Saturday, April 10, 2010

Cataclysm: Druid Preview

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So Blizzard finally released the druid preview for Cataclysm. I'm pretty underwhelmed, to say the least. Here is the original post.
Some key points:

All heal-over-time spells (HoTs) will benefit from crit and haste innately in Cataclysm. Hasted HoTs do not reduce their duration, but instead add additional HoT ticks.
I like this. This sounds like the glyph of rapid rejuv (which is great; I use it constantly in ICC), except unlike the RR glyph, our hots won't be shortened in duration. With the RR glyph, rejuv does the same exact amount of healing as rejuv withOUT the RR glyph. It'll be great to have hasted ticks that last a full 18 seconds. I wonder what the exact formula will be for haste affecting hots? Oh god, the mathy part of my brain just spasmed.

Unlike the other healers, Restoration druids will not be receiving any new spells. They have plenty to work with already, and our challenge instead is to make sure all of them have a well-defined niche. A druid should be able to tank-heal with stacks of Lifebloom, spot-heal a group with Nourish and Regrowth, and top off lightly wounded targets with Rejuvenation.
Sigh. To be honest, when I was thinking about what new spell they would give us at level 85, I couldn't really come up with anything awesome. We have direct heals, heals over time, an AoE heal - what's left? But then I figured that even though *I* wasn't able to come up with anything, certainly the mastermind that is Blizzard would come up with *something.* I had faith, Blizz! ./weep. While I agree that we have a ton of spells to work with (and I also agree that they shouldn't just throw us another spell just because), I was still hoping for something new and shiny.

I also thought that they might change up Lifebloom or Regrowth. I don't know why, but I had this feeling that they would overhaul one of those spells. Guess not. Ah, well. Do I really want lifebloom to be overhauled? I'm not sure. But I was expecting something to change. Instead, what they're saying is, "keep doing everything you've been doing at level 80." Meh. Not impressed.

Tree of Life is changing from a passive talent to a cooldown-based talent, similar to Metamorphosis. Mechanically, it feels unfair for a druid to have to give up so much offense and utility in order to be just as good at healing as the other classes who are not asked to make that trade. We are exploring the exact benefit the druid gets from Tree of Life. It could strictly be better healing, or it could be that each heal behaves slightly different. You also will not be able to be banished in Tree of Life form (this will probably be true of Metamorphosis as well). Additionally, we would like to update the Tree of Life model so that it feels more exciting when you do decide to go into that form. Our feeling is that druids rarely actually get to show off their armor, so it would be nice to have at least one spec that looked like a night elf or tauren (and soon troll or worgen) for most of the time.
I'm with Keeva on this one - NOT A FAN! Are druids really pissed off at being in tree form all the time? Personally, I love it. It's who I am! Healing in caster form just isn't the same.

In fact, I'd say that one of huge reasons I'm a druid healer is because I get to shift into tree form! It's what really drew me to the class!


.....
We knew changing Tree of Life to a cooldown was going to be controversial. My apologies if being a tree was what really drew you to the class.


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Hmph. Moving on.

Restoration druids will have a new talent called Efflorescence, which causes a bed of healing flora to sprout beneath targets that are critically healed by Regrowth.
This may be interesting. Will this be a big enough deal to make crit more yummy in Cataclysm? I think that this, combined with critting hots, may put crit on par with haste. Depends on how good the Efflorescence thing is. From what I can deduce, it sounds like either an extra hot that will tick, or a living seed type mechanic that will bloom with damage. Has anyone heard more info about this talent?

So what do you guys think? Do you wish we had another spell to work with?

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18 remarks:

Jasyla said...

At first it seemed a little odd to me that we didn't get a new spell, but I really think that druid healing is in a good place right now and doesn't really need one.

Although it would have been nice if they gave Tranquility an overhaul to make it more useful for raids. I'm still hoping they will.

Ransky said...

"In fact, I'd say that one of huge reasons I'm a druid healer is because I get to shift into tree form! It's what really drew me to the class!"

That is -EXACTLY- what I said. The entire appeal of the druid class as a whole is the shape shifting and I remember when they first added tree form! Everyone was so excited an (among other things) it MASSIVELY boosted the spec's appeal.

Overall Blizzard's reasoning behind the change it COMPLETELY pathetic and based strictly on a PvP perspective, there is no benefit to this for PvE raiders. Class changes should have balanced reasoning in PvP an PvE, you should never change it for just ONE area of the game when it so deeply effects another.

