No More Displacer Beast

[Nevcairiel]

not old iconic abilities (that, admittedly, I can't think of any for druids that were removed. Nature's Grasp?).

We're getting Soothe and Hibernate back at least. I missed those a bit.

[Doogler]

Took them long enough. This is what pruning should've done in the first place -- delete all the post-cata fluff like stampede / druid blink / wild strike, not old iconic abilities (that, admittedly, I can't think of any for druids that were removed. Nature's Grasp?).

So you would rather lose the useful spells and keep the crap?

[exochaft]

I remember when you could DB as a bear and still remain in bear on the PTR... was fun times there! While looking over the Guardian changes, I notice a lot of scaling with respect to spell power that was never there before (assuming it'd apply to attack power, too)... then I noticed that they're increasing the range of Stampeding Roar from 10 yards to 15 yards after many complaints. Also, baseline Dash is getting a reduced cooldown from the looks of it, take it as you will.

Let me place down this huge salt lick for the next section: I appreciate what Blizz is trying to do by adding more uniqueness to classes/specs, but I swear they're very short-sighted as they seem to have forgotten why they spread out the abilities across many classes/specs. The problem when you start adding too many unique, desirable abilities, you begin to require your group comps to have only specific abilities. If there's only one spec in the game that carries something really good, you may be forced to bring that spec over all other factors. Now much of the fault comes from the design of the content, where certain abilities/utility/CC is always superior in every situation, and I feel that's the real problem they should address. Obviously it's super early in BfA alpha, but the blanket statements made by blue posts so far have indicated that they may have forgotten lessons learned from the past.

Let me phrase it this way with respect to what we know so far. Soothe and Hibernate appear to be added back in for now (resto and moonkin only according to tooltips). Yay, we get old spells back... but will we even use them? Will they even be considered when deciding who to bring to a group? Think of the niche abilities that are currently in existence on live, and how group comps and decisions are affected by said abilities... now make every other "essential" buff/utility more restrictive, and we're back previous expansions of purely bring the class, not the player. Legion certainly isn't perfect when it comes to how flexible you can be when picking members for content, but it's certainly more accessible regardless of you class in general.

[Saberstrike]

So you would rather lose the useful spells and keep the crap?

No, I want things that either: 1) double-down on a classes strength, or 2) cover a weakness too well, to not exist. Druids never needed blink, they always had enough mobility. Just like symbiosis, priest vanish, old stampede, hunter bubble or warlock casting while moving (as well as -- personal opinion -- ice block), some things are just too retarded to exist. It may be fun for you but its poisoning the game as a whole by providing a class with tools it does not need, thus creating huge balance problems.

I'm frankly surprised this one lasted that long.

[PickleballAce]

Keep Displacer Beast, dump Renewal instead.

[Pawstruck]

I would like to see you dash while falling from somewhere high , running fast will surely save you.

It'll be especially cool in PVP, also known as "infinite snare mode."

[Polarthief]

Replacing a 3 minute cooldown is hardly a major issue.

It is when it means you can't also get the 15s cooldown ability. Also Dash is being changed to -10% Speed (60% down from 70%) and a 2m cooldown (down from 3m), so... yeah, I'd say it's a huge issue.

This is absolutely a dead talent to Balance and probably Feral too, but will probably be the go-to for Resto since their WC is pretty... crap. Regardless, Tiger's Dash in this form (REMEMBERING THAT THIS IS EARLY ALPHA DATAMINING!!!) is pretty crap. Cooldown is way too long for what it does and what you give up (baseline 2m Dash and WC). Making it a 20-30s CD would be way more acceptable.

Keep Displacer Beast, dump Renewal instead.

I'd love to see this since no one ever takes Renewal due to it replacing all mobility outside of Dash. Now if Tiger's Dash or WC was baseline, I COULD see some use out of Renewal.

[Socialhealer]

That's the point though, isn't it? They want every class to be special in their own right. Blinking had always been a mage thing. I don't really mind because running SUUUUUUPEEEEERRRRR fast for a bit sounds really cool and it was kind of predictable.

so time warp ancient hysteria and drums will be gone right?

no shamans no lust, it's a shaman thing.

[huth]

so time warp ancient hysteria and drums will be gone right?

no shamans no lust, it's a shaman thing.

They'd have to nerf BL into the ground then. In its current form, it's to powerful to not have.

[Sosua]

Reintroducing faerie-fire as a DoT with some bite wouldn't be bad, and give it a moderate cool down.

[Tiberria]

No, I want things that either: 1) double-down on a classes strength, or 2) cover a weakness too well, to not exist. Druids never needed blink, they always had enough mobility. Just like symbiosis, priest vanish, old stampede, hunter bubble or warlock casting while moving (as well as -- personal opinion -- ice block), some things are just too retarded to exist. It may be fun for you but its poisoning the game as a whole by providing a class with tools it does not need, thus creating huge balance problems.

