Momentum is a core gameplay altering talent for Havoc Demon Hunter. Removing this will be a detriment to the fast-paced playstyle that this choice-node talent alone offers.
The Hunt + Vengeful Retreat is not enough to keep this engaging, the inclusion of Fel Rush, as Momentum presently does, is what makes it thrilling.
The removal of Momentum is a massive loss to Havoc as a specialization. Please reconsider this callous change, and keep Momentum in.
No, it’s not, where did you get that information? I was always under the impression that while a group of DHs like that playstyle, most population is against movement-heavy builds we were forced into for years, especially with encounter designs that punish for even smallest mistake costs you death or wipe.
Havoc is suffering severely from having to maintain a ton of damage amps and Momentum is probably one of the more egregious examples with its stacking and short duration nature, all while requiring to dash around the battlefield full of swirlies that can kill you. Exergy that replaces Momentum is a weaker, but much simpler version that let’s us focus on plethora of other buffs we still need to maintain - we still want to use VR for Initiative, etc., anyway.
Change to Inertia is worse than change to Momentum, but shows the attempt is to make VR (and the Hunt) the activator of maintenance buff and Fel Rush the spender/damage dealing ability.
The same applies to Unbound Chaos, which now uses same activator. With VR it actually lends itself into a thematic gameplay similar to Black Temple Illidan’s Shear ability where he flies back, and returns with a strike: pressing VR to jump back, followed with Fel Rush or Felblade to return to where we were, dealing damage.
I will definitely agree the changes are not perfect, but the current ones are far worse and inconsistent imo. Like I mentioned, Momentum requires too much playing around it to maintain (in relation to all other maintenance buffs/debuffs).
I will agree that Fel Rush would feel much better as Momentum/Exergy activator, as VR is also an utility ability, but it would clash with new Unbound Chaos (FR to activate then FR to spend). If this design is to stay, it would be beneficial to have VR reset CD on Felblade (like Aldrachi talent) and give a charge of Fel Rush to ease utilizing these updated talents.
I disagree with your assertion that Exergy is a better iteration of Momentum.
Momentum, unlikely any other talent in our kit, completely enforces the way that you play the game by having to seamlessly weave Fel Rush, Vengeful Retreat and the Hunt into your rotation, to indeed keep Momentum in combat with an increase to our overall damage done.
This unique playstyle requires cognitive awareness of the encounter and our allies, in a way that no other specialization demands. This is all due to the engaging method in which this damage done buff is applied and maintained throughout the fight. This counts for both Raids, Dungeons, PvP and even Overworld content.
The new iteration coming with 11.1 will, no pun intended, entirely undermine this unique and fast-paced combat which Momentum provides, by entirely forgoing the usage of Fel Rush as a tool to maintain the momentum of combat. By making it only apply with Vengeful Retreat and the Hunt, removes it as an exhilarating constant in gameplay, to a 20 second cooldown that requires no further thought nor depth in its execution.
That is in part why it is excellent that Momentum and Inertia are two separate choices on the same node, as both talents provide wholly unique gameplay applications of the movement-based combat, that the Demon Hunter class is built around and thrives in.
The synergy between Initiative and Unbound Chaos doesn’t detract from, but only further reinforces the playstyle. Both of these work with a less, and more movement focused set-up.
This is why the choice of either gameplay style is not only feasible, but also important to enable the player a meaningful decision of how they wish to engage the encounters. Momentum, ever since its initial release in Legion, is one such meaningful gameplay alteration that no other class nor specialization offers.
I did mean better as in superior. I meant that Exergy is less complex, which will be welcomed by majority of DH players (not just top-end mains), since the class already has a lot of setup and maintenance to work with. Just one less thing to worry about. Apologies if I wasn’t clear before.
Majority of players are either incapable or unwilling (“It’s a game, not a job.” mentality) to handle such cognitive overload across all the Havoc DH toolkit. Blizzard will always design with a larger audience in mind, and this change aligns with that.
Sure, Exergy is worse than Momentum in terms of throughput, engagement and risk/reward benefits, but it lowers the skill ceiling of the spec slightly, which many will see as a good change.
You could say “keep it as an option”, but that will just cause lemmings to continue to copy/paste builds from wowhead/icy-veins and complain their damage is low.
TL;DR:
I’m not saying it’s a good change. I’m saying I can understand where Blizzard is coming from and I can imagine why this decision was made, and can see the positives of it.
That is fair, and I respect your sentiment on that matter. In fact, I also do believe that is exactly the reason why Blizzard is making this change.
However, that does not mean that the change is healthy or good for the class.
Momentum was a choice-node exactly because of this reason, to offer the opportunity to those of us who desire the more complex and thrilling playstyle that is provides. This is now null and avoid and entirely removed as an option.
I believe that is an unhealthy, callous change, which will only be a detriment to the class design moving forward.
The current iteration, as a more active alternative to Inertia, is a perfect pre-existing solution to a problem, they’re now creating by undermining the entire Momentum playstyle. (I.E, seamlessly interweaving Fel Rush, Vengeful Retreat & the Hunt to garner momentum in combat)
They’re simplifying it, and thus as a consequence making Havoc less engaging. I cannot see that as a positive, but a negative.
Needs a step furth, remove Vengeful Retreat from the DPS rotation.
It is not healthy to the top-end players due to numbers, but it quite healthy to the class overall, reducing the skill ceiling slightly.
This is true. The changes do create a choice, but it’s between sustained (Exergy) and burst (Inertia) DPS that both have same activators and neither creates complexity with higher risk/reward outcome. However…
…is simply not true, at least not fully. The change is very healthy for the overall audience of the game, but indeed detrimental, but just to the top-end 1% players. Nowadays, people, especially newer and younger players, don’t necessarily want to be rewarded for managing complex activities. They just wanna be rewarded, and enjoy good visuals. Demon Hunter enthusiasts want to see Eye Beams, fel-charged warglaive slashes and zoom across the battlefield. They don’t want to follow buffs and buffs, and build/track WeakAuras to squeeze extra 1-2% DPS.
I know this isn’t what you want to hear, and personally likely strongly disagree, and I understand it, as I will miss the complexity. However, most players aren’t like you or I, and the game isn’t developed for us.
Momentum being gone, Exergy is the new passive alternative to the more active-style Inertia (which makes no sense name-wise).
While this statement is 100% true, the mistake I believe you’re doing is considering this change in a vacuum. Change to this single talent reduces engagement and complexity by a miniscule amount in the grand scheme of things. So far from what I’ve seen, top-end DH Havoc players see this change as a net positive (not numberswise obviously, but tuning is pending), and I side with them.
I know my arguments may not make you think again about the broader perspective of this change, and it’s ok. I just strongly believe there’s already a lot to track and pay attention to, cooldowns to line up and movement that can get us killed by boss swirlies if we rushed the wrong angle, cherry-topped with a rotation opener longer than a Super Sweet Sixteen wishlist of a spoiled teen girl with rich parents. Losing Momentum is not something to lose one’s sleep about.
Losing Any Means Necessary, however…