WoW Moviewatch: Shadow Priest Public Service Announcement
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 13th 2007 at 11:53AM
Today on WoW Moviewatch we bring you an important public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood shadow priest. Well, at least he's friendly up to the point people start yelling "HAEL ME!!!" I really can't accept blame for anything that might happen after that point.
Previously on Moviewatch...
Filed under: Priest, Machinima, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nulmorr Apr 13th 2007 12:01PM
At least its not another oxhorn video
Ragbar Apr 13th 2007 12:10PM
I prefer to be called a shadowmage.
It's not annoying to me when people expect me to be a holy/disc priest and to heal an instance. I mean, there's no way to tell unless you ask the person. I wish there was some way that you could let it be known that you're DPS spec when you joined the LFG channel. Same goes for Shamans or Druids too.
Sylythn Apr 13th 2007 12:22PM
@Ragbar - been away from the game for a bit? The LFG channel is no more - and the new LFG interface has a Comments section, where you can put in your spec so everyone can see it. There's also Armory.
Rich Apr 13th 2007 12:36PM
"1. At least its not another oxhorn video"
QFT
BTW, wtf was he talking about with Warriors at the end...?
Ragbar Apr 13th 2007 12:38PM
I meant the interface, and not the channel.
Also, sure, I could go to armory....providing it's updated, provided I can actually access that person's profile, provided that I feel like alt-tabbing, tracking them down, then I have to ask if their spec really is the same as what armory is reporting it as.
Never paid attention to the comments thing, I'll have to do that from now on.
James Apr 13th 2007 12:49PM
The warriors reference was, I assume, the fact that some tanks (not just warriors) will rush head long into the next mob rather than wait on the mana user's to let their mana regen. Some of your finer tanks will do this regardless of how hard the previous mob was. Its a potential sign that you're going to have problems with the tank since they aren't aware of their surroundings enough to realize not everyone is using a rage bar.
On my hunter, mildly aggravating. On my resto-shaman...dead tank, because if I'm healing, you can either wait, or die while I'm drinking.
ajpally Apr 13th 2007 12:59PM
Personally I HATE Shadow Priests. I have a pally, and have played with a druid and priest as well.
Wow should never have come up with the shadow form, it ruins groups. I have had more shadow priests mess up groups then do good.
Priest should spec holy, and heal their groups period! It's like having a mage tank.
KNOW YOUR ROLE IN WOW!
Flinn Apr 13th 2007 1:20PM
What was the movie about? I was too distracted by his slight lisp...next!
MattRossi Apr 13th 2007 2:26PM
"The warriors reference was, I assume, the fact that some tanks (not just warriors) will rush head long into the next mob rather than wait on the mana user's to let their mana regen. Some of your finer tanks will do this regardless of how hard the previous mob was. Its a potential sign that you're going to have problems with the tank since they aren't aware of their surroundings enough to realize not everyone is using a rage bar."
Maybe if the party showed the slightest idea of how to wait until the tank had established aggro, the tank wouldn't be so desperate to hold it that he had to run ahead to aggro the mob while he had enough rage to spam his threat generating abilities.
I have lost count of the number of runs I've done where the mage and rogue open up DPS the second I make contact with the enemy while the priest throws a power word: shield on me so that I take no initial damage and thus, generate almost no rage. It's maddening, and the fact that even *experienced* players still do this drives me insane. Sometimes, yeah, I'll run ahead and engage the next mob while I still have rage because, if I don't, they're just going to do it again. Mana and energy go UP the longer we wait, rage goes DOWN, and if I'm dealing with a party of aggro whores and shield-happy priests, I'm going to make THEM sweat for a while.
As for that right click nonsense, I have no idea what the hell that was. It's not like I need to, I don't know, generate rage or deal with cooldowns or even hit a damn button once in a while.
Ragbar Apr 13th 2007 2:32PM
@ ajpally
Wow, I hope your post was a joke.
That was the most ignorant and unintelligent comment I've seen posted on here for a long time. For several reasons.
1) Obviously having a Mage tank is not a good idea, it isn't a viable spec. However, Shadow is a viable DPS spec, and for some players who optimize their gear, it is a spec capable of topping damage meters in any instance. Not to mention the constant heals and mana they give to their group with VE/VT. Not only does this help out all healers/casters in the group, but it also helps out Paladins like yourself by replentishing your mana through heals and mana ticks.
2) Who are you to tell a certain class to spec only one way? I think all paladins should spec retribution and that's IT! Know your role! That's just idiocy and ignorance.
