Filth.
I like having rockbiter for those moment i can’t be up close to the enemy. Enhancement had that feel that i could step away from the mob during their AOE’s and such and still keep up damage. The shocks don’t feel like they do much as is and i’d basically be like warrior using heroic throw at this point.
Keep the melee caster vibe it has don’t just turn it into Elemental with 2 melee attacks then it becomes the broken mess survival hunter is.
EDIT: Your balance idea of a melee caster is leaning to far into caster now. Go back to melee like it should be. I still stand by more other thread make me cast with my weapons not this instant sheath cast stuff.
I honestly want to say far worse things as you have invoked my ire with these changes but i can’t.
Pick one? Besides, Rockbiter hit for pretty much nothing. The only reason it existed was for Maelstrom generation, now that Maelstrom’s gone Rockbiter had no reason to stay.
The changes Blizzard are making are taking the spec in the right direction. Go play Warrior, Rogue, Demon Hunter, anything else if you don’t want to be a battle-mage.
I played shaman so i could have melee with flexibility. All those other classes have to have their noses rubbed up against the boss all the time so no. I want to be a battle mage that casts with their weapons but nope.
EDIT: I’m generally angry with everything and this just tops the cake.
Maybe stop playing wow then? I mean if you get this upset you can either change classes, or deal with it?
Shaman (enhance) was always my favorite class since Vanilla, but over the years there have been many changes I didn’t like, so I moved on and would eventually come back to try out shaman again. I still don’t care for the current iteration of enhance, but I play it. Nothing is that game breaking, and if it is, maybe it’s time to try a different game?
You are mad they took away rockbiter because it allowed you to use an ability at range.
Its spot in the line up is being replaced by other abilities you can use at range. But your issue is that the new abilities…the shocks…which are historically very shamany…are too castery?
So is your real issue the aesthetic? You just want an ability with a more melee focused name?
I want them to continue to use the Animations from the currently flametongue and frostbrand. So when i use flameshock i swing my weapon visually.
Like when you use clawing shadows on DK you still swing your weapon even tho you’re 30 yards away. I like being in melee with my shaman but i like being able to move away from my target instead of feeling like i have to stay glued to it like warrior and rogue.
I can see Prasios point. Rockbiter is decent to keep some dps while at range, and did it still looking like a weapon attack, of sorts.
Same with Frostbrand and Flametongue actually. They did fit that middle ground of being a weapon attack, while being range an elemental. They were replaced by FrostShock an FlameShock that essentially have the same gameplay, minus the weapon aspect.
So, yeah, we’re losing some of the melee theme here. We’re left with Stormstrike and CrashLightning? That’s not much for a “melee-ish” archetype, even an hybrid one. Oh, forgot LavaLash.
Dunno man, I like the shocks as well, but the gob has a point.
You can also spec to be more melee focused with Forceful Winds, Stormfury, Crashing Storm, Sundering, Earthen Spike, and Elemental Spirits. I dont see your problem.
Rockbiter was horrible for damage, you complain its ranged, so are shocks. And because of rockbiter removal and damage isnt spread across so many abilities in the rotation, Frost shock now does more damage. And Frost Shock is ranged.
I dont understand your quarry and I believe that with the removal of Rockbiter it removes clunkiness and is going in the right direction.
And I never said you couldnt dps at range. My “critic” (which isnt one, I’m merely saying that Prasios has a point) is that this was done while retaining some melee “visuals”.
Almost like you deliberately ignored the end of the sentence.
I guess I was just thrown off by a melee caster having casting animations a weird thing to get extreme ire over.
What is the correct ratio of melee animations to caster animations for a melee caster? I feel there are still plenty of melee based animations available. Right now, isn’t it around 100%?
Yup we lost a small range melee spell. The Only thing that can unsalt this wound now is a new ascendance for enhancement with 100% up during boss fights. Actually I think we just need to make it a toggle at this point for when I wanna be ranged and not with Melee attacks!
Nah I can see your point too. I think it lacks some better FX to make it a “range melee” attack. But yeah, flailing at nothing does look a bit weird.
That said, it’s still 2 less melee attacks. We still have 3 though, Stormstrike, LavaLash and CrashLightning. But it definitely feels less “melee”, visually. That said, with the Shock resets on Stormstrike, we now do a whole lot more shocking.
Hard for me to say if it feels better, havent been used to the kit yet. A bit too early.
No worries. Well, on live, almost everything is melee-ish, if you put Frostbrand and Flametongue in there. Only spell you’ll use would be Lightning bolt if you take Overcharge, but I dont see a lot of shaman taking it.
From my early test, on alpha it does feel less “melee”, but we cast a lot more spells, like lightning bolt, chainlightning and shocks.
Lightning bolts and chainlightning, not THAT often, since it’s linked to the new maelstrom. But we now use shocks all the time. Seems like you want to use a shock before every stormstrike for the reset.
So in that regard, wouldn’t putting a few more “caster” type abilities actually be in line with being more of a “battle mage”/ “melee caster”, and not having every ability melee-ish?