It's all Seek-the-Monk

Now that I've gotten to the upper levels in PvE (ascended, etc.), everywhere I go it's "group seeking monk" and "need monk" and "looking for healer" while most others go begging. They're very useful, of course, but there's just something wrong when the game turns into a grab-a-monk contest. I've seen groups wait 20 minutes trying to get a monk. It's to the point now I just grab 7 henches and go; I'm sick of the whole group-forming scene as it has become. I'm bringing up a monk of my own, so it's not like I'm anti-monk. And yes, this problem or something similar crops up in most online games of this sort. But are there some fundamental elements of player psychology that developer after developer fails to account for? Or do they just not care if supply-and-demand issues clog up group-forming?

PvP is like that.

In Shadowbane it was the same, get the healer.

Seems any game that has a healer type, that healer class is target no. 1.

Well, a healer class provides the most benefit per character slot, since in PvE, damage isn't all that necessary, you can just work mobs down slowly, if need be, since they aren't smart, and missions are essentially just mini encounters over and over, and they provide backup and a safety net, therefore allowing some stupidity, which can be prevalent in PvE pugs.

oh, sorry read your post wrong.

Healers seem to be the indemand class for most games.

It's a real bummer to, I'm sure that evetually other way to mitigate damge will be tried and used, but for now monks are wanted.

It does seem that ther eis a shortage of monks. But the way some people brow beat them, I'm not surprised there seem to be very few.

Any decent group can finish any of the quests/missions I have played (up to Druids Overlook). I can't respond about anything beyond that (duh . They are not that difficult with teamwork and competant players - the Beta missions were much harder.

I form PUGs just by calling out how many bodies I need - I'm not terribly worried about what classes respond. And the ones that drop when they see no monk - didn't need them anyway.

If you *really* feel you need a monk, grab the NPC healer - again, a good group can even keep her alive...

All of my characters are except one are monks. I like being a monk.

Beta was ALOT harder. Remember the Wilds on the 2nd or 3rd to last BWE? Eek, that was impossible with all level 20's.

From the current playerbase on the English Districts on EU server, it's quite easy to see why there are less and less monks.

It's hard to play monk, because you constantly have to keep an eye on your party's health meters, and if you slip up, it wont be long til one of the arrogant people in your PUG decides to tell you that you suck.

Also, my girlfriend plays monk, and feedback i get from her about it is that the two single most annoying phrases are: 'Heal plz' and 'Rez Plz'. Usually spoken in a manner that suggests the monk doesn't actually do these things. Look after your monk, and your monk will look after you.

Monks seem to be the most sought after class, yet the worst treated.

Yeah, I made my first character through the game a monk, mo/w, specifically, and we weren't in demand half as much as now, I'm on my third char, a r/n, and needless to say, I'm experiencing the other half of the meter, I did every mission until the desert with henchies, but it's essentially impossible for a level 10 r/n to get a pickup in dunes (probably for good reason =P) so I'm shelving him until guildies run it again.

Finding a monk requires clever advertising. Two of my most successful appeals:

"Want to give your healing skills a good workout? Join us!"

We had a monk in less than 10 seconds. Another pitch:

"Group in desperate need of a monk because we suck!"

Immediately got whispers from two monks!

I get a lot of flak on my monk when people die. "OMG why didn't you heal me?!" I really hate those kinds of people, but they're easy to ignore. I actually started a monk because I wanted to see what it's really like behind the veil of healing, but also because I noticed how hard it is to get one, there's such a shortage. Oddly enough I don't think it's too hard being a monk, I thought it would be a lot harder (I'm at Frost Gate right now, not too many people in my groups ever die.)

I am said girlfriend, and it's true, I can see why people quit their monks after major cities in the game (sorry, didn't want to spoil it for players). Most of the time we don't get to see the game. It's all just following the party and watching the health bars. Forgive me, I almost said team instead of party, but it gets so hard running in 5 directions after people when you warn them that you can't be healed if you're far away attacking 2 mobs at the same time.

Being told how to do your job also gets annoying. Spamming chat telling me "I'm dead!" or "Joe Bloggs is dead!" as if I hadn't known is irritating to say the least. I've been watching your health bar for the past 20 minutes, and I'm cursing that you're dead because it's my fault, but now you're not the most important thing here, you're dead. Give me a minute to save the rest of the party. Spamming "rez plz" also isn't helping, because that, is the least appropriate language to use when wanting something from someone. I know you're dead, the party knows you're dead. You wont be left, don't worry!!

I play healing monk, not prot, so I don't know how their lives are later on. But the few times I have played prot monk, being shouted at because I don't heal got so annoying I was forced to spec differently. People shouting "heal plz" doesn't work with prot monks. You get accepted into a party fast and then they zone or start the mission, and complain that they're buffed up to their eyes, but they're not getting life back and I'm standing around doing nothing. Take time to talk to the monkey. We don't all do the same job..

