Rule of Threes and Arcane Familiar are basically never picked. RoT is extremely clunky to use and because the majority of arcane’s damage comes from Arcane Barrage (even on single target) and it also recovers mana (built-in Kilt of Rune Master), there is no way you would ever pick this over straight DPS increase. Familiar could be cool if it gave you an actual pet (like Kirin Tor elementals).
Slipstream should just be baseline (at least for Evocation) and replaced with another talent.
Literally the only scenario where you would use Focus Magic is if you trade it with another frost mage who will also cast it on you. I personally hate Incanter’s flow because Iwould rather have static damage buff rather than the existing cycling buff. You can get weak aura and track it so you burst during the 20% window, however that is way more annoying to use compared to Rune of Power.
Nether Tempest hasn’t been picked as a talent for several expansions and it’s even worse in Shadowlands since majority of your damage comes from Arcane Barrage, so there is literally no reason not to pick Resonance.
This choice is ok, but see next point.
How the hell Supernova isn’t baseline ability instead of Dragon’s Breath? Not only that, but it’s on the same talent row as Reverberate and Arcane Orb - both of which are straight DPS increases. Why do I have to choose between DPS and CC on the same row? If not baseline, Supernova should be in the fifth row as a choice between Ring of Frost and Chrono Shift.
Time Anomaly is never picked. It needs complete rework or remove the evocation from the pool of random effects.
Fire:
Everyone picks Flame On. Alextraza’s Fury had seen play briefly during Pyroclasm arena exploit, but that’s about it. Flame On should be baseline ability and there should be another talent instead as a meaningful choice.
Pyroclasm is kinda fun but incredibly frustrating to use, especially in PVP (and in PVE it’s never picked). Because it’s just 15% chance, it’s possible you won’t get single proc during an entire arena macth. And if you do, it’s just straight one-shot and enemy won’t even know what happened. I would much rather it to be a permanent buff to all hard-cast pyroblasts (with smaller modifier obviously) than this RNG casino.
Frost:
Considering how mobile all classes are these days, Frigid Winds should be baseline and replaced with something more interesting.
Even though frost has some talents that are not picked much, it’s mostly just a question of numbers balance. On the other hand, the talents that I mentioned have just flawed design.
I agree. The meta Fire Mages play in Arenas is horrible. I dont like the playstyle at all because its tuned for 3v3 situations. Shimmer makes me lose in so many cases when Im stunned. To me Blink and Blastwave works way better but are “wrong” choices in 3v3.
Also not even 50% of the every spec has interesting Talent rows. PvP Talents are okay, but normal Talents certainly need tuning. But hey lets just keep adding more Conduit powers and Soulbinds in 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3…
The worst part is the new 9.1 conduits are even more boring - getting main stat when getting healed or healing self for percenatge of health when taking damage.
You (and everyone else) just see the talent trees of every class from the wrong point of view.
Listen to me and try to understand. Talent trees are not a table of choices where you pick whatever you like.
Talent trees are a multiple choice test, where if you pick the right answers you are rewarded with dps increase.
Pro tip: The answers of that multiple choice test are available on the web.
To me they will be good though. I get Ice Block Healing and Mirrors Of Torment dps boost. Soulbind Trees have been worked ahead 9.1-2-3 in mind. They just extend them. It seems to be same old story. Game is in finally good state after last patch.
But I do hope they look on Talents before 10.0. They just simply need way more work.
You agree that there’s too many dead talents but only choose talents you are told to play? Most “dead” talents are just talents people think they shouldn’t play because of guides. If your happier playing blast wave then play blast wave.
I dont choose what Im told to play. I play what works for me best, but I understand If Im asked to take Shimmer if I ever try 3v3, which probably wont happen because Blizzard ruined PvP gear system.
Talents at the end of the day are not a great system, as i said many times i think talents should be either small modifications to already existing abilities, like splitting ice, or complete reworks of a spec like glacial spike.
There should be no talents that actively improves the base rotation, that should be left purely to the baseline, and progression systems that you can eventually fully unlock, like artifacts.
Things like ray of frost, flame on, demonic, demonic appetite, etc, should NOT be talents.
In my opinion ofc, talents as things that change the rotation are fine, but i would prefer my suggestion.
I don’t know how you want to compare BFA arcane kit to SL. I guess WoW devs have same thinking process and that’s why most talents are garbage. And when it comes to Arcane Barrage, it definitely is the most damaging spell for arcane if you are Kyrian or NF. I can see how AB for necro or AM for venthyr could be slightly more % of total damage but in the end Kyrian and NF are the best covenants for arcane and other two are barely played.