I'm frankly surprised this one lasted that long.

So, you want things that double down on class strengths, admit that mobility is a primary niche of the Druid class - especially Resto, but want them to remove something that is one of the primary mobility tools of the class? That makes no sense and is contrary to their design goals.

- - - Updated - - -

Let me phrase it this way with respect to what we know so far. Soothe and Hibernate appear to be added back in for now (resto and moonkin only according to tooltips). Yay, we get old spells back... but will we even use them? Will they even be considered when deciding who to bring to a group? Think of the niche abilities that are currently in existence on live, and how group comps and decisions are affected by said abilities... now make every other "essential" buff/utility more restrictive, and we're back previous expansions of purely bring the class, not the player. Legion certainly isn't perfect when it comes to how flexible you can be when picking members for content, but it's certainly more accessible regardless of you class in general.

Hibernate was always a crappy and extremely situational CC, because probably 90% of the mobs you want to CC in dungeons/raids are not beasts. There's a reason Polymorph, Hex, etc. have several classes of stuff they can CC, because otherwise it just becomes a seldom used spell, to the point that it's pretty much redundant button bloat (the reason it was removed to begin with). Soothe might be useful if removing enrages becomes a significant mechanic again. Considering that they aren't putting Tranquilizing Shot back in the game apparently, I can't see how it would be significant, because they won't give something that critical to just one class.

Putting these two spells back in is just adding in mostly useless/RP/button bloat abilities in place of abilities that are actually relevant for 2018 raid boss design. It's a terrible trade off.

[Saberstrike]

So, you want things that double down on class strengths, admit that mobility is a primary niche of the Druid class - especially Resto, but want them to remove something that is one of the primary mobility tools of the class? That makes no sense and is contrary to their design goals.

I said I -don't- want that, though. You really didn't need blink ontop of on-demand, no cooldown removal of roots & snares that ALSO make you immune to polymorph. And a sprint. Hell I wouldn't mind if restos get stampede roar as baseline, but I always hated the blink. It makes no sense and its obnoxious to play against. It's like if you got disarmed when you hit a mage, or if a rogue got a free vanish when it was reduced below 50% health. You just don't design your classes like that.

[Socialhealer]

They'd have to nerf BL into the ground then. In its current form, it's to powerful to not have.

why mages get arcane intellect, and only mages i believe thats +5% spellpower or 5% int? (and i know every class has some kind of 5% buff)

thats better than bloodlust if you've got say 12 casters in a raid of 20 (not unrealistic considering 4 will be healers at least) thats a 3%~ perma healing/damage gain, is 40 seconds of haste over a 7 minute fight really better? could we afford to make a raid without a mage? or any class really? or in a really bad case be missing 2 classes and lose two lots of 5% buffs.

[huth]

why mages get arcane intellect, and only mages i believe thats +5% spellpower or 5% int? (and i know every class has some kind of 5% buff)

thats better than bloodlust if you've got say 12 casters in a raid of 20 (not unrealistic considering 4 will be healers at least) thats a 3%~ perma healing/damage gain, is 40 seconds of haste over a 7 minute fight really better? could we afford to make a raid without a mage? or any class really? or in a really bad case be missing 2 classes and lose two lots of 5% buffs.

Yes, it really is better. Much better. Just averaging it out over the fight doesn't do it justice, since players will generally try to stack it with CDs and pots.

Besides, not all fights are the same length, and many require burst damage in specific situations.

[fallenangel-succ]

Please don't try to defend class-unique buffs. They're a terrible idea and hopefully will die long before they make it to live. They've literally walked down this road 10 years ago.

[Lucrece]

I honestly don't see it as that bad of a Change. Being able to control my burst of Speed is at times a lot nicer than hoping my character doesn't Blink and get caught on a weird piece of Terrain and only move forward 3yrds.

But you are stuck in cat form doing nothing for 4 seconds instead of instantly moving....which sucks for balance druids.

[baskev]

Looks like kitty blink has been removed from the druid spec talent calculators and is listed as "removed" in the patch notes.

Seems to be replaced by Tiger's Dash, 45 sec cd 4 second dash that diminishes over the duration from 200% downwards.

I personally will really miss the convenience being able to blink across danger zones or into positions.

Me 2. Our little blink. But hey its alpha . So if the new stuff does not work it might return. But on the other hand, blink is kinda a mage thing. But that said, combat ress is kinda a druid thing....time will tell.

[Lahis]

But on the other hand, blink is kinda a mage thing. But that said, combat ress is kinda a druid thing....time will tell.

Blizzard solution: give Blink to mages only and give CR to every class.

[RayenDark]

It would make more sense to have dash remain baseline.

Tiger Dash (As a "upgrade Dash" talent)/Displacer Beast/ Wild Charge as a talent row given all three would be about movement. There is no need for Renewal.

[huth]

Keeping Renewal in that row will just ensure that it continues to remain unchosen.