Warlock Discussion with Senior Technical Game Designer Kris Zierhut.

[Deleted]

What the fuck, how are they going to make things interesting for DoT classes when they remove snapshotting? They better come up with some huge fucking giant interesting ideas because if they don't Affliction Warlocks are literally going to be the most boring spec to play.

[Sartre]

I've quited the game long before that AffDots addon came. And as been said here it was what seperated a master warlock from a good warlock. After the addon things got easier I presume, maybe to the point that it is trivial anyway now too. Though before that you should have mind and remember in if your DoTs were good, worse or superpowered.

It was one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing a DoT class for me. Pity if they are removing it.
R.I.P.

[Zathrendar]

I don't really like or play affliction. If I want to play a DOT class I prefer shadow for that. However, the class seems to be in a state where it's the spec of preference for both PVP and PVE.

Destruction and demonology are my specs of preference.

Now, although the two may have been OP at the beginning of MOP they sure as hell aren't now. The expansion was meant to bring greater warlock survivability, which it has to a degree, and a better variety of pets. KJC was also a huge boon, and I am going to have to disagree with the devs on their views on casting on the move. Unless they are going to fundamentally rewire pushback, interrupts, silences and stuns, warlocks being a hard-casting class, it is a requirement. It's ok being a mage and relying on instants/fast casts and slows, stuns, roots etc. to do well in PVP. Warlocks (and SPs) are intended to be cloth tanks and soak damage up, which may involve being at close range with melee.

I have to agree that destro has become a little dull. I thought the rotation would be from the very beginning of MOP, since SF and other spells were removed from the rotation. I do like the Burning Ember system (and the Verdant Spheres glyph!), and I think the idea of a spell that allows you to sacrifice some damage to build up embers quickly, which can then be used for burst or survivability, is a good one. The spec still needs a good peel spell. I don't really mind too much about destro being the least dot-reliant of the specs, since its core concept has always been to try and sacrifice dots for immediate damage.

However, I liked the ISF mechanic for destro. The limit on SBs did put a damper on it, and the Burning Ember mechanic is an improvement in that regard. Corruption was the odd spell out, and towards end game, its utility diminished hugely.

Demo, I enjoyed the fact that demo could have higher uptime. I think the spec does feel more distinct from destro with the MOP talents and re-design, and I hope they don't deviate from that philosophy for it.

If they are taking another look at locks, I hope they also take a look at the Observer and give it ranged capacity, rather than using its damn tongue, since it is a creature that shoots beams from its eyes. Hoping our spell visuals get a touch up too, but this is lower priority than gameplay improvements to me.

[Avikur]

So they want to make locks easier? I just hope they don't change them too much, I love my MoP lock, not because of the damage, but because of how it plays, destruction is my favourite, I really like the big numbers, it'd be a shame if they make destruction a dot spec again, looks like I'd have to reroll... Mage or Hunter? lol

[Zathrendar]

I doubt they'll remake destro into a DOT spec, it doesn't fit it. The changes seem geared towards fixing affliction. I always liked the DOT min/maxing for affliction but it's been ages since I've touched it.

It's also good that they're interested in the class, although it makes me wonder why it is taking so much to get Warlocks right, when MOP was supposed to be the big overhaul.

[icecoldsir]

If snapshotting is removed it's going to take all the "skill" out of affliction honestly, without it affliction would be just a simple boring rotation. Really wish they would stop dumbing down classes...............

[Avikur]

Personally I'd say:

Destruction:
Needs one new spell to add to it's rotation (not a dot) maybe an instant cast with a 10 sec cooldown or a proc or something

Demonology:
Demonic fury shouldn't go so quick when out of combat, really annoying waiting for the raid to be ready while you watch your fury go just for them to start when it hits 100
Maybe a new ranged demonology only pet, not keen on having one main pet choice while in this spec.

Affliction:
can't really comment as I don't play it, I personally don't enjoy DOT specs

I think they should go for a 'easy to learn, difficult to master' approach but make the specs forgiving so people learning aren't miles and miles behind the people that know what to do.

