Un-pruning is an awesome start, but it does not address some key issues with classes. For example, people have been complaining about Shadow Priest since it was changed in Legion. Just because we get flash heal back doesn’t make the spec any better to play. MM Hunter is another one I can think of as with Holy Priest. Getting a few spells back is nice, but some specs need major love or will still continue to feel lackluster and clunky.
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One of the things i wanted most was just re-removed on alpha, which killed my excitement for changes.
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A lot of us would just be happy if they just repaired the damage they did during WoD, Legion, and BfA. But they aren’t even doing that.
What unpruning? I get a weaker version of a talent I already have, but lose Typhoon and Swiftmend. I’m getting pruned AGAIN in Shadowlands. That makes it the 4th expansion in a row.
I’m happy for you if you’re coming into Shadowlands smelling like a rose, but not everyone is so fortunate.
They’re going out of their way to ignore Guardian feedback. They have plenty of things to say to Resto, Balance, and Feral, but not ONE PEEP to Guardian or addressing any of Guardian’s concerns. And this is following the 1200-post Guardian thread in BfA beta, which they completely ignored and never responded to. So Blizzard is already coming at us with a horrendous track record, which they’ve done NOTHING to improve on in Shadowlands.
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You barely play your main at a competent level. What do you care about “useful”? The fact of the matter is that they are listening to feedback and changing things on Alpha based on said feedback, including how classes literally play, which is something they haven’t done for two expansions now.
Show me the SPriest complaints. Show me the Holy Priest complaints. Holy Priests have been throughput monsters for quite a few tiers now. Shadow Priest has been among the top DPS since, at the very least, Emerald Nightmare.
It’s just you
I’m hyped
Throughput =/= fun. Regardless of potency, people have complained about Spriest Voidform playstyle since Legion started. As an avid Spriest player, I spend a lot of times on the class forums and it’s mostly complaints, not just QQ posts. SL Alpha does not look promising for us either with the lack of changes.
Here is a very well written post by Spriests who have access to Alpha. This outlines many good talking points about the issues with the class so far in Shadowlands.
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/feedback-priest-class-changes/490697/3?u=c%C3%A2rlo-sargeras
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I totally agree with this. Its not a rule that it has to keep being added. Focus on bringing other new fun stuff. As universally loathed as warfronts and islands have been, at least they were attempts at new kinds of content. Same for scenarios. They just didnt work out.
Maybe they just need to stick with what works for each expansion and stop trying to reinvent the wheel? New continent, new dungeons and raids, 10 more levels and new bad guy on the front of the box? Id actually be okay with that. But I know others constantly need more more more.
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These temporary powers are like “dress-up” powers: nigh-naked Barbie gets her wardrobe revamped every expac.
How about the powers we earn back are what was pruned from previous expacs, essentially modifications to existing abilities? Eg, iirc, in Legion Soul Cleave absorbed 5 fragments, not 2. Why can’t we get stuff like that back? It can be permanent w/o concern over button build-up.
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Yes they may have been fun to play before azerite gear but that was not the point.
Try playing BfA content while it is current with out azerite gear and let us know how fun it is. Go into Shadowlands when it launches reach the level to pick a covenant then don’t so you don’t get the abilities then tell us it how fun it is.
What one has done in the past is only relevant to that content it doesn’t mean it holds true for the current or future situations.
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What unpruning? That is laughably foolish to say. They’ve unpruned nearly every spec in the game. Literally every spec, except possibly Guardians, is coming into Shadowlands with a better playstyle than when BFA or Legion launched as it stands right this second. If you think otherwise, you’re being intentionally obtuse.
Their track record with Guardians is sketchy, at best, and I’m not saying that you should expect the best as a Guardian right now. However, as a whole, they absolutely are listening to feedback regarding classes, playstyles and everything else. Which is why classes are being significantly changed STILL. Which is why key features of the expansion(Like Torgast/Covenants) are still being changed significantly. To brush it off as “Well, they aren’t listening to Guardians so they are overall as bad as they were in BFA/Legion!” is just blatantly wrong.
