Hope for Druids

[barks]

Quote taken from Gamespy's "Tom Chilton on PvP in World of Warcraft (PC)" interview

"Druids as a class take a lot more patience to really be effective in PvP." He said. "But in watching how the Druid is actually played in PvP, we realize now that we need to do something to improve the Druid's punch."

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/world-of-warcraft/617414p2.html

w00t

[barks]

This Chilton Interview is good:

A deeper perusal of the forums, however, shows that there is some fire underneath all that smoke, and Chilton did acknowledge that. "The biggest issue that is currently under review internally is the status of the Warlock." Chilton said. According to Chilton, many of the problems players are having with the class are a result of it being a complicated class to play in PvP. However, he acknowledges that that's as much Blizzard's fault as the player's. "We need to make sure that every player is happy with how their class feels in combat and that everyone understands clearly just how to play their class properly. We're not always the best at communicating those expectations within the game." Chilton talks about a similar issue with Druids. "Druids as a class take a lot more patience to really be effective in PvP." He said. "But in watching how the Druid is actually played in PvP, we realize now that we need to do something to improve the Druid's punch."

The award for the loudest group in the World of Warcraft web community has to go to the hunters. While many hunter complaints stem from a lack of understanding of their class' position within the game, Chilton did admit that the hunters do have some serious problems that need to be addressed - chief among them the "dead zone". The dead zone is the nickname of the approximately two yards of space between where a Hunter can use their ranged weapons and where they can bring their melee skills into play. The result is an easy kill for any hunter opponent who knows how to exploit the zone. The solution the team is working, however, may be a bit surprising. According to Chilton, the issue with the dead zone can be solved not by eliminating it, but by giving the player the ability to go toe-to-toe with other players, at least long enough to get away.

"There's definitely some issue with the hunter talent tree." Chilton said, "We need to totally re-spec the hunter "survival" track to give the hunter the ability to… well… survive." Chilton also said that a big portion of player's issues with the Hunter will be addressed via pet customization. While giving every pet in the game their own unique ability is too much to address in one patch, the team plans on giving new pet abilities on an ongoing basis. They're aiming for one every major patch.

[SubRoc]

gee address the issues with the warlock -- they have already stated that shards will never stack (thanks) there will not be a shard only bag, too many spells require a shard and gaining levels does not ease the requirement to run with half storage capacity.

Then they nerf fear and seduction (locks only defense against melee opponents -- Oh goody now every race might as well be undead

[sultaro]

Man I just can not understand what would be so wrong with letting you stack a few shards it isn't like the end of the fing world! I don't understand this "Hunter" problem. I mean every class has a "weakness" and the Hunters IS the dead zone. WTF they get mail armor at 40 WTF do they want plate?!?!?!

Poor Druids do need a "power" spell so to speak but I have watch several Druids kick major butt...break any type of stun or lock by changing form just to mention 1 really neat trick.

Power to the cloth wearers!!

[Cyclone]

From what I've heard from the dev community is that "shard management" is one of the aspects of a warlock and one they want to maintain. Therefore, we will not be getting stackable shards and as a result, I have 2 bags (14 slotters) full of them and I try to maintain that as I play. Until they fix Soul Drain in PvP however, warlocks are only effective until they run outta of shards. At which point, they'll need to find a place to grind a few kills to get their shard count back in check, then they can return to the battlefield to be effective. I was hoping that the patch they were testing on the test servers for warlocks would make it into production yesterday, but apparently that didn't happen. Warlocks will become a force to reckon with if the planned changes make it live. Insta-Cast heal over time that can stack across multiple targets + life tap = unlimited mana supply. Granted we'll still be cloth wearers that can't take a whole lot of damage (comparatively).

As for druids, they need very little tweaking in my opinion. I fought a lvl 43 (or 45) the other day in Searing Gorge (I was 49 at the time) and after I killed him I was at 28% health and about that much mana. Thats after using my health stone (900 point instant heal) and Death Coil (320 point instant heal that does that much damage to the target). He rooted me and had range. I could only get close enough to slap dots on him and wait for root to break again. Luckily I out-lasted him. Had he had a few more levels on me I'da been dead (or free action potions).

[barks]

I am in no way bitchin about my Druid but there is no quick kill with a Druid. It is a grind you down. Just a little bit of a finishing move would be sweet. Also in reading the quote "But in watching how the Druid is actually played in PvP" it's not the Druid it's how people are using the tools. I hope they de-complicate the components

[Cyclone]

Yea, I see what you mean. Druids don't get a "nuke"? I've never played one, so I don't know from personal experience. Warlocks at least get Shadow Burn.

