Dragonflight Priest Abilities Feedback - September 14, 2022

[Lumy]

Dragonflight Priest Abilities Feedback - September 14, 2022

Greetings Priests,

Today, we’re shining some light on decisions we’ve made for Priests over the past few weeks for Dragonflight. First, we want to share thoughts on how things are shaping up overall and then go into some specific spells that we’re reading feedback about.

Number of Active Spells
We agree. Priests have too many active spells. While we think there will be more to assess as the expansion plays out, the first spell that comes to mind is Shadow Mend feeling unnecessary with Flash Heal being available to all Priests. Instead of Shadow Mend as a talent that overrides Flash Heal, we are working towards removing the spell. We realize that losing a secondary healing school lockout may not sit well with Discipline Priests in PvP, but we’re happy with this direction overall. While no plans are in place right now, we’re also discussing Mindgames and Power Word: Life as contributing to the number of active spells for Priests.

Class Tree
Overall, we feel the class tree is in a good spot. As mentioned above, there are too many active spells and we’re looking to pull back on that. For Shadow, the Class tree has shaped out well. We’re less happy about how many nodes can feel mandatory for Holy and Discipline and this is something we’ll be looking to improve over time.

Discipline
We will continue to monitor feedback surrounding the changes we’ve made to Renew and Power Word: Shield for Dragonflight. Currently, we do not have plans to change this and think it is playing well.

Historically Discipline has revolved heavily around Penance. We want to allow for builds that are centered around Penance, but also open opportunities for other spells in the Discipline toolkit to shine if invested into, such as Smite and Power Word: Shield. We look forward to your feedback on if this is felt with the tree, tuning aside.

For Shadow Covenant, we’re looking to take away the downsides so that it encourages Shadow spells but doesn’t discourage Holy spells. Shadow Covenant has gone through a lot of change, but we’re hoping this is a step in the right direction.

Holy
Lightweaver is our alternative design to Flash Concentration. Weaving between Flash Heal and Heal is fun, but wound up feeling like a maintenance buff. We believe having a back-and-forth between the spells with stacks to improve situational usability is a better direction for single-target focused builds.

When it comes to X’anshi (now known as Restitution), we are excited to keep the effect around for Holy Priests. We were uncertain of where this should belong in the tree, but after more deliberation decided it was best competing with the more powerful talents, so it has been moved to row 10 of the tree. We know adding this in was not desirable for PvP players. While we have no plans to disable the effect in PvP, we are discussing ways to tone down its effect in PvP so that the Priest is in more danger after resurrecting. This node also competes with two charges of Holy Word: Serenity, so they will be giving up valuable throughput for the effect.

Shadow
Now that the tree has been in front of players for a couple weeks, we are reasonably happy with what we have, with room to grow in the future. Our initial thoughts on Voidform being optional is something we stand by. How to accomplish this while continuing to support Voidform and improve its gameplay is a challenge we want to continue to discuss and work on. Currently, we’re happy with where we’ve landed with Void Eruption competing with Dark Ascension so there’s not too many cooldown spells. With that said, Dark Ascension is visually exciting, but we feel it is currently lacking in identity. We’re discussing changes like Dark Ascension being more rotationally transformative while active or having a different cooldown than Void Eruption, so that its use cases over Void Eruption are more clear. We don’t have plans to make major changes to either spell for Dragonflight launch, but they will be on our radar for the future.

Mind Spike and Mind Flay coexisting is something we’re going to try but are wary of. Shadow has many spells to press rotationally, and this isn’t helping that. At the same time, being able to build your own Shadow Priest was a goal with this iteration and we believe the tree allows for that.

Silence
We understand that Holy and Discipline are the two specs without access to an interrupt, either baseline or in a talent tree. We also realize Shadow has Silence in their tree which adds to the number of non-throughput nodes in their tree. With that said, we are not adding Silence to the Priest class tree. Having access to an interrupt is not something we view as necessary for all specializations. In PvP, Holy and Discipline already provide valuable control to their team and additionally having Silence would provide more control than we’re comfortable with. This is especially true with how much control is becoming available across all classes in Dragonflight.

Vault of Heavens
This was discussed early on with this iteration with the intent to add it as a choice against Leap of Faith. Upon further consideration, Vault of Heavens is almost always more useful than Leap of Faith. But Leap of Faith is one of the more fun interactions in WoW. It changes your perspective on the battlefield. You’re always ready to react to save someone. And of course, it has some clever uses to get your friends killed. If we allow for the choice, the choice is clear, or we’d have to nerf Vault of Heavens down to something that won’t feel very powerful. The fantasy of the Priest leaping to their target doesn’t match our expectations for a Priest either, so we instead separated Body and Soul from Angelic Feather for a little extra movement support and kept Leap of Faith as a standalone.

Shining Force
This spell was deliberately removed in Dragonflight. Powerful spells being removed can cause frustration; however, the amount of control available across all classes in Dragonflight is causing concern. On top of this, the prevalence of knockbacks is already increasing in Dragonflight PvP and knockbacks can be the most influential control effect on arena or battleground maps with verticality.

