The lust for medics
That class that you daren’t touch unless forced too, but the class which you love above all others. That class that you depend upon, but you’ll never play it. The medic. The healer. The Doctor. No team is complete without one of their number, but do you say thanks everytime their long healing beam latches onto you? Everytime they uber you, or kritz you? Everytime they save you from certain death?
I doubt it. But how you wish it was you they are healing! Everytime you see a medic/ClassX surge past you with ubercharge, you’re jealous. Everytime you see the kill box fill up from a kritzed soldier, you’re jealous. Medics. The cause of all envy and hatred in tf2. Well, besides crits.. but medics can control kritz! There are only a few things more elating in tf2 than seeing your health shoot up to 150%, a familiar glow around your person, and a hawt german following you.
Hudda Hudda Hudda...Mhdiiiiic!
And then hearing him shout, “I am charged!”. The emotions of joy and bloodlust surge through your body, just raring to charge around that corner and mercilessly destroy all those helpless RED’s. The madness of battle! I feel that I can safely say, there is nothing more glorious in TF2 than an ubercharged heavy. I’m sure heavy would agree.
Medics are, however, undervalued. Taken for granted. Many of us (I find, usually demomen) will helplessly spam “Medic!” and not even thank said medic when said medic charges across the map to heal you. Do you have any idea how frustrating this? It’s just wrong. The medic is a class to be loved above any other, to be heralded as the bringer of destruction even when they can cause no destruction themselves (Ok, maybe a little). And then there are those who complain of too many medics. Ask yourself, when can there be TOO many medics? How can 4 ubercharges, synchonrised, be bad? I admit – the medics are not always working together, but even then – 4 ubercharges, one after the other, is sure to do some damage if not win the round. I will never understand this attitude.
Luckily, however, it’s usually the better players who say thank you – so the medics keep coming back to them. The rich get richer, and the poor… stay poor. However then, just more envy is created. The poor scream over voice (in a high pitched voice) “Why don’t you heal me man? I’m the best player here!”. They don’t realise it’s because they’re playing sniper.
In all, the medics are a class to be respected, loved, and thankful for. The next time a medic latches onto you, if you don’t already, please hit “z2″. It makes the medic feel a lot happier (usually..) and there is more of a chance of them returning to heal you. Everybody wins! (Except RED. They get gibbed).
Stumble it!
Kowl Slaw responded on 27 Nov 2008 at 10:59 pm #
Yes! Red gets gibbed! Yay for medics!
Sam responded on 27 Nov 2008 at 11:38 pm #
Well, in most cases when you get healed by a medic and he stops the character will say “Thank you” by himself.
Holper responded on 27 Nov 2008 at 11:48 pm #
actually I fully agree with u!
I always Z2 medic even if they charge me only a little….
I know what means heal somebody in the meddle of the battle risking your life to save some body else (I’m an occasional medic to.. )
and more important some times when I’m demo and the medic deploy the uber on me I always tell him to follow me but if the action is a certain suicide I give him the advice to escape from the battle ground 3 or 4 sec before uber ends to be sure to save his life…
is better a Demo down that a medic down for the team.
In this way all the medics in my team love me and always came to uber or heal me…
believe me IT really works good this behavior with medics.
nice post mate!
soylentrobot responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 12:02 am #
i always say thanks
i dont expect it when i play medic, but it is good. and i do so enjoy hearing the screeches of the morons when i dont heal them
The guy you kicked from ep^x responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 12:18 am #
Well…l don’t know, l enjoy playing medic, am l normal?
Also, the rae NOT undervalued and it is normal that you take them for granted because they ARE…
You know, you take pyros, heavies and all the other classes for granted…the medic is not an exception, it is a class like any other class (not in gameplay, obviously).
edinbugger responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 12:21 am #
Yeah, it’s always a good idea to Z2 medics (Z2 is now a verb) when they haul their highly vulnerable ass across the map over to you. If someone doesn’t Z2 me, they have a tendency to get skipped over in favour of, oh, say, a sniper.
edinbugger responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 12:22 am #
…And I forgot to log in. Meh.
