Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsRitual of Summoning revamped
by Eliah Hecht 
Nov 20th 2008 at 8:00PM
Soul Shards: love them or hate them, they're iconic of the Warlock class. Most choose to hate them, but I think locks are just full of hate in general and need to vent it somewhere. Along with a tantalizing note about "exciting changes to how soul shards might work," European CM Vaneck has just let us know that one common shard-based ability, Ritual of Summoning, is going to be changed Before the 3.1/Ulduar Patch (a promise I'm seeing a lot of lately; we can only hope that patch is soon).
Essentially, the new RoS will create a meeting stone-like object. It'll still take two players in addition to the Warlock, as well as one shard, but once the ritual has been cast, the stone can be re-used to summon as many people as desired within its five minute duration, and that summoning action will merely require any two players, just like a meeting stone. You can also summon multiple people simultaneously, and all just for one shard. You won't be able to summon in situations where you currently can't (Netherstorm, battlegrounds, in combat), but this will make summoning much easier, quicker, and less shard-intensive. A great idea.
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Vorust Nov 20th 2008 9:06PM
Very cool, good to see this. It's the small changes that make a difference sometimes, looking forward to it as a Warlock myself.
Sam.
Deadnaught Nov 20th 2008 9:16PM
They need to make a graphic that makes a summoning pet come out and vomit players out covered in some kind of void looking ooze. That would be win!
Vocenoctum Nov 20th 2008 9:39PM
The only thing SingleLockSummon would make irritating is infiltrating an enemy city. Make the run to Stockades, summon everyone you can think of, then your raid spills out...
I don't mind soulshards, stacking would be cool, but I just wish the bag's were a lot more available for size. When a 16 slot general bag is easy to get, a soulbag should be 30 slots. Except, not slots, we don't need to SEE the shards...
(and a soulbag should hold health/spell stones and maybe some other stuff)
Maybe let soulstones fit in enchanting bags...
I'm rambling, whatever. :)
Summoning is useful for bringing someone to your EXACT spot, rather than running out to a stone mid-run when someone drops and you get a replacement. Requiring 3 people instead of 2 for the summoning stone though, still don't know why.
Riley Nov 20th 2008 10:26PM
"exciting changes to how souls hards might work,"
haha, soul hards
draeth Nov 20th 2008 10:30PM
Know what would be awesome? Like 3 locks and 6 other people going to an opposing capital city and summoning up raid groups in a matter of clicks!
Vocenoctum Nov 21st 2008 12:53AM
Easy enough to slip a warlock and 2 rogues into Stockade or that Org dungeon, then chain summon everyone in a 40 man raid. Sure the warlock would need a potion or three to hide, or maybe a voidie invul/ howl of terror/ soulstone run...
tonedeff Nov 20th 2008 10:32PM
I like what they are planning on doing. They could do more. but hey at least its better then nothing. The thing i would love to see the most is stackabel shards. ig ot farm 30 for my bag. then another 30 for my bank. And if im pvping as dest they dont last very long. I know there is 28lot soulbags. but i would love to be able to carry alot more. Because being dest spec isn't not as easy to farm shards when u 2shot everything..
just my 2cents
Will Nov 20th 2008 11:03PM
they are slowly stripping away the annoying aspects of the game, there's really no need to make players waste time doing mundane things if it doesn't effect the economy in anyway (if an enchanter sold those soul shards it would be a different story)
glad to see this change.
http://www.wowconfidential.com
Radiophonic Nov 21st 2008 12:04AM
WTB a new demon. Ya can keep yer stinkin' stone, landlubber!
charsquatch Nov 21st 2008 2:33AM
good change, glad to hear it. now if only theyd make soul pouches(and quivers along with them) seperate from our normal bags so we dont get crippled inventory space, i could go to heaven... scratch that... id already be there
what, they did it with keys/badges/marks or honor
Codexx Nov 21st 2008 5:41AM
Now maybe we can convince our local guild warlock to stop being lazy and showing up with only 5 shards.
Hëx Nov 21st 2008 8:05AM
Super happy to see any changes to Soul Shards, even though I've only used RoS during a horrible fail Stormwind raid on Anetheron.
What I would love to see is WoW (or whichever addon is doing it) trying to put normal items into my soul bag when normal bags are full. I know the item can't go into the container, you know it can't go into the container, stop telling me it doesn't go into the container! Just tell me my damn bags are full. End Rant ;)
Hëx Nov 21st 2008 8:07AM
that should be "stop trying", which actually makes sense...
Todd Nov 21st 2008 8:10AM
@Eliah Hecht
You forgot to include Zul'Aman as place you can't summon.
Lodema Nov 21st 2008 9:32AM
The shard system on a whole don't bother me but using 20 of them to summon everyone to a raid that is too lazy to get there or forgets something is annoying this will def. help in that aspect. But I also agree that is sucks that we need two people to help make a portal while mages can make as many portals as they want. I guess the only thing we have on them is we can summon you anywhere not just send you to a captial city.
Lodema Nov 21st 2008 9:48AM
O and I forgot to mention that fact that the summoning stones outside only need two people to work...again unfair it should at least be the same as locks or allow locks to only need two people..
Millsan Nov 21st 2008 11:24AM
This is really frustrating for me, especially as my main is a warlock. Why on earth would they bother making the Ebon Shadowbag possible if having it is going to become pointless? I LIKE the idea of having to prepare lots of soul shards for large group summons. It's not like they're hard to procure (anyone else ever gone on a Drain Soul kick and ended up with ten more than you need? >_< ) and I like the feeling that you need to make preparations for the ritual.
This is the same sort of bogus "fix" as the removal of the necessity of the Dreadsteed quests--but don't even get me started on that.
You're right, warlocks are full of hate: because of ridiculous changes like this.
Boszorkany Nov 21st 2008 12:52PM
I'd use TWO soul shards if only I didn't need to find two more people to group with me for the few seconds it takes to summon someone.
And the stacking idea a few people mentioned would be GREAT. I'd take stacks of 5.
It seems locks are nerfed even when they're trying to help us.
Pav Nov 23rd 2008 4:36PM
Need to make it so you only need warlock + 1 so at least the current meeting stones don't have an advantage. Needing 3/5 of a 5 man before you can even start summons is doofy. Being able to summon by yourself would be very cool.
Also stackable shards... man would that be nice. I don't really see it as being a reasonable limitation. First, we are not playing World of Bag Space so having to spend tons of time managing that is just annoying. Second, most of the things that could be abused by having unlimited shards also have a cool down so the whole mechanic is just a PITA to me.
Bharpy Nov 25th 2008 10:03AM
wow...cant believe how many people are complaining about needing 3 people to summon.. Blizz will never change that because then they might as well take out the summoning stones. The whole point of the summon is to save time once your deep in an instance and have to replace people. If they reduced it to 2 or god forbid 1, think of the ramifications...
One warlock being able to bring in an army by themselves, yeh that would allow for decent gameplay.
Mages can only port to very specific areas and theyre only exit portals. Locks are entry portals to any location, which means your ability is many times more powerful, with the only limiting factor being that you have others to help you keep open your portal. Stop wanting to be mages its this mundane QQing thats making Blizz balance every class so noones freaking different anymore. ITS KILLING THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CLASSES. End rant.