Poll:Should Shamans Get Perma-Wolves And Mobile Totems?

[Azyure]

I'll admit Wolves are not broken but the added dps is very much needed, the healing might have to be removed.(Kept with PvP talent?)

Totems on the other hand are an outdated mechanic which needs an overhaul...Why on Earth can we not take our buffs with us?? ???

Its called class mechanics. Go make a hunter, then u can have wolves all day. Shammys dont need more, and they dont need a dps increase.

[Expectations]

This.

Premament wolves would be kinda op, and I cant really imagine how would totems move with you.

The perma wolf would be a wagon that you carry the totems with!

Seriously the healing in PvP with wolves almost impossible to kill, and lets not forget the stun and the run speed increase...

[Kyiera]

Perma-wolf ... no. There are enough pet classes/specs out there already. Also, as many have already stated, if they did give perma-wolf the wolf(s) would be nerfed. You can pop wolves often enough as it is that a nerfed permanent version is unnecessary.

Mobile totems ... also no. If totems were mobile they'd -also- be nerfed. Paladin auras are a sort of mobile totem but Paladins can only have one aura up at a time (two if you count blessings) ... shaman get 4. Were mobile totems added to the game they'd either be ridiculously overpowered or nerfed to paladin-like levels (or even farther since shaman can have 4 effects out at once)

[Brynmor]

Perma-Wolves would add a good amount of DPS to a specc falling behind other hybrids e.g. Moonkin, Fury, Shadow, DKs.

This is simply not true. If you're falling behind other hybrid DPSers as Enhancement you're doing something wrong or your gear isn't as good as the other hybrid DPS in your raid. Enhancement is closer to the top of DPS output for hybrid specs, not the bottom.

Totems (that give buffs) need to have their ranged adjusted to 100 yards to make them fair compared to alternative buffs. It doesn't make any sense that totem buffs are limited to a 30 yard range and a 5 min duration when alternative buffs give the same exact buff but with none of the totem's limitations. If totems are going to be harder to use the buff they give should be superior.

[Shadowysaint]

surprised to see most voted none (so far) but i agree with the idea that wolves would have to be nerfed; and that's not a fun mechanic. I.E. everlasting water elemental for frost mages.

Mobile totems would weird, although nice. I just think totems should have more health and cost less mana.

[Fornaw]

I have played all three specs on my shaman progressing through the whole of ICC up to 9/12 25manhc.
Enhancement mechanics for Wolves, totems, and their mana cost are absolutly fine.

What they need to change is how the stats on items benifit shamans.
Right now, you pretty much get stuck at the 5-8k DPS mark on both Elemental and Enhancement until you hit a certain amount of gear when all of a sudden it shoots up by 3-4k. The gear doesnt scale well at all.
Elemental could also have a more entertaining rotation than just spamming Lightning Bolts over and over while waiting on Lava Burst CD's and keeping the FS dot up.

The only thing I would change with enhancement is that Spirit Wolves was a form rather than summoned pets. Its always more fun to do the damage yourself in a new form than watch 2 pets you just summoned do it for you.

Wut?

Yes going from full T8 to full T9 might mean a change like that, but normally you upgrade 1 or 2 pieces at a time. Unless you can give me an actual example of our DPS acting like a stepping function over a narrow band of stat increase I'm just going to call this nonsense.

Mobile totems? Maybe, obviously not all of them should follow the shaman and its a rather inelegant fix given the original design of totems. That said something needs to be done about totems, I am sick of my 5 min buffs lasting 20 seconds because modern encounter design is heavy in mobility fights. Off GCD totem relocation, removal of buff totems, massive radii on buff totems, or just pulling all totems off the GCD (I like this idea myself, it's what you do aside from your "rotation" that separates the good from the amazing, by nature "rotations" often don't have the necessary freedom in the GCD for extra spells) would accomplish the necessary changes as well.

[Elothie]

It already seems like ages while wolfes are up vs beast cleave and the totems would lose the unique design.Sorry but no to both.

[Dimerock]

Perma Wolves, but lower there damage significantly.

[Larancy]

Perma Wolves, but lower there damage significantly.

I don't want my shaman to become another pet class. I have a hunter for that.

Honestly I don't believe mobile totems are something that would fit well. Like others have suggested just increase their yard range and it will be fine. Yes, I voted none.

[cineplex]

Want a wheelchair as well?

[Captainplanet]

only passive buff totems should be mobile, such as falemtongue/wrath and strength of earth/mana spring/cleansing/healing and windfury. totems like stoneclaw omgbubble and grounding totems should not be mobile though, that would be too powerful

[Racer]

Wut?

Yes going from full T8 to full T9 might mean a change like that, but normally you upgrade 1 or 2 pieces at a time. Unless you can give me an actual example of our DPS acting like a stepping function over a narrow band of stat increase I'm just going to call this nonsense.

