6.2 Buffs/Nerfs

[Curinir 4]

What we are doing in my guild is having one warlock go Aff/Demo and the other two go Aff/Destro. That way we have all three specs available to play around with on every fight.

[Gnar 26]

Action bar saver. Get on the tri spec grind.  Seriously though, I'm not excited to my favorite spec go into the shop until the next patch and more likely the next xpac.  I don't think the current talents serve the proper niches that they should and overall they ruin the game play of the spec as a whole. Demonbolt ruins proper meta form trinket bursting, CR is a do everything build, and affliction still cant AoE no matter how hard it tries. Hopefully a big talent overhaul occurs with their new demonology overhaul that isn't even necessary.

[Liquidsteel 279]

If you are comfortable with all 3 specs you should always be prepared to switch on a per encounter basis.

[Gwennie 0]

So if I hipster and insist on maiming Demo, how far behind will I be, and am I screwing over groups if I do so?

[Zagam 1,982]

So if I hipster and insist on maiming Demo, how far behind will I be, and am I screwing over groups if I do so?

What kind of guild are you in?  Does your guild not mind you maximizing your play for optimal progression?  Are you pugging?  Are you good at mechanics?  A dead Affliction does less than an alive Demo.  

[Gwennie 0]

I almost included that info but was in a hurry so kept it brief. I'm not actively in a guild, play casually. So for me is likely be fine. I'm relatively unskilled in general, so simply learning to play better, in my case, would give me much more benefit than going from the worst spec to the best. I'm not terrible, mind (I hope), but but could be a lot better.

So I have a decent idea what the answer is for me: I should be fine as demo (I'm capable of playing demonology). I'm curious about the question more generally than just my own circumstances, though. Obviously at the highest level, I suck it up and play whatever we need me to. I generally have no qualms with this, but am not likely to ever be doing that kind of content.

But there's also a social side, too. Even if it's not mythic, I'd still rather be useful than not. There can also be an exaggerated view of the difference between specs, even in easier content. Assuming I were fully competent, would I be a jerk to bring demo to a pug on X difficulty? That would depend on the RL, of course.

[Zilthy 36]

Demo will still be useful, if not top damage.  Decently played demo will fare better than poorly played destruction.   The reality is that you will likely face some stigma from some raid leaders just because the spec had a nerf.  In a pug world, getting in is often ilvl and spec.  Which is unfortunate, because I see some high ilvl people come in on pug groups, and do some pretty horrifying things with mechanics, and I wonder how they have that gear without knowing that particular aspect of a fight.

 

It certainly does not hurt to learn all 3 specs though, and not only that I find that sometimes playing one spec gives me insight in to another.

 

In another note, Hazzikostas did recently mention in a post that if Demo was not viable, they would make some adjustments back.  Viable is one of those loose definitions though, so I am not really expecting anything to come of it.  This follow up sort of bugs me though, sounds mostly like PR backpedaling from the backlash.  "The goal of our 6.2 changes is not to make Demonology terrible or unplayable"... I am not sure how that compares with "We don't want you to play demo"  *shrug*

[Anja 0]

The definition of "viable" is not flexible at all and there is little to be left to interpretation with it ; people seem to have a poor habit of using it interchangeably with "optimal" or "equivalent" when making spec comparisons.

Regardless of poor word choices on the parts of both players and employees, having opportunities to utilise all three specs will be a change which I gladly welcome.

I am hoping, as we move forward, that Blizzard will continue to emphasise usage of all three specs rather than the persistent trend of patch-to-patch spec rotation. It quickly becomes boring when one spec shows itself as unquestionably superior and the subsequent response by blizzard is to make lurid buffs and nerfs as a quick solution ; that approach to so-called balance is uninteresting and frustrating.

[Liquidsteel 279]

Affliction 2pc nerfed from 30% to 5% for an 85% reduction with only a few days to go.

It's pretty hilarious.

[HeadBeeGuy 11]

Haha, 25% seems to be the magic number. Yikes.

[Lockybalboa 618]

Affliction 2pc: Chance to extend Drain Soul reduced to 10% from 30%

 

source: http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/372646-feedback-thread-set-bonuses-trinkets/

 

 

 

[taliesin52 3]

Affliction 2pc: Chance to extend Drain Soul reduced to 10% from 30%

 

source: http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/372646-feedback-thread-set-bonuses-trinkets/

 

 

 

 

The bonus was pretty insane pre nerf.  That said typical Blizzard making "bold choice" instead of incremental ones.  Disappointed it wasn't rebalanced with a small spec buff.  I love my lock but I'm having a harder time justifying playing it over my hunter sometimes.

[Zilthy 36]

The bonus was pretty insane pre nerf.  That said typical Blizzard making "bold choice" instead of incremental ones.  Disappointed it wasn't rebalanced with a small spec buff.  I love my lock but I'm having a harder time justifying playing it over my hunter sometimes.

 

"We are not bad at math"

 

Honestly, it is these bold sweeping number changes (Not just with Warlock) that make me distrust that statement. :D

 

But, I agree, that was an insane bonus.

[Stunlocked 8]

"We are not bad at math"

 

Honestly, it is these bold sweeping number changes (Not just with Warlock) that make me distrust that statement.

