09-27-2005, 11:32 AM
Mmm, reality check
Looked at broadly, the options for druids are basically unchanged
PvP
Option 1 Balance Moonfire spammer. Starfire is nice on a rooted target but will usually break the root so effectively you cast two spells to land one nuke. Most Balance Druids kill things by either being part of a large pack of players where if you root someone he's dead 2 seconds later, trampled under the zerg or by using a mana potion because generally speaking a full mana pool is barely enough to kill a similar level character who can't self-heal. This build tends to come down to chasing badly wounded players with moonfire spam then drinking
Option 2 Healer for a group of real pvpers
PvE solo and 5 man
The class's full range of options is available with no bad choices. Feral, Resto and even the thirsty Balance perform well
PvE end game raid
Option 1 Resto healer
Option 2 Half-strength nuker who boosts other nukers' crits by 3%
Option 3 Half-strength rogue who boosts other melee crits by 3%. I deliberately don't say Hunters because all of the Hunters will be more than 30 yards from the melee, now that their longer range talent got moved down the tree
Since Options 2 & 3 clearly aren't worth it Druids will still have to be Resto for MC/BWL. I mean cmon, in your 5 man team would you like a dual wield dps warrior with good weapons or a Kitty druid and a 3% crit buff to tank and rogue?
So lots of fun new shiny toys but to claim that this new talent tree creates game balance issues just isn't accurate imo
Looked at broadly, the options for druids are basically unchanged
PvP
Option 1 Balance Moonfire spammer. Starfire is nice on a rooted target but will usually break the root so effectively you cast two spells to land one nuke. Most Balance Druids kill things by either being part of a large pack of players where if you root someone he's dead 2 seconds later, trampled under the zerg or by using a mana potion because generally speaking a full mana pool is barely enough to kill a similar level character who can't self-heal. This build tends to come down to chasing badly wounded players with moonfire spam then drinking
Option 2 Healer for a group of real pvpers
PvE solo and 5 man
The class's full range of options is available with no bad choices. Feral, Resto and even the thirsty Balance perform well
PvE end game raid
Option 1 Resto healer
Option 2 Half-strength nuker who boosts other nukers' crits by 3%
Option 3 Half-strength rogue who boosts other melee crits by 3%. I deliberately don't say Hunters because all of the Hunters will be more than 30 yards from the melee, now that their longer range talent got moved down the tree
Since Options 2 & 3 clearly aren't worth it Druids will still have to be Resto for MC/BWL. I mean cmon, in your 5 man team would you like a dual wield dps warrior with good weapons or a Kitty druid and a 3% crit buff to tank and rogue?
So lots of fun new shiny toys but to claim that this new talent tree creates game balance issues just isn't accurate imo