Warlocks in patch 2.3: nerfed or fixed?
by Robin Torres 
Oct 12th 2007 at 11:00AM
At BlizzCon, every time someone mentioned Warlocks during the panels, the crowd would boo. On the forums, the cries of "Nerf Warlocks!" were loud and frequent. Now, in patch 2.3, some Warlocks are saying that Blizzard has listened and nerfed them.Danakha posted a breakdown on the forums of the Warlock changes and his analysis of them, stating that Blizzard listened to all the complaints and acted on them. His main problem with 2.3 is this change:
Drain Life and Siphon Life now reduce the amount healed when the warlock is affected by healing reducing effects (e.g. Mortal Strike, Wounding Poison).
Blue poster Eyonix responded with:
I'm sorry to say that though this may feel like a "nerf" it is in-fact a fix.
The Warlocks crying nerf say that it can't possibly be a bug fix because it has been "overlooked" for too long and that it doesn't make sense that the bug only affected the drain spells. Those supporting the change say that healing reducing effects should affect all heals.
Danakha also had a problem with the following change:
Seed of Corruption detonation will now obey line of sight.
But the majority of the forum posters and Eyonix have clarified this as being a definite benefit for everyone. Currently, Seed of Corruption can aggro mobs through walls, wiping raids. Making the detonation obey line of sight should fix the problem.
To me, the real question is: does Blizzard listen to forum complaints and change the game accordingly? Eyonix says no:
We don't make design decisions based upon player complaint. Trust me. You can come up with examples all day long where you believe this is true simply because we happened to make a change that people were complaining about. A change is made after a problem is brought to our attention, we've researched the matter and feel the issue is real.
It's doubtful you'll want to stop and think about the number of things that people have complained about that we never changed, dating back to classic WoW's initial beta -- because it wouldn't support your current perception.
In the past, Blizzard has stated that the perception of Warlocks being OP stems from their ruling the duels. But Blizzard feels that WoW is not a game based on 1v1 prowess and that Warlocks are not over powered when it comes to group PvP and PvE.
So is making Drain and Siphon Life subject to healing and reducing effects a change in policy and a nerf? Or is it a long overlooked bugfix?
| Nerf! And about time! | |
|---|---|
| Nerf. They are listening to the QQers. | |
| It's definitely a bug fix. | |
| I don't care. I just like answering polls. |
Filed under: Warlock, Patches, Bugs, BlizzCon, Polls, Forums
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Bearskunk Oct 12th 2007 11:07AM
Good job according to the patchnotes. Warlocks got bugfixes, other classes got buffs. Whoever still whines can't be helped anymore.
zeem Oct 12th 2007 11:08AM
That was a nerf? Warlocks need like a 10% base damage reduction in everything, they've pretty much ruined the game. Particularly in PvP - I dont bother doing battlegrounds anymore because I'm sick to death of getting feared to 20%.
NERF THEM MORE I SAY!
Elodie Oct 12th 2007 11:12AM
Drain Life was a "draining" effect that actually healed because it was draining... life. Now it's a healing effect (yet it's not affected by +healing but by + spell damage) I just feel like they're bending the rules. Of course, if they find that such a bend is necessary to balance the game, fine.
But when you bend the rules like that, it's gonna create resentement. And i don't think you should call it a "fix." Its not. It's a nerf. Maybe it was necessary, maybe not. But it's been around for so long, it can't be called a "fix" (it's been overlooked for 3 years? come on...)
Phil Butcher Oct 12th 2007 11:14AM
I cannot understand how anyone, unless they are insane, could say this is a nerf. It is a bug fix. Locks were always meant to work this way. This is the very definition of 'working as intended.'
It is about time. I mean, it is an obvious heal, why should only the healer classes be screwed by mortal strike? Why should warlocks get off easy on it?
Buuty Oct 12th 2007 11:16AM
It's not a nerf, you were already OP.
It was fixed because other recent buffs made the warlcoks too powerful versus casters in PvP. A level 36 warlock pushing 2 buttons should not be able to defeat a level 39 mage or shaman.
YOu guys have huge stam buffs, excellent CC, what amount to a healing spell, mana drain, DoT.....et cetera. If you don't think that is OP, you don't understand other classes.
native Oct 12th 2007 11:22AM
warlocks get a "boo" everytime they're mentioned at Blizzcon and you still think they're perfectly balanced with other classes?
To break out a movie quote:
"Who's being naive now Kate?"
Cieron Oct 12th 2007 11:23AM
If Warlocks are so OP then why are warriors not warlocks in the majority of the top arena teams. Go QQ somewhere else.
Elodie Oct 12th 2007 11:25AM
@4
I'm not saying this was not a required nerf.
I'm saying it's not a fix. It's changing something that has always been working as intended so that it now works differently.
Fixing something is changing something that was NOT working as intented. For the record, i'm not against the change. Even if I was, it wouldnt change anything right?
@ everyone that complains about either fear or Drain Life :
Don't tell me fear has to be nerf again. There's so many way to break it, i barely use it anymore it's a waste of GCD. And Drain life cryes out with a big green beam to be interupted.
Being stun lock for 10 sec without any chance of moving is not more fun than being feared.
