Are you happy with the current Totem system?

[Deleted]

Last time I played my shammy was in wotlk, back when totems were still 5 or so minute buffs generally with just a few of them being short duration and situational.

This system is probably better, but I don't think it's optimal. I can't help but feel like it's just bloated and not really efficient or fun for that matter.

Ever since the game launched totems were supposed to be of the defining things for the shaman class, and whilst I don't really have any awesome ideas myself I can't help but feel like the whole system isn't living up to it's potential. Unlike weapon imbues and unleash weapon for example, another thing defining shamans that's working awesome and is lots of fun to use as well.

Thoughts?

[thegempolice]

I think there's a limit to how fun or interesting totem mechanics can ever be (and these are entirely subjective terms, of course) simply because a totem is always going to be something you drop with one press that you have no further interaction with.

To get past this problem, you'd have to make totems interactive, rather than cooldowns or buffs. How about a totem that's placeable like EQ, that you target and cast or channel a spell on. Any enemies hit by the beam between caster and totem take damage. If you moved while casting the beam would move with you, allowing for all sorts of PvE and PvP applications, and bringing more interaction to totem play.

[Tuor]

I dislike current system aswell, to the point that since MoP i just logged my shaman, did a UP run and then logged off again till now. I won't lie, i just played a scroll and the 7 days free during MoP, but i didn't found totems fun at all, starting by the removal of the totem Ui... and then we have all utility totems gone .... I still remember when i had to spam Fire Nova totem during wrath, that was fun (i know it wasn't fun for elementals), but now .

Terrific totem concept design (and they even copied it to warriors) . Give me back my old totems these are not fun at all, we are shamans, we are suposed to play with them, not skip them as some currently do.

[Kralljin]

The totem system is okay but i think you need more interaction with those totems, they still don't really feel like a core mechanic.

[Deleted]

I find "buff-totems" boring. For example i find the idea of StormlashTotem not very interesting. Totems are supposed to be either location-dependent or "mini-pets" that have a "life of their own"... actually i'd like having totemic projection baseline, and EQ and Thunderstorm becoming totems. Then a spell like "totemic empowerment" that is channelled upon one of your totems that increases its effect. Could make it a talent with a cooldown. Maybe another totem based spell which extends the duration of one of your totems. (Could also be a talent with cd) in fact, make the "totem-tier" of our talent tree contain spells you cast on you totems.

[Deleted]

Totems will never be as good as in TBC, you felt like a real Shaman back then, totems could change completely how you and your group plays.

[Kroses]

I like it better now that there's a bit more micromanagement to it and that we're not just raid buffs anymore, though I do miss the old tremor, windfury, and cleansing totems despite them being pretty op lol. Id still like to see a water and air elemental totem though.

[Sarevokcz]

current system isnt really different from any other version. yes, we lost buff totems, but thats not really a change to totem system now, is it? they are still sticks in the ground with low hp, while most of them are simply drop and forget kind of abilities.

Id prefer projection baseline and bring back the Call spells, with new purpose or new names. Each of the Calls would serve to interact with the totem of one element. For example they would have 40-60s CD. Call of Flames could interact with Fire totems, if used when searing is up, searing would add ticks to FlS for X seconds, when magma is up, magma could tick for double damage for X seconds, when FET/PFET are up, they would increase shaman damage and healing for X seconds. Call of Tides would interact with water totems, when used while HST is up, it would heal 5 targets close around the totem, each for 10% of the tick, when used with HTT, it would heal only three(7 in 25man) targets, but for 200% of usual ticks, when used with MTT, it would give shaman extra benefit, Call of Storms would interact with air totems, when used with windwalk it would give shaman immunity to roots for 4 seconds aftet WW ends as an aftershock, when interacting with SLT, it would double the radius, but took away the health redistribution, when used with Grounding, it would interrupt and disarm everyone around totem for 2 seconds, when used with capacitor, it would stun instantly etc etc.

[aztr0]

I just got my shaman to 90 and played extensively on my shaman in Cata. I don't really like the new totem system. It'll take some getting used to.

[Deleted]

I just thought of a pretty neat idea too.

Imagine if you just had four totems, simply earth/fire/wind/air totem. These alone did nothing in particular (maybe give them a marginal buff for the sake of it, but it's not important).

Then you have abilities that interact with totems. For example "Radiate Totem", now depending on which one you have dropped the effect would be different. Water totem would radiate mana or healing, fire would radiate damage, earth a slowing effect and wind some type of damage buff. Then you could have Elemental Call, calling forth a fire/earth/wind/water elemental, "Explode Totem" for finishers/buffs etc.

This would probably make the system a lot more streamlined, interactive and fun too.

[Progressiv]

i only dislike fire and earth totems

[Lupinemancer]

To be honest, i'm dissapointed that they removed the Totem bar UI, that was awesome, I don't know what made them do it in the first place.

[Lucetia]

I still think they should add the Windfury totem back for Enhancement Spec shamans where it was a raid buff for the melee to proc extra hits.

[Auxis]

I like it. Feels better to have short period buffs than literal stat sticks. Im glad we no longer power up others aswell as ourselves.

Should have added, while I feel this current setup is better, it still feels very CD based and hardly enough totems that can be useful, IMO.

[Asphyxiate9]

I like the current totem system but I dislike how it feels like it added an extra 15 keybinds on top of what was already a lot

[SamoTray]

the only thing I really wish they change about totems is removing our elementals bondage to them, and allow us to drop multiple of the same element.

[Krysann]

I like the current totem system but I dislike how it feels like it added an extra 15 keybinds on top of what was already a lot

This is the problem with the current totem system. As a resto, it is added an excessive amount of cooldowns to a system with other known difficulties. I know other healers have procs and uptimes to manage but when I play my disc priest or resto druid I have far fewer things to track beside 13 totems (each with a keybind and weak aura to optimize uptimes and cooldown). The last thing resto shamans need is yet another cooldown. Things are getting pretty cluttered to begin with. Even though I understand Bliz wanting to make totems less fire and forget unless you move, I for one would welcome a couple of those.

[Deleted]

I don't mind them being just stationary buffs, but it's gone to point that i see no point on searing totem. It just hinders us imo.

But yeh, it would work if we had just 4 totems and few buttons to interact with them, like Kazim wrote. Ie. putting down water totem and pushing "totem aoe"-button, it would freeze nearby targets etc.

Or maybe they would work as "stances", having earth totem up would be "tank-ish" stance, ie. giving small damage reduction and dmg debuff on enemies hit. But that would be too similar to other classes.

[asharia]

This is the problem with the current totem system. As a resto, it is added an excessive amount of cooldowns to a system with other known difficulties. I know other healers have procs and uptimes to manage but when I play my disc priest or resto druid I have far fewer things to track beside 13 totems (each with a keybind and weak aura to optimize uptimes and cooldown). The last thing resto shamans need is yet another cooldown. Things are getting pretty cluttered to begin with. Even though I understand Bliz wanting to make totems less fire and forget unless you move, I for one would welcome a couple of those.

just ignore the fact that they're totems, and they're like any other class's CDs

[Deleted]

The key-bindings are out of control and actually what made me think about this. If you want to use any/every totem to maximize your character and play as well as you can it's such a hassle. Four totem and four interact with totem abilities would be great, 8 key-bindings for 16 abilities.