Gill Apr 13th 2007 2:34PM
@ajpally translation: "I want cookie cutter builds and be done with it. F*** anyone who wants variety. F*** anyone who wants to play their way!!!!"
we3bus Apr 13th 2007 3:23PM
@#8, Flinn,
Did it turn you on?
Ryan Apr 13th 2007 2:55PM
@7 Don't confuse bad players with bad classes/specs. Right now shadow priests are pretty much required for all end-game raiding due to the mana regen for your casters. Beats spending 50g a night on mana pots.
ajpally Apr 13th 2007 2:49PM
In case your skull is to thick to realize there was tons of sarcasm in my post.
I have yet to come across a good shadow priest. In fact I have spent more time in groups drying because a priest is in shadow form than healing like they were designed to do.
I could care less about cookie cutter classes whatever the hell. I like groups that work. I run a tons of instances and if a group wipes because a healer thought it would be cool to go shadow form then thats a waste of MY time.
And in case anyone is confused on the role of the priest please refer to wow's website:
"riests are the masters of healing and preservation, restoring their wounded allies, shielding them in battle, and even resurrecting their fallen comrades. While they have a variety of protective and enhancement spells to bolster their allies, priests can also wreak terrible vengeance on their enemies, using the powers of shadow or holy light to destroy them. They are a diverse and powerful class, highly desirable in any group, capable of fulfilling multiple roles." via: http://worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/priest/
And amazingly down the page there is a link to a guide to healing: http://worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/partyroles.html#healers
Priest should be healers. Period. Shadowform does nothing but mess up a group dynamic.
ajpally Apr 13th 2007 3:03PM
And by the way:
If a priest is spec for shadowform, this forces a group to carry an additional healer type in the group: priest pally or druid to heal. When in a normal group that spot the shadow priest is using could be used for dps, healing and/or tanking.
Priest should be healers. Period.
Gill Apr 13th 2007 3:18PM
ajpally, let's just do away with talent trees altogether no?
ajpally Apr 13th 2007 3:24PM
oh no, I can't stand the thought of that. People actually playing their classes in the right way? Amazing.
Maybe I will wipe less next time I run an instance.
People should know their place in wow just like they should know their place in life.
Ragbar Apr 13th 2007 3:29PM
@ ajpally
Taken from your own post, about the role of a priest, via Blizz website.
"...priests can also wreak terrible vengeance on their enemies, using the powers of shadow or holy light to destroy them. They are a diverse and powerful class, highly desirable in any group, capable of fulfilling multiple roles."
That was taken from your post. I will emphasize the following; "They are a diverse and powerful class, highly desireable in any group, capable of fufillnig MULTIPLE ROLES".
To further expund on your idiotic and close-minded beliefs. I've grouped with all kinds of classes of different builds. As soon as one causes us to wipe I should therefore dictate that class as worthless?
You also state;
"If a priest is spec for shadowform, this forces a group to carry an additional healer type in the group: priest pally or druid to heal. When in a normal group that spot the shadow priest is using could be used for dps, healing and/or tanking."
This doesn't force the group to carry any additional healers. Treat Shadowpriests as DPS, not healing. Whenever someone asks me to run an instance, the first thing I tell them is that I'm shadow spec. In a group dynamic, I take over the DPS role. One of the added benefits of which is still being able to heal for 20% of the damage I do, and also acting like a permanent mana-totem for the entire group.
If you'd like to further argue about how priests should heal and nothing else, I would direct you to post your opinion on Nihilum and Death and Taxes guild forums. Ask them what their priests spec. Here, I'll save you the trouble. They take no less than 3, and sometimes 4 Shadowpriests to every raid. Holy/Disc priets?...Two or less.
ajpally Apr 13th 2007 3:41PM
If we were all so luck to be a part of Death and Taxes. Yes I know I've read the articles that they have pally's heal and shadowpriests dps. Big deal.
I am saying that in my experience shadowform is a waste of a group member and yes I have tons of experience with end game and non-endgame alike.
For us normal wow players, the shadowform is nothing more than a letdown of a spec and waste of space in a group.
I have yet to run into a shadowform priest that could out dps any normal class normally suited for dps (melee or ranged).
You can believe what you want and so can Death and Taxes with their uber guild/gear and no life.
For now give me someone that can do their job. Its no different from a tank controlling agro to a hunter controlling his pet.
andrea Apr 13th 2007 3:46PM
No, people should not know their classes. They should know their specs. Diving into one or the other, can net you a totally different type of class. YOU, should know that if you have a priest that is in shadowform, they are probably not there to heal you. Why you don't establish that ahead of time...???
Your comments are flat out weird, coming from a pally.