What offence could you possibly need while RAID healing in the raids to come? Ugh!! If they really think we should loose tree for "offense" then they aught to take out moonkin from to so balance can be more "defensive" and just ruin the whole class together.

Though in the end I think Blizzard will compensate us well for it, im am NOT HAPPY and do not want to see this happen.

-Ransky, Moon Guard

Unknown said...

"Now you can cast moonfire while keeping up hots duh". I can honestly say i have NEVER wanted to do damage to a raid boss whilst healing the raid. Bears, cats, and the horned-chicken have zero healing abilities, are all their forms turning into cd's?

reedwand said...

Something new to play with would have been nice, I mean Healing Touch is not exactly great and unless you are specced/glyphed to use it I tend to never cast it (outside the Nature's Swiftness route).

I could understand if this was a patch and we were not getting anything, but this is an expansion, in its own right a seperate module of this game, something new was hoped and expected for.

The priest ability is far out and were left with CD on TOL and some floral crap when we crit? (Which if the floral turns out heavy, it or the way crit works for us will then get nerfed)
By their reasoning we have too much already, may I point attention to the Rogue, they have way too much power already but they appear to be on super buff route without a nerf, so err what happened there.. eh?!

Lack of effort certainly plays a part in my opinion.
They could do something else with the TOL, but why are PVE'ers being asked to sacrifice game play style for the PvP-ers AGAIN. They could easily add a talent that PvP-ers had to take to receive more powerful healing out of form. Why do we have to use a glyph to please PVP? Yeah lets just switch it and copy the model straight from metamorph locks, easy peasy.

Less then thrilled to be honest and in a raid environment what tree has time to dps? Seriously?! I chose a healer to... *wait for it* ... heal!
If i wanted to dps I wouldnt have chosen the tree and fine fair enough we spent 2 years without TOL, but we spent 3 years in it as well!

So again why are the true trees being asked to cater for those who dont really want to be oak worthy, it just seems like the wrong side of the fence is being catered for again and we are left in a dark corner to be fed shrooms..... : /
just sheer meh.

reedwand said...

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tol/

Petition to save the trees lol.
Reedwand.
(AN)

Andy said...

Still fuming over the ToL controversy, but not too upset with not receiving a new spell. Just have to chalk this up as a "No news is good news" type of deal.

Efflorescence sounds pretty cool, however, and could be rather powerful if the bed of flora heal all friendly targets who are standing in it.

Still, it's very hard to get excited about Cataclysm with the sour taste Blizzard left in my mouth.

Sylly said...

I'm rather glad they didn't try to balance a new spell for us. It would be nice if they balanced the ones we have. It would feel like we had new toys if our old, broken toys were fixed up and painted all shiny new, wouldn't it? And I am trying to maintain optimism by thinking of the TOL cooldown as a new toy, too. Just trying to look on the bright side of things.

The L said...

I really wanted barkskin to be castable on someone else. I would have been satisfied with that. We have no mitigation spells - have it increase armour for 10 sec or reduce incoming damage by 10% when not cast on ourselves, or make the target grow leaves or antlers or something.../growl

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to disagree, but I just wanted to say I feel the exact opposite about tree form.

When I made my druid, I planned to be a healer. There was no tree form. Suddenly my character was changed on me. I had to be a *tree* all the time instead of "me". This basically killed my druid for me.

I am really happy about getting to be my druid again instead of a tree. This gives me my druid back again. Basically saves the character for me. Really happy and relieved.

Matter of taste. Thanks for reading.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to disagree, but I just wanted to say I feel the exact opposite about tree form.

When I made my druid, I planned to be a healer. There was no tree form. Suddenly my character was changed on me. I had to be a *tree* all the time instead of "me". This basically killed my druid for me.

I am really happy about getting to be my druid again instead of a tree. This gives me my druid back again. Basically saves the character for me. Really happy and relieved.

Matter of taste. Thanks for reading.

Averna said...

@Jasyla: I was hoping for a change in Tranquility too, as well as Healing Touch. I *never* use Tranquility. EVER. Also, the only time I ever use HT is with the NS macro.

@Beck: I've gotten over the no-new-spell thing at this point too. The little kid in me that wants a shiny new toy is still a little bummed, but I truly think having another spell would just clutter things up.

@Anon: Personally, I love tree form, but you make a good point. I can definitely understand why some people aren't wild about being stuck in tree form all the time.

reedwand said...

Tbh why do Bliz listen to PVP only but ignore PVErs? so "some" Trees they want to cast damage and heal, fine make a talent point to suppress the tree form.

