#0 - July 5, 2007, 9:11 p.m.
Edit: Added IRC answers from Kalgan & Co + Blizzcon 2007
[Core Problems]
Retribution tree is very close to being viable in 25 man raiding environment. But theres huge problems in small scale gameplay and 5man group activity. Retribution Paladin should have few unique obvious group based support tools to compensate lack of personal damage. Increasing raw damage would create balance issues, hence its not good option. Instead the Retribution Paladin role as support player should be encouraged. Retribution Paladin with low dps output should cover the performance issue by offering great support utiltys while meleeing. Retribution support tools currently scale to almost reasonable state in raiding environment (Not to appealing degree, barely acceptable). But because of that the singleplayer and 5man grouping benefits scale down to nonexsistent. Judgement of Wisdom/Light cant be fixed when they only contain Raid focused beneficial component. If they had group beneficial components, Retribution could turn into more appealing party member instead of just being low damage and low support. Word impractical is key factor in small scale gameplay.
[Talents]
The Retribution tree has no clear role. It is Melee based DPS tree with mediocore Raid supporting toolset. Its partly supposed to be solo/grinding tree, where the tree performs extremely badly due no manaregeneration and PvE survivability additions that the tree would offer. Partly the tree is supposed to be raid tree, with few 25man raid supporting tools, what are extremely lacking in any small scale gameplay. The tree is seen as nothing but Low DPS offering tree by community, as there are no group based buffs that could work instead of making them scale to overpowered in 25man content. Retribution tree completely lacks tree defining unique purpose and toolset. Judgements and Blessings are all available to other specs, and even Sanctity aura as fix to our raid viability is encouragin aurabot instead of encourage meleeing Paladin (See Suggestion for Vengeance).
1) Seal of Command
- Melee tree, but Judgement of Command check on Resist. Instead of melee avoidance. This conflicts and generates itemization problems where 1 specific talent (Seal of Command) would require Melee stats + spellcaster stats, and both melee and spell hit rating.
2) Vindication - Implemented -15% all stats.
- This talent is extremely lacking, and is too good to work in raid purposes. Almost all bosses are immune to this talent. Suggestion: Make it something that debuffs target and scales equally in small and raid scale gameplay. Additional Suggestion: Rework this to be more defensive ability and change with Precision.
3) Improved Seal of the Crusader - Implemented by replacing with SC
- Is considered to be pointless. The effect is extremely minimal to Paladins own performance. And it really should be, like all Retribution talents, group/party supporting tools. Suggestion: 20/40/60% from your Judgement of Crusader damage modifier is applied to all spell damage.
4) Pursuit of Justice - Implemented 15% speed
- Another pointless talent. Why turn talent tree slot into ”Do you want to use runspeed enchant?” Nothing unique utlity. Just enchant replacement. Suggestion: Make this "Improved Crusader Aura: 5/10% runspeed increased when Crusader Aura is active"
5) Improved Retribution Aura
- Just like all other Paladin tools. This is not scaling at all with your gear. Suggestion: Your Retribution Aura gains 5% damage bonus from your spell damage. And this really should be more of Protection talent than Retribution.
6) Sanctity Aura
- This is basicly self buff aura. Give base aura some group beneficial utility.
7) Improved Sanctity Aura
- Removing the 6% healing bonus basicly annihilated Retribution raid viability, and replacing it with 2% damage modifier was very thin replacement. Suggestion: Consider making this 2/4% (Or read Vengeance notes).
8) Vengeance - Changed to 30sec timer
- Great talent, but problems of retribution tree lies within the scaling in raiding environment. And the lack of small scale party specific buffs removes our place from small scale gameplay. Suggestion: In 2.1 this stack 3 times. Each stack will increase damage of party members by 1%.
Meaning: You gain 15% damage and your party gains 3% damage with full stacks.
9) Sanctified Judgement
- Insufficient to improve Retribution solo/grind. Suggestion: At current state theres 2 options. Either prolong running oom by changing this talent to effect all offensive abilitys. As current gear and itemization offers 0 (zero) mana per 5sec, this would make the combat duration slightly better and would leave room with average manapool to heal your self once to full health before drinking (To let Paladin use hes own skills). Other option would be to turn this to similiar to Shamanistic Rage, to have 1 cooldown for regaining some mana every now and then.
10) Crusader Strike - Implemented 6sec cooldown
- Based on lvl 60 gameplay issues, where Retribution Paladins were considered as lethal enemy, this talent was nerfed from 6sec to 10sec. But, in TBC with lvl 70 stamina and gear the talent scaled extremely poorly, and Paladins dropped back to the bottom when it comes to PvP and being feared enemy. Even when the lvl 60 gameplay would have justified nerf to this talent, the outcome of 10sec CrusaderStrike cooldown rendered Judgement refreshing extremely impractical. Suggestion: Please consider lowering the cooldown to 8sec just for the sake of saving Judgement system.
