Why is Shape-Shifting Free?

[sandmoth12]

Druids have the ability to break out of almost any snare in the game, yet it is almost totally free. Why should such a powerful ability have such a cheap cost?

Maybe it should have a cool down or much higher mana cost?

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

This is the first time someone complained about Shape-Shifting (or I'm just blind).
It is really that big of a deal?

[Drikkink]

Didn't they make it so only resto druids could get out of snares? Also, it's the trade-off of being a pvp druid. They really aren't strong heals compared to others.

[Rucati]

It uses a GCD, and if you're a Feral Druid you'll most likely have to use another CD to catch back up to your target anyway. For RDruids it's needed because once a RDruid falls behind on healing they need to pop a CD to get back up, if they couldn't shapeshift roots then every time a Mage used Frost Nova a Druid would need to either use Barkskin, Nature's Swiftness, or a PvP trinket, and then they'd just get Deep Frozen and Shattered later with a Fingers of Frost proc and that'd be the end of that.

TL;DR - It's needed the way it is, and it isn't in any way even remotely overpowered.

[sandmoth12]

This is the first time someone complained about Shape-Shifting (or I'm just blind).
It is really that big of a deal?

Yes, it is a very big deal because all other core abilities on classes have cool downs or incur high costs.

1.) Charge is a core warrior mechanic that is free, but it has a cool down.

2.) Rogues have stealth as a core mechanic, but you have to be out of combat and it also has a cool down.

3.) Mages have blink as a core mechanic which also has a cool down.

4.) Druids have shape-shift which is powerful, yet has almost no cost and no cool down...wtf???

[Malcor]

It's not OP. Literally no one complains about it. learn to play

[sandmoth12]

It uses a GCD, and if you're a Feral Druid you'll most likely have to use another CD to catch back up to your target anyway. For RDruids it's needed because once a RDruid falls behind on healing they need to pop a CD to get back up, if they couldn't shapeshift roots then every time a Mage used Frost Nova a Druid would need to either use Barkskin, Nature's Swiftness, or a PvP trinket, and then they'd just get Deep Frozen and Shattered later with a Fingers of Frost proc and that'd be the end of that.

TL;DR - It's needed the way it is, and it isn't in any way even remotely overpowered.

All the other classes I posted require a GCD also, yet they have other draw backs. Druids have the only free core mechanic that has no draw backs.

---------- Post added 2013-05-24 at 09:50 PM ----------

It's not OP. Literally no one complains about it. learn to play

Maybe no one has looked at it in this light before?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Maybe no one has looked at it in this light before?

No, I'm pretty sure you're looking to complain.


Charge does have a cooldown, but Druid Shapeshifting is VERY DIFFERENT. Some forms offer better movement speed. Others it has nothing to do with it. Mages Blink is a 15s cooldown and is ESSENTIAL to their movement in PVE and PVP.

[sandmoth12]

No, I'm pretty sure you're looking to complain.

Look at the core abilities of each class and you will see they all have a draw back or cost except for druids shape shift. How do you deny something like that when it is staring you in the face?

[Deleted]

I somewhat agree with the OP. Roots are too long atm. That's why such an ability seems OP. If they reduce the duration it would be more fair against other classes, especially melee.
Even if that gets fixed, resto druids are one of the strongest to survive against melee because they can just shapeshift to travel form and kite them.

But then, it's not really that game breaking though. If you really want to complain about druids, complain about feral healing, now that is insane.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Look at the core abilities of each class and you will see they all have a draw back or cost except for druids shape shift. How do you deny something like that when it is staring you in the face?

Because it's trivial and hardly gamebreaking.

I somewhat agree with the OP. Roots are too long atm. That's why such an ability seems OP. If they reduce the duration it would be more fair against other classes, especially melee.
Even if that gets fixed, resto druids are one of the strongest to survive against melee because they can just shapeshift to travel form and kite them.

Fun fact, all Druids could shift out of it before Cata then they nerfed it. So I'd say get used to it. It was MUCH WORSE in your eyes before it got made for Resto Druids only.

