2H viability making a return

[Khailik]

it is not that easy. you have to do all the balancing again for 2h enhancers. you have to adjust talents and skills etc.

Which is not too much to ask. They tweak and balance classes all the time and they COULD do this. They have the resources.

[Deleted]

Which is not too much to ask. They tweak and balance classes all the time and they COULD do this. They have the resources.

They don't. They currently don't have the ressources to balance DW Enhance. We will have to hope for some hotfixes after raid begin...

Honestly, they don't care about enhancers.

[Futhark]

Staves can be mogged to 2H weapons. Use whatever you want.

Actually, this gives me more hope than anything else. Agility itemization for weapons that are currently Strength is too tall an order to constantly have to keep doing every tier. But maintaining agi staves with the "transmog to hammers" attitude and doing a one-time-only fix to make weapon imbues/LL/SS work with staves is all it would take to finally make this a reality.

[Khailik]

Actually, this gives me more hope than anything else. Agility itemization for weapons that are currently Strength is too tall an order to constantly have to keep doing every tier. But maintaining agi staves with the "transmog to hammers" attitude and doing a one-time-only fix to make weapon imbues/LL/SS work with staves is all it would take to finally make this a reality.

DPS on staves is a lot lower than 2handed weapons. They would have to up the damage to equal that of hammer/axes and then change how stormstrike and lava lash work.

[nazrakin]

Hooooly schnikes that staff! You sure that's not a polearm?

Yep, even the name is awesome. Head-Lopper Skullscythe

DPS on staves is a lot lower than 2handed weapons. They would have to up the damage to equal that of hammer/axes and then change how stormstrike and lava lash work.

2H AGI staves that Monks and Druids use have the same damage as 2H Axes/Swords. They would have to change SS and LL but creating alternate spells shouldnt be an issue since they're doing it for many other specs.

[Ealyssa]

R.I.P. Enhancement 2H. You will be remembered!

8 years too late...

Just stop beating this dead horse. It's not even fun anymore (stoped to be fun 7 years ago actually).

[Khailik]

8 years too late...

Just stop beating this dead horse. It's not even fun anymore (stoped to be fun 7 years ago actually).

I will beat this horse into powder!.... With my two handed axe!

[Deleted]

I stumbled across a minor glyph suggestion on the EU shaman forums that might put this debate to rest for good:

Glyph of Doomhammer (Minor)
Your weapons now appear as one, two handed weapon from your bag, causing all attacks to have two handed animations.

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/11547314816 Here's the thread, seems to have a lot of support.

[Deleted]

I will beat this horse into powder!.... With my two handed axe!

using auto attacks, because that's all you can use. huehuehue

@Balancing 2h vs 1h: 'CBA balancing 2h enhance against dw enhance. BRB introducing two new classes that both have this exact mechanic.'

[Embermoon]

I stumbled across a minor glyph suggestion on the EU shaman forums that might put this debate to rest for good:

Glyph of Doomhammer (Minor)
Your weapons now appear as one, two handed weapon from your bag, causing all attacks to have two handed animations.

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/11547314816 Here's the thread, seems to have a lot of support.

That sounds like the most reasonable possibility I've heard, if they could make the glyph point to the mog weapon of choice. Kudos, to whoever thought of it.

[Professor Expert]

I prefer dual 1H. There's already enough 2H classes in the game if swinging big weapons is what you like...but I don't see why they can't let players choose 2H or 1H for enhancement. The old arguments about getting 1-shot in a windfury proc are no longer relevant, and have not been for years due to both higher HP pools and passive defense. If enhance could equip 2H weapons now and use them, leaving nothing else changed, they would be doing about as much damage as a warrior or DK, but less than a ret with wings up. Problematic? I think not. Just laziness on the devs part. My hunter does about twice as much DPS in pvp as my enhance shaman; I can't see enhance damage doubling by going from dual 1H to 2H even if they left the damage % of SS and LL as they are now.

[Artorius]

ToC had an Agi sword...

[Naxere]

I'd like to see it, but they won't do it unless they decide to allow stat-swapping on weapons.

[Last Starfighter]

Do you think a petition would do anything? Because I have quite a few Shaman friends who would jump on board as I'm sure many others would.

Petitions do nothing.

- - - Updated - - -

ToC had an Agi sword...

So does SoO

[nazrakin]

Petitions do nothing.

Maybe, but persistence seems to prevail more in the current landscape than it did in the past, probably because of the subscriber loses.

[Professor Expert]

Maybe, but persistence seems to prevail more in the current landscape than it did in the past, probably because of the subscriber loses.

