I can´t recognize my Shadowpriest anymore.... One talent has ruined it!

[Chakraz]

I love CoP and how it plays. I like AS and how it plays. Vent doesn't sound really different or exciting to me. The thing here and please try to realize this, is the fact that you want the old rotation to be the top dps for shadow priests. The old rotation is there and you can play it and do well. The new CoP dotweaving rotation is here you can play it and do well. By default one does better than the other. How do you think traditional pure DPS classes feel when their favorite spec is not the best for them to play in a raid environment? You should be happy that we finally get somewhat of a choice. If your not going for hardcore progression or even semi hardcore progression than gem and enchant crit go AS and DOT ALL THE THINGS.

[Deleted]

You say you do 10% less DPS, would you mind posting log comparisons? Because honestly, I've found that in most cases the DPS loss is due less to the talents themselves than the ease of use/ how used to the talent the player is.

For example, Combat was outdpsing Assassination for rogues last xpac by about 10-15% but I was doing more damage as Assassin because I knew it a lot better

And please don't tell me "Simcraft said so", Simcraft is meant to be a very rough estimate and doesn't actually reflect real ingame numbers.

Its not really up to debate, that the other talents are less viable. Blizzard has said so themselves. Not Sim Craft.

Sure i can play AS and have fun, and sometimes i may even out dps my competitors, when they have a sucky round, or die horribly , but thats not the point. CoP should be viable on single target fights like Butcher. AS Should be viable on multitarget fights eg. doing same/more dps than the single target choice. Right now that doesnt happen. If you want to help your raidteam reach its goals, doing as much dmg as possible, all other talents than CoP must be neglected.

[Kuniku]

I don't play Shadow, but I know the feels, I still love my Resto Druid, even though I've not liked the direction they've taken Resto Druids since TBC, WotLK was ok, but wasn't really that fun, didn't like Cata on Resto Druid at all, and didn't even get to max level on what I still in many ways consider my main (i played a disc priest throughout MoP instead).

Sometimes the dev's paths for your class/spec don't always align with the players, some players will adapt and get used to it, some players will no doubt like the changes but some players will stay attached to what they did love about the class and have to either move on to something else...

(I am going to level up my Druid as my next character in the new year, and give him a go, but I don't hold my hopes too high - I think part of the problem with me is how healing in general has changed over the years...

[Friendlyimmolation]

Now you know how locks feel every single expansion.

[Calfredd]

That's all I want.
More choice is always better.

Though I am still curious whether Blizzard will tolerate CoP-Dotweave in the long run or do something to break it.

Won't AS scale with gear since apparitions spawn on crit? I will say VEnt does need something of a buff. I'd also like to say I love CoP but I also like the idea of Devouring Plague spamming so once I get more gear I might flip-flop between the 2.

- - - Updated - - -

I love CoP and how it plays. I like AS and how it plays. Vent doesn't sound really different or exciting to me. The thing here and please try to realize this, is the fact that you want the old rotation to be the top dps for shadow priests. The old rotation is there and you can play it and do well. The new CoP dotweaving rotation is here you can play it and do well. By default one does better than the other. How do you think traditional pure DPS classes feel when their favorite spec is not the best for them to play in a raid environment? You should be happy that we finally get somewhat of a choice. If your not going for hardcore progression or even semi hardcore progression than gem and enchant crit go AS and DOT ALL THE THINGS.

Isn't CoP-lite also an option where you just do normal rotation except with instant mind blast and reduced cd?

[LL Hand J]

I get that for some CoP may not be liked by some people. But at least Blizz has noticed that the others aren't preforming up to snuff. And I'm sure they are working on fixing the other 2 talents to be a little more competitive.

Shadow has stayed the same for how long now? A little bit of change is good every once in awhile. If you don't like CoP/DotWeaving than don't play it. It's really that simple. The game is ever-evolving and changes all the time. Sometimes you'll like the change and sometimes you wont.

[nonameelf]

I can't stand CoP. It's boring as shit. No spec should be played with a cast sequence macro and a drinking bird.

No, if you can't accept changes, then change class.
That simple.

People should change specs because Blizzard screwed the pooch? Or do you just like CoP being the only good talent because you suck and you want a rotation you can do with a single macro?

[LL Hand J]

I can't stand CoP. It's boring as shit.

Um and throwing 2 dots on something and spamming mind flay isn't?

[Wilian]

Competitive where? Race is over, now you can just gear up and kill the boss. The 10% less dps you do can be bridged by more gear, something which is not always possible during world 1'st.

