Breakfast Topic: Patch 2.4, for better or for worse?
by Amanda Dean 
Mar 19th 2008 at 8:00AM
The day that patch 2.3 was released I attempted to rush home from work to check out the new changes, but was thwarted by cross-town traffic. There are some things that I'm excited about for in the newest patch, but I'm not nearly as stoked as I was for the last major update. I try to keep in mind that what we've seen so far on the Public Test Realm is not the final product for the patch, but it gives us a pretty good indication of what's coming.
Some players have vowed to retire from WoW, at until the release of Wrath of the Lich King. Then again, patch 2.3 had its naysayers, but did not destroy the World of Warcraft as some predicted. For better or for worse, there will be adjustments. Some of us will be happier than others, I've made the decision to embrace change. Patches help keep the game new and interesting.
Amid the buffs, nerfs, new content, and item updates, how do you feel about the Fury of the Sunwell patch? Is there anything your anxiously anticipating or dreading?
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Alittan Mar 19th 2008 8:18AM
No buffs or nerfs for us rogues, so I'm not complaining! I can't wait to run magister's terrace a million times for all the nice loot in there, I'm a casual, so I won't be able to do anything above Gruul anyway. I like the Magtheridon Change, maybe my guild can down him now, that'd be sweet. As a lore freak, I hope they're adding a Dragonhawk mount sooner or later, since the Night Elves got their flying mount, we blood elves should get ours. So, looking forward to a lot, and dreading nothing!
hellshire Mar 19th 2008 8:34AM
Check the patch notes. Imp Backstab is becoming punctured wounds. Punctured Wounds now improves the critical strike chance of Backstab by 30% and Mutilate by 15%.
For Rogues with about a 30% base chance to crit, this means we have something like a 45% chance to crit with either hand (AFTER resilience) when mutilating. Major PVP buff.
Also, elemental mobs will no longer be strictly immune to nature damage. This essentially means you can now poison them (among other things). Pretty good pve buff as it might make mutilate a bit more viable in 25 mans.
All in all, rogues came out smiling this patch.l
Unmei Mar 19th 2008 12:36PM
Actually I feel rogues got a very handy pve buff with that tweeking on Sap. D: No more will my group rogues not be able to sap those damn mobs in heroics for CC.
Schadow Mar 19th 2008 2:43PM
As a swords rogue, I am disappointed there aren't any new toys for us to play with except a few blues that aren't very exciting.
I do look forward the the epic thrown weapon, and some other items look interesting, but it looks like I need to brush up on my fisting skills.
Elmo Mar 19th 2008 8:14AM
as a Shaman I feel lied to.
to quote Kalgan: To provide a little background, our general outlook on the class is that they're actually in good shape for all 3 specs for raid PvE, on the weak side for heroic PvE, pretty solid in battlegrounds and 5v5, on the weak side in 3v3, and pretty well gimped in 2v2. We're hoping to get at least 1 spec viable in 2v2 for this patch (we're thinking Enhance), but hopefully all three specs will be viable for 3v3.”
They come up with a mortal strike on Flametongue,
of course we didn't really need it... we need Anti CC
then they remove it 3 days later and nothing happens.
no more buffs or anything that might hint into a easier life (on par with other classes) for a Shaman in PvP.
we just got lied to to shut us for 2 weeks and now patch 2.4 comes and they will say: 'oh sorry it didn't make it into this patch but you will definately see it in the next, just be patient.
which is basically what they said since 2.1 and even before.
I'm sick of this attitude of blizzard towards Shamans, all our feedback gets ignored while we are the weakest class in PvP.
and yes this is a whine, deal with it.
Rock Mar 19th 2008 8:27AM
I can hear Kalgan now:
"reroll, you heal bot"...
To which I reply...
"EM+LB+CL+NS+LB+ES"
"What's that? I cant hear you over the sound of your face melting"
Well I'ma go qq about my ele nerfs now... gah a least we got away with the pushback and crit nerf and not the EM + NS nerf... Shame with the FT roll back, was looking forward to trying out resto with a ret pally. I'm quite happy with the talented instant GW though, thats going to be a blast.
Faar Mar 19th 2008 1:51PM
I feel your pain when it comes to blizz non-responsiveness - I'm balance druid myself and could definitely use some love and what do the devs do? Amputate a third of the reach of my only CC, wow thanks guys!
Anyway, your complaint that shamen are the weakest is as silly as it is bogus. Holy priests are far weaker for example.
On the whole, shamen do alright in BGs my experience. They have awesome burst damage, very effective spell interrupt, snares and hard-hitting spells. No escape skills to talk about perhaps, but that's not unique only to them.
Not tried arenas yet so not sure how they perform there.
QQmore Mar 19th 2008 1:57PM
Sorry, elmo - but that's life. You guys got a really decent buff to make enhancement viable but all you did was cry about it "waahh we dont want that one, we want a different one" - so daddy took your new toy away and sent you to your room until WotLK comes out.
