05-06-2005, 12:08 AM
Drasca. I've played both a warlock (level 55) and a priest (level 32 at the moment). I haven't been to some of the high-end instances you mention, but I can comment on some of the differences I've found in playing the two classes in groups.
The priest is a very focused class. They're singular objective is keeping people alive, and the only thing they're worried about is stuff that gets in the way of that: mobs attacking the priest, and running out of mana. In the intense battles the priests lives in a very small world of life bars, mana bars and debuffs.
When the group is playing well, a priest's job can be very easy. I try to enjoy it while I can because inevitably Things Go Wrong (TM MongoJerry) and suddenly I'm unloading heals as fast as the cast timers allow.
The warlock is more of a big picture character. Warlocks are usually the last characters to get aggro (unless they're playing recklessly) and they have more opportunities to assess the state of the battle and adapt the tactics to the moment to moment needs of the situation. Incoming adds or priest under attack? Redirect the pet. Humanoid on the verging of running? Curse of Recklessness. Realizing halfway through a tough battle that the soulstone has expired on the main healer and only rezzer in the group? Create a stone and protect him on the spot. (Actually happened to me during the Marshal Winsor escort in BRD- the druid died so it was just as well, but I was a bit embarrased for not remembering to replace the SS in the first place).
Because warlocks don't really have a rididly defined niche in the group ("healer", "tank", "main DPS"), it gives them more freedom to tailor their play to the need of the situation. In comparison priests are much less in control during battles: which healing spells I use, and how fast I use them is determined more by how the group is playing.
Chris
The priest is a very focused class. They're singular objective is keeping people alive, and the only thing they're worried about is stuff that gets in the way of that: mobs attacking the priest, and running out of mana. In the intense battles the priests lives in a very small world of life bars, mana bars and debuffs.
When the group is playing well, a priest's job can be very easy. I try to enjoy it while I can because inevitably Things Go Wrong (TM MongoJerry) and suddenly I'm unloading heals as fast as the cast timers allow.
The warlock is more of a big picture character. Warlocks are usually the last characters to get aggro (unless they're playing recklessly) and they have more opportunities to assess the state of the battle and adapt the tactics to the moment to moment needs of the situation. Incoming adds or priest under attack? Redirect the pet. Humanoid on the verging of running? Curse of Recklessness. Realizing halfway through a tough battle that the soulstone has expired on the main healer and only rezzer in the group? Create a stone and protect him on the spot. (Actually happened to me during the Marshal Winsor escort in BRD- the druid died so it was just as well, but I was a bit embarrased for not remembering to replace the SS in the first place).
Because warlocks don't really have a rididly defined niche in the group ("healer", "tank", "main DPS"), it gives them more freedom to tailor their play to the need of the situation. In comparison priests are much less in control during battles: which healing spells I use, and how fast I use them is determined more by how the group is playing.
Chris