[Zathrendar]

Yep, agreed with all the above, and I would add a peel spell for PVP. I would be happy if they made the Observer a ranged, demo only pet, beefed it up a bit, and found some sort of improved version of the felhunter for GoSu. Other option is an Eredar caster, since we already have the Wrathguard, but they are probably still too powerful to control.

[Sartory]

Rubbish.
We had dot snapshotting for years and warlocks weren't broken in any other expansion.

TBC Shadow Bolt.

[dahri]

Dot snapshotting is what makes this game. If they remove it I dont see how I will want to play it anymore.

[Xanatas]

Personally I'd say:

Destruction:
Needs one new spell to add to it's rotation (not a dot) maybe an instant cast with a 10 sec cooldown or a proc or something

"cataclysm": istant cast, +5% crit for X sec

[deviantcultist]

I'm really curious right now. Does it mean that in a sense, the class is getting another revamp?

[Deleted]

TBC Shadow Bolt.

I'd have thought that was painfully obvious that I was talking about DOT snapshotting not making warlocks broken in any other expansion.

[Last Starfighter]

So they want to make locks easier? I just hope they don't change them too much, I love my MoP lock, not because of the damage, but because of how it plays, destruction is my favourite, I really like the big numbers, it'd be a shame if they make destruction a dot spec again, looks like I'd have to reroll... Mage or Hunter? lol

That's what happens when they want ppl to start playing a class that wasn't played much. Warlock Flavor of the Expac is going to carry over into WoD.

[a C e]

I would love it if they just keep warlocks the way they are right now and instead of anything new, I would love it if they spend time tweaking our current abilities.

Also, I think destro needs another spell to manage single target spell that may have a dot mechanic and demo needs to be less clunky and more smooth and less dependent on RNG

- - - Updated - - -

That's what happens when they want ppl to start playing a class that wasn't played much. Warlock Flavor of the Expac is going to carry over into WoD.

Every game needs to have a hard to master class that would attract people that love a challenge, they might lose this market if they keep dumbing the game down.

[Deleted]

I would love it if they just keep warlocks the way they are right now and instead of anything new, I would love it if they spend time tweaking our current abilities.

I'd rather they looked at other classes.
Rogue and Hunters need some spec differentiation.
Not sure how Spriests are these days, but last I heard their mobility was a problem.

Also, I think destro needs another spell to manage single target spell that may have a dot mechanic and demo needs to be less clunky and more smooth and less dependent on RNG

Yeah, ROF was crappy filler for Destro, but the rotation feels absolutely barren and lacking without it. Hopefully the removal of dot snapshots wont be the same way, remove something blizzard finds clunky and then just leave a giant gap there instead of offering something in return.

[bloodravn]

DoT snapshotting is a relic of out of date game technology. The second they gave dots dynamic updating it should have been removed. I'm glad it's finally gone, maybe I'll actually enjoy playing a dot class again, it used to be my favorite play style.

[Kalshen]

I am not a fan of the dot snapshotting change. It doesnt feel like a relic of old tech. It definitely feels more like a skill cap thing. The item squish will fix the huge gap in dps from a warlock that makes the most of his/her procs and one that doesnt. It wont be anywhere near the swing that it can cause now. But it seems like they are set on removing it so im praying for some other mechanic to give good affliction warlocks a way to separate themselves from the average locks. BTW iI consider myself a "casual". Not because i want the game to be easy but because i do not have the time i had before to play I still want my lock to be one of the more challenging classes to play and be rewarded for near perfect play.

[Deleted]

My biggest concern is not that it will lower the skill cap (it will, but it's whatever), but that it will mean affliction locks will literally have nothing to do when playing the game...

Currently you're always anticipating procs and cooldowns or whatever, and reacting dynamically to keep those dots as strong as possible.

Take BBoY for example, you might manually refresh dots at say 4 stacks, throw out a haunt, then SB:SS at 10 stacks. That feels satisfying.

In the proposed iteration, your BBoY procs, and you do nothing. You throw out an empowered haunt I guess...

It breaks what makes the spec fun, and reading the comments here I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[Narwhalosh Whalescream]

Removing dot snapshotting is like removing stances for warriors.
Pure bs, arise warlock brothers! Defy them!