Yes i know the next expansion is one year+ away but Ion already said no meaningful changes during BFA in terms of class design so might aswell start this topic.
This will be my only feedback and i truly hope it gets to the devs somehow, so we can improve warlock class design together.
Before i start i ask you all to provide constructive feedback and not troll, im actually trying here.
Said this, i’ll offer 2 solutions in terms of design:
- Old design (Burning Crusade, Wotlk, Cataclysm)
- New design (Mists, Warlords, Legion, BFA)
I’ll also say wich abilities need to comeback as baseline and wich need to be removed (in my opinion).
In order to do this we need to look at warlocks as a class and not as 3 individual specs, wich is the main problem with class design in general.
Okay so lets start.
Abilities that need to comeback as baseline for the WARLOCK kit.
- Shadowflame (15 sec cooldown, slows the target by 70%)
- Armors (both demon and fel armor)
- Soul Link to all specs
- Demonic Circle
- Drain Mana (if mana rift stays in the game)
- Hellfire
- Lifetap (if we go back to old design, read further)
- Searing Pain
- Fel Flame (if new design philosophy, read further)
- Soul Fire
- Death Coil (yes the old death coil, 2 min cooldown,300% heal from the damage dealt)
- Curse of elements ( i dont get why dh got this from us in BFA)
- Shadow ward
- Dark Soul
- Drain Soul
I get we probably cant get everything but most of these spells need to comeback, specially 1,2,3,4,8, 11, 14, 15 and 7/9 depending on wich design philosophy you go.
Abilities that need comeback as baseline per spec.
Before i start, warlocks currently (and in legion too) are the only class in the game wich doesnt have a slow or root baseline.
Affliction:
- Curse of exaustion (slow)
- Amplify Curse
- Haunt
- Nightfall
- Shadow’s Embrace
Destruction:
- Conflagrate Slow (i think it was a daze)
- Shadowburn
- Shadowbolt
- Backlash
- Fire and Brimstone (Mop design)
- Ember Tap
Demo:
- A slow, maybe curse of exaustion too.
- Will leave this one open since i didnt play it that much before legion.
Abilities that need to be removed per spec
Affliction:
- Darkglare
- Deathbolt
Destruction:
- Havoc
- Entrenched in flame (pvp talent)
Demonology:
- Call Felhunter (if you want a spell lock, summon a felhunter having both it shouldnt be a thing)
Design ways we can go about.
Old design and my personal favorite.
General changes:
Shards -Removed as a damage resource, now they are used for utility like pets, soulstone, heealthstone.
Health is now the main resource for damage, you trade health for mana with Life tap.
This fullfills class fantasy more than combo points… i mean shards.
Damage abilities that before used shards will have cd’s instead, like frost/fire mages.
So (chaos bolt, haunt-read affliction changes, hand of guldan will now have cd’s)
Affliction:
- Dot duration increased to old values - right now its just not fun, doesnt add any type of skill to have low dot duration just annoyance.
- UA is back to be a normal dot
- Haunt now is our only dot modifier
- Shadowbolt as the “filler” untill 30% where Drain Soul now acts like a execute (higher damage with the more dots you have on the target)
Medium AoE cleave with dots and good ST through haunt, with the haunt cd it makes your decisions important.
The gameplay wouldnt feel as one dimensional as right now since you modify it at 30% with the execute.
Destruction:
I would say the playstyle would be around the same but with Chaos bolt having a CD it makes it, like haunt, more decision based even though its gonna be used pmuch on CD.
What this changes is simple, makes casting a Chaos Bolt relevant again. Its an amazing spell wich got trivialized.
Also with havoc removed its easy to balance in terms of damage and still offers cleave through fire and brimstone.
Shadowburn comeback would add the execute the spec had for years.
Demo:
I’ll left this one blank for you guys, but i would go back to meta playstyle.
I think that was a lot more skilled and good players who knew how to play it shined.
New design:
Shards stay as a damage resource but fel flame (for all specs) now adds an instant builder to use on the move.
Spenders are now instant, yes even Chaos Bolt.
Warlocks are the only caster with builder/spender design where your spender is casted.
Boomies/elementals/shadowpriests/arcane mages have all instant spenders (void bolt can be looked as a reverse spender for shadow priests).
Within current design this is a flaw that needs adressing.
Affliction:
- Still same “playstyle” than the above.
- Soulburn return.
- Haunt is now the spender UA still a normal dot, if you Soulburn it you spend 2 shards but you get haunting spirits (WoD talent).
- Seed of corruption spends 1 shard, if you soulburn it it becomes instant and sends 3 seeds (spends 3 shards)
Destruction:
- Shadowburn spends 1 shard, it returns it if the target dies.
- Chaos bolt as it is right now.
- Fire and Brimstone as it was in MoP, you activate it and spend/gain shards depending on the amount of targets hit.
Demo:
- Dreadstalkers instant
- Hand of guldan Instant
- Fiend instant
- Nether Portal instant
- Bilescourge Bombers instant
(so if it uses shards= instant)
This makes the spec have a diferent flow instead of feeling you are casting 99.9% of the time, wich you are pretty much.
These are some of the ideas i have, leave yours.
Hopefully we can get a review in next expansion, we surely need it.
Edit:
Remove unending resolve too, doesnt fit us.