Enjoy your time out buddy!
Eleazar Mar 19th 2008 3:55PM
The shaman were lied to, make no mistake. I feel bad for you guys.
Doma Mar 19th 2008 11:04PM
i feel your pain about the lies. It's a reality, not excessive QQ. Also, the troll wants nom noms but he can't have them.
Feoremar Mar 19th 2008 8:17AM
I can't wait to see what the Kil'Jaeden encounter will be like. Seeing his model moving around and what-not looks really cool, but I would love to see him actually rising up from the Sunwell itself and talking. Should be sweet.
JPN Mar 19th 2008 8:24AM
I'm pumped for more solo content!!
George M. Mar 19th 2008 11:40AM
I am pumped up for the more Solo Content too. Being a Healer in Raids and sharing loot drops with Rogues for over a year now has made raiding an unrewarding experience.
I am also farming Kara for more Badge Gear. Yes Badge Gear. I will spend patch day running daily quests all day.
Dahk Mar 19th 2008 8:30AM
Lotsa cool and neat features coming with 2.4.....but it still doesn't address the problems with class balances. /sigh
Jusk Mar 19th 2008 8:45AM
Im excited about the new badge loot, dailys, and 5 man. Also excited about the removal of the attunments for MH and BT. My guild is at 4/6 SSC 3/4 TK so the first few bosses in each should be somewhat accessible if we can find time for them.
As a shaman, specifically enhancement, I like some of the changes ( instant GW), but overall im a bit disappointed. I dont feel lied to, because honestly those that do are a bit emo.
Kalgan: Erm, we might change stuff, we might not, but we are going to try and make enhancement viable in 2v2. But dont expect much.
*shamans dont get much because the FT mortal strike buff was retarded, and thier other ideas couldnt be implemented yet*
Shamans: Waaaaaah. We were lied too :(
Bullcrap. You werent lied to. You just got your hopes up and the patch didnt meet the expectations. Even though Kalgan specifically said that big changes might not happen until WotLK.
Yes, im disappointed too. I feel that blizzard tried to patch up shamans with the flametongue change, realized how much it screwed all the healers with so many sources of reduced healing ( including shamans), and decided against it. I feel they know that any real fix would require some mechanical changes to the class, as the class atm just doesnt have the ability to compete in small arenas. We were designed as a burst class, and burst was destroyed in TBC. So we were given linear buffs to make up for it, which works in pve, but fails in pvp.
Arabelli Mar 19th 2008 8:47AM
New vanity pets and new dailys. I'm excited about Sunwell content, don't get me wrong, but the little things make this game. Dailys are now the best source of gold in the game, and I -really- was tired of the stupid little birdies. And ever since I tracked down a cooperative Mr. Pinchy, I have all the pets in the game at the moment! Lotta fun coming in the patch.
I know that the class issues are still there, but I also get the feeling that with the talk of 2.4.2, we'll see things like shaman and warlocks and druids addressed there rather than in the content patch. They have new things they want to get out, and it'd be logical to try and get the class stuff ironed out next. I hope!
Netherscourge Mar 19th 2008 9:02AM
Patch 2.4 doesn't really do much for me. The new 5-man is ok, but the gear doesn't really inspire me to go into raiding. And you can't jump from the 5-man Sunwell into the Raid Sunwell anyway, so what's the point?
Once again, raiders get everything and PvPer's get nothing. Season 4 isn't even going to start with Patch 2.4. - again, less reason to get excited.
I want a new battleground. Not a new arena, a new battleground.
I want a new, 40-man Battleground, with independent Reputation rewards, as well as the marks of honor for the Honor rewards. AV was so much fun back in the pre-Arena days. Now it's a disaster.
Having only 4 battlegrounds since the game's release shows a sign of fear and incompetence on Blizzard's part, when it comes to PvP. They simply can't figure out how to make PvP work in the game. And now it seem they aren't even trying to. Everything revolves around raiding and farming reputation.
The game is stale.
Kiriy Mar 19th 2008 9:17AM
Oh wah. The PvPers didn't get catered to in this patch. I understand it's been ages since a new battleground, but to claim the ENTIRE game is getting stale is simply over the top. As both a raider and a PvPer (imagine that. What next, cats and dogs...?), this game has a long way to go, FOR ME, before it becomes stale.
logic Mar 19th 2008 9:45AM
"Once again, raiders get everything and PvPer's get nothing. "
lolwut?
It's the first 25 man raid in a year... I mean it's not like Blizz has put out three arena seasons, handed out epics out the wazoo for PVPers, nerfed classes based solely on PVP, and developed a tournament realm... all in what was originally designed to be a PVE game...
some people will QQ about anything...
Chris C. Mar 19th 2008 11:34AM
Go to the TTR, leave the game and wait for Warhammer, or go play Halo 3, Gears of War, Counter Strike... or any other gerneric FPS if you want to PvP . In WoW, it should always be PvE > PvP.