medical malpractice

[creamandsugar]

Sooooo since smurfette and a lot of others always have a fit about this, i figured why not start a medic topic. Specifically, for people to discuss what medics do right, and what medics fail miserably about. This is also a good place for people to voice what they like about the medics we have on server on a regular basis. So pull on your rubber gloves, slap a heavy and saddle up!

[Smurfette]

I like having a medic who knows when to hit the uber without me telling them!  I like a medic who will go in with me into the middle of heavy combat and not run away, one that will uber up and run in in front of me to take the fire so I can get the job done.  I like when the medic stays there even after we are done with the uber, and finishing up the kills and doesn't run away as soon as he is out of uber!  I like Spevf, Thalan and Sugar as my medics!!  End of discussion!  lol

[crazydog]

When I play medic, here's my list of priorities:
1) If nobody is in danger, heal a heavy, if no heavy, soldier, if no soldier, demo, if no demo, pyro, if no pyro, why the fuck am I a medic?
2) If a heavy is in the line of fire, heal him. If he jumps back and someone else steps into the line of fire, heal that person. As soon as nobody is in direct danger, go back to your heav/soldier/demo/pyro
3) I use the automatic medic calls, so I pay attention to those more than the people calling MEDICI!J@#J!@KLJ#!@KL! when they lost 20 health. If you are at 30% health or lower, I will be healing you (unless there is nobody else to heal).

When do I play battle medic? When I uber/krit someone, and they die, and I need to run away, OR when nobody alive on my team is worth healing.

On charges:
Usually I'll wait for the person I'm healing to call for the charge. If I see strategic moment for the charge and the healee stays silent, I'll pop it anyway. They usually figure it out in a split second.
If I'm about to die, I'll also pop my charge, but only when I'm ABOUT to die. I'm not one of those medics who hits the ubercharge because a pipe bomb landed a little to close to me.

[creamandsugar]

Well since we're on the topic of healing order: if you spam the heal button? You get nothing. Hitting it once puts a nice lil icon upon the medics screen, so we can see you, and how badly you need healing based on color. Poking it over and over again is just like walking up to the medic and poking -them- over and over again. Very annoying, and likely to leave you a flaming corpse upon the floor being laughed at. Likewise, do not whine and bitch for an uber. Ubers are merit based. If you are given one, and you don't do anything, don't listen to the medic, or fail to do anything usefull? No uber for you. It's not soupnazi, or favoritism, or leghumping medic. Its called "there are other people on this team and if you suck, you can go sit in the corner". Like those macnewbs >.< Go back to twofort! Anyways.

But, don't think its all about what the healtarget should be doing. Medics, do your part too. First: let people know where you are and what you're doing in a firefight. If someone is badly hurt and calls for you, tell 'm if you can get to them, or are nearby, or are on your way. Simple callouts like 'on your six' lets them know you're coming, or if they should go find a medkit. Also, for newer players, ask them what their preference is for when you uber, at least untill you get used to that person. Not everyone can be a good heavymedic combo, and it takes time to get a feel for your partner. Second: for the love of mike, call the damn spies. If you bump a spy, call it. If you see a spy, call it. If you suspect one, CALL IT YA BLOODY MOOK! As medic you have to be the eyes for your team, since you don't have to be concentrating on everything else. Heal, follow your partner, and observe. Keep your damn eyes open, look around at all times. Be quick, clear, and concise. "Spy Engi" or "Spy on your six" is very much needed and needed fast. Same for calling out shitscoots. Your partner cannot help, if they do not know, and they -don't- have eyes in the back of their head. Third: there is rarely a need to be healing scoots/snipers/spies. If i see you healing them instead of usefull classes (outside of them actually being badly injured) i will start giving free colon exams WITH MY UBERSAW >.< Get to the front line, be usefull, take a bullet or two, and help your team win. Remember, you are expendable, but sell yourself dearly. You'll always respawn, but that two seconds your heavy lived at the cost of your life may just win the match.

[Frag_68]

I appreciate anyone playing medic.  My only beef is when they have a full uber and:
1)  Wait so long to use it they die
2)  Are healing you, you say, "Let's go!" and, since they've been following you a while you leap into danger only to discover they uber the heavy that just showed up.  And I die.

I also like a medic that understands that sometimes I call for heals to buff before a sticky jump (like to clear the 'attic' in dustbowl lvl 3).


That being said, I find playing medic to be frustrating sometimes.  If one person complains about me being medic, I will stop.  Screw it, you don't like how well I did, do it yourself.

I do LOVE playing defensive kritz medic but get frustrated when a demoman doesn't understand how to do it.  I kritz you, you sticky spam them.  Watch out for sentries, kill lots of people.  A good defensive medic + demo/heavy/or soldier that understands can seriously change a round.  Eliminating teleports and killing opposing medics is always top priority.

[verm]

wow, you guys have covered all the points i can think of. i agree with everyone overall, but to me the things that are really important (the fundamentals, if you will) are the points that smurfette mentions. those are the things i try to accomplish most often when i'm a medic.

to build on what everyone's said so far:

• it makes a huge difference to get out in front of the person you're ubering. ESPECIALLY when they're not a heavy, because the lighter the class, the further they get knocked back from sentries and pyro blasts. if you're drawing all that attention to you, your healee has an easier time taking out the critcal threats. watch for pyros though, because all it takes is one good blast and suddenly all you're ubering is the air while your former healee is now receiving abrupt, unlubricated butt secks.
• for the love of god, if you need a medic and i'm there to help you (and the rest of the team) and you've seen a spy even once this round: SPY CHECK, SPY CHECK, SPY CHECK. medics are yelled at constantly for not popping an uber on request when in fact, we (and probably 3-4 others) just got pwnt by a spy because we're all looking in the same direction. we rely on the guys with the real guns (especially those with flames or pee pee) to communicate spy info to the team and handle them if at all possible. if the medic has his back against his/her healee the whole time, they can't make good decisions about when/who to heal, or when to pop their uber. if medics are chasing down spies, that means we're not healing. at that point, why bother being a medic? all it takes is a few backstab deaths in a row, and even the most patient of medics are going to say "fuck this" and switch to a class that can deal with the situation by themselves.
  

