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Post by
Paolo
In olden times, each class & spec had a very unique flavor, with abilities that were only available to that spec. This is, by definition, a disparity between classes. Early on, those disparities were relatively self-neutralizing. You had ability X, and I had ability Y. Your class countered mine, but my class countered that other one over there. Balance, while never in any way perfect, was achieved by moderating the disparities. Given good group composition, and high skill levels, the different class abilities were the very nature of the challenge. And they could be overcome, by and large.
ME
: Survivability(2) Power(3) Healing(8)
YOU
: Survivability(4) Power(9) Healing(0)
We might not be 50/50 in 1v1 duels, but with good partners we might be nicely matched.
With each expansion -- bringing with it 10 more levels, with parallel increases in gear level, and a host of new and powerful talents -- the disparities grew. My ability Y no longer could keep up with your ability X. Group composition became an essential part of the game, and the BTPNTC mode that has been working fairly well in PvE failed miserably in PvP.
So twenty levels later...
ME
: Survivability(4) Power(5) Healing(20)
YOU
: Survivability(9) Power(25) Healing(0)
Those gaps are far harder to overcome. Our duels are now jokes. For me to survive, I need the perfect group composition.
So, how do we reduce the gaps, and make PvP closer to equitable? Either nerf the abilities back to the point where counters were more possible, or minimize the uniqueness. I don't see shadow priests getting too buffed in the survivability department. Bliz hammers home that they will not balance for 1v1. But giving them other abilities in the power department will allow them to comp differently, and therefore survive better.
Yes, it reduces uniqueness. There's just too much power in the game to allow for the amount of uniqueness that we currently have. Personally I find the new MS debuff on MB to be a fascinating and left-field addition to the class. It will force more defensive play against shadow priests, which means you actually DO get a survivability buff. It's roundabout, but it's not trivial.
Post by
239567
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
ignayshus
The reason they gave it to frost mages and shadow priests is because without it, these specs can threaten opposing healers effectively.
Post by
cloudp
No, I didn't say it was a bad mechanic, I am sad for the uter lack of originallity of Blizzard.
Also, the Resilience change buffs Shadow Priests. It is a buff itself. It once reduced DoT damage! DoT only, and a lot of our damage comes from our DoTs. Before, DoTs against a normal 900 resilience would be at 90% of its effectiveness, and DoT criticals would do even less, for their damage was reduced twice. Now, by having a flat -10% damage, our dots are at 90%, but so is every other spell and ability. We grew up in pressure and damage. Same goes for Unstable Affliction-like Vampiric Touch.
But after i think about it, i was too focused on duels and 2s. Blizzard's focus is now 3s and 5s. They, as experienced now, are extremely dependant on certain things. RMP and Cleaves, the dominant 3s teams, have Mortal Strike. (when i say dominant, its an understatement. They account for above 90% of the representation.) If they expand the number of mortal strikers, i guess we would see an increase in the number of viable team combos out there.
Hum. We shall see what time brings.
Post by
422605
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Post by
282517
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