So there has far better descriptions that explain the current problems with Shadow Priest slow ramp up, low mobility, and heavy punishment for breaking rotation due to mechanics. So I’m not going to repeat that.
Blizzard claims they are listening, but I don’t think a single person suggested or wanted to see them give us an additional dot, Devouring Plague.
What’s more of a smack in the face for this decision was that they explained ‘This is a tool for burst dps to handle short lived mobs instead of using void form.’
Except here’s a few problems with this statement: Devouring Plague is a damage over time ability. Not burst damage, and it cost insanity, which means you won’t be able to use it until casting a few mindblasts/mindflays before you even get to use it.
Fun trivia question: When is the best time to cast a DOT? If you know the answer, then you know exactly why Devouring plague being cast NOT at the start of combat, (next to Shadow Word Pain and vampiric embrace) already makes it less useful, especially against ‘short lived’ mobs.
On top of that, this is the substitute they are ‘encouraging’ you to use instead of void eruption. (A burst aoe damage that, while it costs more, also puts you into void form for the additional haste/damage buff)
Unless they plan to do some major buffs for devouring plague to make it worth while, Blizzard is not only ignoring Shadow Priest clunky class problems, They don’t know how this class works at all.
A part of me is curious if there’s some master plan they have going and they’re putting it in place piece by piece to see what part of it breaks. Optimistic? Maybe. Delusional? More than likely.
If Ion is truthful when he said “we usually don’t announce / talk about a problem until we have a fix for it” (paraphrasing).
Then I think they don’t have anything that would “fix” shadow. Perhaps they are talking and trying to come up with a fix, but I don’t think they have THE fix figured out yet.
I LOVE that Devouring Plague is back. but like you said, not this version, its terrible. i hope VF goes away and we return to more of a DoT playstyle.
My own spin id like to see, would be, Getting rid of VF, making Psyfiend Baseline, (giving us another dps cooldown besides PI). make Shadow Crash, Void Eruption, Dark Void the AoE dps option in our talent row.
Yes, you’re right. But I honestly don’t think anyone expected it to be THIS.
And not realize what a useless tool it is when making it compete for resources with void form.
I’m not sure I can see any incentive to use DP in any situation while playing. It’s better off to jump into void form waste it while going against smaller mobs, and repeat the cycle again against a new mob.
I haven’t seen the future rendition of devouring plague in action, but… devouring plague was a DOT, but it wasn’t a normal dot. It was a facemelting dot that did large amounts of damage in a short time. It was essentially burst damage. Is that not the case anymore?
It’s not. It’s weaker than a void eruption and only costs 10 sanity less. They just added healing back to it, but the amount of sanity it costs, you get more bang from your buck by using eruption and then immediately void bolting.
I seriously think, and hope, that this is what they are doing. and if this is what they are doing, i hope they are being smart about it…on the other hand…they might be doing nothing too.
yeah, but in that conversation they were discussing covenants rather than classes at their bases. but that is still a good point! They very well could be working on a fix right now and are waiting till it’s done so we don’t pick it apart while it’s unfinished like we did with devouring plague. not saying we are the problem, just that we are all rightfully frustrated and are probably going to criticize anything that seems half done.