[Euroranger]

This just in...they're not going to do anything to rogues and/or palladins. No pictures at eleven.

We now return you to your previously scheduled ganking, already in progress.

[Vorgra]

This just in...they're not going to do anything to rogues and/or palladins. No pictures at eleven.

We now return you to your previously scheduled ganking, already in progress.

:( :eek: :( They aren't going to let us wear mail or plate...that sucks!!!(don't go there euro)

[Changes_DN]

rogue sprint should last a minute, remove the vanish cool-down, allow us to wear mail, and use 2h weapons.


=P

[Mackadoody]

They should allow mages wo wear mail helms...

http://magnaars.free.fr/fichiers/matrix/merlin.jpg

Even Merlin wore a metal helmet in Excalibur... One mail helm could effectively DOUBLE a mages armor...

[Changes_DN]

lmao, a rogue in valor would be fun

[Euroranger]

rogue sprint should last a minute, remove the vanish cool-down, allow us to wear mail, and use 2h weapons.

=P
Dayum!

You forgot "have heat vision" and "be allowed to fly". :rolleyes:

I think the thing that agitates me most about rogues is that combat occurs only on their terms. That lends a huge combat advantage and it unbalances the game. I don't think the concept of "stealth" was supposed to equate to complete invisibility. There ought to be a chance to see a stealthed rogue at any level...but there isn't.

In fact, I wonder how the class would play if instead of simply making them 90% transparent if the game had designed them to go inviso kinda like Predator...completely see-through but that objects seen through the stealthed rogue would be distorted. That is, if they stood still and didn't move, you'd likely not be able to detect them. I just get pissed when a player in the midst of combat can simply disappear to go off and heal...or move around you to attack from behind.

...and don't get me started on pally's. :)

[Wez]

Druids seem pretty strong to me already, at least when you know how to play them. Spells, leather, shape change, healing, root....whatever.... :confused:

[Mackadoody]

Wez, you rolled alliance before you guys came to Darkspear...

What's it like? I've been very Horde-centric lately, but it'd be interesting to hear what the Alliance have to say about our lands...

The only thing I read somewhere was that Horde gets instances quicker than alliance... RageFire Chasm being that instance... That and Shamans...

What else is there?

[Wez]

Shamans are the balance to Pallys, both classes being extremely powerful when played well. Yes, ragefire has no alliance counterpart that I know of, but its possible they have made changes to the factions since I was alliance. I dug playing alliance and horde is way cool to. Someone else mentioned how cool Stormwind is...which I agree with...It is the coolest city in the game. Orgrimaar is just ugly and confusing and UC is just a pain. Come to think of it, Ironforge is even cooler than Stormwind.

Undead WotF is what most alliance thought was overpowered, but they won't mention the dwarf priests ability to cast fear ward on themselves and others as a counter.

[Changes_DN]

alliance is actually fairly balanced with horde as far as traveling goes. I do think that the alliance areas 6-30 are easier though.

Alliance get 3 contested zones that are more or less horde free (wetlands, darkshire i forget the zone name, red ridge) while horde get two (stonetalon, thousand needles). Red ridge isn't really a full zone because the quests will really only carry you to 24, 25... maybe 26 if you stretch it far enough. This is balanced by the fact that The barrens will goto the same level area and isn't contested. Horde can go from level 10 to 25 in The barrens without having to go elsewhere. For the alliance to go from 10-20 it requires alot of travel between westfall and loch modan which requires alot of travel time.

Both the Undead and the Night Elves got shafted hardcore though on their 10-30 lands... In both ashenvale and hillsbard you are far more likely to get ganked than finish a quest. They are also on the opposite continent from their AH. Darnassus as a city is entirely useless, I went there maybe like 10 times on my alliance toon after leaving the noob lands. It also requires an ungodly travel time on the griffons from theramore, camp nijel (desolace), and gadgetzan.

[Wez]

Archimonde had a very strong horde faction and a very large population, so even duskwood and redridge were often crawling with horde looking to gank alliance noobs.

Stonetalon, either on DS or on Archimonde was always a blood bath, regardless of what faction you were.

[Mhiz]

Nerf Rogues!!!!!

Can I have a hug??

[Vorgra]

Nerf Rogues!!!!!

Can I have a hug??

:eek:

No, but you can have a kick in the butt for wanting to nerf rogues!!! :p

[Mhiz]

I am an easy man to please.

*bends over*

Attention is attention to me, start kicking :P

[Vorgra]

:d