Nocturnal Yield removal

Classes Warlock
1

Hello, a post about the removal of Nocturnal Yield and why I think it’s a really bad idea.

First, Nocturnal Yield is really fun, it makes the spec very dynamic, it gives a bit of mobility in AOE scenarios.

It also allows Affliction Warlocks to use their Nightfall procs in AOE, which we weren’t able to do before, Nightfall procs were wasted, and Nightfall procs ARE going to be wasted in AOE.

We are not going to pick Shard Instability in AOE scenarios, who cares about a chance at maybe an instant Seed. In AOE Affliction doesn’t cast filler spells, or barely, we don’t have time for it.

“Nocturnal Yield doesn’t offer much choice when it comes to how a Warlock chooses to spend their Nightfall. Instead, it is usually best spent on Seed of Corruption, regardless of target count.” is the argument put forward, but it’s just not true.

Seed of Corruption with Nocturnal Yield is NOT always the best option, in live or on the PTR. It will actually be even LESS true in 12.1 with the removal of Patient Zero that really killed Seed of Corruption as a semi-competitive spell in Single Target (or 2 Target cleave) scenarios.

Drain Soul in execute range is better in Single Target. If I’m running an AOE build and playing Nocturnal Yield, I will NOT spend my Nightfall procs on Seed of Corruption, but on Drain Soul if I’m fighting a boss.

Actually, Nocturnal Yield gives us options, because I might actually opt to cast an instant seed in Single Target scenario at a DPS loss cost, because I’m facing heavy movement, rather than waste a Nightfall proc.

And now we’re replacing Nocturnal Yield with a mostly Single Target talent in the AOE part of the tree? Yet another X% damage buff to our filler, which again we DON’T use in AOE scenarios, which leads us to WASTE NIGHTFALL PROCS. 10% damage buff to Dark Harvest is EXTREMELY weak.

Impetuous Wrath is a Single Target talent lost in the AOE section of the tree, it has no reason to be there. It’s actually extremely hard to get it in a Single Target build, since it’s behind 2 very weak ST talents, Sacrolash and Contagion. What’s the point of a Single Target talent you can’t actually get to?

I hope you reconsider and bring back Nocturnal Yield, this is an actual loss that will make the spec feel worse to play, and the replacement is very unimaginative and just doesn’t fit in that part of the tree.

6 Likes
2

I have no idea what they are thinking. These decisions just make me shake my head. It’s almost like they are actively fighting against the players.

The community: “Keep Nocturnal yield! We love this!”

Blizzard: “Let’s get rid of Nocturnal yield and let’s provide a stupid substitute and rationale”

2 Likes
3

It’s a MASSIVE nerf in AOE scenarios, it’s nearly a 50% nerf to seed of Corruption damage. Affliction just lost 60/70k DPS in 5 target scenarios, it’s absurd.

This is nerfing the spec to the ground for no good reason. Affliction hasn’t been meta in Raid since Natrhia in Shadowlands, and hasn’t been meta in M+ since Legion.

What are we afraid of??

Nocturnal Yield is great, it’s fun, it feeds the engine of the spec, it feels amazing to play with.

We can’t even get the replacement talent in a Single Target build, it’s just baffling.

I’m quite upset about this x)

3 Likes
4

When I saw UA added to SoC. I was briefly hopeful about my spec and excited. Now i’m completely bummed out about patient and yield being removed.

Honestly, if it messes up the one thing I’m good at I will just quit. I love affli warlock and don’t want to play anything else. Just feels like a massive slap in the face.

5

I haven’t been on the PTR to test it but would it be helpful to have a Spell Opacity to help us know a free Seed cast?

6

I couldnt agree more. I finally start to main a lock, and love afflliction. Then blizzard just comes in and destroys one of the main reasons Im loving it? I actually dont understand….
I seriously hope they revert it.

1 Like
7

The removal of this ability is noticeable. I miss having a free seed cast when I need to move. The removal is a bad idea.

8

I have been working on a warlock this past week to gear him up and i just now decided to read up on the 12.1 changes and im literally shocked LMAO. The spec is getting literally nuked into the ground. 50% damage loss on seed main target and no more instant seed casts through nightfall. This is the worst thing i have ever seen when it comes to spec changes LOL

Im clicking the logout button as i type this and never touching this character in 12.1, i feel bad for anyone planning on maining this

2 Likes
9

I think I’m going to call it quits and unsub. I come back after last playing in TBC and really enjoyed the spec and relearning it. But given everything I’ve read and some of the feedback I literally have zero reason to continue playing.

No idea what they were thinking, instead of buffing our ST, nuking our one good thing to force ST? Insanity.

1 Like
10

I could not agree more.

I was baffled when I just logged in and realized it’s gone.

Not only is it a huge nerf to DPS but also to the feel and fun of the Spec.

Shame on you devs, seriously.

2 Likes
11

Was leveling a new warlock towards 90 through Void Strikes/Assaults, and was wondering why nothing seemed to happen when I used Seed of Corruption when my Nightfall procced. On the third strike/assault I stopped and looked at the tree, and couldn’t believe my eyes at Nocturnal Yield being replaced my a mainly Single Target talent on the AoE side of the tree.

I thought that then they would’ve backed in the functionality somewhere, right? Nope, just the same bad proc chance from the already half-baked talent on the ST side of the tree. And I know this will not change anything, but I removed the new talent and the bad old talent together with my ST talents for Unstable Affliction, and chose the now meaningless talents on the AoE side. Then I logged out of my lock and will probably not play it unless they change back or compensate the change.

Seriously, which intern and/or un-knowledgeable “senior” has forced through this change? For shame. I mainly play melee tank classes, and now they ruined the one ranged dps I mainly play. Muppets.

1 Like