I’m just typing this out to try and get some feedback from people who
A. Don’t feel the need to tell me the spec is bad for the game, I’ve read/heard that enough
B. Enjoy the idea of a support specc and
C. Can provide any feedback to my idea for changing the current playstyle.
So as it currently works I don’t think Ebon might (nor Aug’s mastery to a lesser degree) are good for support specs going forward. If blizzard plans on only one support spec then none of this matters I was just hoping at least 2 others are in the realm of possibility because as it stands Ebon might feels too good. My idea is change Ebon might to Bronze might and make it affect CDR, that way it’s not quite as useful as a full on haste buff but still affects certain spells and every time you cast your ability you take away 1.5 seconds instead of adding it time to the stat increase. I also think the mastery could use a change, just a vers buff after your empowered spells also is good for about every class but a lot of classes get more out of vers than others. If the mastery behaved more like the chromatic essence trinket where it switched everytime you used it (or had an in combat attunement for each flight) that could actually be interesting, and it would feel more like it aligns with the different themes of dragonflights uniting. I don’t remember what the black dragonflight buff does for that trinket but I’m thinking that could just be a damage procc that’s strong like the turtle trinket from open world content.
Does anyone have feedback? Does this sound more powerful than the current playstyle? I’m just hoping other classes can get a support spec so it doesn’t feel like augmentation monopolized every key going forward, and I really didn’t enjoy getting nerfed over and over again after the spec came out.
I only just got back into WoW after burnout in S1, never played evoker but decided to start fresh with an augvoker. Holy crap on a stick is it a fun class, I LOVE the idea of a support DPS like this.
I can’t speak on game balance or end-game or anything, but part of me really really really wants to see Paladin and Shaman get new support specs. In vanilla they were basically aura/blessing/totem vending machines, and they’d be PERFECT to introduce new classes into the role.
Every class gets the same base benefit out of vers, it only really changes if they were stacking vers already. The ones not stacking vers are probably the ones who would benefit the most from gaining a flat % of vers. Lets imagine 2 classes both did 100k dps, but 1 had 0% vers and the other had 30% vers. Adding 10% vers to each means #1 will now be doing 100,000x1.1 or 110,000dps, whereas #2 will now be doing 100,000/1.3*1.4 or 107,692 dps. That 10% vers was a 10% dps increase for #1, but only a 7.7% dps increase for #2.
Ebon Might is fine other than needing number adjustments. The problem is that main stat is the only way to go which means all future support specs would need their own version of ebon might. Boosting vers is probably the next closest. But boosting any other secondary stat means that certain classes/specs just flat out won’t work with auvoker.
Just to clarify if I understand you which I think I do. You are saying the 30% vers is doing 100K WITH that 30% vers? vs the class with no vers that still does 100K. I think this kinda illustrates why a support that boosts secondaries just won’t work. Such a spec would be forced to group with only a handful of specs or at best to avoid a handful of specs.
TBH support specs are fine when tuned correctly. Also the fact that ebon might affects tanks and healers in keys, while helpful, is problematic. No other dps spec helps tank and healer potency in this way.
I’ve healed a key with an Aug, and then the next key without, and the potency difference in my heals was night and day. What was once easy was now way more difficult to keep up with.
I wanna feel like i can play dev in a key without feeling like i’m not providing enough for my group, and i can’t do that while aug is what it is.
So my suggestion is make Ebon Might ONLY affect dps specs (while buffing Close As Clutchmates a bit to compensate), and buff Potent Mana’s effect if they really want an evoker’s presence to make healing easier (then also allow prevoker to cast SoM on themselves). Also put Defy fate in the class tree.
I think a lot of ppl choose these classes because they have no interest in anything outside making big dps numbers, and wouldn’t appreciate the pressure to switch to their support spec when it’s the best of the class for that patch.
I’m shocked they didn’t announce new specs for support at Blizzcon with the War Within announcement. I hope the hero talent trees will add something like that if you want to specialize into support for certain classes, because going through a whole expansion with only one support spec is going to be weird and bad.
Not because it’s bad for the game or that it isn’t fun or anything like that, but rather because being the game’s only dedicated support spec it exists in a state that is impossible to balance (Since the whole point of the spec is to increase other people’s performance and that can vary wildly based on factors beyond our control) and as such it has been subject to months of unending nerfs.
And don’t get me wrong, maybe it was too strong at launch and nerfs were called for (again, it’s extremely hard to tell since Aug’s value is based on the performance of other players)) But it’s been 3 straight months of nerfs with nothing being given in exchange for our perpetual nerfs (IE better personal damage).
The easy solution here is to just rework the spec at this point since it’s bringing like a third of it’s initial value and as such the Augmentation spec is going to collapse in value on their precious metrics because why bring a class with subpar personal DPS that isn’t adding much beyond what other classes can buff.