Spectral Guise
We’ve read feedback about a desire for the return of Spectral Guise. We discussed the ability early on and decided against it, and our stance has not changed. We do not want Priests entering stealth especially in PvP, as it removes the Priest from the target and focus frame and occurs frequently. Hunters, Rogues, and Mages already do this often enough.

Mind Bomb
In its current form as a disorient we don’t think it is very compelling as a replacement to Psychic Scream besides preventing movement during the effect. What we anticipate is desired is the AoE stun version of the spell, but we are not planning to bring that forward. We pulled back on AoE stun duration and availability some time ago and decided against adding this one back so that we wouldn’t find ourselves in the same situation we were in the past. If everyone has an AoE stun, then it’s not going to feel special to have one in the first place.

Personal Defenses
For similar reasons as Silence, we will not be adding Dispersion to the Priest class tree. Healing Priests are understandably on the weaker side of the defensive spectrum, but our answer to that isn’t to bring Dispersion to the class tree. Between Desperate Prayer, Power Word: Shield, Angelic Bulwark, Translucent Image, and Spell Warding, we feel Priests are in an okay spot. We’ve also increased the damage reduction effect from Translucent Image to 10% and separated Phantasm from it.

Looking forward to your feedback!

[SinR]

Blizzard: We don't want all specs to have an interrupt
Also Blizzard: Wind Shear, Rebuke, Skull Bash, Spear Hand Strike... am I missing anything?

[Mardux]

Blizzard: We don't want all specs to have an interrupt
Also Blizzard: Wind Shear, Rebuke, Skull Bash, Spear Hand Strike... am I missing anything?

We get it. You're upset that healing priests won't be absolutely and completely broken in PvP.

[SinR]

We get it. You're upset that healing priests won't be absolutely and completely broken in PvP.

and how aren't Druids (Cyclone, Skull Bash, Typhoon) Monks (Paralysis, Spear Hand Strike, Ring of Peace) Paladins (Hammer, Rebuke, Repentence or Blinding Light) Shaman (Capacitor Totem, Wind Shear, Thunderstorm) "Completely Broken" in Pee Vee Pee?

its about Parity.

[Koollan]

'Let's give everybody an interrupt because if they can have it, why can't I!?'

As somebody who was vehemently for a lot of classes getting their interrupts back, I also vehemently agree that not every class and spec should have the same exact tools for every situation. Then we'd just all be playing the same spec.

[Foolicious]

We don’t have plans to make major changes to either spell for Dragonflight launch, but they will be on our radar for the future.

So basically we are at the point they slow down class development. Probably the most important information of this whole text.

[Kithelle]

'Let's give everybody an interrupt because if they can have it, why can't I!?'

As somebody who was vehemently for a lot of classes getting their interrupts back, I also vehemently agree that not every class and spec should have the same exact tools for every situation. Then we'd just all be playing the same spec.

When you're the only one in the room who doesn't have one, you're likely to get passed up

I wonder whose alt this is that hates priests and is afraid of backlash on main?

[Alanar]

Ah I am realy dissapointed by the response about Spectral guise. Sure I can say I understand and blabla, but this was just a very fun abillity and also an escape tool that was really missing.

Glad they atleast are aware of spectral guise and good to know it was thought sbout early on, but cant help but feel dissapointed.

[Koollan]

When you're the only one in the room who doesn't have one, you're likely to get passed up

I wonder whose alt this is that hates priests and is afraid of backlash on main?

This is my main. I haven't had an account on MMO Champion until September because I'm excited for DF, and it's my last shot at WoW with my hopeful yet embittered heart. Your biases cloud your vision. I've only ever gone by this screenname.

[Saiboter]

Blizzard: Overall, we feel the class tree is in a good spot.
Also Blizzard: removing Mind Blast today from holy without changing talents:
Vampiric Embrace -> from useless to to completely useless in holy without Mind Blast
Apathy: "Your Mind Blast ciritcal strikes reduce ..."

[Echeyakee]

This is a lot of "we hear you, but no", without addressing the reason people ask for those things. Classy.

[Raisei]

This reasoning is so fucking stupid, I can't even put it in polite words anymore.

If PvP is a problem then fucking make it so that the spell does ONLY WORK IN PVE!!! We have PvP-only abilities and abilities that work differently in PvP, why not the opposite. Why in all bloody hells do PvEers always get fucking shafted because of this stupid minigame?

The game is literally in one of the worst states that it has been in decades and STILL they do not listen to feedback. They still know everything better. I would be immensely surprised if the guy that is in charge of Priests has played the class more then 10 hours in his life.

What Utility will Priests even have after all this? 1 ST Stun and the Self-Rez plus 1 weak-ass defensive. Amazing.

Meanwhile Shamans have Aoe Stuns, Interrupts, Wolf, Self-Rez, Cast on the move and several defensives and probably more things I am missing.

