March of the Warlocks
by Alex Ziebart 
Feb 26th 2008 at 5:30PM
The World of Warcraft community has pounded it into our heads that the recent Life Tap change was pretty lame. Luckily, Hortus has let us know that there will be additional changes coming to Lifetap, as Eliah told us a bit earlier.I'm not here to hit you with the shovel of logic, detailing the Life Tap change yet again, so don't worry. My question is on the methods of giving feedback that the WoW community has displayed. Most specifically: Protests.
The Warlocks were a little more creative in their griefing than the Shaman have been. While it hasn't happened on all servers, many of them saw Warlocks summoning, enslaving, or kiting many powerful demons into the heart of Shattrath. Uvuros, Pit Lords, et cetera. Did this non-peaceful protest have anything to do with the devs' decision to make further adjustments to Life Tap? Personally, I somewhat doubt the protest was a direct contributor to that decision.
I don't think that a protest has ever directly changed something in WoW. I don't believe it strikes fear into the heart of Blizzard. However, it does bring the fact that there are issues into the spotlight. Is this the best way to do that? No, probably not. It does seem to get noticed, at the very least.
[EDIT: My apologies for any misunderstanding: I am aware that this protest was unofficial and not widely organized amongst the Warlock community, and I do not mean to trivialize the feedback the Warlock community has given on the topic. It is merely something that accompanied the Life Tap incident that I wished to supply thoughts on, and see the views of others.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Tridus Feb 26th 2008 5:40PM
Honestly, I think the 140 page feedback thread (the correct way to provide feedback on a change like this) had more to do with the effect then the "protests" did.
Matt Feb 26th 2008 5:50PM
It certainly gave me enough warlock tears to power my ice lances for a few years.
Freehugz Feb 26th 2008 5:40PM
STOP MAKING PVE MORE CHALLENGING IT'S TOO HARD AS IS
... that's all i'm hearing from these people that keep qqing about nerfs
Aztoreth Feb 26th 2008 5:48PM
Anyone who says this nerf is fair and just is ignorant.
Freehugz Feb 26th 2008 6:33PM
mmmm...I have a lock, and am pretty well informed on the pvp and pve aspects of playing a lock.
Djinn Feb 26th 2008 5:43PM
My position on this issue is that PVE shouldn't suffer for the sake of PVP. PVP is a subset and a mini game compared to PVE so why make a majority of players suffer to balance a minor part of the game.
ThorinII Feb 27th 2008 9:31AM
I agree with you there.
But, really, locks have been OP for a LOOOOONG time and the get one little nerf and they cry a river. Learn to roll with the punches like the rest of us and adapt to the changes already.
imparush Feb 27th 2008 12:12PM
thorin are you kidding have you not seen TBC is out and now, fear is nerfed, dots is nerfed, drainlife nerfed tell me why i am OP and some of the buff we get in any patch since TBC?
tripp Feb 26th 2008 5:50PM
I play a Lock and we really have very little to cry about. People will whine about anything.
Andrew Feb 26th 2008 5:51PM
Warlocks, now, organized server-wide protests, while Mages, who have never organized a protest ever and limited themselves to posts on the forums, are still somehow "the most whiny".
Lovely.
bonch Feb 26th 2008 6:10PM
There wasn't any organized protest. This is the first I've heard of warlocks kiting demons for any reason. WoW Insider doesn't link to any posts about it, either.
Yes, mages are still the whiniest class (OMG I'M NOT A VENDING MACHINE), though shamans are working hard to take the crown.
Monergist Feb 26th 2008 5:57PM
Hmm... Am I reading this right? ...Warlocks are being nerfed because they are overpowered in PvE and PvP, so in protest of this change the Warlock community is using their overpoweredness to enslave and drag powerful elites into Shattrah to show how they don't deserve the nerf... hmmm....
bonch Feb 26th 2008 6:10PM
Nope, you're not reading it right.
Rabbit Feb 27th 2008 8:09AM
Hahaha---bonch@@@!
Jagoex Feb 26th 2008 6:06PM
One word: Billboards.
http://jagoex.blogspot.com
monk3yguy Feb 26th 2008 6:24PM
Welcome to World of ArenaCraft!
ThorinII Feb 27th 2008 9:34AM
No doubt!
Xtazey Feb 27th 2008 12:38AM
Oh, gg this proves that behaving like a 12 year old works.
Roxton Feb 26th 2008 6:28PM
Oh dear... Some people just can't take it, can they? Did shamans protest when they got nerfed? Did mages? Did any other class? No. Why? Because for all their painful and pitiful QQing, they learnt to adapt. The good players did, anyway. The bad ones are still whining on the mage forums. For warlocks to complain, and not just complain but PROTEST about a nerf that hasn't even been implemented, and will not definitely be implemented just shows how silly these people are. Some people claim to have cancelled their account already. Good, I say. The less of these people we have around the better, though I fear that they'll really just hang around and ooze their pestilence into community anyway like the rotten teeth they are. Yes, it is a fairly major nerf, and yes, it does seem unfair to hit PvE for a change to PvP mechanics, but the way to deal with this is through rational argument, not 140 pages of "WTF BLIZZTARD WTF!!!!111!!teh_one!!!1eleven!1!!" And certainly not protests like the ones described above, which, if they're genuine, will do nothing except to further alienate people to their cause.
And maybe now all you damn locks will stop telling anyone who complains about anthing to shut up and L2P. V'ming, I'm looking at you.
Matthew Feb 27th 2008 2:20AM
I do not like the comment that was thrown in about shaman. Keep it to warlocks... This is funny to say so I will say it, warlocks qqing is funny.