Also, while large numbers of medics are always handy during set-up, their use dwindles during the midgame. Just sayin’.
General Balls responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 1:09 am #
Personally I disagree with the whole “class-no-one-wants-to-touch-with-a-ten-foot-pole” notion in relation to the Medic. The power of the class has always been a big draw for me.
The Chicken responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:13 am #
I personally have C bound to “Thanks”
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:35 am #
Another medics aren’t respected enough one? Really?
mew4ever23 responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:37 am #
Honestly, I really don’t use the “zxc” chat, because it’s just too awkward. I opt to shoot medics a quick thanks over voice chat.
Zorgulon responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:49 am #
While what you say is true for players as a whole, you forget that a decent number of contributors to this site have Medic as their first or second most played.
So the class you daren’t touch unless forced to? Not for me.
xeno responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:55 am #
K, maybe I exaggerated the popularity of a medic.. but you can never have enough medics! Also, voice is a brilliant way of saying thanks too
Sam, not everyone shares my view – but I feel it’s a bit harsh to just be happy with the automatic thanks, it doesn’t take any effort at all to smash z2, or C, or even voice.
“The guy you kicked from ep^x”… what?
Angmarian Warrior responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 3:11 am #
I agree that medics should be thanked a lot more, even though I can’t blame myself of not having the w2-reflex (azerty keyboard, you know :p)after each heal that I receive. The only times I don’t is when I’ve used a voice command too recently and my class won’t say “thanks” because of that.
When I’m a medic myself, I always use the kritzkrieg on defence. It has far more potential to get people killed than the normal ubercharge. And if I die in the middle of a critzcharge, so be it: I know that I’ve pushed the enemy back all by myself (and the critzeree).
Oh yes, great article, xeno!
Anonymous responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 3:33 am #
Thanking them for fulfilling their entire purpose? It’s like thanking a soldier everytime he blows someone up.
mew4ever23 responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 3:42 am #
@Anonymous
It’s because medics don’t get the respect they diverse.
Devenger responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 5:59 am #
Oh good lord, I’m tempted to paste my response to the last whining Medic. I’ll summarise:
Quote: “…not everyone shares my view – but I feel it’s a bit harsh to just be happy with the automatic thanks, it doesn’t take any effort at all to smash z2, or C, or even voice.”
Response: What do you bloody expect? All you did was left-click and do your job – maybe once you thank me for pressing left-click and shooting the enemy, I’ll thank you for pointing your gun roughly in my direction.
You might be useful, even necessary, but I’m TIRED of these Medics who are UP THEMSELVES thinking that healing people – their PRIMARY OBJECTIVE – is worthy of thanking.
(Quote: “blah blah medics undervalued/difficult you are selfish/foolish what would you do without us left-click holders etc. etc.
Counter-response: Medic is my second most played class. The only thanks I expect from my subjects is them trying their best to not get me killed – they have their important job too, and I’m just assisting the ultimate task, LIKE EVERY OTHER CLASS. Medics, you aren’t special, you aren’t to be cherished, get in line to help me win the round, MAGGOTS!)
(silly Medics, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN MY WORLD!)
Ozcar responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 7:16 am #
What I like in Medic is that if our team has a strong forward base, I can just sit there and heal people, pop a few ubers here and there and flee before it runs out. Create hellava lot of havoc and survive the whole round without dying, that is =D.
Ratio_UK responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 7:45 am #
This article makes me warm and fuzzy, mainly because, before it was written, I was healing a guy called Xeno in dustbowl. =D
General Balls responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 8:31 am #
Devenger, you exemplify what xeno was arguing against.
Sure the Medic did his job, but that job involves preventing you and 10 other people from spending 15-25 seconds in respawn. That in itself deserves thanks, in my opinion, because it’s an absolutely essential thing for the team, like thanking the Engineer on attack who built a teleporter in a good place. They’re doing a good job helping you and the team win, why wouldn’t you thank them, except out of sheer bloody-mindedness?