Mobile totems? Maybe, obviously not all of them should follow the shaman and its a rather inelegant fix given the original design of totems. That said something needs to be done about totems, I am sick of my 5 min buffs lasting 20 seconds because modern encounter design is heavy in mobility fights. Off GCD totem relocation, removal of buff totems, massive radii on buff totems, or just pulling all totems off the GCD (I like this idea myself, it's what you do aside from your "rotation" that separates the good from the amazing, by nature "rotations" often don't have the necessary freedom in the GCD for extra spells) would accomplish the necessary changes as well.

This man speaks the tuth!

Totems are cool but not as buff in their current way. You ahve to constantly relocate them and ina GCD starved spec like Enh that sucks. Sure it's not so bad for Ele and Resto but still they need some work, but still need some work. Fire Nova was step in the right direction, a fun mechanic with totems that you must use wisely (otherwise LOLMANA :P) and Blizzard says they're looking at it so lets just have faith

Also I like off GCD idea

[The_Mongral]

Pfft, everyone knows if you want mobile totems you rip em out of the ground and put em on a Toy train set! (http://www.wowhead.com/item=44606)
Simply rip the totems out one by one, and set them on the trains cars! Voila! Mobile totems! Of course they can only go around in a small circle, but hey! Its mobile!

As for perma-wolves... yeah no... I'll go play my hunter if I want a permanent wolf pet.

[Deleted]

Perma wolves? No, but i like to be able to get a shorter CD if i agree to remove the stun. I love having them as a CD in 25man, but there is always those times where you have the perfect oppertunity to pop them but you have less then 20 sec left on the CD

[DR.Green]

i agree it will need some changes with our dps etc.
though i would reeaally like permawolves i dont think that would be fair with the healing and such.
And mobile totems are maybe for the mechanic goblin totems XD but not for the rest of the totems. it wouldn't fit and it are totems for a reason ;D

[rabbimojo]

...
Yes Blizz may be homogenizing some buffs, but they're also going to reduce the hybrid tax for every time another class gets our buffs

The hybrid tax is about you being able to change roles, not about buffs you bring.

I think totems having a bit more range would be fair, but just a bit. When you compare MST to Wis, it's just strange to have one require range and constant re-casting. Especially in 5s, every pull you run off and out of range of the totem, so instead of regenerating the extra mana during transition, you lose it to re-cast at your destination? :\ Just awkward.

Oh and I agree: Want permanent wolves? Roll a pet class.

[Arean]

Perma-wolves I would say is a big no-no, as has been stated here it is much cooler to have a good looking and helpful cooldown rather than a pemanent pet, as that would fast remove the awesome feeling of popping wolves.

however, for movable totems, here's an Idea that I would like some feedback on:
If you scale down the size of the totem somewhat, to a point where this wouldn't look ridiculous, let the Shaman attach the totem to themselves (a lot of shamans in concept art and the like use totems as weapons and have them in their belts etc.) like one totem for each limb, and make them a constant buff (think customizable DK Presence) that actually showed on the character?

The Shaman class would still look and feel very unique, but with the added perk of not having to recall/recast totems every other minute. Of course the "Presence" thing would only count for Passive buff totems, and u could temporarily sacrifice one of the buffs to make an active totem, like Stoneclaw, magma totem etc.

[rabbimojo]

...
however, for movable totems, here's an Idea that I would like some feedback on:
If you scale down the size of the totem somewhat, to a point where this wouldn't look ridiculous, let the Shaman attach the totem to themselves (a lot of shamans in concept art and the like use totems as weapons and have them in their belts etc.) like one totem for each limb, and make them a constant buff (think customizable DK Presence) that actually showed on the character?

The Shaman class would still look and feel very unique, but with the added perk of not having to recall/recast totems every other minute. Of course the "Presence" thing would only count for Passive buff totems, and u could temporarily sacrifice one of the buffs to make an active totem, like Stoneclaw, magma totem etc.

Attaching your totems to yourself has been discussed since Vanilla. It's a good way to get out of the visual downsides of mobile totems, for sure. It doesn't address the main problem, though: Blizz doesn't want totems to be mobile.

I think as a class, shammies would get a lot more traction trying to find ways to improve quality of life while having immobile totems than continually trying to push for mobile totems. (IE, throwing fire totems is a huge win)

Realistically, at this point, if you don't like immobile totems you should probably try to find a new class to love. That's their kit, and it isn't likely to change.

[gankhed]

As a shaman, the only idea I would approve is a spell perhaps on a minute cooldown that summons your totems to your current location. This way, you cannot constantly have them moving...but do not have to waste the gcds to destroy them, and then resummon them.


But seeing as they added in a spell to restore x% mana on destruction, you will never get mobile totems.


So as a better idea...learn pve encounters ahead of time and plan for totem mobility.


PvP = lrn2play?

[Guardias]

No to wolves but a totem-pole you carried on your back with maybe a max of 3 totem types only would be nice.

One could easily keep fire totems from being allowed on the pole and as such merely having the totem buffs brought up to the same level as the already mobile buffs of other classes.