But the tree form is a point PVE healers CHOOSE, pvpers dont need to take this point.
Moonkins get to keep their form and not heal...what horror.

I dont know if i will keep playing wow, ive been a healer since Beta but this is hardly PVE friendly release.
If you have seen the beta talent trees you will know what i mean. Tree form for 45 seconds, master shapeshifter point gives TOL 2% extra healing, its a part talent for healers but a full 100% talent benefit to moonkin and feral. The forceful point of Wild Growth is dependant on TOL point. The efflourenscent point, dependant on living seed. When I am sorry some guildies just wont move into the AOE...
So were being forced into a specific spec.
I was left with a handful of points to spend and no none PVP talents to pick.. to reach Splendor youd have to take some directly moonkin points that have no benefits on healing. Its purely a mess and i fail to understand why trees are the only ones having to sacrifice form for pvp. i get what the pvpers are saying but why do blizzard say the pve want to see their gear its BS. Ive yet to meet a tree that has said this.
and lastly why not the chicken or the kitty having "form" CD...
i purely wont use the form if i carry on playing and i shant be dpsing in a raid because i came to heal...
black balled!

reedwand said...

as an afterthought i do apologize for the spam...
why cant there simply be a major glyph to suppress the form?

Jawy said...

hello, sorry but I read your blog and many forums, and everyone is talking about whether or not it's nice to be tree or elf etc, but no exaggeration to say that is a nerf in PvP and a crime in PvE , since it is not a question of aesthetics but we lose 200% of armor, the buff of 6% of healing across the party (abolish poison, but this is almost alone vs pvp. rogue ^ ^) immunity to Polymorph, for what, efflor and dispell magic............
I want to know what you think, I hope I'm wrong but I have to level another pg and I do not want ^ ^.
I hope I have not done writing errors I'm Italian and I do not speak English very well ^

Anonymous said...

i really think it sucks they r making tree form to behave as cooldown ... i mean ... whole reason i became drood is tree form ... worked real hard on it to ;(

GavinFace said...

I for one am VERY happy to get rid of the ridiculously childish, comic looking tree form. TBH I don't understand how people can actually like it. Obviously it's entertaining when you first get it but then the novelty wears off after about 10 minutes. It's hard to be taken seriously when you look like a silly tree. What's the point in getting all this epic looking gear with spectacular designs to make toons look all powerful when we just hide them and look like a cartoon character. I literally stopped playing my druid (and rolled an orc warrior) because I was sick of how my druid looked. (And the moonkin is no better.. again its a novelty, and when the novelty wears off you're left iwth an overweight owl hawk). With this change I will pick up where I left off on my druid!

Anonymous said...

Honestly I never cared for the tree form's aesthetics just like some other people have stated. Same could be said for moonkin. It just looks silly, to say the least. Those forms could use a serious visual overall to make them more appealing.

Completely unrelated to gameplay mechanics, i think it'd be cool if armor ect. would have a visual impact on the forms, or have customizable animal forms. Be able to alter/add/change tattoo marks on cat/bear form, certain armor pieces leave bracers/lets necklaces piercings ect in the other form. Like you see in some egyptian cat figures/drawings. I think some customizability could alleviate any dissatisfaction with the forms. See http://www.goldenwolfen.com/artwork/wolf%20people/eyesofthenight.htm
and
http://www.goldenwolfen.com/artwork/wolf%20people/echo.htm
for an example of what I mean, tho on bear/cat form. I have yet to find a nice looking walking tree, im sure blizz could come up with something.
-Asteron

Anonymous said...

Honestly I never cared for the tree form's aesthetics just like some other people have stated. Same could be said for moonkin. It just looks silly, to say the least. Those forms could use a serious visual overall to make them more appealing.

Completely unrelated to gameplay mechanics, i think it'd be cool if armor ect. would have a visual impact on the forms, or have customizable animal forms. Be able to alter/add/change tattoo marks on cat/bear form, certain armor pieces leave bracers/lets necklaces piercings ect in the other form. Like you see in some egyptian cat figures/drawings. I think some customizability could alleviate any dissatisfaction with the forms. See http://www.goldenwolfen.com/artwork/wolf%20people/eyesofthenight.htm
and
http://www.goldenwolfen.com/artwork/wolf%20people/echo.htm
for an example of what I mean, tho on bear/cat form. I have yet to find a nice looking walking tree, im sure blizz could come up with something.
-Asteron