Soul Shards - new (old) secondary resource for all 3 specs

[Stefanus]

So, according to a blizzcon info we are going back to using soul shards as secondary resource for all our 3 specs and not affliction only? Is this a step back? For me it surely is, it pretty much contradicts with whole blizzard's philosophy of wanting to make specs different and unique, but I kinda understand why they've done it, they had to make room for DHs giving them a lot of demonology's spells including demonic fury as a resource bar which demo locks have now (still WoD). It looks as if they flushed down the toilet everything they've worked on from cataclysm to WoD, because that is where (from cata and onward) dehomogenization of warlock's specs began...

Now, I'm trying to look at what effects this will have on destro locks, since ember taps won't be used and secondary resource any longer as well. Now, taking this with a grain of salt I must say that this might solve some of destro warlocks problems they are facing now regarding talents that made destro boring and garbage spec to play, like Charred Remains, that talent will have to be replaced, Ember tap is going away as well and some other talents and skills reliant on ember taps will as well. I mean going back to the soul shard system for all 3 specs is a step back and will have more implications then just on demonology (with which they've admitted they have no idea what they are doing and will require a lot of feedback from players, just for the sake of making room for DHs to prevent spells/gameplay overlapping...). What are your thoughts on this?

[Exerionx]

I don't play warlock, but still. I love it when beta isn't even out but people scream the sky is falling.

[Imnick]

Haha yeah. OP - Not really sure where did you pull out that for all 3 specs soul shard is a resource.

It was stated at Blizzcon, just not on camera.
What we don't know if that Soul Shards will function the same way as they do for Affliction, but for every spec. I feel that is unlikely.
If (for example) Chaos Bolt now drains Soul Shards instead of Embers, there's no reason Charred Remains cannot stay and simply increase Shard generation instead.

[Morrigenn]

All three specs used soul shards in Vanilla. The sky is not falling. Let's wait and see how the resource is implemented/used before the wailing and breast-beating begins, eh?

As long as I don't have to go back to carrying a full shard bag and as well as a second bag full of shards to even start a raid, I think it'll be all right.......

[Sesshomaru]

All three specs used soul shards in Vanilla. The sky is not falling. Let's wait and see how the resource is implemented/used before the wailing and breast-beating begins, eh?

As long as I don't have to go back to carrying a full shard bag and as well as a second bag full of shards to even start a raid, I think it'll be all right.......

30+ at any time.
Because you would never know if you had to summon 20+, and it seemed nifty to be able to create some healthstones/soulstones/firestones/spellstones (actually, can't remember if spell-/firestones cost SS) without having to kill something at first.

How much I miss it, and how much I hate it.

[PickleballAce]

All three specs used soul shards in Vanilla. The sky is not falling. Let's wait and see how the resource is implemented/used before the wailing and breast-beating begins, eh?

Every form of Soul Shards has either been terrible (Vanilla-Wrath, MoP-WoD) or boring (Cata), so the idea of us not being able to escape from them in any spec is a little off-putting.

Of course, they're probably going to work differently but they haven't managed to get them right so far.

[Morrigenn]

Every form of Soul Shards has either been terrible (Vanilla-Wrath, MoP-WoD) or boring (Cata), so the idea of us not being able to escape from them in any spec is a little off-putting.

Of course, they're probably going to work differently but they haven't managed to get them right so far.

"terrible" and "boring" are both quite subjective.

Realistically the concept of having a specific resource that is then spent to gain a buff/advantage/damage is not unique to the warlock class. I'm sure there are plenty of other classes who could easily debate that their specific resource implementation/use is better/worse than soul shards (in whatever iteration of soul shards we're talking about).

Again, let's wait to see how the implementation is handled and get some actual hands-on (like in Beta) before the crying continues. It's not like Legion is hitting tomorrow and there won't be time to actually get tuning done and feedback.

[PickleballAce]

Again, let's wait to see how the implementation is handled and get some actual hands-on (like in Beta) before the crying continues.

It's only Alpha, it'll get fixed in Beta.

It's only Beta, it'll get fixed on Live.

It's only the first patch, it'll get fixed in the next content patch.

Trepidation over dropping functional resource systems in favor of some new unknown is perfectly valid, especially when it bares the name of one that was twice-dropped and currently loathed for its RNG nature.

[gruxxar]

I guess it makes sense, Didn't we have to consume a soul shard (back when it was an inventory item) to even summon our regular demons in the past? we'll see. i don't mind as long as it has a good flow

[Deleted]

I hope it's something like the old Soul Shard system minus the absolute tedium and annoyance of having to use an entire bag to store soul shards.
I'm less excited if it's just a copy pasta of the new Soul Shard system that just auto regenerates Shards + some RNG.

[Deleted]

It's a good step back. The new ressources were unnecessary and removed one of the core fantasies of the class from Demo/Destro. Taking Souls and using them as fuel to destroy their friends. We had Soulshards for a long time and I sorely missed them during MoP/WoD. I hated Embers on Destro. Especially, because you had to bulld that useless crap first, instead of being able to instantly start nuking.

Hopefully we'll also get some more DoTs back for Destruction, as well as Soul Burn: Soulfire. I personally quite liked the Soulshard System of Cataclysm in PvP. It just needed tweaks in PvE.

