NEW UPDATE: 7/1/19 (summary at end)
Feral druids while in cat form have lost its ability to cast rebirth in their main form. Guardian druids are able to instant cast rebirth in bear form. Moonkins are still able to cast rebirth in their main form, moonkin form. Resto druids shouldn’t really have a problem using rebirth in humanoid form since that’s the form they heal with mostly.
Ferals have lost predatory swiftness proc to instant cast rebirth (We no longer have instant cast rebirth and we are not asking for it back). Instead of having PS proc, rebirth was changed to allow cat forms to cast rebirth. And now that’s going away. Rebirth will kick ferals out of their main form, while every other druid spec can cast rebirth in their main forms.
With this now LIVE, you’ll most likely see many ferals refuse to rebirth if there are other brezers in the group. The reason why we refuse to leave cat form to cast rebirth is because of the Global Cooldown. When we enter any form, there is a GCD on casting any attack or spell. This causes ferals using brez to lose more damage than a moonkin using brez. Also , we are not saying if we’re the only brez in group we won’t brez.
Here’s the original thread from PTR
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/ptr-feral-druid-rebirth/153259
Summary:
Feral druids while in cat form will be losing its ability to cast rebirth in their main form. We no longer have instant cast rebirth and we are not asking for it back. We just want to cast rebirth in our main form like all the other druid specs.
22 Likes
I don’t main or play feral. And as a rogue i have a historical loathing for your class. I’ll never forgive for Faerie Fire.
That being said, what’s the issue here? Is it the time you have to spend casting out of form? Is it the global you now have to waste going back into cat form? Is it just “Muh cat casts” ?
Like, maybe i missed where you pointed out but why is this a negative change outside of it being a change? Your comparing it to boomkin which should obiously be able to cast spells in form, it’s a caster. And guardian, which makes much less sense to have instant cast spells as a theme to me, but I guess from a raiding or pve standpoint, the tank can’t afford to be leaving form to cast spells. I get that.
So again, what’s the harm? And is it just the convenience of wasting a global for using your unique class spell?
If it’s just your class design is suffering at the cruel hands of blizzard? I sympathize. Welcome, brother, back unto the fold. We are the mistreated. The subscribers.
6 Likes
As if I needed any more reasons not to play feral spec on my druid anymore.
12 Likes
It used to be baseline for ferals with predatory swiftness procs to instant cast rebirth. Then that was taken away and we were able to cast rebirth in cat form. It was a change we got used to and no one complained about it.
But now, for unknown reasons, feral druids will lose that ability to stay in cat form to brez someone. Just a lot of us don’t like it or understand the change if no one was complaining about it.
3 Likes
Yeah. That’s the 3 R’s of blizzards class design if I ever heard it.
- Random
- Redundant
- Remorseless
25 Likes
This change is a solution looking for a problem. Despite Blizzard’s hopes that 8.2 will be a “fix-it” patch they still can’t seem to get out of their own way.
14 Likes
Is this a joke? You can instant back to cat form…
You can’t heal in bomkin form either and no one would care if Boomkin lose BR as long as human form has it.
You cannot instant back to cat form. After casting rebirth, it’s a Global Cooldown. Then, casting cat form is another Global Cooldown.
Also, Moonkins can cast regrowth in moonkin form. That’s a heal.
6 Likes
While this doesn’t seem like a game breaking change, it’s certainly puzzling and completely unnecessary (in my opinion). I can’t see why anyone would go to the trouble to implement this, so it must be a result of some other change. Which, of course, means it will be too much bother to track down and fix.
7 Likes
I think… if I’m reading this right… it’s really a side-effect if a nerf to the usefulness of affinities.
They are removing the ability of all “cast in form” spells - unless it’s your main form.
Feral just gets the stick. Probably meant as a utility nerf for resto in other forms really, based on how it reads.
