Why does versatility exist?

[Sierra85]

Vers just feels like they didn't want to cut down to 3 stats but couldn't think of anything interesting.

Multistrike was cool.

[Halwyn]

Multistrike was cool.

No, it wasn't. One random stat is quite enough. As for the spec-specific mechanics, you can see how much pain Fire Mages been through the expansions before Blizzard actually came up with a way to make them good even without good gear and absurd amount of crit... or overpowered when that point was reached.

[sykoex]

Maybe a PVP expert can answer, I was wondering... is versatility important in PVP?

[delus]

How about a stat that gives an x% chance for a spell with a CD to not trigger its CD when cast?

Completely useless for classes without cooldowns or without many cooldowns. Imbalanced with long, powerful cooldowns like metamorphosis. Bad for classes with weak cooldowns. Not a good idea.

[Keile]

Completely useless for classes without cooldowns or without many cooldowns. Imbalanced with long, powerful cooldowns like metamorphosis. Bad for classes with weak cooldowns. Not a good idea.

Could be tweaked to be chance for an ability to not use up resources since that would effect every class.

[ONCHEhap]

Multistrike was cool.

multistrike was litterally critical strike,except it also killed your FPS

[Deleted]

Versatility is on every piece of PvP gear so that raiders don't feel obligated to do PvP for an upgrade.

[Keile]

How about we instead just bring back armor pen.

And I'm not just saying that because I miss having over 100% (back when you could bring people into NEGATIVE armor) and 1 shotting people in AB.....(ok...maybe I am).

[Hisholyness]

How about we instead just bring back armor pen.

And I'm not just saying that because I miss having over 100% (back when you could bring people into NEGATIVE armor) and 1 shotting people in AB.....(ok...maybe I am).

Ignore 20-50% of physical damage reduction vs. increase all damage you deal to the target by 20-50%.
??
They're the same thing

[Keile]

Ignore 20-50% of physical damage reduction vs. increase all damage you deal to the target by 20-50%.
??
They're the same thing

I mean remove Vers and bring back Armpen

[Swizzington]

They served no purpose whatsoever and was the reason they had to implement reforging - guess you want that abomination back as well.

Nope. Never liked reforging.

[Puupi]

Versatility fills the role of "defensive" stat. Most defensive stats from the past have been just as boring, but have been limited in usefulness or downright confusing. Versa is boring, but it's important. It lets roles like Tanks have the option to get tankier, while not being completely useless to other roles.

Remember, tanks are people too.

MASTERY is the defensive stat for tanks. Not only does it increase survivability, it emphasizes the individual flavour of said spec. It also increases damage due to the attack power increase in it.

Versatility is the most boring and unimaginative secondary stat ever in the game. Blizzard should remove it asap. Removing it and not replacing it with anything is better than it existing at all. At least then it wouldn't be eating stat budget from other stats - the other stats that actually have flavour and mechanical impact in the game.

[Dazu]

Im not talking about def rating. That was worthless once you were uncrittable. I'm talking about dodge rating, parry rating, and block rating. You'd never hit 100% on any of those and having a chance to block dodge or parry an attack is more interesting than a flat damage reduction, imo.

Block rating was horrible. Warriors barely wanted it until they created crit blocks, and paladins didnt want it because with holy shield they usually capped out. Block rating was ok for abit in wrath and early in TBC it was used to get to the crushing blow cap but most tanks were actively avoiding it in TBC by late t5.

Defense also was not worthless past cap. Defense also granted in small amounts miss, dodge and parry rates which were not subject to diminshing returns, it meant by later in the expansions it was actually better than dodge or parry rating on avoidance sets (which were rarely used in wrath because they made a joke of healers mana). Dodge was iffy because DR made the rating worthless quite easily and parry was worth so little per point because its secondary benefits (parry hasting).

Armor pen /multistrike were just not useful across the board for all classes whereas atleast versatility has use for every class and spec in game. Armor pen was miles over everything for physical damage dealers, but ones with mixed in magical/elemental damage it was terrible for the most part (Some hunters, enh shamans, ret pallies etc).

- - - Updated - - -

MASTERY is the defensive stat for tanks. Not only does it increase survivability, it emphasizes the individual flavour of said spec. It also increases damage due to the attack power increase in it.

Versatility is the most boring and unimaginative secondary stat ever in the game. Blizzard should remove it asap. Removing it and not replacing it with anything is better than it existing at all. At least then it wouldn't be eating stat budget from other stats - the other stats that actually have flavour and mechanical impact in the game.