A lot of the time they have to put up with idiots who take them for granted, people who think they’re more important than the next bloke, and what can be a very difficult class to play is done a lot of the time by people who don’t enjoy it, but are doing it for the team. Such subjects are a good kick in the teeth for the sacrificial Medic, so it pays to let them know their efforts (and decision to go the class when they didn’t like it) are appreciated so they stay there and continue supporting the team alongside you.
It’s not like a headshot is anything great in itself, but keeping that Sniper alive to make that shot, where otherwise he couldn’t, is game-changing. Single-handedly buffing up people so they can enter the fray again and again without dying is special, rendering someone invulnerable for a game-ending ten seconds is special, nomatter how many ways you try to cut it. Like it or not, Devenger, the Medic is special, he is the most essential class in the game. Single-handedly he can stand, powering his team to victory whereas without him they’d have no chance, and that final reason is one I think makes any who play him definitely worth our thanks when he does his job well.
Positronic responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 9:39 am #
Honestly, this is like the 7th or 8th rehashing of this concept. I get it, medics are great, thanks, now move on.
Monchberter responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 10:17 am #
I play Pyro if i want fun.
I play Medic if i want GLORY.
FBS responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 11:34 am #
The only reason why I don’t thank them is that I’d have to move my hand from the arrows to the zxc keys.
xeno responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 11:52 am #
General Balls hits the nail on the head – yeah, a medics PURPOSE is to heal – but the medic does more than that. The medic holds the team together, and it’s simply wrong to compare a medic saving someones life and a soldier simply killing someone.
Ratio, what server was this on? though I have no capital X is my xeno!
Monchberter, if I want glory I play heavy
JohnB responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 2:58 pm #
I usually play what class the team needs the most, and that ends up being medic quite often. As a medic I put priority on the people heading to the front lines of battle. If you dash ahead of everyone, you’re going to kill people, and I’ll probably run with you. Medics like points, too. Next on the list is anyone with extremely low HP and medics themselves. We tend to look out for each other (no one else can, and we’re high priority targets for the other team).
Note that anyone spamming the “E” key gets moved to the bottom of the list, especially those who are out in the middle of nowhere railing on the button. A good medic heals who needs to be healed, most of the time without having to call for it.
Also worth noting:
* If you’re calling for a medic, stand where it’s easy to see you, preferrably out of the crowd. We have to target you to heal you.
* If you’re a Scout calling for a medic, don’t run around like a madman. We can’t keep up with you and will probably ignore you and your pithy HP.
* Snipers are on the bottom of the list. Sorry.
The guy you kicked from ep^x responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 4:15 pm #
What do you mean..what?
I just said medics HAVE to heal, because if they don’t they are not medics…
SAC responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 4:34 pm #
There’s a good point, actually. Why IS it always the Demomen who love to spam Medic? If given a shot, I’d say it’s because most people are clueless to the fact that they can be hurt by their own nades, but that doesn’t mean explain the spamming…
On the OTHER hand, I’m not sure either why Scouts of all classes are the ones who usually spam Need a Dispenser here.
xeno responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 6:19 pm #
The guy you kicked from ep^x; no, I meant, “what” at your name…
And you’re right Sac, it is usually demomen… No real reason, I suppose ! Though Scout is a no brainer, surely you know that one?!
Slipstream responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 6:34 pm #
Here’s a simple yes/no conundrum for you to solve.
You are a Medic. You heal someone. Do they say ‘thank you’?
-Yes- They are nice and considerate to you. You heal them more often.
-No- There are more considerate teammates elsewhere. You leave him.
Essentially, polite players will get my attention, and subsequently my Medigun beam, more often.
Not if they’re a sucky Sniper. Sorry, but no amount of ‘thank yous’ will lure me back to you.
