Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsHotfixes 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 3 of 6)
dragoon Apr 15th 2009 6:46PM
A more exciting spec?? The pre-patch Affliction spec was the most complicated spec I have ever had as a warlock. And even with it being made easier its still a little complicated. I have no idea how you think Affliction is less exciting.
Not to mention my single favorite thing to do in the entire World of Warcraft is DoT Hordies up in PvP and watch them run off in the distance and die. Or even better a DK kills me but he has 3 of my dots and a haunt on him. muuuaaahhh adios Favorite Son.
I love affliction. Its the way our class was intended to be. Complicated (because locks are smart), High dps (Because we are OP in PVE), and Evil (even when you kill us, you still die)
Destro Lock = Fire Mage
Pfooti Apr 15th 2009 7:15PM
Don't get me wrong, affliction was a real blast pre-LK. I played a raiding affliction warlock in BC, and loved it. Eventually, like everybody else, I specced 21/40 and just shadowbolted my way to even higher DPS than affliction.
But now, it's different. Affliction has to track 2 DoTs, and one cooldown-spell. Destro has to track a dot, 2 cooldowns, plus CoD, and the execute rotation is really tricky. Hybrids do similar thing but have to worry about weaving soul fires 1:1 if they can during execute-phase decimates. Comparatively speaking, affliction actually has a simpler rotation in 3.1 than destruction. That's kind of sad, isn't it?
Sorcefire Apr 15th 2009 6:07PM
Well, not that trying to insert an actual criticism here will be useful given the 2 pages of QQ going on, but here I go anyway: Why are things continuing to be nerfed because of PVP reasons? I understand that PVP occurs, both free-range and battleground (or Arena if really have to count that), yet I don't see why they continue to muck about with "class balance" because of things they can't control anyway (i.e., other people).
Seems that maybe Blizz needs to look at having PVP-versions of spells that are pvp-balanced and pve-versions that are also balanced, but toward a different objective. Using player-vs-player as the reasoning for changing a classes abilities universally is just ignorant or stupid (take your pick). The nerf itself aggravates me since I play a lock, but I am more hacked off at the reasoning behind it than the actual change itself.
The signs keep piling up that Blizz has lost any and all intentions of quality content and more towards pleasing the forum whiners (sorry, but of a QQ moment there).
Kammy Apr 15th 2009 6:08PM
I'm surprised nobody's posted a story here about the Northrend server crashing and still, after an hour, not being back up. At least on Azuremyst this is the case. I got logged out while doing the fishing daily in WG and according to the world map WG has no structures and no timer now, lol.
Slashgrin Apr 15th 2009 6:33PM
I just ran heroic VoA and two of my conflags crit for just over 22k. Yes, twenty two thousand. Near best in slot T7 gear but no flask or food buff. It was also critting for over 12k in PvP without CoE, trinkets or anything special using full hateful gear.
So yeah, the nerf is needed and even at 70% of that damage I'll still be laughing.
J Apr 15th 2009 6:23PM
Dammit, can I at least get my talent points refunded again? Both specs centered around an OP conflag, and now I'm broke :(
ryno106 Apr 15th 2009 8:09PM
If you're broke after respeccing and reglyphing, then you need to spend more time not failing and less time QQing on the forums.
Zetsuai Apr 16th 2009 7:17PM
I'm pissed right the frack off. That's how I feel. This damage is fine for months on the ptr but not even a whole day on live!? WTF!? I'm sick and tired of my pve being nerfed for the sake of pvp that such a small amount of the player base even gives a damn about now.
Wellandus Apr 15th 2009 6:36PM
I was impressed with my 12k+ conflag crits last night while soloing, so I understand the nerf from Blizzard's perspective.
What I don't understand is that if they thought destro was balanced before the nerf, and you take away 30% of the damage of an ability that was accounting for ~20% of destro's damage means destro is now 6% in the hole. Do we get that back someplace?
At least from what they've posted, they didn't seem to think destro was too high in pve dps, which means its now way too low.
Veliaf Apr 15th 2009 6:37PM
Curse of Doom upon you Blizzard. Curse. Of. Doom. Not that you won't nerf it before it actually damages you.
Asdafrak Apr 15th 2009 6:42PM
/sigh
i hate to QQ but seriously, why. why give us something then take it away. that's like giving a bum on the street a $1000 bill, only to take it away in an hour.
/blizimmitation
Alan: ok 3.1 is live and running
Dan: The realms are starting to get populated...too populated
Jim: oh shit, come look at this
Dan: i know i see it, the realms are crahing left and right
Jim: no...not that
Alan: Oh My GOD!
Dan: what, what!
Jim: Warlocks...they're...doing......DAMAGE!
Dan: :O
Alan: What do We Do!
Tom: Don't worry, Tom Chilton is here!
Jim: our Savior
(tom presses his trusty nerf button while targeting a warlock)
Tom: There we go, all better
Dan: My hero (/adore while targeting Tom)
just my impression of what happened
i play a destro lock and i knew this was coming but still c'mon if you know its going to be really powerful, why did you go through with it?
Asdafrak Apr 15th 2009 6:49PM
oh and btw before anyone gets the wrong idea, i knew this nerf was coming and 30% isn't a lot once you have really good gear and glyphs
Juliah Apr 15th 2009 6:57PM
Let me put it this way:
I have a level 80 Warlock.
Haven't specced talents.
I'm not playing her.
I have two other 80s and a 75. Don't need to play a class that's been hit so hard by this patch. She might get to run the occasional cooking daily, but that's probably about it.
Bloodletter Apr 15th 2009 6:58PM
Ignis is difficult :S
Noscy Apr 15th 2009 6:58PM
Since when did mages hijack the responses????
Oh wait, it's lock QQing, my bad... (I couldn't tell with the collective gush of tears)
Charneldeath Apr 15th 2009 7:03PM
Any lock who says this was deserved is a liar. My conflag was critting for 18k. I mean seriously guys, thats too bursty.
Charneldeath Apr 15th 2009 7:03PM
wasn't*
zephem Apr 15th 2009 7:52PM
I rerolled a shaman, Blizzard doesn't seem to know what they want to do with locks and most of the idiotic changes all the way back to the start of BC have been made for PvP reasons. It just sucked ass.
ehrgeiz Apr 15th 2009 7:13PM
They did it because locks yesterday were getting 9k+ conflags, I got hit by one in WG as did others, oh and we had 6 T buffs since horde is always outnumberd on medivh the the alliance warlocks where not getting that.
Emoroan Apr 15th 2009 7:40PM
it may just be because i picked up on my new rotation faster then others in my raid, but I was a good 800-1000 dps ahead of everyone else on our patchwerk test last night (leaving ulduar until the servers are a bit happier). Like other posters I had at least one 22k conflag show it's face. I'm not suprised in the slightest to see it nerfed, although I am surprised at how fast it happened.
While farming normal level 80 mobs all I had to do was immolate then conflag to always kill one, I think they have about 12k health (conflag hits for about 8k non crit while solo farming).
PvP wise I can easily see critting for 15k, followed up by anything else is a death sentence for many people.
Pity they took the servers down during my raid last night, i would have liked to see what I could have pulled off on someone like Thaddius.