Epic Fail? SoD Phase 3 New Class Imbalance! - Sunken Temple Raid
TLDRThe video discusses the significant class balancing changes in Phase 3 of the Season of Discovery in World of Warcraft. It highlights the adjustments made to various classes, such as Shadow Priests and Boomkins receiving damage buffs, Paladins becoming mana generators, and Hunters benefiting from new rotation mechanics. The script questions whether these changes will truly enhance class viability or lead to unintended consequences in both PvE and PvP environments. It also explores the long-term implications of scaling and class stacking in raids, suggesting that Blizzard's approach to balancing may need reevaluation to address the core issues of class utility versus damage output.
Takeaways
- 🔄 Phase 3 of Season of Discovery introduces significant class balance changes aiming to make weaker classes stronger and more viable.
- 🌟 Shadow Priests and Boomkins receive a 10% damage increase, but the actual impact on Shadow damage is an 8.7% increase due to multiplicative effects with other buffs and debuffs.
- 🎯 Hunters get a new rotation mechanic where Aim Shot becomes instant at five stacks of Sniper Training, and a base weapon percentage increase from 120% to 135%.
- ⚔ Paladins see changes that make them mana-generating machines, with Seal of Madness now converting 10% of damage dealt back into mana for their raid at a 133% rate.
- 💥 Shamans are encouraged to move away from melee with mental dexterity only triggering from Stormstrike and Lava Lash, an attempt to fix class identity issues.
- 🗡 Rogues' Mutilate spec remains untouched, and efforts are made to make Saber Slash a viable spec with bleeds stacking up to five times and increasing damage.
- 📉 Scaling issues are highlighted, particularly with Warriors, who naturally pull ahead of other classes, leading to initial failures in Sunken Temple raids.
- 💔 The support role in raids feels undervalued as groups prioritize maximum damage classes for speedruns and efficient boss clears.
- 🤔 Blizzard's balancing approach is questioned, as class stacking persists and may not be resolved by simple balance changes.
- 🛡 Long-term implications of class changes are considered, with potential nerfs to Warriors and adjustments to mana regeneration that could phase mana out of the game.
- 🔍 The core problem of class utility versus damage is identified, suggesting that even balanced changes may not address the fundamental issue of class stacking in raids.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the discussion of class imbalance and the changes brought by Phase 3 of the Season of Discovery in a game, focusing on how these changes affect different classes and their roles in raids and PvP.
What is the impact of the 10% damage increase for shadow priests and boomkins as mentioned in the script?
-The script explains that the 10% damage increase is not exactly 10% due to the multiplicative effect with other buffs and debuffs. For shadow priests, the increase in shadow form from 15% to 25% results in an 8.7% increase to shadow damage, which is not significant enough to change raid compositions. Boomkins, however, receive a true 10% damage increase, making them more viable in PvP.
How does the change to the Hunter class affect their gameplay?
-The change to the Hunter class allows for a new rotation where, at five stacks of Sniper Training, Aim Shot becomes instant. This, along with a base weapon percent increase from 120% to 135%, makes Hunters more attractive for raids and potentially overpowered for open world farming.
What significant change did Paladins receive in Phase 3?
-Paladins received a significant change with the Seal of Madam, which now allows them to generate a large amount of Mana with each swing, dealing 10% of that damage back to themselves, converted to Mana for their raid at a rate of 133%.
How does the scaling issue affect class balance in the game?
-The scaling issue affects class balance by making certain classes, like Warriors, pull ahead of others by default. This leads to a situation where guilds may favor these classes in raids, even if the game's balancing attempts to make all classes viable.
What is the long-term implication of the changes to Shaman class as described in the script?
-The long-term implication of the changes to the Shaman class is that Blizzard is trying to make melee Shamans less viable, with mental dexterity only triggering from Stormstrike and Lava Lash, and an added buff to ranged Lava Burn, which increases Flame Shock damage by 100% and dot damage by 6 seconds.
What is the core problem with class utility versus damage in the game?