The better, harder solution though IMHO is a radical rework of not just classes but of core party composition for dungeons; Have it go from what we have now to something like this:
1 tank
1 healer
2 DPS
2 Flex
Players in the Flex category would be basically a free choice spot that player’s could sort out based on what they think best suits the dungeon and/or M+ modifiers; maybe you need an extra tank to handle the mobs or the bosses damage output, maybe there’s a buttload of conditions you need to cleanse so it’s a healer, maybe there’s some sneaky new synergy of buffs you want to try out so you go 2 Supports or maybe you don’t want to think too hard and go all in on raw damage.
I love this spec, I see so much potential in it and what it could mean for the game’s future but for that to happen it needs to be supported and there needs to be a way for it to be properly measured which only happens when you have other support classes to compare it to.
It’d be a lot easier to balance if it just buffed damage and didn’t have a crap load of utility that the other two specs don’t share, and also if it didn’t buff healing. The other two specs have an ability for buffing healing already, aug should only have that, and if they want evoker to be a big boon to healers, they can buff that ability more (and also allow pres to cast it on itself).
I think the idea of augmentation warranting the addition of two extra party slots to accommodate it is exactly the the type of thing they want to avoid. That’s just making dungeons into micro raids at this point.
The rebalance on Party size and comp was something I came up with under the assumption that Blizz added more Support specs to the game which could in turn be tuned around providing specific bonuses to the party (IE a support mage could provide movement/haste bonuses, a Warrior could have damage mitigation/improved healing, A rogue could have threat reduction/crit etc etc etc).
Like the goal IMHO should be to expand gameplay options and evolve the expierience past where it was when the game first launched in 2004.
As it stands though, if we don’t get Support fully developed into a new pillar of class specialization then Blizz needs to do a full rework on the spec since the endless nerfs are going to just result in it being a dead spec.
If things keep up in S3, I imagine we’ll get the WoD Survival Hunter treatment - it will be nerfed to the point it’s no longer viable as they try to push as many people away from the spec, then 11.0 will just show up with some sort of Melee Augmentation with some sort of excuse like “we just felt like being melee fit better with Augmentation’s Class Fantasy, since now they’re Augmenting their physical capabilities”.
Either that or WoD Warlock’s repeated nerfs followed into “We’re not bad at math. We’d just prefer people not play Augmentation right now.”.
It is, however, a weird spec to balance. Tune it too tightly and it is useless outside of highly organized comps (where it will still dominate).
Regardless, they have stated they do not plan to add more support specs, so it’s not becoming a pillar. The future is either full of nerfs or acceptance that Augs will simply have to be a part of any high-end group. Which imo isn’t very different from any [X] spec being mandatory for high-end groups - every patch has them, Aug is just special in that they make others have an easier time, rather than having the easier time directly by themselves.
Change the spec entirely to a melee DPS spec. Keep the name augmentation - but augmentation becuase you augment your own weapons with draconic magic to do attacks.
Reduce its group buffing/benefit to the same as any other class.
Much like other specs that didn’t work how they intended i.e. the original blood dk, and specs they have completely changed i.e. survival from ranged to melee… you can be your last dollar on the fact Augmentation willl be a melee dps spec with standard group utility next expansion.
I would bet my last dollar that none of this happens. Unlike OG survival Augment does not appeal to only a small niche group of players. It’s extremely popular and there have been players asking for support specs since vanilla. Augment does not break the game any more than survival/destro did in s3-s4 of SL for 99% of the player base that isn’t capable of the coordination required to make it broken. Players need to stop parroting what the streamers say who too often advocate for changes based on what the 1% are doing. We should not be balancing this game because of what the top players can do.
Augment is currently tuned too high even for the average Joe which is why it is getting nerfed. And that is all that is needed.
That’s the issue either support have to to OP as heck even a brain dead player with praise in grey can play it so it have to be simple but by doing that it will be over OP in the top 1%. Or make it completely trash and very hard to play so only the top 1% can benefit from it while 99% of the time it will be trash.
As long as Aug Evoker is easy to play it will garuntee a spot as meta. Either delete the spec or nert its utilties and buff it give out to dps by 30% and Aug Evoker do not buff tanks and healers.
To make support viable and good for wow we must:
1- have more classes allowed to a support spec
2- change team compo to 1 tank, 1 healer, 1 support, 2 dps.
This way, nobody is “forced” to play support if they dont want, but at the same time if they choose to play it, they can have a faster chance to join a party. Just like tank or healer.
Having more classes with that spec will speed up team creation, so we dont have to wait for the evokers only.
All dps should have 1 support spec to make it fair. Either add support spells to a current spec, or make a completely new spec but that would require probably too much work.
Id like support for survival hunter, discipline priest, arms war, enh shaman, combat rogue, arcane mage, unholy dk, balance druid, and a new spec for DH
that sounds boring AF to play. your entire spec is only to support a dps? why not just play a dps? there has to be some benefit to a support spec or else … why? A support spec is fun because it does things no one else does, splits the focus of their task which is a a fun challenge. A bit of healing here, tank needs a buff, CC over there, toss out a few dispels, defensive Cds now and then, keep the dps buffed up. It might not be for everyone but its a fun niche for some many that isnt covered by the other specs.