Elbows Oct 12th 2007 11:23AM
Now all they need to do is make chanelled spells break on LOS and warlocks will pretty much be fixed. Oh yea and nerf felhunter too plx.
Lizardking63 Oct 12th 2007 11:28AM
Any class that can hit you with 3 dots in a matter of a few seconds and then run from you while you die, is most definitely OP'd If you do happen to catch them, they just Deathcoil and chain fear while reapplying the dots. IF you survived the first round of DoT;s, you most definitely aren't going to survive the second. Then, at the same time, they have a pet beating on you or locking your spells or eating your buffs. They need to do more to lessen their damage. I mean comeon...what other class can do that?
Lanth Oct 12th 2007 11:27AM
@5: *ahem*Priest*ahem*
Anyway, Warlocks are not overpowered, they are simply broken, and have been for a while. While other squishies have heals and snares, we simply outlast our opponents. Some may say that this means we are OP, but nerfing us does not fix the problem. I believe we should become more of a snare class (make CoEx trainable, put Fear in CoEx's old spot, reduce its duration, cast time and give it a cooldown so it becomes an emergency spell, maybe give us some form of cripple), for it suits our on-the-move DoT style.
Cieron Oct 12th 2007 11:31AM
11 just described deathcoil lol
Paul Oct 12th 2007 12:25PM
My girlfriend who had never pvp'ed before joined a WSG battle grounds (level 46 human lock) and topped every category (kills, honorable kills, damage done, healing done). This is a bg that alliance loses 90% of the time too. Something is wrong.
Ideas:
Fear needs to require less damage done to break it (scaled in someway based on said feared persons current hp or total hp).
Fear should be used to get distance from the enemy, not get distance AND take away a significant amount of their life.
I've also had the idea that maybe locks should only be able to have a specific DOT on X amount of mobs/people at one time.
To be honest these are just ideas and they might totally not work. Just throwin' some ideas out there.
Jackie Oct 12th 2007 11:41AM
Every other class gets 3 pages of buffs. I am sick of all the QQ'ing about warlocks being overpowered. Especially from other classes that can fear, incapacitate, freeze, spell reflect, mind control, sheep, trap, stun, or any other bs that keep Warlocks from the murder they are born to do. Great... Ritual of Souls will take less time. Who cares? Warlocks need a stun equivalent of Cloak of Shadows. Sure we can fear but what go does that do if we are charge stunned and backstabbed?
I'd also like to see a real level 70 demon minion. The Doomguard and Infernal are just gimmicks that aren't ever to be used seriously. The Felguard is completely useless in raids. Meanwhile any hunter can tame an elite beast that meets their needs and lvl them to 70. Enslave
Demon should become a Warlock's "tame" spell. If Warlocks are going to be OP, they should at least get buffs that live up to the reputation.
honkhonk Oct 12th 2007 11:42AM
@11: if you die from three dots you must be wearing greens and your opponent purplez.
If you die from the second round your healer is utter shit.
Matthew Rossi Oct 12th 2007 11:44AM
Why are warriors over-represented in Arena teams?
Hmm. It must be because of their massive damage... oh, wait, even the best geared arms warrior does less damage than a lock. It certainly can't be for their overpowered DoT's (rend? I laugh) or ability to totally neutralize another player through fears.
Maybe it's the recently nerfed mace spec and Stunherald? Or maybe it's the debuff from MS. That's right, warriors aren't brought along because of any damage or ultility, they're brought because lazy teams don't want to risk someone healing on the other side.
Frankly, when warlocks absolutely dominate EVERY other aspect of the game they're involved in, from PvE DPS to all battlegrounds, the fact that another class is slightly better for one situation (and even then, not even for what that class itself can actually do, but what it allows others to do) and yet warlocks won't stop frantically trying to draw attention away from themselves with 'what about warriors in arena' fingerpointing... it's really sad.
It's especially amusing when one considered that the other class usually picked out by locks as overpowered is hunters, who are the least represented in Arenas.
Midore Oct 12th 2007 11:45AM
Yay!! Seed is being fixed! Although I'll miss running Scholo with lower guildies and aggroing Rattlegore's room or Jandice's room because of SoC going off. =P
As for Drain Life...WTF? Deathcoil does the same thing as Drain Life, just transfers less health and fears as well. If this was a "fix" then why doesn't it apply to that too? I say that too many people QQ'd about it and Blizzard changed it just to shut them up. Thanks a lot guys.
Tridus Oct 12th 2007 11:54AM
Read the combat log sometime. "Drain Life heals you for X."
What part of that means its not a heal? Judgement of Light and Mend Pet aren't affected by +heal either, are you going to tell me they're not doing any healing?
This is a fix that just happens to also nerf a class sorely in need of the nerfbat.
ninjasuperspy Oct 12th 2007 11:55AM
@16. Thanks for mentioning seed in Scholo. I was slack on my Paladin Epic quest and ended up waiting until post-BC to get it. The group featured a newly 70 warlock, and she dropped a seed in the room before Kirtonos and it felt like she aggroed the whole instance. That couldn't have been intentional.
dag618 Oct 12th 2007 12:26PM
AMEN TO FIXING SoC! :) Halleluyah