Cataclysm

[Setanta]

Random news:  Next patch (4.03a) will also include a 20% reduction in XP for levelling 70 - 80. 

Which is nice.

Very nice and the reason I haven't levelled my mage and priest from 71-80 - after 7 other chars doing Northrend, it's boring. This will stack with heirlooms I hope.

[Rasix]

Oh, hey.  That's nice.  Perhaps my druid will get leveled at some point now.

[Minvaren]

4.0.3a Patch Notes appear to be finalized for tomorrow's rollout...  Snipped from another site.


Looks like the nerf bat hit everyone this time...?

(note to self : get ZG fishing done tonight)

[01101010]

As long as the earth stops shaking every 5min I'll be happy. Of course, starting my orc shaman tomorrow is going to be a hoot.

[Ingmar]

Yeah... about that earth shaking. Don't hold your breath.

[Tannhauser]

Warriors and warlocks got knocked the fuck out!

[ezrast]

Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.

Thorns was the greatest spell ever for a little while there.

[Fordel]

Thorns is going to be awesome when its finally nerfed back down to it's original damage, but still on on a 25 second recast timer. 

[Paelos]

Warriors and warlocks got knocked the fuck out!

Geez, I didn't read anything good on those warrior notes. I guess it was our turn. 

[Minvaren]

Warriors and warlocks got knocked the fuck out!

Geez, I didn't read anything good on those warrior notes. I guess it was our turn. 

Our turn again, you mean?  Several talents got neutered previously.   

[Typhon]

I'm sure this will all settle down prior to them moving this expansion out of beta   ...  doh!

Edit: said "patch", meant "expansion"

[kildorn]

I like the "tweak here, tweak there, and oh yeah, let's just beat every warlock spell down 12%!"

I'm sure there's a reason I don't see (I'm the worst stand-in dps ever), but it just amuses me.

[SurfD]

Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.

Thorns was the greatest spell ever for a little while there.

Why do they always go through phazes like this.  I seem to recall a time back in BC (I think it was) where they tweaked the spelldamage coeficients on damage shields, and for a while, having a Paladin and +spellpower druid in your group made you a mele wrecking machine.  Thorns + Ret aura usually ment that any mele class that tried to hit you gibbed themselves with almost no effort on your part.

[kildorn]

Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.

Thorns was the greatest spell ever for a little while there.

Why do they always go through phazes like this.  I seem to recall a time back in BC (I think it was) where they tweaked the spelldamage coeficients on damage shields, and for a while, having a Paladin and +spellpower druid in your group made you a mele wrecking machine.  Thorns + Ret aura usually ment that any mele class that tried to hit you gibbed themselves with almost no effort on your part.

It's hard to find a point where damage shields matter at all versus where they make you immune to melee dps.

I'm happier when they go "damage shields are for threat generation in pve, fuck it" and let it alone.

[WindupAtheist]

I'm still bitchy about my ret paladin even when they buff it. It seems pretty boned for PVP on a conceptual level, leaving me with little to hope for beyond the inevitable next total redesign.

[Fordel]

They haven't even been about pve threat in years either. Which is how the cycle begins anew every expansion.

"Oh yea, thorns, I remember that this spell exists again, lets buff it up so it's useful!"



-fake edit- WUA, so next month then? 

[Merusk]

Damage shields have always been full on fail.. some day an MMO designer will finally realize this.  I won't be holding my breath for it, but it'll happen eventually.

So I can't tell, did resto druids take another buff or are those nerfs somehow?

[Fordel]

I have no idea anymore, I can't keep track of the 14 builds between live, PTR and Beta.

[Azazel]

I like the "tweak here, tweak there, and oh yeah, let's just beat every warlock spell down 12%!"

I'm sure there's a reason I don't see (I'm the worst stand-in dps ever), but it just amuses me.

I guess I shoulda levelled and played my Lock back when they were godlike, for 3 or 4 years there

[caladein]

The healing changes were actually pretty big.  We've known about the AOE heal cap for a bit now, but the last few Priest buffs have been huge.

I'm still sure I'd prefer my Holy Paladin to my Disc Priest in Rated BGs (in PvE, the Priest has surged ahead) but the Barrier change brings back fond memories of MxO and CoH.

[apocrypha]

Why nerf warrior threat so much? The only problem I'm having with any of the chars I'm playing atm is threat generation on my prot warrior!

Fuck it, time to get him a DPS spec and completely ditch tanking outside of guild groups.

[Xerapis]

And the shattering begins.

Closed out the last night before all hell breaks loose by having a Stormwind Pool Party in the Park.

Of course, the park won't be there when the server comes back up.

