New in Alpha build: Warlock Spec attunements

[Zinnin]

We would probably be less tempted to change specs if all specs performed at least passable in all situations. Blizzard are now basically further handicapping us when our main spec is bad at something. We are usually allready not in an optimal gear set up when we change specs to do certain fights, and that now gets worse, meaning we are going to be forced between being in good gear set, but bad at what we are trying to do, or a bad gear set in a spec that's good at what we are trying to do.

I feel this change makes it all the more reasonable for us to tell Blizzard to make sure our main spec (whatever that spec is) performs at least passable at everything. I hate harping on about Destro mobility issues, but this change makes it all the more annoying that Destro has basically no buttons to push while moving, and is in so many ways hindered by increased movement in fights, a requirement usually employed in the more difficult fights in a tier and in PvP.

Blizzard really needs to make sure glaring problems like that are fixed, or else certain specs in the game will simply not be played, since the price for respeccing is too high and it's just better to stay in 1 spec that does everything passable then it is to play the spec that is patently bad at certain things.

Destro has at least 2 GCD's any time they want to move, Rain of Fire and Conflag. There is no reason you can't just always sit on one conflag charge for movement. Also, shadowburn. For example Ele shamans only have Shocks and Totems to cast outside of Lava Burst procs so 2 GCD's isn't really that bad.

Right now if you ignore what people are doing with Soul Swap, and its clearly unintended damage boost all three specs are very close in most situations.

[Brusalk]

Destro has at least 2 GCD's any time they want to move, Rain of Fire and Conflag. There is no reason you can't just always sit on one conflag charge for movement. Also, shadowburn. For example Ele shamans only have Shocks and Totems to cast outside of Lava Burst procs so 2 GCD's isn't really that bad.

Right now if you ignore what people are doing with Soul Swap, and its clearly unintended damage boost all three specs are very close in most situations.

With the currently datamined tier set we can't sit on one charge or risk losing a conflag charge. Also, there's no confirmation that RoF will still be worth casting.

[Jessicka]

This pretty much follows a discussion over on general about dual specs and stuff. I think this is a great step forward in rewarding commitment to a spec; right now it is far too easy to swap at the drop of a hat. That ease is okay for a hybrid swapping roles, but it makes it too easy for players to press others into swapping out when in most cases most specs are fine, and experience with it is the real differentiator. It happens rarely, but I've been in pugs on my Fire Mage and, even while topping meters been told by others I should switch to Frost, and been persistent about it; it's kinda sad but I can see that maybe a less confident player might take it as an instruction to do so. This would add a bit of a better shield of 'my gear really isn't set for it' to resist.

Further to that, it should also prevent the kind of stat rollercoaster Demonology has been through this tier and make it much more transparent as to which stat primarily to go for, I think that's good for everyone.

[Deleted]

With the currently datamined tier set we can't sit on one charge or risk losing a conflag charge. Also, there's no confirmation that RoF will still be worth casting.

Easy to fix the conflag charge issue is to either have it count as a proc and not a charge OR do the same as the current 4 piece demo bonus where conflag would just be auto cast (since we would already be casting it as soon as its up seems a better idea)

[Deleted]

Having it work like Sudden Doom for Unholy DK would be preferable.

No added charge, just a buff that allows you a free Conflag over the next 10 seconds.

[Dnusha]

Celestalon said these new set bonuses are mostly placeholders.

[Deleted]

Having it work like Sudden Doom for Unholy DK would be preferable.

No added charge, just a buff that allows you a free Conflag over the next 10 seconds.

yeah that works as well since you still get a gcd from using the proc so it's not just instant damage

[Hellfury]

We would probably be less tempted to change specs if all specs performed at least passable in all situations. Blizzard are now basically further handicapping us when our main spec is bad at something. We are usually allready not in an optimal gear set up when we change specs to do certain fights, and that now gets worse, meaning we are going to be forced between being in good gear set, but bad at what we are trying to do, or a bad gear set in a spec that's good at what we are trying to do.

