My solution to some of the gear problems

[Greebo]

Make the gem slot bonus really big. And have it change depending on the kinds of gem you slot. Maybe a gem multiplier or something. That way if plate drops and you slot mp5 or SP - tah-dah, healer plate. Chain drops? It's hunter loot!

[Khorshah]

I actually had a brainstorm last night:

Turn all of the spellpower plate into spellpower mail - it's itemized mostly the same anyways.

Give Holy Paladins a talent that gives them some nice benefit but disables their ability to use plate armor.

Thus:

Cloth: Priest, Warlock, Mage
Agi Leather: Rogue, Druid (Feral)
Spell Leather: Druid (Balance), Druid (Resto)
Agi Mail: Hunter, Shaman (Enhance)
Spell Mail: Paladin (Holy), Shaman (Resto), Shaman (Elemental)
Tank Plate: Paladin (Prot), Warrior (Prot), DK (Tank)
DPS Plate: Paladin (Ret), Warrior (DPS), DK (DPS)

It's not perfect, but it's a much more even distribution than the current one. I think.

[Araun]

Disabling the ability to use plate opens a whole can of worms re: what happens to the plate you're wearing, preventing people from switching into the spec or taking the talent while they're wearing plate, etc.  Plus it's probably kind of a kick in the balls for anyone levelling Holy.

What you could probably do, though, is just turn all the healer plate into mail like you suggested and leave it at that.  Make the Holy tier set mail too, just so people get the message: big fighty paladins (ret, prot) wear plate; healy paladins are more lightly armoured.

Of course that might just encourage em' to roll on cloth and leather gear too.  And they would, the bastards.

[Agrovale]

Take away my plate and I'll become such a ninja that Master Yichi will simply nod in old man approval for my leet ninja skills.

One of the perks of being a healadin is that a mob can rush forward, smack us, and we can take it.  So leave my plate alone.

[Araun]

Quiet!  Let us nerf you in peace.

Also, Holy Light should take eight seconds to cast and randomly Blind the caster.

[Qabian]

One of the perks of being a healadin is that a mob can rush forward, smack us, and we can bubble and be fracking invincible and have no threat, so I'll suck it up.

Fixed.

[Amaurn]

One of the perks of being a healadin is that a mob can rush forward, smack us, and we can bubble and be fracking invincible and have no threat, so I'll suck it up.

Fixed.

*nods*

[Agrovale]

Don't mess with the bubble!