10/2024 | Feedback: Affliction M+
Hello, I’m Affliction M+ only player, I play Affliction since TBC and M+ since BFA.
Warlock
Few things had changed in Class Tree in TTW, overall for better, but builds are very limited with almost no flexibility.
Affliction
In general, with TWW expansion Affliction received huge talent tree overhaul which moves specialization in better direction. What still makes specialization lagging behind is that core gameplay did not receive any, or not enough, care. It’s not a secret that gameplay was never fluid and enjoyable enough.
Agony management
The ability to refresh Agony is one of the basic skills for Affliction player. Being able to filter out thru noise of nameplates, where and when spell need to reapplied is one of crucial thing. It impacts both resource generation and damage of our shard spender ability. With TWW expansion we can see new talent which refers directly to that skill, Volatile Agony.
Volatile Agony , an interesting talent that in theory rewards for maintaining Agony correctly. Unfortunately, even if tuned properly it’s impact on the gameplay is low and mostly select as there is nothing better to spend point for.
Nevertheless, Agony management is a key part of specialization and creating positive feedback to the player for making it correctly is a good idea. Due to the Vile Taint, there are in worst case scenario 8x Agonies to refresh at same time. Being able to do that requires around 8x1.5=12 seconds when 0% haste value and 8x1.0=8 seconds with 50% haste value (+ human mistake factor). Challenge to overcome would be to find unique way, which is only Affliction kind, but doing same thing: improving gameplay quality around Agony without making it brainless.
One of solution would be to change Volatile Agony talent into to make refreshing Agony, extends other Agonies duration by two seconds. With such mechanic player is not relieved from having to refresh the Agony at multiple targets manually, but doing it feels less pressured as you are able to refresh all your Agonies just if you are willing to do it. With 2 seconds extension it would require casting 7 times Agony to pass Vile Taint cooldown so it would not become too much powerful.
Haunt and Shadow Embrace
With new expansion we came into version of Affliction where spending 2 talent points is responsible for 18% damage increase in single target by Shadow Embrace and Haunt. I’m not sure if any other class have access to so much power with so little points. Being so, both of talents are highly mandatory in any build, limiting flexibility how to spend point and gives additional frames over nameplate to track to, which we have already full of.
Would not mind see Shadow Embrace and Haunt again a choice note, same as it was in old talent tree system. In such case it would be possible to play active spell with 10% damage increase reward, and passive one with 8% damage increase. Such way would reduce the power gained behind both of those talents and give opportunity to keep it passive for players who prefer so.
Corruption spreading
Would be welcome to see developers re-thinking how Corruption is applied to enemies in multi-target situations, with Seed of Corruption spam gameplay gone, spell feels bland and out of place when taking into consideration its Soul Shard cost.
Death or barely played
- Oblivion – Interesting talent but barely taken. Could be welcome in talent scale with Mastery. No cooperation with any talents below, just a standalone button to press.
- Perpetual Unstability – Never taken in PvE, cast time reduction is nice but not worth last-row point. Cast time reduction could be baked in into different UA talent like Xavius’ Gambit.
- Drain Life – Healing is way too low. Nowadays spell could not exist.
Hellcaller
General feeling:
Master of fel and shadow magic. Both, name and Satyr theme does not match in my opinion.
Gameplay:
Damage-over-time play style is what Affliction lovers always wanted to see back, dots are impactful and Malefic Rapture is there to fill burst gap, which together combined brings great result.
Shadow Bolt / Drain Soul is very not impactful spell with this Hero tree, it’s so bad that is not even worth to take any damage improving talents for them, not in specialization tree nor in class tree.
Utility choices:
Utility choices do not exist. Only combined Curses is ok but not that much interesting.
Soul Harvester
General feeling:
In overall I don’t think the result fulfilled mine expectations when we look at the name of the hero spec and its outcome. “Marvel Venom” is not what Soul Harvester should be, gameplay around Nightfall, Malefic Rapture and Soul Rot is fine, but theme and animations I would like to see more around souls, execution upon death and life stealing.
Gameplay:
Comparing to Hellcaller’s damage-over-time base style Harvester seems to be focused on Malefic Rapture windows playstyle which was strongly embraced during season 3 and 4 of Dragonflight, due to the tier set and talent changes that time. As huge fan of this playstyle I think key part of it was lost, without Soul Rot being 30 second cooldown it’s hard to feel the same fun as in the past. Being able to popup every 30 seconds gave Affliction unique, fun and niche playstyle. Would like to see it back.
Utility choices:
Very interesting choices, comparing to Hellcaller there is not much to complain about.