I feel this change makes it all the more reasonable for us to tell Blizzard to make sure our main spec (whatever that spec is) performs at least passable at everything. I hate harping on about Destro mobility issues, but this change makes it all the more annoying that Destro has basically no buttons to push while moving, and is in so many ways hindered by increased movement in fights, a requirement usually employed in the more difficult fights in a tier and in PvP.

Blizzard really needs to make sure glaring problems like that are fixed, or else certain specs in the game will simply not be played, since the price for respeccing is too high and it's just better to stay in 1 spec that does everything passable then it is to play the spec that is patently bad at certain things.

Well, if there is a spec that perfroms better on a certain fight then you can still change to it even with a leaser optimal gear you will probably get more damage and this also means we can work on getting a different gear sets on the side, I already do this.

5% more of a certain stat, to me feels more like a bonus for us to gear properly than a hindrance to change specs

[Nivrax]

Note that getting secondary set of gear now will be way harder than it is now since with all random stats it have, it will very often be 'minor upgrade' over someones main spec unless first piece of said loot dropped already with good rolls (jc, diablo vocabulary in wow :/). Or you luck on a coin.

There is also problem when stat we 'should' go to according to Blizzard isn't stat we want. Is there any gearing currently for Destro that favors crit over Mastery or Haste? Wouldn't Charred Remains, if one wants to use that, push Mastery way ahead of other stats? Would Blizz push/nerf/balance stat towards specs wanting only gear with specific stat and not others? Wouldn't this be going back to problem of certain specs that can't get decent upgrade because it have trashy stat?

And wouldn't push to certain stats do exact opposite in highend/Mythic raiding, actually forcing players to fully regem between fights having diffrent 'best' specs they are progressing on, rather than encouraging to stay in one spec?

[Jessicka]

Note that getting secondary set of gear now will be way harder than it is now since with all random stats it have, it will very often be 'minor upgrade' over someones main spec unless first piece of said loot dropped already with good rolls (jc, diablo vocabulary in wow :/). Or you luck on a coin.

There is also problem when stat we 'should' go to according to Blizzard isn't stat we want. Is there any gearing currently for Destro that favors crit over Mastery or Haste? Wouldn't Charred Remains, if one wants to use that, push Mastery way ahead of other stats? Would Blizz push/nerf/balance stat towards specs wanting only gear with specific stat and not others? Wouldn't this be going back to problem of certain specs that can't get decent upgrade because it have trashy stat?

And wouldn't push to certain stats do exact opposite in highend/Mythic raiding, actually forcing players to fully regem between fights having diffrent 'best' specs they are progressing on, rather than encouraging to stay in one spec?

Mythic raiders will do that anyway, nothing will stop them so it's got nothing to do with improving their QoL. What it does do is ensure their intended 'best stat' remains so, I don't think any stat really pulled away so far that this would get overridden. Remember Mastery scaling with Sacrifice, along with the Multistrike trinket created the peculiarity of Mastery stacking, when it doesn't appear to have been Blizzard's intent while the stat is quite weaker when Service or Supremacy are picked and another trinket used - while the spec actually remains quite strong overall.

[Zynx]

Personally I don't like seeing our ability to swap specs freely get reduced. I always felt like our answer to not being a hybrid is that we can instead choose another spec to suit fight mechanics. Part of what makes us so strong in SoO is that we have an answer to every fight if you're willing to swap. Kind of lame to lose some of that edge.

[Zinnin]

With the currently datamined tier set we can't sit on one charge or risk losing a conflag charge. Also, there's no confirmation that RoF will still be worth casting.

Unless the damage is crazy different then what I've seen in Alpha so far it is worth casting on the move. Considering that Destro doesn't have life tap I would imagine they won't change that.

