Mark of the Wild is dumb.

[Amnaught]

The fact that having at least one druid in the raid is an objective benefit, and that it's a boring, non-interactive benefit, is dumb.

There's no reason that an all-monk raid should crit 3% less than an all-monk-but-one-druid raid.

Is there any reason to like boring and group-restrictive spells like this?

[Biomega]

Players: Bring the player, not the class! We want to bring who we want!

Blizzard: How about instead we make buffs so universally useful you'll have a GUARANTEED slot! Isn't that good? You always get to raid!

Players: But with all the classes in the game, that's like more than half the raid fixed.

Blizzard: Did we mention it's OLD STUFF? Nostalgia, amirite? Classic WoW? The best ever?

Players: But... we want some say in how we do our group...

Blizzard: MOTW IS BACK BABY! You love it! We know you do!

Players: Yeah okay, I guess there's other games out there after all.

Blizzard: What's happening? Why are people unhappy? Nostalgia? Classic? MOTW? ... Hello?

[shadowmatrix]

And so it begins again as it always has.

[AwkwardSquirtle]

I think it's small enough of a buff that it's not going to make or break any given group. It's nice to have the ability to make your allies stronger as a druid, it's good flavour, and looks to be balanced nicely in the space that it's nice to have if you can but not worth cancelling the raid if you can't get a druid in.
It's also not like such abilities don't exist already. Warlocks get a guaranteed spot every tier because gateway is busted on 3-4 fights per tier. Monks, Mages, Priests, Warriors and DHs all have similar buffs already. DKs are frequently mandatory due to Gorefiend's Grasp. I think it's nice to have a reason you'd actually want a druid. Some level of RPG elements like this is nice.

[Foolicious]

The fact that having at least one druid in the raid is an objective benefit, and that it's a boring, non-interactive benefit, is dumb.

There's no reason that an all-monk raid should crit 3% less than an all-monk-but-one-druid raid.

Is there any reason to like boring and group-restrictive spells like this?

Yeah! Why even have different classes at all when we can all play the same thing?

[Mysterymask]

Today on early freakouts because of early information

[bruxx]

Why should an all-druid raid be weaker than an all-druid + 1 monk raid? Monks should no longer debuff the enemy with their hits smh

[Neuroticaine]

The fact that having at least one druid in the raid is an objective benefit, and that it's a boring, non-interactive benefit, is dumb.

There's no reason that an all-monk raid should crit 3% less than an all-monk-but-one-druid raid.

Is there any reason to like boring and group-restrictive spells like this?

Eh, well, your all-monk raid will deal 5% more physical damage than an all-druid raid.

Most of these raid utility buffs are small enough that it's not a make or break to not have one. Having all of them versus having none of them is a pretty big difference, and the only mandatory one really is Bloodlust, which has multiple sources.

I think these raid buffs are nice to encourage diverse group compositions, rather stacking whatever has the highest personal throughput.

[hulkgor]

wow. starting early on the new-expansion-related whinefest this time, 'uh?

[Toby451]

I do not share your opinion on raid buffs. I like going into raids loaded up with buffs and feeling much more powerful than I normally do.




However, I do not like unique raid buffs. Spread every buff/debuff to a minimum of 2 classes for improved flexability of raid comp.

[threads]

nah i actually like classes having unique buffs again.

[Antilurker77]

I'd rather have each buff be brought by two classes, like lust/brez/roars.

[Irian]

Raid buffs exist so that raid comps are more than just "spam the shit out of the most optimal classes". You should be happy to see certain classes in parties and raids should be comprised of a variety, it's called good game design when you have this many classes and roles and have to somehow balance them all so none are unwanted.

It's something they never should have removed in the first place because "bring the player not the class" doesn't work in an MMORPG where the entire point is cooperation and collaboration to overcome challenges.

[Bwgmon]

It sounds like the assumption that Druids are the only class getting a raid buff, or access to this specific raid buff, is carrying a lot of weight here.

[Caprias]

Raid buffs exist so that raid comps are more than just "spam the shit out of the most optimal classes". You should be happy to see certain classes in parties and raids should be comprised of a variety, it's called good game design when you have this many classes and roles and have to somehow balance them all so none are unwanted.

It's something they never should have removed in the first place because "bring the player not the class" doesn't work in an MMORPG where the entire point is cooperation and collaboration to overcome challenges.

But this currently still happens?
Your raid roster is fixed on raid buff classes and everything else get's filled up with the optimal classes (which sometimes are raidbuff classes).

[Biomega]

Raid buffs exist so that raid comps are more than just "spam the shit out of the most optimal classes". You should be happy to see certain classes in parties and raids should be comprised of a variety, it's called good game design when you have this many classes and roles and have to somehow balance them all so none are unwanted.

There's nothing to balance.

You bring every raid buff. No choice. No option.

What you criticized is still true: every open slot you just "spam the shit out of the most optimal classes" (assuming you want an optimal raid, of course). Only now you have less free slots because the rest are fixed by raid buffs.

You know why there's such tank homogeneity? Because some tanks bring raid buffs, and they're less of a loss than a DPS slot. So they get a fixed spot, no matter how the other tank classes are doing. Done and dusted, no option no choice no discussion, just a default dictated by the buff not the players.

[Irian]

But this currently still happens?
Your raid roster is fixed on raid buff classes and everything else get's filled up with the optimal classes (which sometimes are raidbuff classes).

Yes and if raid buffs didn't exist it'd just be completely spamming as many classes as possible.

I'm not saying balance is perfect but removing raid buffs is going to do the game absolutely zero favors.

[Ethas]

It should come back and all other class unique buffs too. The way they homogenized everything is boring and not fun.

[Caprias]

Yes and if raid buffs didn't exist it'd just be completely spamming as many classes as possible.

I'm not saying balance is perfect but removing raid buffs is going to do the game absolutely zero favors.

I mean at the top end this will just always happen even for the smidge of a percent, but what would be desirable is actually a good balance so guilds can just bring the player and class doesn't matter as much (because every guild outside of the .1% can't really choose which classes to bring that much), this would also require raid buffs to either be more redundant like in wod and bfa or completely gone.

The last 4 bosses in sepulcher currently have up to a 60% disparity from best to worst, this is just ridiculous, and yes I made sure i wasn't looking at classic logs lmao.

- - - Updated - - -

It should come back and all other class unique buffs too. The way they homogenized everything is boring and not fun.

Pressing arcane intellect after every wipe is surely fun... and the gameplay impact of it... damn.

[cocomen2]

Pressing arcane intellect after every wipe is surely fun... and the gameplay impact of it... damn.

[Arcane Intellect] was removed from game, next thing you see in chat:
"Why do we even keep that mage in raid... he brings nothing unique and does lowest damage, he you, YES you, level up Evoker they FOTM now and OP af, or we kick you"