Hotfixes for Conflagration and Ulduar
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 15th 2009 at 5:00PM
Servers are still getting stabilized, players are reporting bugs left and right, and in general, it's the day after patchmas. So it's not too surprising that we're seeing some hotfixes. So far, here's what Blizz have let us know about:
- Ulduar:
- XT-002 Deconstructor's heart aggro radius lowered to 60 yards.
- Trash before XT-002 Deconstructor disabled temporarily, because there was a problem with them being linked.
- Shattering a Construct during the Ignis the Furnace Master encounter will now decrease the number of Strength of the Creator stack buffs he has by one.
- Conflagrate nerfed to do 70% of Immolate's total periodic damage instantly, down from 100%.
The last point is the most significant. The stated reasoning is that destruction is too bursty in PvP, which seems to have been the reasoning for half of the changes we've seen in WotLK. I hear this nerf was not unexpected - Warlocks, how do you feel about it? Was this change deserved?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Borrik Apr 15th 2009 5:07PM
"Too bursty..."
There is a phrase i do not associate with Warlocks. Rogues & Mages? Yes for them, but not us Locks.
"Free HK" or "Kill Me first I'm squishy and cant get away..."
Those are phrases that i associate with Warlocks.
I personally didnt see this coming and the G.N.E.R.D. rage that i am not spewing onto this post proves it.
Kozom Apr 15th 2009 7:53PM
Sometimes I wonder...
How can they think that locks, balance druids, and
elemental shamans are nerf worthy? And how can they think that some classes (not naming names) need to be buffed? It just doesn't make sense!
/G.N.E.R.D. rage end
vazhkatsi Apr 15th 2009 7:56PM
hey man, i have 820 resil with pvp gear on, i've stopped being a free kill. as for conflag? i've been rolling with it for 10 minutes and it gets nerfed, i don't really notice the loss
bod Apr 16th 2009 4:04AM
This blog misses a more important hotfix on Ignis, which is the melee pot bug. Blue post on this also at MMO champion
"There are reports that players are being melee'd by Ignis while in the slag pot, and on the charge before a player is placed in the slag pot.
The hotfix for this has been deployed. The hotfix also corrected an issue where Offtanks in 25 player versions of the encounter could be put in the slag pot. That should no longer be possible in either 10 or 25 player raids. "
SaraFF Apr 15th 2009 5:09PM
As always blizz just LOVES to nerf us locks to the ground... its not enough that they absolutely destroyed affliction, now they have to kill destro too...
Any other locks feel like blizz threw us into a max security prison covered in oil, with a sign "All holes open, even the ears" ?
FenSat Apr 16th 2009 9:26AM
Afflock here...came is first in DPS last night, even without the glyphs I need to compensate for a lot of the damage lost by losing siphon life (WTB Glyph of Haunt and Siphon Life...BADLY). So, I'm not entirely destroyed.
My point: while I'm not thrilled at the loss of Immolate and Siphon Life DPS, affliction locks haven't been destroyed.
As far as this nerf was concerned, even as a lock, I have to say it was justified. It's just simply too much burst damage. My only question is why the damage wasn't tweaked down before hitting live servers?
FenSat Apr 16th 2009 10:17AM
I mean, WTB Glyph of Life Tap, not Siphon Life (which is what it would be replacing).
WTB edit functionality on WoWInsider PST.
Cypher Apr 15th 2009 5:16PM
Again us locks get beaten down with the nerf bat.
James Apr 15th 2009 5:17PM
It's funny that even yesterday DK's STILL completely decimate Warlocks and Mage's in BG's and yet Blizz is still NERFING Warlocks instead of evening everything else. I remember when Blizzard said heroic classes would not be superior to regular classes...and yet their beloved hero class is more powerful than half the classes in the game right now.
Brian Apr 15th 2009 5:25PM
Sorry, I can't resist: " their beloved hero class is more powerful than half the classes in the game right now."
So, DKs are less powerful than the other half of classes in the game? That puts them in the middle of the road. That sounds ok to me. I'm not sure your words say what you meant to say.
SuckItTrebek Apr 15th 2009 5:45PM
Or, Brian, he's implying that they're only balanced with half.
Peridan Apr 15th 2009 5:33PM
Ugh. I finally brought my 80 Warlock out of retirement a week before 3.1 and we get yet another big nerf? If they don't like us being too bursty then why not buff something else in exchange for this nerg? Why only nerf us?
This is ridiculous.
AndremedaSC Apr 15th 2009 5:19PM
Yuck. Once I hit 80 I spec'd destruction so that I'd be able to contribute that mana-regen talent once it was available. I play zero PVP, and the name of the game for me right now is try, try, trying to up my dps to be as helpful as possible in raids. I do NOT need any nerfs that make that harder.
I have long felt that trying to balance all classes and spec's for both PVE and PVP is impossible, and Blizzard needs to find a way to toggle it so that it works differently depending on where you are and what you are fighting.
Pissed Warlock Apr 15th 2009 5:21PM
I'm pissed over the nerfs, especially to the changes in afflication. We weren't broken and didn't need fixing. Thanks for nothing!
SeanOr101 Apr 15th 2009 5:20PM
Scissors says: Nerf rock, paper is fine.
vwvstarboyvwv Apr 15th 2009 6:01PM
you're internet meme added tons to the warlock feedback!!!
Gakihiko Apr 15th 2009 6:17PM
+1 Excellent analogy point 8)
Kylesmom Apr 15th 2009 5:22PM
My god, locks QQing, take a step back and consider the mass nerf of 2008:
Pallies
How about more recent? Death Knights ring a bell? DK's OP you say? They are a friggen Hero class, they are supposed to be OP!
I say get in line locks...
James Apr 15th 2009 5:24PM
Blizzard actually said when releasing DK's that they were not supposed to be more powerful than the other classes, that hero classes' only difference was a higher starting level. And yet they are continually going against what they said.
James Apr 15th 2009 5:33PM
Basically my point is this: having a good class isn't the problem. Having a "hero" class is the problem. Starting a class at a higher level is all fine and well but making it more powerful than most every other class in the game (and equal to those it isn't more powerful than), plus giving it abilities that add to that power and only nerfing it a tad here and there (yet still keeping it OP) to keep people quiet...that's bad.
Anyone remember Starwars Galaxies?
"Oh, It's so hard to get a Jedi!" -Jedi is now unlockable immediately
"Oh, Jedi's die too often" -Jedi are given XP loss instead of permanent death
"Oh, Jedi's aren't as powerful" -Jedi's buffed and never nerfed
Same as with DK's:
"Starting at level 1 sucks" -DK's start at 55
"DK's silence and stun" -DK's get a mini nerf to armor so that people will STFU about the problem
Blizz is just keeping people quiet by providing small nerfs when their Hero class is really, contrary to their original Press Release, more powerful. I for one hope that Blizz is nerfing the hell out of Clothies because in 6 months a Clothy hero class is coming out that is a Super Mage/Warlock/Better healer than everyone.