[creamandsugar]

Hey, one thing with that overheal: new medics don't usually know you're calling for medic for that, they jus think you're spamming. Even old hands focusing on other things prolly won't pay attention if all we see is a white cross with no damage. Because usually that's what people do.

As for ubering, most people don't seem to want to go forward while ubered, so they get left behind for someone else. If you're not running forward an the medic has a full uber, he'll prolly go for whatever is closest. At times i've had to uber a sniper because no one was nearby (except a couple times for humor. Nothing says hate like a sniper wit tribalshiv bein crazy).

[Baltika (#9)]

I play an awful lot of Medic, so some advice to the new medics (and anyone wanting me to heal them on our server):
1.  During setup (especially on Blu), please don't damage yourself and spam the medic button thinking that you're helping me charge faster.  The only thing you're doing is earning me points from healing, and I don't give a rats ass about that.  Healing damaged players during setup charges at the same rate as healing non-damaged players.
2.  During setup on PLR maps, do a medic a favor and step away from the cart.  Healing players being healed by the cart charges at a lower rate (even during setup).
3.  For the love of god, (on Blu) just stand still during setup so that I can charge my uber without having to switch targets or chase you all over the map.
4.  For the love of engineers, (on Red) don't rocket/sticky jump/charge to the front lines during setup and then steal the metal.  It makes setup harder on engineers (no metal), and harder on the medics (no healing targets).
5.  As a medic, please don't heal the same player that I'm healing during setup.  Keep your beam to yourself.  Two medics healing the same player causes both of them to charge slower.  If you're playing medic and you're having problems with other medics healing the same player you are, heal the asshat medic since they can't heal themselves.
6.  As a medic, spy check by running into/through anyone/everyone that gets close to you.
7.  As a medic, communicate with the player you're healing, tell them about threats that they may not see.  This is especially important as an uber is wearing down.
8.  If I'm healing you and you see me run in front of you and I'm looking at/through you and keeping my beam as long as possible, it means that there's a threat behind you.  Turn the hell around.
9.  If you want to help me charge/grind an uber/kritz, lets do it somewhere (safe, and) away from dispensers.  Healing players being healed by a dispenser charges at a lower rate (yes, even during setup).
10.  If we've got to walk to the front lines, don't be afraid to walk with me instead of rocket/sticky jumping/charging.  Feel free to hurt yourself on the way...I promise you'll be all healed up by the time we get to the front lines.  Plus I could use the protection.
11.  Don't refer to me as "my medic".  As in "my medic just left me".  I've got a name, use it.  If you want to make sure I'm going to follow you in on a suicide mission, it works like this: 
You:  "Hey, Balt - you ready?"  (aka: you're going to jump down in the middle of all these sentries, and want to know if I'm coming?)
Me:  "Nope"
or
Me: "Yep"
or
Me: "Just a sec, need some health, I'm at 4."

[DiscoStan]

Like most medic rules, mine are highly flexible. But the big ones I follow are:

1. I heal whoever is currently taking fire. Anyone who backs away from the front is not a priority unless they got lit up by a pyro, because they can find a dispenser or health pack.
2. My healing priorities: Demos-> soldiers-> heavies -> and anyone else if the tanks are filled up, so I build uber faster. Keeping the beam trained on someone who's maxed overhealed brings your charge rate back to 1x, instead of the 2x you get for healing/overhealing.
3. There's probably some TF2 code hidden somewhere that makes enemy soldiers more likely to get crit rockets when you're at 100% uber. So just burn it. You can always charge another.
4. During uber, medics should run forward and absorb sentry fire. Only exceptions are when there are sticky carpets or airblasting pyros.
5. Don't stand on teleporter exits. Telefrags cut through ubers.

[creamandsugar]

Hah oh god yes. Just like engineers hate being cockblocked by someone putting a sentry right beside there's, don't heal my fucking target. The only time you should -consider- that is while under fire, or -ON FIRE- and they need quick healing from the brink of death. Same goes with running to the kart while i'm healing you, or taking a medkit from me while i'm healing you. YOURE BEING HEALED BY A MEDIC! YOU DON'T NEED A KIT! frackin morons >.>;;

[Giant Flying Head]

YOURE BEING HEALED BY A MEDIC! YOU DON'T NEED A KIT! frackin morons >.>;;

I'm bad for this one. Mostly because most medics are slow and dumb. So I give up and go for a med kit.

[creamandsugar]

bad, bad gfh! *whaps with a rolled up newspaper* if a medic is nearby call for 'm, don't take the medkit. they can take care of you...unless you're a scoot. Then take off running -.-

[creamandsugar]

So, are there any particularly bad medics that are around oft? Or, for that matter, is there anything anyone needs help with? Last, anyone thinking about maybe say, a medic night?

[kline]

Best Medic how to that I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaMeZoV5-qs&feature=player_embedded

[Bass Ace G.]

I like Medics who don't ignore Scouts. I'm not saying they should follow the Scouts or that Scouts should have A higher heal priority, I just think Medics should overheal them when convenient (such as between enemy waves). That extra 60 health goes a long way since Scouts are behind enemy lines a lot harassing the opponents and buying the rest of the team time. More health means they last longer and lasting longer means they can do more damage to the enemy per life. Too many times have seen how Medics will outright ignore Scouts, even when they're at low health. So Medics, be a pal! Buff a Scout!

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