Metamorphosis Cata

[MrMarique]

Does anyone know what's in store for Meta in Cata? I remember a post awhile back saying that they are going to change it to affect our spells more. I'm thinking kind of like how Tree of Life is changing for Druids.

I guess there hasn't been any changes in beta, or else they would be in the beta build changes, but if anyone in Beta wants to prove me wrong, that would be greatly appreciated

[micvampir]

i want perema meta

[MrMarique]

I've been dreaming of a perma meta melee spec.

But alas, it's just a dream.

[6kle]

I'm tired of people still asking for permanent meta. I have always seen it as a dumb idea. They would have to water it down to almost nothing other than a visual change. Then again, I guess a lot of them just want to run around looking like a demon. The melee spec requests are just baffling. The entire class is designed as a caster so it's not like they are going to drop all that work done to the class and redesign demonology as another melee.

I don't get it why people keep requesting these things. It felt like half the wotlk beta feedback was "plz make meta permanent PLZ!!" and drowned a lot of the good/realistic feedback under the flood.

[bahumut5]

I'm tired of people still asking for permanent meta. I have always seen it as a dumb idea. They would have to water it down to almost nothing other than a visual change. Then again, I guess a lot of them just want to run around looking like a demon. The melee spec requests are just baffling. The entire class is designed as a caster so it's not like they are going to drop all that work done to the class and redesign demonology as another melee.

I don't get it why people keep requesting these things. It felt like half the wotlk beta feedback was "plz make meta permanent PLZ!!" and drowned a lot of the good/realistic feedback under the flood.

To be honest, I always felt as if it should have been a Proc.
Now that would have been an interesting ability. Not just a "click and increase dps" kind of thing, but a "Your Demonic Empowerments have stacked up enough to fill you up with Demonic rage, changing your body to suit the Fel Energies leaking from your body, and <Normal stuff Demon Form does>.

That would feel a little bit more "Warlock like" if you ask me.

[Gratlim]

Meta should be permanent imo. I see this like the moonkin form for druids.

Moonkin form: +10% damage ; +120% armor ; +5% haste / permanent
Meta: +20% damage ; +600% armor ; reduce crit 6% ; -50% duration for stun and snare /CD 3min last for 30s

Now if Meta became permanent with the same buffs as moonkin form, I wouldn't mind. The 5% haste is quite sexy. I am not sure about this but i would think that 10% dmg + 5% haste +permaform >>>>> 20% damage 30s every 3-2 min.

Demonology need a up, but they won't because a) warlocks are not mages (see the up of fire mage for example) b) people would whine as always when it comes to our class (affli / destro pvp...).

[Basmothel]

To be honest, I always felt as if it should have been a Proc.
Now that would have been an interesting ability. Not just a "click and increase dps" kind of thing, but a "Your Demonic Empowerments have stacked up enough to fill you up with Demonic rage, changing your body to suit the Fel Energies leaking from your body, and <Normal stuff Demon Form does>.

That would feel a little bit more "Warlock like" if you ask me.

It's based off of the Demon Hunter ultimate ability from Warcraft III, which was something you hit when you wanted a huge burst of power and damage. So it fits the concept of a Warlock that fights fire with fire perfectly.

The concept is completely fine. It's a cooldown ability (and one with a lot more power/utility than most cooldowns - especially given its cooldown) and that's what it is meant to be. If it was permanent or proc, it'd be boring. It's meant to be an "OH YEAAAAAAH" button and that's what it is.

[Deleted]

Meta should be permanent imo. I see this like the moonkin form for druids.

Moonkin form: +10% damage ; +120% armor ; +5% haste / permanent
Meta: +20% damage ; +600% armor ; reduce crit 6% ; -50% duration for stun and snare /CD 3min last for 30s

Now if Meta became permanent with the same buffs as moonkin form, I wouldn't mind. The 5% haste is quite sexy. I am not sure about this but i would think that 10% dmg + 5% haste +permaform >>>>> 20% damage 30s every 3-2 min.

Demonology need a up, but they won't because a) warlocks are not mages (see the up of fire mage for example) b) people would whine as always when it comes to our class (affli / destro pvp...).

Yeah but a moonkin is based around the form being active most of the time. If they were to make meta permanent right now in wrath, you would probably only get a 5% damage boost at best in the form. What i'm saying, is, that talking about numbers for cata is pointless, since everything will have to be rebalanced every way.

[Deleted]

Talented up, meta is 30 sec / 2 minutes 10 sec CD, roughly 1/4 of the time. That boils down to something like a 5% damage increase overall - as eangu said above, we'd end up with something like that from a perma-meta, plus we have the additional AOE of immolation aura, which is 8 seconds of ~2k dps to everything nearby. You can get an extra 6 seconds of meta and about 5 seconds of immolation aura if you glyph metamorphosis, but that's something I've never done.

Meta is also, I feel, too impressive to be a permanent ability. Look at druid forms, look at shadowform. They're cool, but they're not an eight foot purple illidan. If meta were made permanent, I'd expect to see it become some kind of fel aura or a lesser change, perhaps changing your head slot item to look like the felheart horns and giving you a t6-esque wing proc every now and then. Certainly, if meta became permanent I'd expect to see druids quite rightly asking why we got a nice-looking permaform and they get shafted with the vanilla appearance of boomkin form.

