Patch 5.2 PTR Mage Changes

[Elegiac]

No, I don't think a way to fix the class is to bring it back to TBC and punish an entire half of players.

And you call me out for my use of generalities, very droll.

If you want a pet class, go play a warlock. There is absolutely no need for Water Elemental to be anything other than a cooldown.

[Kuni Zyrekai]

It's flavour and well documented in lore that (alliance) mages use water elementals. I don't see why just having it exist is a bad thing.

You still have freeze granting FoF if the target can be frozen, so it's still nice in 5 mans and potentially trash/CCable adds on bosses.

[Imnick]

How is casting a DoT with legs (metaphorical legs, Mr Bubbles doesn't actually have legs) every time it is off cooldown any more interesting than just casting him at the start of the fight, anyway?

[jtmzac]

How is casting a DoT with legs (metaphorical legs, Mr Bubbles doesn't actually have legs) every time it is off cooldown any more interesting than just casting him at the start of the fight, anyway?

Like a lot of things its a personal preference.

I would much prefer the elemental to be a cooldown. It would actually feel like it did something then other than not knowing how to move on its own.

[Shangalar]

But it's cute when it's confused.

[Swizzle]

And you call me out for my use of generalities, very droll.

If you want a pet class, go play a warlock. There is absolutely no need for Water Elemental to be anything other than a cooldown.

The word you're looking for is generalization, but that's beside the point since its wrong regardless. When the WEle was first introduced, as the 41 point Frost talent, it was a CD. Ergo, your idea brings us back to TBC. You're also randomly punishing every single Frost Mage in PvP, since a forced CD would make a Frost Mage garbage without it and the same with it...that's not balance that's bad design. So again, I'm straight up calling you out.

[Deleted]

Hum, what is so cool about not having the permanent WE ? Why would you it on cooldown, like DK ?
Each spec have it particularity, Fire mage burn everything (even his neurone). Frost mage have it's Water Elemental.

In another thread, we talk about the feeling of losing mage personality. If we remove Water Elemental, it will be one step in the uniformisation, etc.

No I want my cute Mr.Bubble. Some want it with an Hat, other with a more offensive look, etc.

[jtmzac]

I think it will depend if we get water jet or not.

If there's boss fights where the elemental just stands there casting it makes it seem very redundant.

[Kuni Zyrekai]

If there's boss fights where the elemental just stands there casting it makes it seem very redundant.

The same could be said of just about all pets, though. I'd much rather they left it and allowed us to customize it than remove it and make it a bloody cooldown again. That was an awful time to play frost.

[Akraen]

I'd love to just see the elemental removed entirely.

[Sw1tch]

I'd only like to see the Water Elemental removed if we were compensated. Not only in damage, but in flavor. Removing the Elemental and simply giving a damage increase would not only be an RNG increase, but a giant QoL loss. Provided Water Jet is coming, the Water Elemental adds a lot of flavor to what would honestly be a very dull spec. (Still is right now, but it would be even more so without it)

[Zathrendar]

I'd love to just see the elemental removed entirely.

Why? Maybe it needs to be re-designed but removed, when it's been with mages since WC3?

[spaace]

I hate having to use the target for freeze.. even though it can be almost instant, sometimes it just gets in the way.

Can't count the times I've froze the roof over the years.

[Swizzle]

I hate having to use the target for freeze.. even though it can be almost instant, sometimes it just gets in the way.

Can't count the times I've froze the roof over the years.

It's actually the only real complaint I have with it in PvP. I hate moving through the center of Nagrand arena, attempting to Freeze a player, only to have my mouse quickly hover over the ceiling and my WEle deciding it's the most important target.

[Akraen]

I just really hate the AI of the elemental. It just stands still, sometimes it doesn't cast. It doesn't always listen to commands.

I've even had my UI show the damn thing disconnect, it would just despawn. The glyph doesn't interface with it right, makes it giant and follow you obnoxiously.

The design of it just sucks.

[Swizzle]

When people complain about the WEle's AI, I have to ask...do you guys bind /petattack and /petpassive to abilities?

[Akraen]

Swizzle, I gotta level with you. I know mods like to be devil's advocate, but my point is here-- is the game functioning properly if we have to bandaid macros into our gameplay?

I didn't quit my mage, none of this is so extreme to get me to stop playing. However, discussion and sharing of our frustrations is hopefully a positive way to feel acknowledged here on these forums, if not the hope that some of this eventually gets to the ears of devs.

If I put /petattack in my abilities on a target switching fight, I'm going to lose water elemental casts and further lose the benefit of the scaling of the Frostbolt stack (+15% dmg on pet water bolt).

It's a clunky and inefficient "fix" for something that wasn't even a problem until our pets got dumber this expansion. The glyph is just a horrible band aid as well, unless you hate seeing your character so much that you'd rather a massive watery hulk blocking your camera.

[Imnick]

That is how literally every other pet class works, you know that right?
You don't even have to macro it into every attack, just keybind "attack this" and "come here" to something on your mouse. It's what Hunters and Warlocks who know their class do, why would you be different?

Pet AI hasn't devolved...

[mrgreenthump]

That is how literally every other pet class works, you know that right?
You don't even have to macro it into every attack, just keybind "attack this" and "come here" to something on your mouse. It's what Hunters and Warlocks who know their class do, why would you be different?

Pet AI hasn't devolved...

So like concept or reroll a class that works good without pets in pvp, cause fire and arcane doesn't really cut it. Well fire is "ok", but still wouldn't take it for a top rating team..

[Akraen]

Again, your attempt to banter and refute my point is convoluted. Saying something isn't a problem because other classes deal with it doesn't make it any less of a problem.

Stop doing that, stop coming into these threads and making people's legitimate concerns look devalued because others have it just as bad. If someone says something incorrectly, correct them. I'll even concede that you know mages better than I do, but your retorts aren't remotely helpful.

WE AI has most certainly devolved. You also forget that WE casts spells, so repositioning costs a lot more than all other pets in the game (except imp). I've seen your logs, Imnick, I know you've done Vizier. Can't I get you to admit gameplay would be a bit better if your pet would correctly follow you to each platform and keep its target? Wouldn't it be nice to not have to glyph it? Wouldn't it be nice even if you do glyph it that the moronic elemental could stand a few feet back from you?