 

But, I agree, that was an insane bonus.

Several classes and spec tier sets were nerfed, not just Affliction.

 

In his follow-up Wacher said it was because they don't want to use tier bonuses to 'prop up' an under-performing spec and that it was separate from class balance changes.  Which is fine in theory, but it seems late in the game to be making those changes.  Making sure set bonuses don't prop up a set is the way to go - but they are kind of out of time to address class balance issues before 6.2.  

[Zagam 1,982]

Well, post update, looks like we're going back to SoO, kids. 

 

67424  35.6%  Warlock_Destruction_T18H
61190  32.3%  Warlock_Affliction_T18H
60884  32.1%  Warlock_Demonology_T18H

 

92027  36.0%  Warlock_Destruction_T18M
82837  32.4%  Warlock_Demonology_T18M
80960  31.6%  Warlock_Affliction_T18M

 

This is ST.  I don't see either spec passing Destruction up for 2, 3, or massive AoE with what CB does with Fragment of the Dark Star.  Keep Gorensoul Repository until you get DSI and Fragment of the Dark Star. 

 

More discussion at 3pm on my Twitch page.

[Voidheart 0]

So I guess we should invest in Mastery/Crit gear in HFC instead of Mastery/Haste?

[Zagam 1,982]

So I guess we should invest in Mastery/Crit gear in HFC instead of Mastery/Haste?

Haste isn't terrible for Destruction, not like it used to be.  Chaos Bolts are cast in much higher frequency, so reducing their cast is fine.  BiS list will involve the highest level of Mastery possible.  Haste vs Crit will be much lower in determination than maximizing Mastery.

[Liarparadox 5]

Guessing numbers will be adjusted just prior to the release of mythic.

[Curinir 4]

Well, post update, looks like we're going back to SoO, kids. 

 

67424  35.6%  Warlock_Destruction_T18H

61190  32.3%  Warlock_Affliction_T18H

60884  32.1%  Warlock_Demonology_T18H

 

92027  36.0%  Warlock_Destruction_T18M

82837  32.4%  Warlock_Demonology_T18M

80960  31.6%  Warlock_Affliction_T18M

 

This is ST.  I don't see either spec passing Destruction up for 2, 3, or massive AoE with what CB does with Fragment of the Dark Star.  Keep Gorensoul Repository until you get DSI and Fragment of the Dark Star. 

 

More discussion at 3pm on my Twitch page.

 

These numbers for demonology are also without the 4pc. On the SimCraft front page it says:

• Demonology T18 4P is not implemented due to lack of information

 Seeing this, it looks like demo is still going to be a pretty decent single target/burst aoe spec. However, affliction is completely done at the moment with this 2pc nerf.

 

With all this said, unless I am horribly mistaken, destro will once again be the best. Welcome back to SoO boys!

[Lockybalboa 618]

These numbers for demonology are also without the 4pc. On the SimCraft front page it says:

• Demonology T18 4P is not implemented due to lack of information

 

 

Look above that part "Released on 10 May 2015"

 

I believe there are new-er kind of internal builds that Gahhda and Zag have been working with.

 

Don't be shocked when they semi-revert the aff nerf. They WANT Demo to be the worse spec, they've said so. If they leave aff over nerfed like this right after they said they aren't bad at math and they want demo to be the worst...I just don't even know.

 

 

[Stunlocked 8]

 

 

Don't be shocked when they semi-revert the aff nerf. They WANT Demo to be the worse spec, they've said so. If they leave aff over nerfed like this right after they said they aren't bad at math and they want demo to be the worst...I just don't even know.

 

 

 

 

Friday afternoon Watcher posted a follow up to the tier set changes that implied it might be possible - basically they don't want the tier bonuses or class trinkets to be ways to balance specs.  

 

"Remember, these are changes to upcoming set bonuses, not pure class balance. The goal is for all set bonuses to be roughly comparable (with some variance given their vastly different nature) in power, and there were clear outliers on both sides of the spectrum. The changes above represent our effort to correct some of those outliers. If you feel your spec is underperforming currently, the answer is not for a specific overpowered set bonus to prop it up, nor is the reverse true. "

 

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/17346265830?page=18#360

[Paracel 165]

Let's just wait 'till it goes live on Tuesday/Wednesday and see it all in person.

Destro as best spec and timewarp to SoO ain't bad, because we really rocked SoO, may be the same for HFC(we play to win, not for fun/gameplay complexity/swag)

P.S. holy cow that raid trailer is EPIC

[Recklessfear 33]

(we play to win, not for fun/gameplay complexity/swag)

 

 

 

I can play for both

[Liarparadox 5]

Zag, on DI site (in Aff guide) you posted sims putting affliction 4pc T17M at 60kdps. Is that correct? Doesn't that seem way off, by 8-10K even? Or am I reading that incorrectly? Aff 2pc 17M and 2pc 18H and 4pc 18H seem only marginally better.

[Zilthy 36]

Liarparadox:  The affliction 2pc bonus was just lowered from 30% to 10% chance, lowering damage output considerably.  Hence, the difference on the new sim.