One monk will not surfice more often than not. Unless you've got a lvl10+ in Ascalon, you've got problems with just taking one. One monk cannot heal 4 warriors and an elementalist. It can be done at a stretch, but today I have had to go through some later pre lvl20 quests and going through areas swarming with lvl20 monsters. People leaving half way through the trek isn't fantastic. It aggravates the monks and degrades their skills and abilities. Leaving with the words "n00b monk, *profanities*" will really want them to stick with it.

Heal plz doesn't work. It makes me want to leave you to die. I don't tell you to "hit that" or "firestorm that", or "use axe", and I don't appreciate it back. Fine, stick mending on and /pout. See how fast you live honestly. Especially in the middle of the game, where the monsters are throwing poison and mesmer skills. See how fast you live.

No wonder monks loose interest and take up some other magic. They more often than not get nothing but backchat from other players. As Alathys says, look after the monk, and the monk will look after you. Show them the same respect that you would the other players, and they'll be great. You never blame the mesmer for not being uber powerful, give the monk the same courtesy.

(Btw, I'm sorry for the rant, it didn't mean to get this bad, I've just had a bad day with my monkey )

Haha, sorry about your problems, and I can commiserate a little, but that's definitely going to be my response next time I see that. Whether I'm the monk or not, if I see anyone say Heal Plz, I'm going to say Axe Plz every 1.33 seconds until I'm seriously annoying/bored =P

Nice I think I'll adopt the same. I guess a lot of monks aren't the same as me, but I'll admit that I've got a hot temper, and unfortunately it comes through too fast. But I'll start to do that instead of being mean now. You may have saved some people's /death tallies...

Haha, I try. I don't know, I think monk in PvE = really easy, especially after playing so much high end PvP with one, so I don't take PvE very seriously at all, especially since I only farm/help friends with my monk now, him having finished everything.

monks are dry because they are only 1 class out of 6, but are always required regardless of a situation

I understand the posters point on monks being overly needed, but what REALLY makes me sick is seeing "group looking for second monk." Second monk? What the heck are you talking about a second monk.... With exception of the last mission, a second monk is never required.

PvP also has this monk issue, 5 groups standing around in every district looking for a monk. And when it begins time to fight, all that matters is kill that monk....

I am hoping that this problem is recognized and that a second type of healer is introduced...shaman or something.

I've had decent luck with PUGs while playing my monk, I've logged over 200 hours with her and haven't been cussed out more then maybe once. By the same token though I think I've only been thanked for healing or told that I great job keeping everyone alive a handful of times.

Also I completely agree with how annoying it is to see people beg for rez's and heals. Like it was said above I see your health and I know you're dead and when I'm not busy healing the other people that weren't stupid enough to try tanking with a mesmer I'll get to you. I especially hate it when people spam their health when it starts getting low. A big problem I've been seeing is people trying to tank with builds not made for it. I'm usually too nice to just quick healing them, but after awhile I just make them my lowest priority.

Something else that bugs me is after tough battles when I'm running low on energy I'll call it out with ctrl. It almost never fails that some jackass thinks I'm trying to be clever and starts spamming their health, moral boost, and expierence thinking I'm doing it to show I'm cool or something and then they usually run off aggroing something before I'm recharged.

One more thing that bugs me is groups that don't let the tank aggro things. It seems everyone just HAS to get that first shot off on that big mob, like it's some mark of honor or something, of course the mob usually heads straight for the idiot mesmer/ranger/elementalist that fired and runs right past the tank.

It's much easier for me to heal 2-3 tanks taking all the damage then it is for me to try and heal the idiot caster being ganged up on. Of course the caster never tries to dump the enemy off on the warriors they either run (more often then not right to me, thus dumping the enemy on me. Thanks alot.) out of healing range or right into another group of enemies or else just sit there and get pounded on.

.... which is why I charge to be in groups. Ok, I am kidding.

I play a level 20 mo/me (formerly mo/r), and all in all, i find it quite rewarding. I think in PvP monks have the most challenging job, as 9 times out of 10 they are the primary targets in the group, so not only do they have to try to get/stay out of harms way, they also have to keep the other group members alive.

Agreed you do see more of the group health bars than anything else, but if you don't stay alert you'll find yourself in the middle of a maelstrom or chaos storm and all your energy will have disappeared after casting 3 or 4 heals.

PvE has lots of idiots - less so after ascension, but they are still around. Spamming health is ridiculous, do they not know how a monk is played? The monk probably knows how much health you have better than you.

One group I had, the warrior must have had armor 10 or something like that in one of the post ascension missions, then he'd run into the middle of a group of enemies after a large fight without giving any of the other group members a chance to recharge. Soon enough he'd spam his health then die.

"---- I NEVER DIE THIS MUCH"
"REZZ ME ----"
"ARGH THIS IS SO ANNOYING I HATE DYING"
"---- ---- ----"
etc.

This and people running off trying to take on a team in pvp solo is what i find most irritating.

on the plus side - if you tell the people what they have done wrong, and why they are dead & having their body guarded by an enemy team, they may listen - and perhaps learn.

^^ Hah!!! That's funny. No. What you get is this, "STFU N00B monk can't even heal me and trying to give me advice."