Do you realise most classes mastery is the exact same flavour and mechanical impact as versatility? Actually if anything versa does more. People who hate versatility seem to have forgotten that mastery for most classes is a very similar mechanic just with a better rating to % conversion. Mastery used to be interesting, now its just like haste or crit and essentially just flat damage increase to something with the class for alot of them.

I still think expertise/hit and weapon skill should come back. More stats makes gearing more interesting, and stats which can greatly alter your rotation like hit was great. Balancing them meant paying attention to your stats, not just sticking the highest ilvl on.

[clevin]

I'm sure to get hate for this, but I think the only extra stats should be Stamina, Armor, Crit, Haste, and that's it. Probably some of the old ones that were removed (like dodge or whatever) could have stayed had they not already been removed. But things like Mastery and Versatility are just pointless stat padding to have more words appear, IMHO. Armor should be your defensive stat. Attack power in all forms should be determined by your main stat. Crit should be how often you get a critical strike. Stamina should be extra health. Haste should be the rate at which you attack/cooldowns/whatever.

I sincerely don't understand the point of there being more than that other than to just have more for the sake of having more.

Agreed. I think this might make it harder to differentiate between class damage etc but I'd like to see them try. Yes, more knobs to turn means you can adjust things differently but it's also really annoying when gearing. For example, my first several Relinqushed pieces had high Versa... on my Balance druid when it's one of the worst stats for that spec.

Basically, I agree with Otis because I think stats should be able to be explained to someone in plain language. "What does X do? Why does it exist?" - those are easy for Crit, Haste, Armor, etc. They're easy for primary stats too - Int - how good you are at your class spec. A smarter balance druid can learn more and master the magic more fully. Spirit - affects magic users regen. Agility? Useless to a magic caster but of course a melee dps would like this - good fighters are agile. But wait, some use raw power more than agility... they need more... strength.

[Puupi]

Do you realise most classes mastery is the exact same flavour and mechanical impact as versatility?

No, it isn't. Mastery increases something specific for each spec.

Mastery used to be interesting, now its just like haste or crit and essentially just flat damage increase to something with the class for alot of them.

Increase to something is more interesting than increase to everything.

[Feuerbart]

Ignore 20-50% of physical damage reduction vs. increase all damage you deal to the target by 20-50%.
??
They're the same thing

They are not.
base damage 100 100
multiplicator 0,5 0
total damage 150 100
damage reduction 0,3 0,3
multiplikatro 0 0,5
total damage reduction 0,3 0,15
effective damage 105 85

Mathematics are so nice.

[Fappy]

IMO secondaries should affect gameplay, not just meters. I think Crit and Haste fit the bill rather well, but Vers and Mastery (for most specs) are boring as fuck.

[DeicideUH]

Vers just feels like they didn't want to cut down to 3 stats but couldn't think of anything interesting.

It's essentially that.

They removed all the cluter: Spirit, Hit, Expertise, Resistance, Dodge, Parry, Block, whatever.
3 stats were still significant: Crit, Haste, Mastery
They tried several other talents during end of MoP, including cleave, that stat that reduced CDs and the others that eventually became tertiary stats (Evasion, Speed and so).
They ended up adding Versatility and Multistrike. But Multistrike was redundant with crit and was removed.

Versatility is boring, but it's better than hit, expertise, dodge, Spirit and whatever clutter we had before. These were wasted stats unless you were a particular role/spec, while Versatility is always useful, despite being lackluster.

Versatility does help with survivability while also increasing healing/damage, and that's a unique function that others stats usually do not cover (unless you are a tank, of course).

[Thage]

Versatility's intent is basically to do a straight throughput improvement regardless of your spec. It's supposed to be a catch-all useful stat (obviously, mileage varies for different specs). It lets you hit harder, take more hits, and heal better, so it sees the most usefulness on tank specs or specs built around a lot of utility (again, in theory).

It is a really boring stat, though.

[Goobaman]

I see Versatility as a "utility" stat. It's not a glamorous solution for my mind, but it does the job.

Block, Parry and Dodge exist, but Versa offers reduction to Magic and AoE damage that the other three don't allow. For tanks, this is the benefit.

I see it as a poor man's Healing/Spell Power, for healers.

Again, not glamorous, but i can live with it.

I'm salty about the pruning more than the secondary stats.