For those unaware, evocation was changed so that it now ignores the server mana ticks and instead provides mana back at 2 second set intervals during the 8 second channel (2,4,6,8).
Previously, you could watch the mana tick rate (with a weak aura), and time your evocation to start right before the next mana tick up, which would allow your evocation to finish with only a 6 second cast (you stop casting after the 4th tick).
The previous behavior added an additional bit of skillcap into evocation, where you need to watch the trick rate during your spell rotation if you wanted to reduce your evocation time.
It makes a big difference in Arenas or other high intensity situations where you need to sneak off a quick tick of evo on the fly.
This change feels like a retail “fix” to make the game “easier” while also reducing skill cap.
Also, fix feral druids while we’re at it, for the same reasons!
It’s a nerf to evocation because mages dominated arena, it’s not remotely a retail fix it happened in TBC proper. No it has nothing to do with making the game easier, everything to do with making it so you cant sneak 2 seconds off evocation for pvp.
Doesn’t matter why it was changed, the og devs changed it, it stays in. No need to change class balance now, with maybe an exception for feral druids who were unintentionally nerfed at the time. Evocations change was a very deliberate one, so it stays.
They initially changed it back in 2.2 to instantly give mana back on channeling so you wouldn’t “clip” out a tick, so this is two changes made to it. With that change they said they were converting it to a flat amount at a later time, which they did.