I would argue that the inherent lack of a vision on blizzard's part, combined with what must be pressures from corporate execs higher up to maximize revenues, are more responsible for sub losses than quibbles like 2H enhancement not existing anymore. Since WotLK I can't say any of the expacs have really felt "inspired". The devs should not be so concerned about what's being said in their forums as they are about making a great gaming experience.

[nazrakin]

I would argue that the inherent lack of a vision on blizzard's part, combined with what must be pressures from corporate execs higher up to maximize revenues, are more responsible for sub losses than quibbles like 2H enhancement not existing anymore. Since WotLK I can't say any of the expacs have really felt "inspired". The devs should not be so concerned about what's being said in their forums as they are about making a great gaming experience.

I'm not attributing sub loses to the lack of 2H enhancement or other things like it. My point is that modern day Blizzard appears more eager to please than at the height of the game's popularity where certain things were outright rejected. I believe a big part of that is the realization that this game is old and isn't going to attract a lot of new players, so there is a larger focus on retention and convincing old players to return.

[Professor Expert]

I'm not attributing sub loses to the lack of 2H enhancement or other things like it. My point is that modern day Blizzard appears more eager to please than at the height of the game's popularity where certain things were outright rejected. I believe a big part of that is the realization that this game is old and isn't going to attract a lot of new players, so there is a larger focus on retention and convincing old players to return.

We could say that is a lack of vision on Blizzard's part. They've deviated too far from the fundamentals that made the original game fun to play...the sense of wonder and exploration of a vast game world that it used to have is largely gone...but it's not just that, there is also a lot more competition out there.

I don't think the game being old precludes it from continuing to be popular in the future if the right choices are made. I think one area of improvement needs to be giving players compelling new reasons to return to old areas of the game. Not something as mundane as archaeology or heroic modes for classic dungeons - but rather adding new content to the old zones based on the current expac. Character development needs to evolve beyond leveling and gearing. Give all classes class-specific quests that, upon completion, grant them unique improvements...shifting the play of the game from a repetitive gear treadmill to an experience that changes as each step is completed.

It's the kind of effort I would expect from a company that has as many paying members as WoW, but try getting shareholders to agree - why would they want to spend the time and money to do all of that when they can get a quarterly revenue injection simply by adding a few new zones? Is there anyone who thinks the iron horde invasion event was anything more than totally underwhelming? That could very well be a bellwether for WoD.

[nazrakin]

We could say that is a lack of vision on Blizzard's part. They've deviated too far from the fundamentals that made the original game fun to play...the sense of wonder and exploration of a vast game world that it used to have is largely gone...but it's not just that, there is also a lot more competition out there.

I don't think the game being old precludes it from continuing to be popular in the future if the right choices are made. I think one area of improvement needs to be giving players compelling new reasons to return to old areas of the game. Not something as mundane as archaeology or heroic modes for classic dungeons - but rather adding new content to the old zones based on the current expac. Character development needs to evolve beyond leveling and gearing. Give all classes class-specific quests that, upon completion, grant them unique improvements...shifting the play of the game from a repetitive gear treadmill to an experience that changes as each step is completed.

It's the kind of effort I would expect from a company that has as many paying members as WoW, but try getting shareholders to agree - why would they want to spend the time and money to do all of that when they can get a quarterly revenue injection simply by adding a few new zones? Is there anyone who thinks the iron horde invasion event was anything more than totally underwhelming? That could very well be a bellwether for WoD.

All I'm saying is if people want change then they need to keep asking for it. That doesn't guarantee that it'll come, but it doesn't hurt to be persistent when the company is constantly changing its mind.

That said, I agree with part of what you're saying. In fact, I made a thread on the official forum leading up to MoP that suggested a similar focus on fewer but more interesting quests.

[BobAwesome]

Go up vote my question!

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/to...27?page=13#250

With the way main stats work on items now (being able to switch between Strength, Intellect or Agility based on spec) could finally bring two-handed Enhancement Shamans back?

Two-handed Axe/Mace drops can now have Strength for Death Knights, Warriors, and Paladins and Agility for Shaman and Druids (two-handed mace only).

Obviously Storm Strike, Lava Lash and Maelstrom Weapon would need to be balanced, but with how two Warrior specs have changes based on weapons used (Fury has Titan Grip vs Single Minded Fury and Protection/Gladiator) and Frost Death Knights have two-hand vs. dual wield, I really don't see it being that difficult for the large, robust team you folks have now.