Frankieontheinternet responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 8:28 pm #
There is something to be said about the Medic who heals everyone on the team, regardless of class or courtesy (I tend to be on the more courteous side of healed players,)or the Medic that follows a heal-ee that they can’t be certain will succeed to their death. There is such a thing as an overly courteous Medic though, I’ve been a building-less engineer and a pretty out of the way sniper and have gotten ubered on more than one occasion. It was a nice sentiment n’ all doc, but there’s a pyro right up there just waitin’ to screw up Red’s defense formation big time.
Ratio_UK responded on 28 Nov 2008 at 10:50 pm #
xeno, I’m sure I met you on “[-Q-]24/7 Dustbowl” server
Jazmeister responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:20 am #
Any kritz medics out there? I love me some kritz. I’ve recently started playing heavy/medic again, I fell out of that for a while and went spy. Hmm…
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:51 am #
Why do you wonder?…wait, you are this guy (http://steamcommunity.com/id/XenoArrow) right?
If you are not, then you just have his name and logo (what a coincidence…)..if you ARE this guy, well, then you should really know who did you kick from epx^…
xeno responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:20 am #
Ratio, yeah, I can remember playing on that server.
And (not to turn this into a flamewar) but I remember only 2 people who I *kicked* from epx, and I had no idea either of them read ubercharged. You may be someone entirely different, though..
I'm a medic, and I'm special. responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:31 am #
Saying thank you makes a difference, from a medics perspective. However, if someone opts not to say thank you they’ll still get heals from me.
Occassionally though there are people who stand out, for better or for worse.
The ones who shout abuse at you because -they- died and your medigun didn’t go into super power mode and save them from an onslaught they shouldn’t have run into. – They get boycotted.
Then there’s the ones who are completely considerate of their medics needs, sacrificing themselves to save the medic, warning their medic, informing their medic of their plans etc. – Those are the ones the medics STICK with, the ones the medics uber.
I wouldn’t expect a thank you from everyone I was healing as I stand amidst a group at the frontline. I DO like a thank you when I dash across the front line, dodging grenades left right and centre to dive to your rescue.
I also say thank you to everyone else who does something for ME in game, like the soldier who runs in to blow up an offending heavy just before you die. It’s just that medics do things for other players far more often. Don’t take it for granted. They are usually the best TEAM PLAYERS.
Thanks.
(Oh, and THANKS for the article Xeno ^^ you can have more medic’ing…maybe)
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:20 am #
Well now you know…one of the two guys you kicked from yer clan is an ubercharged reader…whohoo….
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:22 am #
And what do you mean by “entirely different”?
Name the guy that is on your mind..
Devenger responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:31 am #
Well, there’s too many whiny Medics here who didn’t get enough attention as children, so I’ll concede most of my original point, except to say I’d much rather have my heal target with his hands on WASD/equivalent, ready to defend me, then wasting time doing Z-2 (if they haven’t rebound it – I use the numpad for voice commands). I consider bullets to be better than words, in the same way I consider winning to be better than politely taking part. Hell, I’m getting half their kill points, better they kill things!
(On the flipside, when playing Soldier I use voice comm to quickly warn Medics of things I can see they can’t. Sometimes, I’m happy to tell them to just run back, so they don’t waste team time by dying. The thanks they get from me is knowing what’s in my line of sight, being asked to uber when I actually have 4 rockets loaded, and me only rocketjumping away from them when I can pull off something truly spectacular. VOTE SHUVEL 08)
John responded on 29 Nov 2008 at 11:45 am #
I love getting a “thanks” while healing someone as much as the next guy, but most important when I decide who to tag along with when the team splits up is of course patient behaviour: protecting me, communication, etc. Although (and this might just be me) I’ve found that people who say “thanks” are more often than not better patients too, so it may not be too far fetched to focus on those, all other things equal.