I might be dead, but it was worth it ^^

[Merusk]

And the shattering begins.

Closed out the last night before all hell breaks loose by having a Stormwind Pool Party in the Park.

Of course, the park won't be there when the server comes back up.

I might be dead, but it was worth it ^^

Likely you'll just be ported to the nearest graveyard, like what happens when you DC in an instance or BG then decide "Fuck it I'm not logging back in today."

I logged out in ZG.. 2 months of taking that trip every three days.. no mounts seen at all.  Fucking RNG.  I did get 2 mage books and a pet, though. 

[DraconianOne]

I like the "tweak here, tweak there, and oh yeah, let's just beat every warlock spell down 12%!"

I'm sure there's a reason I don't see (I'm the worst stand-in dps ever), but it just amuses me.

I guess I shoulda levelled and played my Lock back when they were godlike, for 3 or 4 years minutes there

Fixed that for ya.

[Tannhauser]

The Binding Heal and Prayer of Healing buffs could be huge.  I may even start grouping with my Priest again.  For Mages, Arcane Blast did need adjusting and even the lowly mage class got some buffs.  Inconceivable! 

Locks did need a nerf, but "fuck it 12% across the board" doesn't seem well considered.  The xp buff in Northrend will help my 72 lock though.

I'm still not comfortable with the new balance druids.  And now that their thorns are nerfed means that I'm shelving him for a while.

[DraconianOne]

Apparently, those figures are not quite the nerfs they appear to be. From a blue post:

This is one of those moments where reading data-mined material can be sorely misleading. I talked a bit about these changes yesterday here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=27497534774&pageNo=1&sid=1#14

Most of these abilities have not changed for level 80+, however, they've been changed to scale from 1-79. As an example, Ambush deals a flat 190% weapon damage on live realms. With these changes, it now deals 90% weapon damage when first learned, and increases up to 190% again by the time you hit level 80.

We made these adjustments because healing and damage-dealing at low levels has been way too powerful. These changes will make more sense when you get into the game and see for yourself.

So: weight and sea.

[Valmorian]

Apparently, those figures are not quite the nerfs they appear to be. From a blue post:

This is one of those moments where reading data-mined material can be sorely misleading. I talked a bit about these changes yesterday here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=27497534774&pageNo=1&sid=1#14

Most of these abilities have not changed for level 80+, however, they've been changed to scale from 1-79. As an example, Ambush deals a flat 190% weapon damage on live realms. With these changes, it now deals 90% weapon damage when first learned, and increases up to 190% again by the time you hit level 80.

We made these adjustments because healing and damage-dealing at low levels has been way too powerful. These changes will make more sense when you get into the game and see for yourself.

So: weight and sea.

I love his example.  Ambushing someone to do LESS than regular damage?  Hilarity!

[DraconianOne]

I love his example.  Ambushing someone to do LESS than regular damage?  Hilarity!

Pretty sure the example was showing how the percentage modifiers will scale by level than a full working example of Ambush. Ambush has always done (percentage of weapon damage) + (bonus damange) in total, not just the percentage modifier.

[Paelos]

So warriors are going to scale up from 

[Valmorian]

Pretty sure the example was showing how the percentage modifiers will scale by level than a full working example of Ambush. Ambush has always done (percentage of weapon damage) + (bonus damange) in total, not just the percentage modifier.

Well that makes more sense at least.  Scaling abilities is interesting though.  I wonder if it's just to incorporate the lack of "Ambush rank1, rank2, etc.." in the game now..

[Sheepherder]

I love his example.  Ambushing someone to do LESS than regular damage?  Hilarity!

Ambush and autoattack are not mutually exclusive.

[Threash]

Ambush does (weapon damage X multiplier + bonus damage) x talent/spec modifiers, and before the patch it was good enough to one shot most people in pvp and most mobs while leveling.

[kildorn]

Ambush does (weapon damage X multiplier + bonus damage) x talent/spec modifiers, and before the patch it was good enough to one shot most people in pvp and most mobs while leveling.

Most of the %weapon damage skills were stupid at low levels due to the easy availability of very high damage weapons and relatively low HP pools. It will suck a bit if you aren't a twink of any form (no heirlooms, no starting cash from a main), but it's not all that bad.

[kaid]

The scaling changes pretty much had to happen. There was some crazy shit going on at lower levels especially in pvp. Healers were raid bosses pretty much and many rogues were repeatedly one shotting people for way more damage then they could ever hope to absorb at those levels.

[Paelos]

Yall remember the scaling changes they made before TBC and how it made hunters gods in pvp? Then scaling kicked in at 70, and they were everyone's bitch.