Posting this here, since I don’t have Alpha access and can’t actually test it for proper feedback? Praying Blizz actually reads these? But… what the crap?
I won’t lie, I DO think the new talent stuff is more powerful overall, just in slightly different ways. For PvP at least. For PvE I think Destro took a hard blow.
I even predicted some of it, like Dimensional Rift getting its own pathing section at the bottom… but Blizz… really can’t seem to listen to play feedback, can they? Or do they truly think a world where we have Rain of Fire baseline is too stronk?
Not to mention… the layout is just… ugly? Its just all thrown at the bottom, last 3 rows have 19 talent nodes. Sure, there are no 2-talent nodes anymore, but many of our former talent nodes, Eradication, Ashen Remains, Rolling Havoc, etc, solely have the effects of their 1-talent node selves.
Sure, some, like Scalding Flames have the 25% damage boost of its 2-point self, and even includes the 1-point version of Improved Immolate as well, and the Soul Fire changes look insane.
But now Backlash requires Rain of Fire, the new Avatar of Destruction feels underwhelming (I was hoping for a Cataclysm tree that had Avatar of Destruction to literally summon the Overfiend for casting Cataclysm as it was in the Diabolist tree for a bit there)?
I dunno, I think its playable, but I kinda hate it… a lot actually.
SO FAR SO GOOD, amazing overhaul sure there’s some stuff to be clear a bit like dimensional rift pathing, but there’s too much talent that should be one, demon fire mastery and raging demon fire should be 1 talent node, inferno, and Cata need to be separated, also many of the 2 nodes talents that got cut in half should get their numbers to look out, raging demon fire /crashing chaos/ burn to ashes/rolling havoc should get a bit of a boost.
besides that looks awesome the dimensional rift pathing looks sick and the best thing I have ever seen in my life DECIMATION pff this talent just makes my pants wet instantly holy hell that stuff gonna blow faces in PVP and it gonna be an insane damage boost in pve
for M+ they made it so we can pick different builds and we do not need to sacrifice either AOE or ST,
I would like to say that I wish decimating Bolt would make a comeback in the class tree or impeding catastrophe but hey I’m pleased so far with what I have seen, a couple of works by cleaning up unnecessary nodes and this would be the best destro interaction ever
Also, its kinda of early to tell but Chaos incarnate should be brought back to 100% I’m guessing it is way too weak to compete with the other capstones like DECIMATION!!!
FREAKIGN DECIMATION DUDE HOLY WAKAMOLI DECIMATION!!!
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I do think after reexamining the talents, the new build is a huge W for both PvE and PvP. I put too much value into the 2-talent nodes being 1-talent with the effects of their 1-point selves (Eradication/Ashen Remains being halved), without considering that the ‘lost’ damage, as far as Chaos Bolt is concerned, is ‘recovered’ with the Improved Chaos Bolt talent.
The only ‘loss’ is overall Incinerate damage due to Burn to Ashes being halved, even if you factor in Emberstorm.
Decimation is gonna be insane, but I dunno if it’ll be run in PvP or not. Due to the heavy investment in the Dimensional Rift section. PvE, absolutely. Otherwise, yes. My predictions may have been right in that regard (DR getting its own section), but I was wrong on Cata getting a treatment similar to Summon Vilefiend for Demo.
Edit: Doesn’t change my general opinion that I kinda hated it, due to how messy the last 3 rows are. I’d rather take a handful, maybe 2-5 two-point nodes near the bottom if it would a more symmetrical and neater bottom 3 rows.
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I agree Chaos Incarnate is very undertuned now. The nerf should definitely be reverted since it’s no longer a shared node with Dimensional Rift, plus it would make up for some of the power Chaos Bolt lost from all of its associated talents being reduced to one rank only.
I think some of the capstone talent names could be improved though. Improved Chaos Bolt and Flame Rift both seem lke rather generic placeholder names, not particularly powerful sounding compared to something like Decimation or Avatar of Destruction.
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I still want Fire and Brimstone to give Shards for each target hit and get a boost in the damage it does. And I was hoping they’d make Cry Havoc viable instead of removing it. 
Plus they nerfed Havoc a bit with the removal of Pandemonium.
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actually excited to try out destro on the upcoming xpac
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We are almost home blizz, didn’t have much time to look at it before work but it looks interesting. Just make that Cata change and we cooking.
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new tree looks fun but destro’s dungeon performance is clearly heavily influencing the design of new talents lol. If you’re trying to path down the tree and make a ST raid build its hard to choose since everything including the new avatar of destruction and dimensional ripper talents are trying to push them to be stronger in a ST damage profile.
that’s absurd, destro shard gem in aoe seems absurd, giving FnB shard gem it’s gonna bloat the shards gem
there are only a few fights that are straight ST there always some kinda cleave/aoe situation, taking cata or FnB wont kill you trust me
Personally I am liking the direction its going, the overall flow of the tree feels better.