-The core problem with class utility versus damage is that in 20-man raids, there is less need for class diversity as most buffs and debuffs can be covered, leading to a preference for stacking damage dealers over support roles.
What is the proposed solution to encourage class diversity in raids?
-One proposed solution is to reward players for bringing class diversity, similar to mechanics in other expansions like Wrath of the Lich King, where certain fights were beneficial for specific classes.
How does the script suggest addressing the issue of glass stacking in raids?
-The script suggests that Blizzard could play with loot balancing, such as having a legendary for every class but allowing the completion of more legendaries if a raid group has a multitude of classes.
What is the potential consequence of the changes for the Warrior class?
-The potential consequence for the Warrior class is Rage normalization, which could make scaling less advantageous for Warriors and make lesser-geared Warriors more viable, but also potentially nerf the class overall.
What is the script's perspective on the effectiveness of Blizzard's balancing approach?
-The script suggests that Blizzard's balancing approach may be fundamentally flawed, as it does not seem to address the core issue of class stacking and utility versus damage, and that no amount of balancing may fix the deeper problem with the game.
Outlines
🔄 Changes in Phase 3 of Season of Discovery
This paragraph introduces significant changes in the Phase 3 of the Season of Discovery, including major buffs and adjustments to various classes such as priests, boomkins, hunters, and paladins. It emphasizes the intention behind these changes to strengthen weaker classes and enhance their viability in raids. The paragraph also discusses the impact of these changes on both PvE and PvP, with specific examples like the damage increase for shadow priests and boomkins, and the mana generation boost for paladins.
📈 Impact of Changes on Raid Strategies
This section delves into the practical implications of the Phase 3 changes on raid strategies and guild dynamics. It recounts the experience of a guild achieving a world 11th clear in Sunken Temple, noting the importance of class diversity and support roles. The narrative highlights how initial difficulty levels and subsequent nerfs influenced guild strategies and the shift towards prioritizing high-damage classes. The paragraph raises concerns about the diminishing role of support classes and the potential negative impact on long-time raiders.
🔧 Challenges with Blizzard's Balancing Approach
The third paragraph examines Blizzard's historical and current balancing approaches, criticizing the persistence of class stacking in raids despite promises of change. It discusses the flawed balancing philosophy that still incentivizes bringing the highest damage classes, resulting in the marginalization of support roles. The paragraph also addresses the ongoing issues with mana regeneration and how recent changes could exacerbate PvP imbalances. It predicts potential future adjustments, such as warrior nerfs, and questions the effectiveness of Blizzard's strategies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Season of Discovery
💡Class Imbalance
💡Shadow Priests
💡Boomkins
💡Hunters
💡Paladins
💡Mana
💡Shamans
💡Rogues
💡Scaling
💡Raid Composition
Highlights
Phase 3 of Season of Discovery brings major class changes, with significant buffs to priests and boomkins and new mana generation abilities for paladins.
Shadow priests and boomkins receive a 10% damage increase, but the actual effect on raids is less significant than expected.
Hunters gain a rotation change and a base weapon percent increase, making them highly attractive for raids and open-world farming.
Paladins' Crusader Strike now refreshes seals, and Seal of Wisdom generates substantial mana for raids.
Blizzard aims to phase out melee elemental shamans, boosting ranged elemental abilities instead.
Rogues see potential in saber slash spec, but mutilate remains the preferred choice for most players.
Mana regeneration changes have far-reaching implications, especially for endgame raids.
Class scaling, particularly for warriors, has led to imbalances and calls for rage normalization.
Initial Sunken Temple raids showed the advantage of diverse class composition, but later nerfs shifted focus to maximizing damage.
Blizzard's balancing history suggests a recurring problem with class stacking in raids.
Despite promises, class stacking remains prevalent, highlighting potential flaws in Blizzard's balancing approach.
Support roles are becoming less rewarded in raids, with damage classes being favored.
Blizzard's balancing changes may not solve the deeper issues of class utility versus damage.
Rewarding class diversity in raids, similar to Instructor Razuvious in Wrath of the Lich King, could be a solution.
Balancing loot distribution based on class diversity could help mitigate class stacking.