Also, let’s not forget to look at the other side of things: Medics, when your soldier buddy gets half the opposing team with one Kritzkrieg or your demoman downs 2 sentries with 1 Übercharge, don’t forget to c7 or even c8 them! (”Nice shot” and “Good job”)
Hawat responded on 30 Nov 2008 at 3:32 am #
Thank medics for heals, and, as a medic, thank patients for their good runs during ubers. Thank engis for teleports. Thank spies for sapping sentries. Thank demos for clearing that sneaky strike force out of the intelligence. Thank soldiers for giving you a breather from those snipers. And so on.
Not everyone will be able to thank you properly for doing your job. But when someone who’s ‘just doing their job’ makes your job a lot easier, it’s good for everyone to make it known.
xeno responded on 30 Nov 2008 at 5:52 am #
Aledrayth. Other guy has said he doesn’t even know what ubercharged is..
I agree that these posts are quite whiny, but what’s more whiny is when people moan at medics for “not healing them” – and it is usually these people who don’t give medics the respect and thanks that they deserve.
z2 is 2 key presses, and take less than a second – usually when you’re calling for medic, it’s at a lull in the battle anyway so you have time.
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 30 Nov 2008 at 8:25 pm #
Aledrayth?Uhm…no.
Devenger responded on 30 Nov 2008 at 10:16 pm #
but, xeno, the issue I have is why Medics require this special attention. I won’t refuse to blow people if my Medic fails to thank me for firing rockets. And if I need a Medic and none are healing me, the exsting Medics are obviously too inept to play properly (it’s a rare occasion a whiny selective Medic is as good as a balanced, clear-minded one), so I change class to play a combat-orientated non-discriminatory Medic to get team morale back up. And I don’t expect this z2 dilly-daddlying when I’m just trying to think about where my next injured heal target is!
cross responded on 01 Dec 2008 at 5:50 am #
the suspense is killing me! who is behind “The guy you kicked from epx^”?!
xeno responded on 01 Dec 2008 at 5:50 am #
While I agree it’s not 100% necessary, it does make the medic (well, for me at least) feel a little happier and generally makes said medics tf2 experience more enjoyable. Plus, no matter what you say – most medics WILL favour you for ubercharged.
If you’re not Aledrayth, I have to admit.. I have no clue.
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 03 Dec 2008 at 2:11 am #
Hah, l can’t believe it!
You have a really short memory!
Lolz responded on 06 Dec 2008 at 10:15 am #
Who are epx^
Lolz responded on 06 Dec 2008 at 11:48 pm #
Once i was a sniper and a medic was healing me and i sed Z2 every 2 seconds and later he deployed an uber on me! As sniper! I’m not sure if he was griefing or just a n00b but i have a feeling it was because i was pwning or that that i said thanks every 2 secs
Jigglesthefatman responded on 08 Dec 2008 at 6:13 pm #
Demoman’s MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC is probably the reason they spam the call for assistance.
The guy you kicked from epx^ responded on 08 Dec 2008 at 9:50 pm #
Epx^ is a clan
Acefighter responded on 13 Mar 2009 at 1:17 pm #
The reason “too many medics” is complained about is that your team’s offensive power falls to nil at a certain point. Four ubers in succession is good, four ubers in succession and then a team filled with medics, making it hard to establish a forward base, is not good. Besides, when we mean that there is too many medics, we mean that there are six medics on a team of twelve, and our firepower is half as good as it would be elsewhere.
The Medic Update was reviled because it meant about that amount at minimum, meaning a team’s offensive power went all the way to negative infinity. Yeah, they’ll live longer, but they CAN’T EFFING DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE ONLY WEAPON THAT HALF THE TEAM CAN USE IS A SYRINGE GUN. Not to mention the swarms of idiots who ubered scouts, charged at heavy-medic combos with bonesaws, and ordered the heavy they were ubering to pull out the fists.
ubercharged.net – Players You Don’t Want on Your Team: Whining Medic responded on 10 Nov 2009 at 1:49 pm #
[...] support class. Really, that’s great! But it’s not good that many medics take this as a license to [...]