7.1.5 Mind Sear removal

[Noctiphobia]

If I understand all the datamined patch notes we got, mind sear got removed and baked into mind flay.
However, I didn't see any changes to the mind sear trait (+15% damage). So, did they just forget about this trait, or does it just increase damage of mind flay's aoe effect now?

[GT4]

If I understand all the datamined patch notes we got, mind sear got removed and baked into mind flay.
However, I didn't see any changes to the mind sear trait (+15% damage). So, did they just forget about this trait, or does it just increase damage of mind flay's aoe effect now?

It increases the AoE effect now.

[Noradin]

I really, really dislike this change. Even less control over whom we damage and our spell bars are bare as is.

[Deleted]

I really, really dislike this change. Even less control over whom we damage and our spell bars are bare as is.

It's wierd, a lot of shadow priest have been saying that mind sear is unfun and boring to cast so now they change it so that it's the samme but with a little more setup.

It's like they didn't understand that its not the fact that we have two spells that people were complaining about, it was that our AoE was super boring and weak. Somehow while addressing the problem they managed to not just do nothing but make it worse.. it's almost art.

[Vargur]

Can you mind flay friendlies then? What will we target now if not the tank/melee?

[danieltang34]

It's wierd, a lot of shadow priest have been saying that mind sear is unfun and boring to cast so now they change it so that it's the samme but with a little more setup.

It's like they didn't understand that its not the fact that we have two spells that people were complaining about, it was that our AoE was super boring and weak. Somehow while addressing the problem they managed to not just do nothing but make it worse.. it's almost art.

Exactly...

[Knifttar]

I don't get why they can't just give us "Shadow Nova" and have it literally just be a shadow tinted Holy Nova. Seems easy.

[Noradin]

It's wierd, a lot of shadow priest have been saying that mind sear is unfun and boring to cast so now they change it so that it's the samme but with a little more setup.

It's like they didn't understand that its not the fact that we have two spells that people were complaining about, it was that our AoE was super boring and weak. Somehow while addressing the problem they managed to not just do nothing but make it worse.. it's almost art.

Yes, they took the spell and instead of looking at the parts people complained about -- the damage and the uselessness on mobs that die too fast when playing solo, because we need a target -- they kept those -- made them much worse actually --, and added another annoyance. Now I can think of several situations where having this ability is worse than not having it.

[Nyel]

It's wierd, a lot of shadow priest have been saying that mind sear is unfun and boring to cast so now they change it so that it's the samme but with a little more setup.

It was unfun and boring because of it's gameplay / mechanic. It just was a slower AoE version of Mind Flay without any interaction. So Blizzard removed it and made it better (?) by giving us literally the same effect but with less control?

[otro]

I don't like the side effect of this change that is not being able to sear friendly targets to break stealths and what not. the purge of abilities and gameplay shadow got this expansion is VERY frustrating and it keeps getting worse... by now I should have forgotten how awesome leap of faith, spectral guise, feathers and all the other stuff was but i keep missing them everyday and can't really get to enjoy the stuff we get now (utility-wise).... at least I get to void swap my pvp mates.

Oh and mass dispel costing like 80% of my mana makes me want to punch a wall when fighting a melee team...either I shield myself and try to survive or I dispel that paladin bubble to go for a kill... don't have mana for both.


/rant

[Noradin]

It was unfun and boring because of it's gameplay / mechanic. It just was a slower AoE version of Mind Flay without any interaction. So Blizzard removed it and made it better (?) by giving us literally the same effect but with less control?

And made it even more annoying.
We won't be able to target friendlies anymore when adds die too fast and since we have to dot the target we want to cleave from that one will always die first.

Do they want to try and find the point past which we are better off without the ability?
In certain situations they are already past it.

[Djriff]

It will just come down to choosing your targets correctly.

[Isentropy]

It will just come down to choosing your targets correctly.

You say that, but there will be situations where the new passive Mind Sear is going to be next to impossible to use. Biggest examples are old content and packs such as the slimes at the start of Arcway. I see no reason why the set up component exists if the damage of Mind Sear is not even connected to Shadow Word: Pain's damage in any way, especially if you consider that it's still shadow's only AoE spell. The only situation where it simply doesn't matter at all is in cleave. In all other situations (read: AoE situations) it is simply more annoying because you will have to spend a global on Shadow Word: Pain before you actually get to do your (still quite bad) AoE. Globals are very valuable, especially in AoE situations because targets generally don't live for a very long time anyway. Choosing targets 'correctly' is always subject to external factors that you have no control over yourself. If you put Shadow Word: Pain on a Decaying Minion on Helya with the purpose to AoE, you're out of luck if that one Decaying Minion gets killed by random burst - it is simply more of a hassle to what is already frustratingly bad AoE.

[Coffeh]

Can you mind flay friendlies then? What will we target now if not the tank/melee?

I'm curious about this too. I haven't really played in quite a while, but I used to mind sear a friendly target to try and damage stealthies out of stealth. Does that still work? But if you can't target friendlies with mind flay that's just gone?

[Knifttar]

I'm thinking this is one of those things they didn't actually think through.

[Jimjam38]

If there's one thing we've learnt this xpac it's that making enough noise on the blizzard forums will eventually get it through to them. So go post about this there, where they might actually see it.

[Vargur]

I'm curious about this too. I haven't really played in quite a while, but I used to mind sear a friendly target to try and damage stealthies out of stealth. Does that still work? But if you can't target friendlies with mind flay that's just gone?

No, I mean PVE.

[Arachnofiend]

I'm curious about this too. I haven't really played in quite a while, but I used to mind sear a friendly target to try and damage stealthies out of stealth. Does that still work? But if you can't target friendlies with mind flay that's just gone?

Mind Sear only procs if you've applied SWP to Mind Flay's target, so no.

[Zirhark]

has anyone checked, on the PTR does the call of the void mind flay trigger mind sear as well? or is it just the main mind flay that triggers the passive?

[Vanisara]

has anyone checked, on the PTR does the call of the void mind flay trigger mind sear as well? or is it just the main mind flay that triggers the passive?

As far as I can tell it's not. When you cast Mind Flay you see it hit multiple targets in the same second if SWP is on the target. Under the same conditions Void Tendril's Mind Flay is only hitting once.