Supports in Paladins going forward

[FarceDawn]

So I'm making this thread cause I have recently started to love playing support champions (despite my history of playing dmg dealers and flanks) I feel like I have a higher chance of winning when I'm in charge of healing and I often love the fact that my team is staying alive to kill the enemy team.

Now the thing I wanted to talk about is the problem with supports in the game and the changes I hope that could be made going forward.
Here are the problems:

1. The support role seems to be geared toward high healing and low survivability late game
2. Supports are commonly fragged really early on or cauted to hell late game
3. Healing seems to be a mandatory position
4. Supports seem to often support (heh) only healing build

Now on to the changes that I hope for

1. Current Supports having Kits geared toward other roles than just healing
2. Supports that that can give dmg reduction buffs, move speed buffs, cd reduction etc.
3. Supports that focus on low heals but give buffs to other champions
4. Supports that are focused on debuffing champs (i.e. removing damage reduction or other modifiers like speed boosts)
5. Supports that can flank as well as heal or gearing Pip's kit more for speed and healing
6. Supports that can remove CCs as part of their base kit.

So far the Supports that I think are doing well right are Jenos, Pip and possibly Ying. This is because these 4 supports don't have to gear their skills or talents towards just healing. Jenos, while his healing needs a bit of a buff, has a talent that buffs, a talent that performs better cc, and a talent that gives him more dmg. Pip has 2 healing talents but his kit works in a way that promotes high mobility and gives more protection to him although the bugs and healing amount need a few changes. Ying can bomb or gain a nice damage multiplier on her base fire but lacks enough damage and consistency when healing or without talents in general. Grohk has an extremely high dmg legend (when played well) and one of the only 2 talents (among supports) that buff other champions.

The day I get to see supports being able to play more aggressively without being vhs spammed cause their team expects them to be a heal bot or for the supports to not always be the most protected position in the game is one I look forward too and hope for.

If I missed something or if anyone has their own differing views on the support role feel free to comment

Edit: added Grohk's own benefits to the mix

[GaoShun]

Grohk can be played as a pseudo damage with Maelstorm or a main healer with Totemic Ward.

[Spacey1]

To the extent that "change" means moving them more away from just being healbots and being expected to be healbots? Yes. And that is what my "yes" vote means.

[Valkure]

Here I am, as promised. Sorry, Mods, I’m on mobile and unable to edit previous thread. Feel free to join this post and remove the one above. Thanks.(You're welcome ^_^)

First thing, I am happy this thread comes from a former flank/DD players. We (support mains) are usually accused of asking buff to our champs just because we want to easy-win and we can’t play other roles. […]
As personal opinion, I am not asking for big changes, just for unnerf, in order to preserve the respective play-style of champs already existing, but with a note: all the previously existing play-styles should be equally viable. As, for example, for Jenos, Luminary (buff to team), The Power Cosmeum (full CC) and Binary Start (full dmg) should be equally viable, according to player’s preferences.

So, as usual, my first suggestion is to unnerf supports and bring them back to their original utility, which has always been different from “press RMB and hope your team can carry”. Then a balance to the free different play-styles should be performed, ONCE THE CHAMP HAS A GOOD BASIC KIT.

Then, after brought back our roster to its older glory, I would like too a new concept of support, more oriented to buff/debuff. Something like: LC1 for buffing, LC2 for debuffing, LC3 for flanking. Another jack-of-all-trades, like Pip was in old times. Something you must check loadouts for understanding how s/he would be played.
I mean, only supports can do that, other champs are so glued to their only focus...

[coremaxp1]

I think big changes are not necessary, but they should improve the basic kit of some supports (like Jenos for example). Improve the balance.

[Valkure]

And why do you think "big changes are not necessary"? Please, explain.

[TangAce]

And why do you think "big changes are not necessary"? Please, explain.

cause he's damba main probably x) (joke)
some people like to be healing bots ya know

but yeah changes are needed, allow supports to carry their team please, i can't play support till i reach D3 cause most teams are useless
more aggression in supports, more damage, so we can fight, we want to fight god dammit

[CrazyLasagna]

First thing, I am happy this thread comes from a former flank/DD players. We (support mains) are usually accused of asking buff to our champs just because we want to easy-win and we can’t play other roles.

Yeah, I've noticed this is a thing. I'm not a huge support player and I am a flank main (at least, I'm supposed to be) so I don't have the same opinion as some people who are (support mains), but I can get your reasoning as to why you don't like the state of supports right now. Things is, I actually like healing (sometimes). Keeping my entire team alive as Grover is one of the most satisfying things I have found in Paladins. Course, it's also great because Grover is a tree and I love annihilating cocky flanks, but I still do enjoy the healing aspect for the sake of it. Maybe this is just me, but idk. I'm not going to vote either way. I don't know how I feel about changing supports :/

[Valkure]

cause he's damba main probably x) (joke)
some people like to be healing bots ya know

I have nothing against them, but that's the reason we have talents: you pick one and you choose a play styles. The fact that only healing bot talent is viable is a limit to others.
Let's keep healing-bot way AND allow other ways.

[Valkure]

cause he's damba main probably x) (joke)
some people like to be healing bots ya know

I have nothing against them, but that's the reason we have talents: you pick one and you choose a play styles. The fact that only healing bot talent is viable is a limit to others.
Let's keep healing-bot way AND allow other ways.

@Lasagna: what we're asking is to be able to CHOOSE. We want the possibility to choose. Some like to be healing bots, others like a more "variable" play style. There's nothing wrong in allowing people to choose.