[Soulzar]

It is something I have talked to devs about in the past, and am speculating they are moving further in that direction. Keep in mind however that our stats are EXTREMELY close, a small jump to push us to a specific stat per spec isn't going to mean that we can't switch specs, just that it isn't 100% optimal. Right now you could stack mastery and be close to optimal for all three specs, this change just means (I am assuming they hope) that instead of being able to gear all three specs 100% optimal you have one that is 100%, and then two at 95% or so.

Currently people feel the need to shift specs based on a 5% jump in sims, having to gear towards on spec lessens that obsession slightly.

This makes sense, but with reforging gone we wont be able to manipulate our stats to the degree we can now. Outside of mastery being king for all 3 spec making the ease of spec swapping easier than they may have wished, it was further compounded by drastically manipulating which stat we needed more of on our gear by reforging.

This seems to actually help when swapping between specs to give your gear as a whole just a tad bit more of that specs preferred stat since we cant reforge. This does not change what you said however that if you want to truly min/max your spec it will start with your gear choices.

5% mastery for Demo seems to be the oddball out that does not boost a stat responsible for resource generation.

[Sylar Hao]

In my opinion is a mix of many things. First with the removal of reforging and reduced enchants and sockets we will barely have any gear customization. In addition, every spec benefits better from a specific secondary stat, which is true. If you have a bad drop luck on the items you want, you may end with this stat being the lower on your gear, so this bonus evens that out a little, and if you get a lot of it from gear you'll get even better resoults. It also defines and differenciate more or less each spec and playstyles, destruction and fire benefit a lot more from crit than say affliction and frost, for example. And finally I guess they don't want us to excel with every spec with a single gear set.

[Brusalk]

Unless the damage is crazy different then what I've seen in Alpha so far it is worth casting on the move. Considering that Destro doesn't have life tap I would imagine they won't change that.

Well I wouldn't know. Not in alpha myself.

It'll largely depend on how much mana is an issue for us, due to its high mana cost.

[kornoth]

It's a set bonus, and specially the 4 piece bonus, so i don't think the charges will cap to 2, conflag and hog will havve more than 2 charges with the procs, it supposed to be a bonus so it will add bonus , you're supposed to use your bonus so either there will be no cap, either there will be a time limitation.

[Deleted]

It's a set bonus, and specially the 4 piece bonus, so i don't think the charges will cap to 2, conflag and hog will havve more than 2 charges with the procs, it supposed to be a bonus so it will add bonus , you're supposed to use your bonus so either there will be no cap, either there will be a time limitation.

I really don't think so. The new Starsurge/Starfall model has 3 charges, and shooting stars now adds 1 charge to that, and will not exceed 3.

The wording sounds identical to this (adds one charge), so i'm pretty certain the current model won't exceed 2 for warlocks.

I said earlier I think it would work better like Sudden Doom for DK's, but they seem keen on adding charge based abilities everywhere.

[Jessicka]

Well they say the set bonuses are basically just placeholders at this point, so it's difficult to speculate. Is this the thread to be discussing them in anyway?

[Alarinth]

Well they say the set bonuses are basically just placeholders at this point, so it's difficult to speculate. Is this the thread to be discussing them in anyway?

No.

Anyways, I'm anxious about this. Does this mean individual gear drops will dictate what specs you play rather than the preference of a particular spec ahead of another one? Also something that was asked on Twitter yesterday that I didn't see any answer too, will Multistrike work like it does today, ie. not affect pets? I'm curious about the ramifications of it not doing that, and a piece drops with a preferable stat and multistrike (from Demo pov).

[Zinnin]

No.

Anyways, I'm anxious about this. Does this mean individual gear drops will dictate what specs you play rather than the preference of a particular spec ahead of another one? Also something that was asked on Twitter yesterday that I didn't see any answer too, will Multistrike work like it does today, ie. not affect pets? I'm curious about the ramifications of it not doing that, and a piece drops with a preferable stat and multistrike (from Demo pov).

They've already said they are making sure Multistrike effects at least Permanent pets, I would be surprised to see guardians and temp summons slip through though.