- Developers’ notes: Guardian Druid is limited in its practical ability to use some utility abilities while tanking, and we’re loosening that restriction by allowed
Remove Corruption in 
Bear Form. We’re also cleaning up Druid shapeshifting rules slightly: the use of magical-themed spells, in Feral forms, is allowed by passive upgrades given to Guardian and Feral specializations specifically. This represents their special mastery of their “home” form that allows for limited spellcasting, and from a gameplay perspective, this allows Feral/Guardian Druids to use spells in form where there is a strong practical need. At the same time, there are situations where there is no fantasy justification or gameplay need, and spellcasting might be more restricted. For example, non-Guardian Druids can no longer cast 
Moonfire in Bear Form.
1 Like
Bro, ferals voiced their concerns over 8 months during beta, and they fell on def ears. What makes you think they’ll change their ways this time? LUL
3 Likes
There’s no reason why feral druids can’t instant cast or cast rebirth in cat form while other druid specs cannot cast rebirth in cat form. Like how Guardian spec works. It’s the only spec that can cast rebirth in bear form while all other specs cannot.
2 Likes
You can, but, It takes up a global which they wouldn’t otherwise have to use without this change.
Yes you can lol. Ever heard of Regrowth?
Actually, spells with a cast time don’t incur a global cooldown. the cast time is their global cooldown. So it would only be the global of shifting into cat form delaying your return to your cat antics.
There’s still a delay compared to before the change, it’s just 1 global not 2, to be clear.
1 Like
I agree with you… just pointing to the Dev Notes to answer some of the “whys”…
They should at least add the insta-cast back as part of feral choosing resto affinity.
But your right, doesn’t make sense to remove it.
2 Likes
True. Although in a situation, let’s say you start casting rebirth but someone else brezes first (before you even finish the cast and before the cooldown ends)? That could end up frustrating.
Oh it’s absolutely frustrating. Nobody wants to waste a global shifting back into cat form where they didn’t previously have to. QoL changes being reverted usually isn’t met with joy.
3 Likes
I hardly think losing a global every 10mins (max) is going to have a huge impact on anyone.
They’re trying to make casts/abilities consistent across different specs and this fits the bill.
A nerf is a nerf but this a tiny one. I would rather we spend our energy trying to change something meaningful, like get frenzied regen off the gcd.
My 2c
1 Like
You are ignoring the fact that brezz is an emergency resource. Usually when you have to brezz someone, you are in an already desperate situation. Wasting one GCD may very well mean a wipe.
7 Likes
I hope those that are saying that this “doesnt matter” dont expect a quick battle res from their friendly dpsing druids any time soon.
This is kinda kick in the pants for me.
Usually, I’ll try to save the battle res for a healer or a tank, but if I can tell we’re doing just fine and a dps goes down, I’ll break my rotation with my free insta cast and use it on a battle res for the DPS instead of giving myself my heal that will assist in my next attacks.
Of course, the instant battle res is great for if a tank or healer goes down too. Just pop that instead of the heal and continue to fight the fight.
Staying in cat form when using it that way gives me a chance at surviving too if the boss decides he wants to scratch behind my ears. It’s faster and has a better chance of surviving a hit than if I’m standing there as a cow. Not much better, but it still helps!
When I -AM- forced out of cat because I don’t have my insta res ready, it’s all sorts of chaos. God forbid if the boss chooses to go after me, and then it’s just me trying to get myself far enough away so I can get a safe res off.
I don’t see why we’re losing it. I understand why we cant CAST the res in cat form. That’s a lot of focus. But if we have our insta res all set up and ready to go, we should be able to use it in cat form. We’re already giving up a pretty important part of our rotation in return for it.
Anyways. That’s my rant. TL;DR It is VERY useful and it’s dumb to limit it like this when we’re already giving up an important part of rotation in order to use it as it is now.
6 Likes
Curious how they are justifying this. Rebirth isn’t an instant cast and doesn’t seem like an overpowered spell to cast in feral cat form.