People hated playing a Priest with Rogue combat points too. There will always be a playstyle that was preferable to one person but not another when it comes to classes that have undergone several different playstyle iterations throughout their existence. Having just read the OP of what you linked, several of the issues can be fixed with a tuning pass(SW:D, Power Infusion and Mind Blast CD). The first Void Bolt issue can be minimized with proper positioning and the second issue is less of an issue after you inevitably get more Haste. It can also be fixed by making Mind Flay’s channel a second longer.
Possibly? There’s no “possibly” about it. Not only are they nerfing our CC and self-healing, they’re even nerfing Pulverize, a talent that’s already so bad almost nobody ever takes it.
If you want to help, please do.
Here’s how to help. Every time you say “blizzard is listening” or “every class/spec is better in shadowlands”, do this instead:
- Stop.
- Think.
- Replace what you typed with “Blizzard, please fix Guardian Druids.”
- Post.
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There definitely will be people on both sides of the fence: those who didn’t like old Shadow and those that did. But as someone who has played Shadow Priest since Cataclysm, Voidform is undoubtedly more disliked than any other iteration of Shadow as a spec.
As it stands right now in Alpha, Voidform provides no active benefit besides access to Voidbolt and some stacking haste. Whereas Legion artifact passives further highlighted the potency of Voidform. BFA used Chorus of Insanity to stress staying in Voidform, and right now Shadowlands has none of those benefits.
At this point I don’t think I can change your viewpoint on how you see certain classes and specs, even coming from people who have played said spec for upwards of a decade. It’s all good in the end, people who like the class will play it and those who don’t will suffer through, play something else, or most likely quit.
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Heck, if they really have to add new stuff, new specs to existing classes - or just new classes outright, is a way better way to add variety.
Yeah, there’s balance concerns - but there are with these borrowed power systems as well. 
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more then likely going to still be awful likely rely too heavily of so called “legendaries” that really are not Legendary to begin with if everyone else using it cause it mandatory.
to me they just need to stop adding these damn “borrowed” power systems like corruptions, Legion leggo’s, etc… that stuff aint fun and the way they bake it into the story is so damn sloppy
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Yep. They are revolving the game around LAME COVENANT ABILITIES…blizzard gonna kill shadowlands
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BfA isnt meant to be played without azerite gear. Thats like saying “Try playing without half your spellbook and let us know how fun it is.” or “Try playing Legion without your artifact weapon and let us know how fun it is.” or “Try playing SL without covenants and soul-binds and let us know how fun it is.” Obviously, any of these scenarios are going to feel terrible because youre playing the game with one hand tied behind your back. All these arguments about how bad borrowed power is are missing the point that youre never going to be playing the game without them.
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Other than the on use (mostly meme beam) my monk and ele/resto shaman would be basically the same with Azerite/essences/corruption removed.
A lot of random procs doesn’t make them help class feel and design.
Still waiting on a better alternative.
I was almost cutting edge in BfD, pre-nerfs until work became an issue, have been 2.2k+ every PvP season, and have done several +18 (+19s and 20’s in s2 when I cared more). So what exactly is competent to you? Please tell me on your main 
That explains why bear tanks with a thread of 1k+ posters have seen their feedback taken into consideration on alpha 
They did a good bit in legion, so again, you are wrong.
You legit have to be trolling
Make the classes able to stand alone without temporary power, and make temporary power less important
That would be a start
That’s kind of the point…
When you are forced to have something like essences, corruption, azerite gear, artifact weapons, etc to even be able to play your spec, it’s just bad design. They are balancing your class around those temporary powers.
Classes played well before azerite and artifact weapons and covenants.
If I understand correctly, you are saying without those classes would feel weak and bland, which is the point I’m trying to make…
Temporary power should only enhance the play style of the class, not control it
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You’re still missing my point, either that or we’re trying to argue two sides of the same coin. My point is, yes, without these borrowed powers the classes feel terrible. But you’re never going to be playing without them in the first place. Its kinda like saying that car sucks without its wheels, I’ll just stick to my horse, it worked fine before. Temporary power that lasts an entire expansion is no different than a new talent or new spell that you get for that expansion. If Blizzard came out and said, ok we hear you, no more temporary power, look at all the new spells were giving you. I could use your argument to say that the classes would feel weak and bland without those new spells, what terrible game design.