[Jessicka]

Making it permanent is about the one thing that would stop me playing Demo. It would pretty much ruin the whole playstyle of the spec; having that 'Rawr' button is makes the spec totally unique from Affliction and Destruction; taking it away just leaves it with a flat middle ground, with only MC to spice it up.

Also, the model is horrible.

[ComputerNerd]

If you want a permanent form for a role, then roll a druid.
It works fine as it is, being a choice, something we can blow when we choose to.
Is a hell of an improvement over the RNG that warlocks suffer from everywhere else.
If you want a melee, then roll a melee.
Warlocks are a caster, and that is what you play them for.

[Runc]

Meta as an on-use ability is the reason I enjoy playing Demo. It makes it the most strategic of the three specs, as good timing of meta gives a huge boost to dps over the course of a fight.

If meta was made permanent or a proc, this would disappear. Demo would just be another "watch for procs/cds and whack the mole" spec. Management of powerful, medium duration cooldowns is an interesting mechanic for me and I'm attracted to playing specs that rely on the kind of forward planning and team coordination that the mechanic demands.

I'm sure that many people don't like that kind of play as much, and are happier with a spec like Destro where they can hone the skills of quick responses to short cooldowns - much more "living in the now" than "thinking about the future".

I find Affliction to be a middle ground of "thinking about the next 10 seconds" spec, plus the variety of an execute phase. The big strength of Warlocks right now is that the three specs allow for these differences in gamplay approach. I'd hate to see this genuine variety stifled for cosmetic reasons. As it is there's something for everybody, which I see as more important than having two things for some of the people and none for others. Keep Meta as a medium length cooldown!

[Deleted]

If they make Permanent Meta we will have 9 funerals.:P (the other 9 classes)

[Deleted]

I want meta to at least have a dance animation.

[MrMarique]

whoa guys, chill. I know it's not going to become perma/melee that isn't what the thread is about.
I'm asking if you have any ideas of what changes are coming in cata.

[Deleted]

Demonic Charge has been replaced by Demonic Leap, and Meta can no longer be banished. Thats about the only changes i've heard so far.

P.S. If Meta became a permanent form i'd probably reroll.

[Zoots]

To be honest, I always felt as if it should have been a Proc.
Now that would have been an interesting ability. Not just a "click and increase dps" kind of thing, but a "Your Demonic Empowerments have stacked up enough to fill you up with Demonic rage, changing your body to suit the Fel Energies leaking from your body, and <Normal stuff Demon Form does>.

That would feel a little bit more "Warlock like" if you ask me.

I dunno... from a Lore standpoint, if THAT was the reason for you changing into Demon form then that sounds like a lock that dangerously close to losing control of themselves and permanent corruption. It's as if your losing control of yourself and going into the same camp as the felbloods. Yea yea, I know this is a lore thingie in a mechanics post, but I'm sure that is the way Blizzard looks at it and why it won't happen. Why do you think they are so resistant about giving us Green Fire except in piecemail? Because Felfire is incredibly corrupting and can have very bad things happen to the lock.

[Garrim]

Meta shouldn't be perma, at all. Basically if it was permenate they'd have demo locks do such horrible horrible damage til they got their 31 point talent in Cata which would then bring them back on line with other pures. Hell it'd be like a spriest w/o shadow form til 60 if you wanna think of it in current mechanics.

And it's suppose to be something that's cool, that you can't wait to push, and it is. Also meta is about absorbing a large amount of fel energies to boost yourself into a demonic state. If you were perma meta form you get a different name. It's called....wait for it....
A DEMON.

[Sorx]

meta should've been permanent. Demo has always been a lackluster gimp tree filled with garbage which can't stand on it's own. you spec demo then your completely reliant on another tree of spells. Sure, it's come a long way since WOTLK launch and is better. Though thats largely due to decimate and molten core which are thematically destro talents. Theres nothing defining about the demo tree in regards to the warlock himself. no bs about it being hybrid, it simply lacks proper design and focus.

I don't dislike demo but meta was a good opportunity to make demo unique and i don't necessarily mean melee locks.

As for meta in cata, nothing much has changed besides increased uptime.

[shade3891]

Its not perm. but comes alot closer in Cataclysm.
You transform for 30 sec + 6 (glyphed)
And the spell has a base cooldown 180sec and with the Nemesis talent 126 sec
So 126 - 36 sec = 90 seconds no Demonform but the impending doom talent reduces the cooldown:

Impending Doom | Rank 3
Reduces the cooldown of the Bane of Doom damage effect by 15 sec., and you have a 15% chance when you Shadow Bolt, Demon Bolt or Incinerate to reduce the cooldown of your Demon Form by 6 sec.

Incinerate:
2.5 sec cast and 2.25 (with Emberstorm) (no haste)

36 seconds / 2.25 = 16 shots max. with each a 15% chance to lower the cooldown of Meta.

If every shot triggers Impending Doom you will reduce the cooldown by 96 seconds.

But since its only 15%... 96 / 15% = 14,4 seconds and that is without refreshing Immolate and corruption etc..

I hope blizzard increases the 15% feels kinda low atm. Not?!