Shadow and void priest separation

[Deleted]

In my opinion, the shadow priest spec lost its identify with the introductiom of void form. Before that, shadow was associated with vampiric/shadow powers that corresponded to "the undead shadow magic" rather than old god stuff. On the other hand void-themed priest is the new interesting direction of the class.

In terms of theme/playstyle separation into two different specs could be a solution for two groups of players: to those who want a more classic version of the shadow priest and to those who like the insanity/void design.
What do you think?

[krl]

The whole vampiric/drain/raise undead stuff was the classical warcraft shadow death knight/necromancer, which was divided into DK, locks and sp.

I'm afraid if you like the vampiric/raise undead stuff, it's more unholy DK territory now.

[MechaCThun]

Personally, I love how Shadow (Void) is in the realm of the Void Lords/Old Gods. Actually, you should really look at it as the Old Gods being moved into that realm of Shadow (Void) instead. It's not necessarily that Blizzard is focusing an entire universal force around the Old Gods rather than focusing many other things around said universal force.

Thematically, Shadow Priests work. The visual look, the focus on spells effecting the mind and causing insanity, and Shadow energy being almost being vampiric in nature. It really comes down to the in-game execution of Voidform.

Fix the execution, fix the problem.

[Soulwind]

Before they retconned the concept of Void as the source of Old God magic and something completely independent from fel and undeath magic, they explained shadow priests as priests who used the Light to manipulate the lack of it.

In other words, they controlled the opposite of the Light indirectly, using their knowledge of the Light. This duality, at the time, wasn't as defined as it is now, and included spells used by the Scourge or the Burning Legion. "Shadow" was just some sort of dark, evil magic.

Since fel and undeath magic are not in any way the opposites of the Light now, and the Void is, there really isn't any other way they can keep the spec tied to the class, keeping in mind the character can switch from one spec to another. A Void priest taps into the same source of power as any Old God cultist, but remains sane and in control, presumably by using the Light in some way. But they can also switch to healing at any time.

A necromancer would be what you're looking for, and they would not use the Light at all, which means they couldn't have two Light-based healing specs. They wouldn't be priests at all.

Foggy lore allowed for more variety, but some classes and specs lacked identity. Now we know exactly what a shadow priest is, and unfortunately it's not compatible with some of the older spells and concepts.

[krl]

Foggy lore allowed for more variety, but some classes and specs lacked identity. Now we know exactly what a shadow priest is, and unfortunately it's not compatible with some of the older spells and concepts.

Exactly this. The shadow priest spec should be renamed to void priest and shadow form should be removed because nobody ever gets out of it.

[Foolicious]

In other words, they controlled the opposite of the Light indirectly, using their knowledge of the Light. This duality, at the time, wasn't as defined as it is now, and included spells used by the Scourge or the Burning Legion. "Shadow" was just some sort of dark, evil magic.

Thats what i kinda miss. I get the new direction, but we are still priests and priest are healer first before they become something better =p
Mist of pandaria embodied this the best in my opinion.
We shared our talents with holy and disc priests which made me personally feel more like a priest then i do now.

Also until legion shadow priest always felt similar to afflicition in the way we dealt damage. Subtle and over time.

The void changed it somehow. The void gets presented as this omnipotent cosmical force and our new spells represent this. Void eruption and voidbolt feel like pure void power.

Maybe i wouldn't be mad about it when Voidform was executed properly and made sense lorewise^^

[huehuehue]

please take my insanity and give me void orbs

[Quack27]

New class; one spec legion void form, one spec shadow orbs/ devouring plague, one spec dotless CoP.

Give Priests a light based dps spec to replace shadow.

[Jedimindtrx]

New class; one spec legion void form, one spec shadow orbs/ devouring plague, one spec dotless CoP.

Give Priests a light based dps spec to replace shadow.

^That is the dream

otherwise
PRIEST
(1) Holy
(2) Discipline
(3) Shadow (Vanilla/BC/Wrath/Cata/MoP) - you know, that ghosty, vampiric, fallen angel type of identity

VOIDMAGE
(1) Voidform (current archon purple thing)
(2) Voidsummoner (all about the voidlord, bro, friends, tentacles, orbs)
(3) Illusionist (kind of like a sub rogue, control based, pvp, tricks) like a Gandalf

[Jervaise]

New class; one spec legion void form, one spec shadow orbs/ devouring plague, one spec dotless CoP.

Give Priests a light based dps spec to replace shadow.

Or just give priests the druid treatment and get another spec in that plays like the WoD shadow.

[Jedimindtrx]

Or just give priests the druid treatment and get another spec in that plays like the WoD shadow.

^ also the dream

[ChairmanKaga]

Exactly this. The shadow priest spec should be renamed to void priest and shadow form should be removed because nobody ever gets out of it.

Oh god so we can see all the mog whiners complain again about permanent shadowform, no thanks.

[Deleted]

I think its meant like, make the stat increase passive. The shadow form is turned on all the time anyways and we can even cast like mass dispel which has a holy animation in it. Its just a passive ability at this point.

[Raetary]

Exactly this. The shadow priest spec should be renamed to void priest and shadow form should be removed because nobody ever gets out of it.

the void IS shadow.

so there literally is no difference.

[Ophenia]

the void IS shadow.

so there literally is no difference.

Stop saying that. If that's the case, then Shadowform is Voidform (which it isn't).

[Raetary]

Stop saying that. If that's the case, then Shadowform is Voidform (which it isn't).

Voidform ia literally just a stronger shadowform.
There is no difference besides energy lvls.

Shadow magic is void.

[Deleted]

I for instance really don't like what they did with shadow.

I loved the fantasy of being an angel of darkness with vampiric powers and plagues and words of power.

Now you are a void priest with tentacles spawning out of you...wow....

They could have rather scrapped discipline as a spec and fuse it together with holy and make you choose how you want to heal(either the old disc way or the holy way) and rework it into the previous shadow spec, so you could choose to either be a priest of the void or a priest of the shadow, rather than just force a sudden identity change out of nowhere. Really wish there was at least a glyph or something that would give you back the epic archangel shadow wings like we had back in MoP instead of void tentacles....

[Knslyr]

Voidform ia literally just a stronger shadowform.
There is no difference besides energy lvls.

Shadow magic is void.

Not all shadow magic is void magic, but all void magic is shadow magic.
Shadow, just as light, can be drawn from a divine source (The Light, the Void, gods etc), but can also be conjured through the arcane.

OnT: Shadow priests drawing power from the void makes sense due to their psychic theme just as the old gods. However, I find the gameplay revolving around our new void spells to be incredibly dull. I mean, Void Bolt is not interesting at all. Its no more interesting than a fireball or a shadow bolt.
Our psychic theme should take the spotlight again. Speaking words of pain and death, dismantling our enemies minds.

These spells still exist of course, but are now just a means to enter a very boring void form, which we then use to throw bolts around like any other spell caster.
Our rotation needs to be fixed, but so does our theme.