Summon Infernal being treated like the actual spec cooldown that it is, on par with other classes and specs in the game in terms of placement on the trees, is about damn time and will leave more room for other playstyles intergration.
I am not so sure about the Shadowburn and Rift capstones, Destro doesn’t have that many button that is true, but its soul shard economy isnt typically that rich either. Getting AoE started to do decent damage also remains rather difficult to do in mid-keys situations. Looking forward to see what changes will do to that
I have a feeling that for PvP at least, Destro still ignores Pyrogenics and Inferno, maybe even Cataclysm. Obviously ignores Fire and Brimstone and Channel Demonfire. Ignores Rolling Havoc, Infernal Brand, and might ignore Fiendish Cruelty (reason noted later). Ignoring all of those perfectly unlocks the final row.
Then final row, ignore Soul Fire, Chaos Incarnate, Rain of Chaos, Power Overwhelming, Unstable Rifts, we’re already ignoring Channel Demonfire, and then either pick Lessons of Space-Time, Avatar of Destruction, OR Fiendish Cruelty for the last point.
Personally, I think Avatar of Destruction is more ‘worth it’ (and by that, WAY MORE) then Fiendish Cruelty, and both talents are worth more then Lessons of Space-Time, but this isn’t something I’m confident on. But otherwise, I’m 99% sure this is the Destro PvP build for War Within, and only requires like, 1-2 points to change for Rated BGs or large scale WPvP.
Edit: I am aware how insane Decimation is, but it really comes down to worth and viability. It might be worth more then Dimension Ripper and Flame Rift, to pick up Soul Fire and Decimation. It might not be, but S3 Flame Rifts were absolutely NUTS, and though Incinerate granting Dimensional Rift charges isn’t as insane as Immolate damage giving Dimensional Rift charges, its still something I’m valuing quite heavily in comparison.
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I think the portal fans and other players that aren’t maining destro lock all the time will loom at this as a positive step forward.
Kalamanzi pointed out plenty of pros and cons. I agree with some of the pros and think there are more cons than pros.
The many talents that have been given to us as 1 pt, while reflecting their previous 1 pt choices is a nerf.
Chaos inc. Is an obvious nerf.
Most of the player base does not want dimensional portal builds, but its being shoved down our throat.
Most of us do not care for or about soul fire, but its being hyper tuned and shoves down our throat.
It is very obvious that whom ever is designing the destro tree is following more of what they think this should be an way less than the many people that main destro lock.
My prediction. They put this out to inflame the crowds so they can come in and tune, within said agenda coupled with some mild listening and be like, look we listened to player feedback.
That is lazy clumsy psyop psychology.
Here are some hints on what you sbould be doing for a win.
- Stop giving us level 1 talents when you could easily tune them higher.
- Stop nerfing player favorite talents.
- Make cataclysm baseline without a nerf.
- Stop creating additional talents that should be combined just so you can combine them later and be like, look we listened.
- Stop shoving play styles most of the player base does not want down our throats.
That is all
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I’m loving the rework so far. It needs further iteration, but it’s a great start. Some of the bottom talents definitely need to be merged. I’m excited to fill my actionbar with actives that feel good to press. CDF, Shadowburn, Soul Fire, Dimensional Rift, I want it all. I wonder what their reasoning is for keeping Cataclysm and Inferno in the same node, though.
Flame Rift gang rise up 
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I feel like they added a bunch of stuff to see what we like which is cool, no way rift is going live with like 5 talents.
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If I had to make a guess… outside of retethering it to Chaos Incarnate… that… it’ll go down to 2 attachment nodes.
Flame Rift and Unstable Rifts will either be combined, like ‘your rifts are more powerful, and you can open a potent flame rift’, or a split talent, and the same goes for Dimension Ripper and Lessons of Space-Time. Either combined or a split talent.
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This looks very fun so far. I can see a Hellcaller aoe dot build with channel demonfire.
Hellcaller st build with hard hitting chaos bolts and soul fires.
Hellcaller st dot build with demo rift.
Same with Diabolist various single target and AOE builds.
Despite my eternal disdain for Hellcaller being Affliction-themed overall, I do think Hellcaller will be the PvP-route. Instant cast Immolates, stronger Curse of Weakness, and the raw crit chance from Xalan’s Cruelty is just too insane. I think it far outweighs the Diabolic Ritual stuff for Diabolist.
Though, admittedly, Diabolist’s Soul-Etched Circles and defensive node choice is super good as well! Saving a Soul Shard from Soulburn to teleport is awesome, and both choices of Infernal Vitality and Infernal Bulwark are great (though I think Infernal Vitality MIGHT be better for PvP), as opposed to Illhoof’s Design which might help at the start of a match, but quickly becomes a curse once your Soul Leech is expended, and Zevrim’s Resilience is alright, but the healing feels… small, and once Dark Pact breaks, presumably the self-heal ends too.
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