at least their main issue in pvp. Instead of a giving them a health, just give them a flat durability. In that it will always take 2-3 attacks to destroy a totem. With just 5 health, a level 1 can destroy any totem, even by a max level shaman. This also allows Pet classes to just macro in totems into attacks (and even some melee classes just macro in /target macros with attacks off the GCD back in the day) so they don’t even need to think about destroying totems or not.
The second main issue was the fact that a lot of buffs basically got shoved into two schools (air and earth). So there wasn’t really any choice for two elements and too much choice in the other two.
Also please bring back the stuff from Cata/Panda that allowed us to set what totems we want to drop and drop all 4 in one press. Or to move our totems with a range spell. I think it was totemic projection. Both of those really helped getting set up.
We have 0 evidence of this being the truth. So far searing totem was the only completely vanished totem that is returning. The four-drop and recall spells will likely not return as long as Totem Mastery as a talent remains in the game.
I thought the “main issue” is that the buff totems caused the class’s personal damage to be nerfed, while not adequately compensating. Making the class so bad leading to why they had to be originally removed.
Actually they were removed because they removed everything fun and engaging from the original design in Legion. You know they didnt want ability bloat to homogenize so they decide to homogenize with less keybinds.
EVERYONE BUILD!!! EVERYONE SPEND!!! WE STILL CAN’T BALANCE!!!
My major problem with totems is that they’re external buffs but they die with us. If a paladin throws a buff on someone, and the paladin dies, the buff doesn’t.
I honestly miss all cool totems i remember switching between the different ones i wanted to use. Was cool cause its like hmm i could use this or that, instead of having just 1 type we have now on talent tree, plus other situational ones they threw everywhere from pvp to pve talents. I know its not needed now but after messing with classic again, i miss having the totems in my bag. It just made them feel so much more special.
During the panel they commented on bringing totems back, and mentioned healing stream. Then the slide showed the icons for searing, healing stream, tremor, and tranquil air.
that… wasn’t really the case. All hybrids got the hybrid taxed. Shaman were no different. At least until the Hybrid tax went away. Then we kept of the cycle of being broken → bandaid fix after bandaid fixed (usually with a spec ending up being OP near the end of the expansion) → being told we’ll be fixed next expansion → being broken at the start of the expansion → repeat.
That’s actually correct, they were removed in WoD. They got replaced with “active” totems. Totems that won’t stay around long but have a big impact. It was nice but didn’t really feel the same.
I 100% agree with you there. It was one balancing issue blizzard never solved since it would have made good Shaman OP. I.E. a simple solution would have been to increase the buff amount. So like a Paladin’s blessing of Kings would give 5% attack power, While a Shaman’s totem would give 7%-10% since it requires the Shaman to stay a live.
I am guessing the trade off Blizzard was going for initially was that you could have four buffs vs the Paladin or Druid’s one. The main issue there (like I stated in the opening post) is that they shoved basically all buff totems into either Earth or Air. So you only had two buffs vs the paladin or druid’s one.
The slide actually had Healing Stream, Searing, Tremor, and capacitor. My main comment was that we have 0 evidence of buff totems returning (wrath of air, strength of earth, etc.)
Without a “drop multiple totems at once” button, they’re going to feel super clunky and terrible again, especially in PvP. It’s an exquisite torture, pressing a bunch of prep buttons while someone is mongoing damage all over you.
I wish Totems had some sort of instant effect, then an over-time effect. So like, Stoneskin pops some larger damage reduction or shield or something instantly, then puts the active buff on an iCD while providing a passive damage reduction. Or Searing Totem instantly throws a bigger fireball (then ICD), then starts to shoot the smaller ones. Anything to make them feel better.
It’s about options. Not all totems have to be optimal in all game situations. Maybe Healing Stream helps buffer in PvP when trying to survive or generally helping compliment healers in most M+ keys. Maybe Searing Totem helps as another source of damage in a single-target fight. If they bring back something like magma totem as an AoE cooldown, that would help on trash.
Part of the awesome thing with totems was that there were options for multiple occasions. Sort of like how Hunters can seemingly provide/do anything depending on the pet they use, Shamans could provide a wide variety. It would just be cool.
I’m pretty sure whoever made the slide hasn’t played a shaman, because 3 of those totems still exist.
I only want totems back if we get actually powerful totems and/or our support playstyle back. Not fire elemental can die in one hit again totems, or a searing totem that does 3% of our overall damage and is otherwise ignored.
I like totems, but it looked like they have no idea what to do with them.
Plus that covenant ability they showed was the most uninspired and worthless garbage. If that’s what our totems are gonna look like no thanks.
Yeah I’m not a huge fan of the covenant totem but we also don’t know how valuable mastery will be yet so, for all we know it could be pretty good.
And even though Tremor is already part of all three specs, the others are just getting returned to all three. Too far out to say whether or not they’ll be just flavor or actually useful though.