[djones0305]

They stated in the panel that "warlocks across the board are getting soulshards as a resource" which means all 3 specs IMO. I'm not sure how it will be implemented for destro. Looking at the description of the Scepter of Sargeras for destruction, it discusses having the ability to "rip apart worlds" and what not. So I really hope that destro's gameplay is changed to be more chaotic focused, and not just throwing fire and spamming chaos bolt. More fel energies and chaotic resources from the twisting nether. I'm not sure if Soulshards really suits this mantra though. Guess we will just have to see. I won't even say input for demo considering the spec is already known to be completely different. So I have no idea what it will feel like. I'm not too much of a fan of it being homogenized back to how it was early game though.

[PickleballAce]

I kind of miss the old instant Soul Fires from Cata Destro, but more DoTs is just going to lead us back to the Cata problem of no spec having any on demand burst (short of Cata Demonology when all CD's were available, but a potato when they weren't).

I would eat my hat if Destro gets more than one baseline DoT. Luckily my hat is made of Godiva chocolate

The direction they're taking is weird though, considering they're trying to distinguish class fantasies, not combine them. Warlock spec flavor in Cataclysm was practically non-existent.

[Deleted]

I kind of miss the old instant Soul Fires from Cata Destro, but more DoTs is just going to lead us back to the Cata problem of no spec having any on demand burst (short of Cata Demonology when all CD's were available, but a potato when they weren't).

I would eat my hat if Destro gets more than one baseline DoT. Luckily my hat is made of Godiva chocolate

The direction they're taking is weird though, considering they're trying to distinguish class fantasies, not combine them. Warlock spec flavor in Cataclysm was practically non-existent.

One extra DoT, maybe some more interactivity for Immolate is really all I want. We don't need 4 DoTs back, but it doesn't feel super warlocky without at least some DoTs on each spec.

[Gaidax]

A lot of assumptions there, who said Destruction Soul Shards won't be a carbon copy of Embers? This could be merely a change in name and not function, like instead of Ember bits you get soul shard fragments that eventually form a soul shard with a cap of 4 that can power exactly same spells as we have now?

It's way too early to speculate about it, we need to see the beta.

In any case, Destruction should always be first and foremost about pure nuking, immolate is more than enough dots for Destruction.

[ComputerNerd]

Mechanically they didn't do a lot different, embers and shards.
Spent in distinct units as a cost.
The issue was the generators, which due to the smaller quantity of shards made them much more inconsistent to earn.
However if the plan is to extend them, then there is good reason to improve upon that.

[Gungnir]

A lot of assumptions there, who said Destruction Soul Shards won't be a carbon copy of Embers? This could be merely a change in name and not function, like instead of Ember bits you get soul shard fragments that eventually form a soul shard with a cap of 4 that can power exactly same spells as we have now?

It's way too early to speculate about it, we need to see the beta.

In any case, Destruction should always be first and foremost about pure nuking, immolate is more than enough dots for Destruction.

Pretty much this, Destro has always been about just destroying people outright, and I am dreading what they're attempting to do with giving Destro back Soul Shards.
Mostly because I remember Cata and the fact that it felt like you were slinging wet noodles. Even Soul Burn; Soulfire was pure garbage.

Destro shouldn't be about any tricks like Soul Burn or such, should just be reliable in the form that they can consistantly nuke again and again, not bust your load in the form of your three soul shards or so and then wait 15 minutes to be able to do anything worthwhile again. That's where the Ember system comes up WAY ahead compared to the Cata variant.

[Sesshomaru]

I guess it makes sense, Didn't we have to consume a soul shard (back when it was an inventory item) to even summon our regular demons in the past? we'll see. i don't mind as long as it has a good flow

Soul Shard and the sacrifice of a random party member.
How jolly it was to kill the tank/healer with it, as we only meant to sacrifice a dps for the inferal.
What was more fun than that? The Lock being sacrificed, meaning it was all for naught.

Found the spell on the old wowwiki, although sacrificed HP (memory a bit fuzzy), you did in fact sacrifice someone's life if they happen to be at a below thresh-point. No idea what it was, only that we sacrificed someone to get an infernal.
Good ol' Ritual of Doom.

My memory is really fuzzy. Then again, I only ever used it 3-4 times. Temple of Atal'hakkar, how I miss sacrificing one to summon thy infernal soul and get obliterated in return.

[ringpriest]

Probably a forlorn hope, but I'd rather have classic soul shards back (well aware that I'm almost certainly in a small minority).

[Sesshomaru]

Probably a forlorn hope, but I'd rather have classic soul shards back (well aware that I'm almost certainly in a small minority).

Oh God no. Yes, I sure would love to actually have them in my bags, but it was sincerely a mess getting a soul pouch, or like me, using regular 12 slots to hold 30+ soul shards at any time possible.

Was rather fun at the time, felt saddened when it left, but now I'd rather quit playing Lock instead of having those back.
Mayhap exaggeration, but I will feel less attracted to Locks due to having half of my bags filled with it.
But seeing that they are the new resource for all three specs, we won't be seeing them, unless you play on a private server.