#0 - Dec. 4, 2007, 1:48 p.m.
Q u o t e:
...please by all means gather your PvP concerns in one thread :-)
I have a suggestion for you on what might be the best way of creating a truly constructive and useful compilations thread containing all your Shadow Priest PvP issues and concerns:
1. Gather and discuss all PvP issues and concerns in this thread so that an agreement can be reached on which concerns are overall class concerns that everyone agrees with, and which ones are more individual concerns that only some will agree with.
2. When an agreement has been achieved, create a new thread that contains a structured list of the agreed upon Shadow Priest PvP issues and concerns. Each issue or concern listed can be detailed and contain examples and illustrations, but please try to keep descriptions and argumentation short and straight to the point for the sake of making it easer and faster to gather your feedback.
Happy posting :-)
This new thread to compile content from the original; now 30 pages long.
Scope:
1. Highest priority problems with Shadowpriest PvP gameplay (2.3)
2. Critique of existing talents and abilities (2.3)
EXCLUDED FROM SCOPE are all user suggestions on explicit spell name solutions, e.g. "Holy Form", "Death and Decay" ad nauseum.
To fellow priests - please keep "solution" ideas for a separate thread. I'd like to just keep the scope of this thread to clearly ringfencing the main problems Blizzard created. It's their responsibility/duty to provide the fixes.
PRIORITY PROBLEMS WITH SHADOWPRIEST PVP GAMEPLAY
A. Absolutely no ability or talent to counter physical snares
Examples: Hunter (Frost Trap, Wing Clip), Warrior (Hamstring), Rogue (Crippling Poison and Deadly Throw)
Why is it unsatisfactory/unbalanced? Numerous other classes have counters - Hunter (Surefooted), Mage (Blazing Speed, Blink), Druid (Shapeshift), Paladin (Blessing of Freedom), Gnome Escape Artist
B. Priest self-buffs worthless as too easily dispelled
Examples: Hunter (Arcane Shot), Mage (Spellsteal), Fel Hunter (Devour Magic), Shaman (Purge), Priest (Dispel)
Why is it unsatisfactory/unbalanced? The anti-dispel talent Silent Resolve is in Tier 2 of the Discipline tree, and costs 5 points. It provides truly pathetic anti-dispel against any purge or spellsteal spam.
B.1 Inner-fire another glaring example - with charges expiring and needing to be recast, compared to say, Mage Arcane Fortitude which gives a fixed armor increase.
C. Priest DoTs and debuffs too easily dispelled
Examples: Mage (Iceblock), Priest (Dispel), Paladin (Cleanse), Rogue (Cloak of Shadows), Warlock (Nether Protection)
Why is it unsatisfactory/unbalanced? Again, talent placement, cost and inefficacy of Silent Resolve, compared to, say, Warlocks' Contagian on top of Unstable Affliction. Let alone the immunity for 4 classes.
D. Vulnerability to silences and spell school lock-out
Examples: Hunter (Silencing Shot), Mage (Improved Counterpsell), Fel Hunter (Spell Lock), Warrior (Pummel), Rogue (Kick)
Why is it unsatisfactory/unbalanced? Isn't it obvious? If we're locked out of shadow, and with no other escape or cc mechanism to survive the lock-out, we have no chance at all. Is this balanced? Does it motivate shadowpriests to enjoy PvP and continue paying their monthly subscriptions? No and no.
CRITIQUE OF EXISTING TALENTS AND ABILITIES (2.3)
- Fundamental talent tree dilution - too many mandatory PvP endurance talents (unbreakable will, improved shield, martyrdom, improved fort, silent resolve, mana burn) deep in discipline tree - meaning the shadowpriest cannot spec optimally for PvP - compare to: Warlock, Warrior, Rogue, Druid, Hunter, Mage - Priests definitely have the most unsatisfactory/messed-up talent trees of all classes - even the awful Shaman trees were reviewed recently. With TBC, Druids got almost PERFECT trees first time.
- Power Word: Shield - scalability from +heal still woefully inadequate - especially when many shadowpriests are using +shadow items which do not count for bonus coefficient. Our shield is gone instantly with purge spam, or 2-3 TBC-level damage hits.
- Psychic Scream - virtually all classes have counters now; cooldown too long, even talented
- Mind Control - cast time too long, makes it open to interrupts
- Vampiric Embrace - cooldown too long on recasting multiple targets, and coefficient nerfed cause Blizzard judged it made Warlocks overpowered in raids. LOL? Siphon Life, Drain Life?
- Vampiric Touch - cast time too long
- Mind Flay - range is too short, channelled spell but we have no anti-interrupt talent like Mage (Improved Arcane Missile) or Warlock (Fel Concentration)
- Shadow Word: Death - cooldown too long for PvP - nerfed soon after TBC, again as Blizzard judged Shadowpriests' damage in raids was too high.
- Improved Fade, Shadow Resilience - truly, unspeakably rubbish lower-tier talents nobody takes in any circumstances, neither for PvE or PvP.
PERSONAL CONCLUSION
Some of the key nerfs for shadowpriests were made considering their PvE performance, without thinking about the consequences or rebalancing needed for PvP survivability and damage output. Let alone nerfs to Psychic Scream and Vampiric Embrace that were made specifically to curb Warlocks. Rather than what, er, how about nerfing Warlocks directly, perhaps?
The above problems taken together, the Shadowpriest class has been left gimped since TBC, whilst other classes have been buffed consistently and considerably for Arena and PvP.
We have written a 30-page thread that got no further acknowledgement whatsoever, and overall it feels like the class designers have only continued to take away, and take away, and not give anything back to shadow.
Some time ago, I remember reading something extremely worrying from Chilton intimating something like "We're happy with where Shadowpriests are right now".
Perhaps in PvE this is true, but in terms of PvP, well, I don't know how to more plainly communicate to you all at Blizzard that we are absolutely not happy, and will not back off until these issues are addressed, tested, AND THEN rebalanced some more, before WotLK.
For a games company making millions of dollars in revenue every month, I fail to see how you cannot do your jobs and balance our class based on the feedback we have been giving you for almost 2 years.
It's clear that Holy and Discipline priests have been given some attention with 2.3. So Vaneras, when will we be able to say the same of Shadow?
