . Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ Bohunicky, Kyle; Youngblood, Jordan (November 7, 2019). "The Pro Strats of Healsluts: Overwatch, Sexuality, and Perverting the Mechanics of Play". WiderScreen . 22 (1–2). Retrieved May 22, 2023.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.