This is very helpful. The problem I've had is that I'm not experienced yet in VL because I don't want to go in to a game and run around like an idiot not knowing what to do. The dilemma of how to get experience has been bugging me. This has at least helped me to have a plan and not stand there like a dork trying to figure out where everyone's gone when they say "Gurg" and rush a portal.

I have a few questions. You say that mages should only heal, but the first thing my mind does is think, "wait, it takes a bit for my heal to be ready to hit again so am I just supposed to stand there and wait for it to recharge?" Shouldn't we also be buffing and debuffing? Where should I stand to avoid being killed while waiting to heal? Should I just kite around? Is this why being in a good group is important?

I've done Gurgox once and OL a few times and on Gurgox we just died like crazy because of the scream. It was my first time there and I was kind of like, "whoa, wth? This doesn't seem very effective."

With the OL I just stood outside waiting to run in and res when necessary and ran away when the OL came out into the hallway so I wouldn't be killed. Is this standard? It just seems so...boring and like I'm not really contributing. I just created a bird that I'm thinking of leveling up since I do like to get in the fray and really don't like to just stand around healing and nothing else.

Oh, and I have to add one thing. There is nothing more frustrating than being the only mage in a group and having players shout, "HEAL", over and over again and acting like you're not healing at all. Do they not realize that it's not something that you can just spam every .5 seconds? The reluctance to pop pots while waiting for me to be able to heal again is really annoying. And, yes, I spam heal like crazy.