10-03-2005, 11:37 PM
In response to Brista,
It's clear that you and I are looking at the Druid from different viewpoints. You have more experience with the so-called "hardcore" guilds where a spot needs to be reserved, while I raid with a smaller guild where it's understood that I've got a spot. From your viewpoint, I can definitely understand questioning whether or not a guild is shooting itself in the foot by bringing a Feral or Balance Druid along.
From where I stand, the Molten Core is not yet an exact science, and things go wrong sometimes. It's times like that where, after I'd been healing an entire fight, I find myself needing to throw a Starfire/Moonfire out to finish off a low enemy before he tears up the cloth. Or when I've been nuking for the whole fight and I see one of the tanks take a nasty crit, quickly slapping a regrowth/rejuv on him to give his priest time to recover.
And yes, you were correct in the assumption that our raids typically have adequate priests, thus shifting things away from the "healing by necessity" role of a Druid. And when we're low on priests, you won't see me nuking at all.
That said, let's move on to the meat.
In the past, a big contribution a Balance Druid could make to difficult encounters was the slowing affects of Hurricane. Now, all Druids have that spell. In addition, Balance Druids cast it at the same strength Restoration or Feral Druids do. The difference is in the mana cost. A Druid that is not relegated to healing will have freedom to cast it, rather than weigh that against two full heals to his assigned patients for triage.
As for the auras... they are lackluster. But given the amount of damage critical hits can land, I could definitely see putting a Feral or Balance Druid in a party of 4 Rogues/Hunters or casters, respectively.
I think it all boils down to a case of having a bonus for the party, while still being able to fill into the other roles if needed. If your group has no need of this and simply wants its Innervate ready and waiting, then you are correct in that a Druid should be Restoration with that Guild.
I would go as far as to say the new auras are better balanced for 5-man enountrs than raid. I've not yet had the chance to go into the Molten Core on the Test Realm, so I can't verify any of this. It's all theorycraft.
What I am truly concerned about is the change Blizzard is making to Curse of Shadows. If its effectiveness for arcane damage is nerfed considerably, Druid nuking in the Core could go out the window.
It's clear that you and I are looking at the Druid from different viewpoints. You have more experience with the so-called "hardcore" guilds where a spot needs to be reserved, while I raid with a smaller guild where it's understood that I've got a spot. From your viewpoint, I can definitely understand questioning whether or not a guild is shooting itself in the foot by bringing a Feral or Balance Druid along.
From where I stand, the Molten Core is not yet an exact science, and things go wrong sometimes. It's times like that where, after I'd been healing an entire fight, I find myself needing to throw a Starfire/Moonfire out to finish off a low enemy before he tears up the cloth. Or when I've been nuking for the whole fight and I see one of the tanks take a nasty crit, quickly slapping a regrowth/rejuv on him to give his priest time to recover.
And yes, you were correct in the assumption that our raids typically have adequate priests, thus shifting things away from the "healing by necessity" role of a Druid. And when we're low on priests, you won't see me nuking at all.
That said, let's move on to the meat.
In the past, a big contribution a Balance Druid could make to difficult encounters was the slowing affects of Hurricane. Now, all Druids have that spell. In addition, Balance Druids cast it at the same strength Restoration or Feral Druids do. The difference is in the mana cost. A Druid that is not relegated to healing will have freedom to cast it, rather than weigh that against two full heals to his assigned patients for triage.
As for the auras... they are lackluster. But given the amount of damage critical hits can land, I could definitely see putting a Feral or Balance Druid in a party of 4 Rogues/Hunters or casters, respectively.
I think it all boils down to a case of having a bonus for the party, while still being able to fill into the other roles if needed. If your group has no need of this and simply wants its Innervate ready and waiting, then you are correct in that a Druid should be Restoration with that Guild.
I would go as far as to say the new auras are better balanced for 5-man enountrs than raid. I've not yet had the chance to go into the Molten Core on the Test Realm, so I can't verify any of this. It's all theorycraft.
What I am truly concerned about is the change Blizzard is making to Curse of Shadows. If its effectiveness for arcane damage is nerfed considerably, Druid nuking in the Core could go out the window.
See you in Town,
-Z
-Z