I'm always creating spreadsheets of gear available to my characters so that I know which items are worthwhile upgrades. They're generally pretty minimalistic and require a lot of manual modification, but after creating the spreadsheet for my Healing Gear Rankings, I realized that I had a great framework to create a more generic tool for restoration shaman gear. It took me a while to create a format I liked and to add all the features that I wanted, but I think it's finally ready for release!
File available via FileFrontEdit 12/5: Somewhere along the line, I added a column which messed up the profile saving and loading macros. I've uploaded a new version (dated 120507) with corrected macros.
Among the features of this spreadsheet are:
- A (hopefully) complete listing of end-game healing gear available to a restoration shaman.
- Calculates the "Healing Equivalent Points" (HEP) values based on your character's current gear, talents, buffs/consumables, and your playstyle.
- Generates a customized, printable list of top upgrades available to your character based on your raid group's current progression.
- Allows you to save and load two separate profiles for different characters or for different combat situations (e.g. PvE vs. PvP).
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are "Healing Equivalent Points?"
HEP is defined as the improvement in overall healing output after raising the bonus healing stat by one. The theory behind the HEP calculations is explained in my Comparing Healing Gear series.
What are the "weights" used with the HEP values?
These values represent the relative importance of each stat. For example, I typically assign a weight of 20% to spell haste as I feel that a 5% increase in casting speed is roughly equivalent to a 1% increase in overall healing output. Likewise, I feel that improving my survivability by 10% is roughly as important as a 1% increase in healing output, so assign a weight of 10% (I further reduce Armor by half since it only reduces physical damage). These values are not hard-coded to allow you to assign your own preferences.
What is saved to a profile?
All user-defined variables (everything in blue text on a white background) are saved to the profile: gear, stat weightings, talents, gem selections, etc. The gear lists are not automatically sorted by HEP, however, so be certain to re-sort after loading a different profile.
What do you mean by "up" time and "use of on-use" items?
These refer to how much of the fight you're receiving the benefits of Water Shield and Mana Spring. A value of 100% means you're casting them as soon as they expire. If you're using Earth Shield on yourself for half the fight and then Water Shield for the second half, you would use a value of 50%.
The use of "on use" items gives an estimation of how consistently you use these items. For example, an item on a two minute cooldown could theoretically be used five times during a 10-minute fight. However, if you find yourself only using it two to three times a fight, your "use" would be closer to 50%. Unfortunately, this value applies to all on-use items at this time.
Are set bonuses included in the HEP values of items?
By default, they are not, but there is an option on the HEP tab to include it. The HEP value then has the effects of the set bonus added to each item, divided by the number of items required for the bonus. I chose not to include the bonuses by default as the value depends greatly on the situation (a third piece has a higher value only if you intend to get a fourth, for example).
What exactly does the "Upgrade" value mean?
The Upgrade value represents the raw improvement over your currently equipped item. This value includes all HEP values, including survivability stats, and is modified by the weightings assigned on the HEP tab. This means that if you assigned a 10% weight to Stamina and the item is a 1% upgrade to healing output and a 5% upgrade to your health, it would have a +1.5% Upgrade value (1% + 5%*10%).
What do the "Use?" columns mean?
This column indicates whether you receive a larger benefit by gemming for the socket bonus. A "Yes" indicates that you're better off going for the socket bonus. A "No" indicates that placing the highest-HEP gems will give you a better value. The difference in HEP value is displayed for all "No" answers to let you know just how close the difference is. In some cases, you may want to ignore the "best" combination, especially when trying to meet meta gem requirements.
I found an error! Something's not working! I have a suggestion!
I'm hoping this tool will be useful to as many players as possible, so if you find an error or have a suggestion, please let me know! You can either post a comment, or send me email (Draezele at gmail dot com).
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13 comments:
Missing leg item: Haramad's Linked Chain Pantaloons
Missing gem: Teardrop Blood Garnet
Missing wrist: Auchenai bracers (enh in origin, but good mp5 and heal boosted with major healing enchant and teardrop blood garnet)
just for the records: excellent work, most usable spreadsheet ever seen :-)
Thanks for the comments, Mutzliputzli!
I chose not to include gear that was Elemental- or Enhancement-oriented (with a few select exceptions) because there were just too many items and because they're most likely to be replaced quickly. If you're using something that's not included, just add it to the list and it'll calculate its HEP value. I also included only the rare- and epic-quality gems because raid groups usually demand the best-available gems, expensive as they may be (that, and it'd make the page longer than I wanted it to be!).
You rock! And roll!
All night long baby!
This is nothing short of awesome. Thank you so much for sharing this spreadsheet with us.
Personally I think I would have added the Netherstrike set to the lists as well, but on the other hand I understand your decision of not including too many Elemental-oriented items.
Tiny nitpick: you typo'd the Crystal Pul(s)e Shield. ;)
Great work, as others have said - could you tell me how to add in my normal gear (ie stuff that isn't on the list) manually?
Many thanks and keep up the good work - I love this site and check it daily!
Ghorznakk, Alonsus
Thanks for the comments, I'm glad that you're finding this helpful!
To add new equipment, simply enter it on a blank line on the appropriate tab. At the minimum, you need to enter the name and the stats. You can also use this feature to enter an item that's gemmed differently than the "recommended" version - for example, comparing your Season 3 armor full of Solid Stars to other pure-PvE armor. There are a couple of tweaks that required manual adjustments (such as whether rings and trinkets are unique and adding in the set bonuses), but for most things, just the entry will be sufficient.
Hey - might just be an idiot, but when i grab the pull-down tabs on the gear page only a few of the many options come up. all of the other pages are fine, but most of the gear page is unusable. am i doing something wrong?
You might want to give credit to the person who actually made this
Seriously, did you not think the EJ people wouldn't notice?
Ummmmm.... *I* created this tool. If someone on the EJ forums is passing it off as their own, they're the ones who need to give credit.
If someone has a link to the page that claims this work is theirs, I would very much like to have it (please note, this is different than Binkenstein's calculator, which uses a different method for calculating HEP).
Just wondering if you planned to update the spreadsheet to include Sunwell? I added the gear for it, the 2.4 badges, etc. but haven't had the time to dig through your macros to find where to actually enable the SW gear on the upgrade sheet. Right now it's there but won't be used by the upgrade page.
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