The class forums will not be removed (Source)
We have decided that the class forums will stay along with the new role-based forums.
Explanation from Ghostcrawler (Source)
To be clear, the primary purpose of the class forums will be for players to present information to other players. The developers will not have a large presence there except to moderate. If you want to discuss class balance, this is the place.
If you want to discuss optimal dps rotations, try and decide on a talent spec, or ask someone what gear you should be using at level 70, class forums work great for that.
If you start a long thread in the class forums about how your class is the weakest on in the game or how you can't beat mages in PvP, those threads will probably get locked or deleted. Those discussions belong here where you will have to contend with other players who just might disagree (as well as the blues).
The new forum structure is under evaluation (Source)
We're still evaluating what we like and don't like about the new structure. We did think it was time to change the forums though. It was becoming clear even players didn't hold the content on them in high regard.
There is definitely a benefit in having players communicate with each other, particularly on broad topics and particularly on issues of class balance. We had way, way too many (even on the beta forums) threads that turned into pity parties about who was the worst class.
Add Caster and Melee Specific Forums (Source)
We might consider that route eventually. For now it's important for all the classes filling a particular role to actually have to have their discussions more publicly where they are forced to defend their arguments (especially the QQ) in front of other classes.
Claims of damage being too high in Arenas (Source)
We think there is some truth to this. The recent resilience change was intended to help. We also expect health and mitigation to increase much faster than damage increases as players hit 80, but it is definitely a concern right now in PvP.
Dev Decision Making (Source)
We do very extensive testing on all aspects of combat balance. Remember, as a large company we have access to testing capabilities far beyond that of the average player. As developers of the game, we also have access to a large number of tools that we don't make public.
I mention Patchwerk a lot because raiders understand that he is a fight where most of the raid takes no damage and there are no adds or movement issues. It is a very straight-forward fight. "Patchwerk" is shorthand for a tank and spank fight. But he is not a test case for every possible encounter in the game, nor do we use him as such.
Changes to Ammo being considered (Source)
We are looking at ammo too. We think there might be ways to turn it into an interesting decision about ammo type and not something that requires you to procure 500 stacks before a raid.
PVP Balance Post-WotLK (Source)
I'm not going to promise that we will automatically buff any class that can't obtain X arena rating in the first season. That takes all of the onus off of the community and makes the assumption that strategies and tactics never evolve, which they do.
But we will make balance changes for PvP purposes after LK ships. Absolutely.
Pure DPS classes should outdamage hybrid DPS (Source)
Pure classes should be able to out dps hybrid classes by a small margin. However, hybrid classes should be able to be a lot closer than they were in BC, and depending on the skill, gear and encounter involved, will sometimes beat the pure dps classes.
For purposes of this discussion, pure = mage, warlock, hunter, rogue. These are the classes that cannot spec into healing or tanking roles.
Logic behind buffing hybrid DPS (Source)
Our logic worked out like this:
1) Buffs are breaking the game. There are many examples you could insert here, but here are a few:
-- Ret paladins can't get into the melee group because of all the buffers in there.
-- Stacking shamans for Bloodlust rotations.
-- Stacking Shadow Priests so mana conservation would be irrelevant.
-- Mages getting shut out of raids, in part because it was better to bring yet another lock to benefit from Curse of Shadows.
2) We decided to consolidate buffs such that similar ones would not stack, but we extended the effects to raid wide.
3) Thus, in a 25-player raid, you need far fewer than 25 players to get the buffs you need, allowing you to fill those remaining slots with who you want.
4) Without the benefits of those buffs, those remaining slots would most likely just go to pure dps classes. Shamans, for example, might go from 5 per raid to 1 (or 1 death knight instead).
5) So we buffed hybrid dps a lot.
6) But we knew at the other extreme that pure dps classes risked getting shut out of raids if hybrids could do their damage.
7) So we made sure the pure classes could still do superior dps given similar skill and gear. We wanted you to risk having lower dps if you brought all hybrids.
The "DPS Pyramid" (Source)
Unfortunately class balance is a very touchy subject and players can get really upset about real or perceived slights. It doesn't benefit us a whole lot to publish this "pyramid" but it could very well cause a lot of angst especially among less skilled or uninformed players when they can't hit those numbers. They will then blame us for making their class underpowered.
Ghostcrawler on tanking being easy at 70 (Source)
I do agree that everything is easier right now at 70. But keep in mind these 3 things coming up at 80:
-- Bosses have more armor. That is going to affect the threat generation, particularly of warriors and bears.
-- A lot of groups are AE tanking and burning down groups. It's fun, but at higher levels the risk you're going to take is that those groups kill you.
-- Threat is easy to manage now, and not too bad in Naxx. Naxx was designed to be more of an introduction to raiding. It won't stay that easy. I wouldn't expect a lot of Void Walker-style competitions to stay on top of threat meters compared to other tanks, but you might have to worry about the dps'rs catching up to you at some point.