How do you come up with such an imbalance and then sit there and fucking defend it...

I am so tired of this spiel. They say it will be fine, we tell them it won't, they insists it will be fine, the expansion launches and Priests can't get into +5 dungeons because every other healer brings more useful stuff then them. Then in 10.2. they "suddenly realize" that maybe, just maybe, we had a point all along.

Every fucking time it has been like this and every time they promise they have learned and will do better. Yeah. Right.

At this point it feels like they purposefully spit on feedback just to show that they are the ones making the decisions and that our complains do not mean shit to them.

[FossilFree]

Every class/spec needs an interrupt, it's as simple as that. I'm tired of this forced differentiation that does nothing but make some classes feel terrible to play. There are certain abilities that need to be universal, and an interrupt is one of those.

Here I was excited for the new talent system so discipline could finally get silence, but no, the Blizzard Monkey Paw strikes again! Discipline does dps to heal, meaning it needs an interrupt like every other dps spec has.

[leothar]

I guess I'm not maining Priest in Dragonflight then!

[Raisei]

I guess I'm not maining Priest in Dragonflight then!

That is basically my take from this too. That or unsub.

And tbh I am very close to the latter too, the only reason I am even currently subbed is my guild and my friends and reading this blatant disregard for feedback and sheer lack of understanding how their own game works in high-level content it becomes harder and harder to justify giving these fools money.

First we waited months on any word on Priests Talents because the Dev in charge wasn't interested to talk to the community now we get slapped in the face with a bullshit take that should be smellable in halve of California.

As it stands bringing a Priest will be a detriment to any raid group and m+ team. There is nothing it does that other classes do not do better and nothing that it brings that other classes do not bring more of.

1 CC limited to Undead < Shaman and Monk can CC many more types
1 Single Target Stun < Shaman and Monk have an AOE Stun
0 Interrupts < other Healers laugh
1 real Defensive < Shaman, Monk, Druid, Paladin have at least 2 if not more or even outright immunity
1 Self-Combatrez < Shaman has one too, Druid and Pala can rez others, not sure with Monk

It's insulting how unfair this is.

[Aydinx2]

'Let's give everybody an interrupt because if they can have it, why can't I!?'

As somebody who was vehemently for a lot of classes getting their interrupts back, I also vehemently agree that not every class and spec should have the same exact tools for every situation. Then we'd just all be playing the same spec.

Shadow Priests are literally the "Mind spells" guys. They should have a silence.

[Velerios]

Blizzard: Overall, we feel the class tree is in a good spot.
Also Blizzard: removing Mind Blast today from holy without changing talents:
Vampiric Embrace -> from useless to to completely useless in holy without Mind Blast
Apathy: "Your Mind Blast ciritcal strikes reduce ..."

That is the issue when a dev go and then someone who never played priest and is as incompetent as possible. So the same as every expansion. And yes, this is something we have EVERY F***ING EXPANSION.
I wanted to main priest with talent tree 1
Then we got talent tree 2, and it got worse for holy
AND NOW THEY REMOVE MIND BLAST (while having MIND BLAST TALENTS IN THE TREE) AND DON'T EVEN MAKE THESE TALENTS USE FOR HOLY. Really, how incompetent must the dev be to not know this. BURR, but holy why need shadow spells... *sigh*

And yes, it seems the devs have their ways with animals, why does, when a Hunter cry come 20 devs up to wipe their tears, while for Priest: Hmmm... yes yes, we heard you, but no, we know what is better for you than you does.

We waited for weeks for a dev reaction and all we got is this. I am pissed off.

[Koollan]

Shadow Priests are literally the "Mind spells" guys. They should have a silence.

... But they do have a silence. It's literally called 'Silence'.

[Ashana Darkmoon]

That is basically my take from this too. That or unsub.

And tbh I am very close to the latter too, the only reason I am even currently subbed is my guild and my friends and reading this blatant disregard for feedback and sheer lack of understanding how their own game works in high-level content it becomes harder and harder to justify giving these fools money.

First we waited months on any word on Priests Talents because the Dev in charge wasn't interested to talk to the community now we get slapped in the face with a bullshit take that should be smellable in halve of California.

As it stands bringing a Priest will be a detriment to any raid group and m+ team. There is nothing it does that other classes do not do better and nothing that it brings that other classes do not bring more of.

1 CC limited to Undead < Shaman and Monk can CC many more types
1 Single Target Stun < Shaman and Monk have an AOE Stun
0 Interrupts < other Healers laugh
1 real Defensive < Shaman, Monk, Druid, Paladin have at least 2 if not more or even outright immunity
1 Self-Combatrez < Shaman has one too, Druid and Pala can rez others, not sure with Monk

It's insulting how unfair this is.

You mean other than PI, a unique and insane buff. lmao

Sorry but some of yall need to get a grip. Priest is in great shape, especially shadow.

[Sinaa]

Mind Spike working is a must. Playing priest without borrowed power sucked in the open world for quite a while, same for low M+ keys.