Hey guys,
so I’m big on other RPG games and how the point spending/ stacking systems work throughout. One such Example is when Dishonored 2 introduced rune crafting which meant stacking rune abilities to further specialise in specific character traits.
So then, wow has strayed from this model and instead developed a very simple and yet somehow complicated character building system with the introduction of two different talent systems for pve and pvp, covenant talent systems and gear systems like BFA’s neck and corruptions etc…
It got me thinking how cool it’d be if we could specialise once more. So picture our current talent grid for destro warlock. On row three, blizz has tried to define three different playstyles:
Demon Skin = defensive
Burning Rush = mobility
Dark Pact = situational defensive (something to pop at full HP, such as entering into a fight)
Now imagine we could spend upto 3 points in the one we choose. So like this:
Demon Skin = leech absorption passively regens at 0.5% per sec upto 15% of max health.
Demon Skin rank 2 = Leech absorption passively regens at 0.7% per sec upto 17% max health
Demon Skin rank 3 = Leech absorption passively regens at 1% per 0.7 sec upto 20% max health. CC effects last 0.5 longer.
Seems boring I guess, could be very helpful, but then let’s compare to upgraded Dark Pact:
Dark Pact (red bubble) = sac 20% hp to shield you for 250% of the sacrificed hp for 20 seconds. Usable during CC. 1min CD
Dark Pact rank 2 (red bubble with blood boil animation) = sac 15% hp to shield you for 275% of the sacrificed hp for 30 seconds. usable during CC. 1min CD
Dark Pact rank 3 (Purple Bubble with fel flame feet animation) = sac 90% of your current summoned demons hp to shield you for 400% of the sacrificed hp. If you don’t have a demon summoned, your HP will be used instead. Makes you immune to CC effects. lasts 30 sec. 1min CD
But then compare it to this:
Burning Rush (fire/ fel feet animation) = increase movement speed by 50% at the cost of 4% hp per second. Movement CC may not reduce you below 100% of normal speed.
Burning Rush Rank 2 (fel feet animation, leaves scorched earth trail for 5 seconds) = Increase movement speed by 40% at the cost of 2% hp per sec. Movement CC is now ineffective.
Burning Rush rank 3 (fel flaming feet but creates stomp cracks in the floor, leaving a burning trail for 5 sec) = Increases movement speed by 30% at the cost of 6% hp every 2 seconds. Certain spells are now castable while moving (Incinerate, Immolate, ShadowBolt, Call dreadstalkers, drain life, drain soul)
I think choosing immediately to go to rank 3 might not always be the best option, depending on how you want to balance your class, as rank 3 is going to be the most deeply rooted with the biggest risk/reward factor.
What do you think? Imagine a rank system with heavier risk/reward factors for deeper specialisations in playstyles. Combining other talents for more defense stacking (such as upgrading mortal coil for more hp back at the cost of a cast time or something) would come at the cost of say spending in offensive spells like say roaring blaze which rank 3 could turn the dmg into 10% of dmg delt, but also apply the effect from other spells like chaos bolt now, meaning chaos bolt would burn for 10% of its damage delt. I believe after this though, the talent colums would need to be rearranged to fit something more like this:
Offensive column - Defensive Column - Utility Column.