It should be time to finally reactivate the ability, to use solar beam with out a target.

Why does it require a target?

The requirement of a target was added, because of a bug, which made druids gain astral force without hitting anything by just using staff skill 1 in combination with lingering light. But this bug was/should be fixed—particularly since lingering light was reworked.

Would it make a difference?

Yes.First of all, activating a skill—especially one without cooldown—freely works wonderfully with the action camera.Second, with the game options Stop Auto-Attacking on Target Change deactivated and Allow Skill Retargeting activated, it much easier, to attack players, since skills can simply activated while the target is set later. This way, it’s possible to simply activate the auto-attack, while searching for the target. If the targed has been found, the auto-attack doesn’t need to be activated again, since it will now continue with the target.Third, it is the only auto-attack skill in the game, which cannot be activated freely. Even the newly added auto-attack chains on guardian’s staff and trident as well as the mesmer’s scepter auto-attack can be executed completely without hitting anything or anyone.

it felt alot better when it didnt require a target

It should not only work the old way, but it should have the same radius (600) as Med Blaster (Engi Med Kit 1) if not targeting. If they don't want it to generate AF, then make it that way for that special part.

It's literally the only healing spec that can't heal outside of CA. No, Ancestral Grace doesn't cut it. How many time (in PvP), I have allies hugging me, waiting for a heal, my CA on cooldown and my only direct heal is Ancestral Grace ? You can't Staff 1 or Staff 2 to heal them. It's stupid. It's one of the main reason why FB is Support King, even outside of Tome 2, it can do plenty of healing and support (Symbols, Skills, Tome 3 Boons, Direct Heal, etc.).

Healing Glyph maybe? But none of the Druid's healing skills are direct healing.... so.... maybe rethink the argument?

@"Krispera.5087" said:It's literally the only healing spec that can't heal outside of CA.

Druid needs a rework because of this. It's truly an awful implementation imho.-"I need healing now!"-"Ok, just hold on for another 15 seconds..."

Sucks.