[Malcor]

Even if that gets fixed, resto druids are one of the strongest to survive against melee because they can just shapeshift to travel form and kite them.

Yeah because god forbid they actually live right?

And based on your signature I am going to assume you are a rogue in which case you have NO FUCKING RIGHT to complain about ANY form of CC being "Too long"

[sandmoth12]

Because it's trivial and hardly gamebreaking.




Fun fact, all Druids could shift out of it before Cata then they nerfed it. So I'd say get used to it. It was MUCH WORSE in your eyes before it got made for Resto Druids only.

The ability to break almost all snares in game for free is not game breaking? I really don't know how to respond to that. I am at a loss for words...

[Deleted]

Because it's trivial and hardly gamebreaking.




Fun fact, all Druids could shift out of it before Cata then they nerfed it. So I'd say get used to it. It was MUCH WORSE in your eyes before it got made for Resto Druids only.

Fun fact: before MOP you could spam dispell roots and now you basically are stuck in them unless you use a CD like CoS or something like that. And then get rooted again. Like I said, druids aren't the problem, roots in general are, especially the non-magic one like the one from Hunters.

[Jordaen]

Look at the core abilities of each class and you will see they all have a draw back or cost except for druids shape shift. How do you deny something like that when it is staring you in the face?

How else is a druid to escape? as said earlier, if we couldn't break roots as resto we'd literally never see an arena match past the early brackets. If you're losing to a druid because of shifting, maybe take a look at your play style. Warriors can berserker rage out of fear every 30 seconds and since most fears have a long cooldown, they can practically never get feared. Death knights can death grip forever, especially if the grip fails. The cooldown is reset. Priests can constantly move faster with their talented feathers that cost almost no mana. Rogues can stun lock for days, especially when a trinket is down. There are many cases of classes having some perk that doesn't cost much and has a low cooldown. Druid healers don't have much in the way of cheap, no cooldown spells. The only one we have is breaking roots and maybe entangling grasp every minute which can be broken easily.

I think no one is complaining about it because it's really not a big deal. They took it away for a while, druids were broken, Blizzard brought it back, and now it's fine again.

[Deleted]

Yeah because god forbid they actually live right?

And based on your signature I am going to assume you are a rogue in which case you have NO FUCKING RIGHT to complain about ANY form of CC being "Too long"

No, I should change my avatar. I'm a monk. And I'm not saying anything about CC. CC is a lot better to deal with than it was in 5.2.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Fun fact: before MOP you could spam dispell roots and now you basically are stuck in them unless you use a CD like CoS or something like that. And then get rooted again. Like I said, druids aren't the problem, roots in general are, especially the non-magic one like the one from Hunters.

You mean CC. I won't lie, I am not fond of PVP anymore because I get chain cced like a bitch.

[Deleted]

You mean CC. I won't lie, I am not fond of PVP anymore because I get chain cced like a bitch.

CC is fine now, maybe warlock's CC could be a little less but that would make them a lot weaker. From my experiences in 5.3 you can't get killed in a stun anymore unless you get no heal, don't have a defensive CD and they're more than two on you. But then the problem is not the CC but your healer or you who don't anticipate for a stun.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

CC is fine now, maybe warlock's CC could be a little less but that would make them a lot weaker. From my experiences in 5.3 you can't get killed in a stun anymore unless you get no heal, don't have a defensive CD and they're more than two on you. But then the problem is not the CC but your healer or you who don't anticipate for a stun.

It's just that I'm so used to being cced so much I can't do anything so I just sit back and watch my health go down to zero because I'm literally useless. I hate that feeling, it makes me so angry.

[Agent Mercury]

The ability to break almost all snares in game for free is not game breaking? I really don't know how to respond to that. I am at a loss for words...

You should be because what you are complaining about is not a problem. Problems are brought up this is the first time I have seen this one. Your CORE moves argument is pretty invalid as all classes and moves are not the same. They serve different purposes. Why is charge and blink and stealth on different cooldowns...that is broken.