Is healing in WoW a UI issue? (Source)
One of the things we hear a lot from disaffected healers is they felt like they were playing the UI and not the game. Healers are notorious for standing in fires or whatever because they aren't even looking at the battlefield much of the time.
Here are some random thoughts on the issue:
If everyone threw larger heals more rarely (and damage input matched) you could look away from the UI more often.
We can't just increase healing range without also increasing the range at which the boss can hit you.
Nameplates (if refined) could have a lot of potential for combining UI with the game wold more effectively.
Integrating things into the base WoW UI such as out-of-range indicators, better debuff indicators, or heals from other about to land on a target might make healers be less dependent on mobs.
Druid
Feral Mana and Shifting (Source)
We're not trying to punish Feral with a lack of mana or anything. We're just evaluating how they perform and what they do, especially in PvP with regards to this issue. The bottom line is we're not sure yet if it's really a problem or if the Feral players are just having trouble adjusting to the change. (I understand many of them *say* it's a problem.)
We also aren't trying to make Balance and Resto the shifting specs. However, as mana-using classes they are going to be able to do more with that mana, such as healing. We want druids to be able to shift -- that is a major part of the class. The only thing in contention is how often is too often and how much can they do in night elf or tauren form.
Mage
Mage Armor (Source)
FWIW, Mage Armor is quite powerful, but it's a trade-off. It's going to make mages harder to kill by some classes but easier to others. That seems like a decent design, so then it just comes down to numbers. We'll keep an eye on it, but it's not something slated for an imminent nerf.
Paladin
More on Ret (Source)
We LOVE Ret paladins. Seriously. We made a ton of changes to the spec that we wouldn't have done if we didn't care what happened to the class. When we did Naxx tests and people brought Ret paladins, it was great. Even before they became overpowered, there were several posts by Ret pallies saying how they liked the changes to their class (so I don't think it was just an issue that they were rolling over everyone that made them fun).
Sadly, you were overpowered by a considerable margin in both PvE and PvP. That was our fault (mine really) and not anything the community did. Most Ret pallies actually seem to agree they were OP and only argue with the magnitude of the nerfs.
What kind of non-AoE heal would you like? (Source)
Just say for sake of argument that anything remotely like Circle of Healing is off the table. Just pretend we said that it goes against the vision of the paladin class or whatever to ever AE heal (that's not true, but just roll with me here).
Now then, what is the one healing spell you would want added to your repetoire?
Shaman
Shaman AoE Capability (Source)
If you have ever read the beta forums, you'll know that we have changed our minds on the design of Elemental and decided that the spec needs to be able to do real AE in order to fill the ranged dps role. We're still considering the best way to do that. Totems, Chain Lightning, or Thunderstrom are all candidates (possibly glyphed) but all have their problems too, which is why we haven't settled on an implementation yet.
Warlock
Shadowflame (Source)
Shadowflame fulfills a very specific role. If you hadn't noticed, we are pushing Destro more towards fire and Affliction more towards shadow. Shadowflame is one of the few spells that crosses over because it does both types of damage (which should have obvious ramifications for a lock).
Demonic Circle (Source)
We think Demonic Circle is going to end up being a big deal. It's not a trivial spell to use -- it's a thinking person's spell. It takes planning and some intuition. I suspect it is being underestimated because so few people have actually gotten to use it yet.
Future Affliction Changes (Source)
We think the complex rotation is very hard to pull off in PvE too and seems to almost mandate a mod, which is a problem. We have some long-term plans to change Affliction around a little bit.
No more PVP-specific trees (Source)
There are no PvP trees anymore. My comment was that Demo may not have the sustained dps of the other two trees in PvE, but at least it would still be taken for PvP. We need to see if the survivability offered by the tree offsets its lower dps or not. (And before anyone responds that you would raid with 10 health if it would improve your dps, I'll remind you that your dps when dead is 0.)
Warrior
Concerns with changes (Source)
Tanking 5-player dungeons
Arms and Fury can tank 5-player dungeons fine. The Shield Slam change alone helped a lot here.
Arms = pve Fury = total fail Protection = Success
You offered almost no detail here. Both Arms and Fury are mobile in PvP and bring the MS debuff. Both of them can do great PvE damage. What's the issue?
Hello sudden Death "RNG IS BAD" - Bleed effects " Both are useless in pvp MS is still king"
Arms definitely cares about Deep Wounds and Execute now. Overpower perhaps a little less. I totally disagree they are useless in PvP.
Battle Stance is still lacking
It's definitely better than it used to be. Could we do more with it? We're not sure yet.
Mobility change is found in Protection tree?
Warbringer is great (despite a ton of QQ when we first implemented the talent). But Arms and Fury still have Charge, Intercept and Intervene. I am sad we couldn't make Heroic Leap work.
Plate is useless unless tanking
I think the jury is out here. The goal wasn't to prevent warriors from wearing leather. It was to make plate more attractive, which I feel like we've done.
