As promised last night, a long blog post tells us more about the design choices behind some of Warlords' decisions. If you don't feel like reading it all (but you should), here are the main points summarized:
- the smoothing of the general power of our characters is really necessary because it is now out of control: just look at the graphics to realize it. Everything has been reduced: creatures, spells, techniques, consumables, equipment, various items, keeping the current ratio so that our character remains as powerful as it is today.
- base damage spells and abilities are removed.
- racial bonuses will change, being based on fading stats (like hit or expertise) or providing too much of an advantage. The new racial bonuses will be better balanced.
- the number of spells and techniques will be reduced. Some spells will be removed, others dedicated to specific specializations while some will be merged.
- temporary buffs based on the same cooldown will be merged or removed.
- general reduction in the number of crowd controls with the elimination of silences following an interruption and disarming
- increased cooldown and crowd control restrictions.
- reduction in the number of decreasing return category (only 1 category for fixed assets).
- removed the ability to instantiate control spells.
- Limiting damage spikes by reducing the number of cooldown skills and random trigger effects that ramp up.
Following this post, the developers were literally inundated with questions on Twitter. Celestalon and Holinka thus tried to answer as many questions as possible from the players and Wowhead carried out an inventory. Do not hesitate to go directly to their site for the sources.
- Racial Alliance Bonuses
- Racial Horde Bonuses
- Draenei : Heroic Presence grants + X to primary stat. Gift of the Naaru still heals for 20% health, but for 5 seconds.
- Grandmother (North Wales) : Might of the Mountain deals 2% critical damage and Stoneform now removes magic and curse.
- Gnome : Master of the escape goes to 1 min. Short Blade Specialization changes to increase haste by 1%. Expansive Thinking now also applies to Energy, Rage, or Runic Power.
- Humain : Human mind becomes + X at a chosen secondary stat. Everyone for themselves still needs to be evaluated.
- Elf : Speed also increases movement by 2%. A new passive, called Touch of Elune, grants 1% haste overnight, 1% critical during the day.
- Worgen : no changes
- Blood elf : Arcane Sharpness is a new passive that grants 1% crit. Arcane Torrent now restores 20 Runic Power, 1 Energy, 1 Chi, or 3% Mana.
- Gobelins: no big changes except for Time, it's money which becomes 1% of haste.
- Orc : no more ax specialization. Strength increases to 10%. No change for Blood Fury.
- Tauren : Endurance becomes + X Endurance. A new passive, Muscle Strength (Brawn) increases Crit (damage and healing) by 2%.
- Troll : Berserker passes at 15%.
- Forsaken : some adjustments to be made on Touch of the tomb. Will of the Forsaken has a 3 minute cooldown.
- Feral Druid: Tiger's Fury and Berserker don't change.
- Mage: Elemental's ability, Freeze, remains, but a talent allows you to learn a new spell, Squirt, which shares the same cooldown.
- Paladin: Lots of cooldowns that are going to be merged.
- Guerrier
- Warbringer will do a small stun (1.5 seconds). It will be possible to have the same effect via a talent.
- Charge becomes an asset.
- Shattering Toss returns as a glyp.
- Hunter:
- Scatter arrow is removed
- Trap activates immediately.
- A glyph will replace the snakes in the Snake Trap with bears (!).
- Thief:
- Preparation could become a liability.
- Tricks of the Trade no longer increases attack power.
- Killer Streak and Adrenaline Rush for Combat
- Vendetta for Assassination
- Shadow Dance in Finesse
- Shadow Blades is Removed
- Other:
- Heroism, Blood Fury, Time Warp, and Ancient Hysteria are the only temporary Raid buffs retained. Auras should stay (like paladin auras)
- Reduced critical damage dealt to player by 25% (Crit deals 150% damage against players).
- They don't plan to remake Jewels with Amplification (like Prism Prism Prison) and Cleave (AoE Attack) in stats.
- New secondary stats: Crit, Haste, Mastery, Readiness, and Multistrike.
There you go, I'll let you digest all these changes! And expect new information as soon as the developers wake up!