Just because your narrow mind only considers the "world first" as the "race" it doesn't mean there isn't far more competition on smaller level, like realm first, faction first and so forth or even within guild itself with various rankings.

[nonameelf]

Um and throwing 2 dots on something and spamming mind flay isn't?

It's better than doing the same static never changing rotation over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

[nagina]

The fact is, only suckers QQ about CoP because they can't master it. I love it, spriest never been this fun. Spammed enough dots these last expansions, good with changes.

[nonameelf]

The fact is, only suckers QQ about CoP because they can't master it. I love it, spriest never been this fun. Spammed enough dots these last expansions, good with changes.

Can't master it? A 3 year old could master it.

[Deleted]

Competitive where? Race is over, now you can just gear up and kill the boss. The 10% less dps you do can be bridged by more gear, something which is not always possible during world 1'st.

Never understood these kind of replies. What race is over? Those handfull of guilds that went for world firsts? You know that barely anyone gives a shit about that except those who do it, right? Not everyone cares about world first and the progress of other guilds/players (i´d even say that the majority of players who don´t give a shit).

[muto]

You can spec out of CoP if you don't like it. I wish Holy could spec out of Chakra, it might make the spec enjoyable again.

[Deleted]

The fact is, only suckers QQ about CoP because they can't master it. I love it, spriest never been this fun. Spammed enough dots these last expansions, good with changes.

A simple rotation is easy to master. As i wrote, i always end up top using it. But you obviously missed the entire point of the post: Being competitive while stille using the PLAYSTYLE of a shadowpriest. Shadowpriests are not supposed to have a easy rotation. They are supposed to be about mastering the dots. Otherwise you can just reroll a mage.

I am sorry to say, but if you never liked spreading the dots, maybe Shadow wasnt for you to begin with? But now you can do good dmg with something easier. At least you got that going for you, which is nice.

[nagina]

Well, if you ask me... dotting everything now days is super easy, specially when snapshotting isnt in picture anymore.
Master CoP in my opinion is harder. You basically have to know the fight pretty well to do good with CoP spriest. Thinking now with all the movement on all bosses except few. ... Well, standing still entire fight doing CoP is something everyone can.

[Setheria]

I play CoP and do decent damage in a reasonably 'casual' mythic guild.

I don't particularly like the playstyle and would much prefer if AS was as viable. I certainly don't hate it though.

Too simply shrug off someones personal taste as indicating they either can't master CoP or should re-roll misses the point. I'll keep playing CoP because for me personally it doesn't detract enough from the class for me to want to main change, but I can appreciate that others have stronger feelings than I do about it.

Is it that hard to not be a dick and realise that no one in this thread is aiming for world firsts but they still can hold a position of preference different to your own? People compete against other players in their own guilds, even if they're struggling in normal modes let alone heroic or mythic.

This is a game that people play for enjoyment. If they don't enjoy an aspect of a class they are heavily invested in and are forced to either re-roll, play a style they dislike, or suck it up and be an impediment to their guilds progress, then it's ok for them to say that sucks.

[Clebane]

Just play CoP for the instant mind blasts. You can play the spec by putting dots up.

[Granyala]

The fact is, only suckers QQ about CoP because they can't master it. I love it, spriest never been this fun. Spammed enough dots these last expansions, good with changes.

Lawl.
You don't have to master CoP. You can royally suck at Dotweaving and still pull better numbers out of your characters behind compared to the other talents.

That's the entire fucking problem here. If CoP would only be "Best" if you actually mastered it, these discussions wouldn't take place because the other talents would be competitive.

And yes: mastering CoP dotweave in REAL WORLD scenarios is far from trivial, because bosses LOVE to interrupt your weaving. Cast sequence macro my ass.

- - - Updated - - -

Won't AS scale with gear since apparitions spawn on crit? I will say VEnt does need something of a buff. I'd also like to say I love CoP but I also like the idea of Devouring Plague spamming so once I get more gear I might flip-flop between the 2.

We won't reach the necessary crit levels in T17 though. I think Blackmogrim stated on H2P about 27-30% being needed for AS to be competitive.

[anon5123]

Why play, if you dont play the best there is? Its not a choice really.

WoW is not an eternal world 1st race.

By your logic, raids should only consist of the "Best" tank class, "Best" healer class and "Best" DPS class. Does that ever happen? No, not really, because the average player is not striving for world 1st kills.

Not everyone strives to min/max to the absolute highest they can.