BlizzCon 2009: Stats vastly simplified
by Eliah Hecht 
Aug 21st 2009 at 11:30PM
It looks like Azeroth is not going to be the only aspect of WoW that's destroyed in Cataclysm. The developers just announced in the Class, Items, and Profession panel that half of WoW's stats are getting tossed out the window. Here's the breakdown:
- Attack Power on gear is gone. Instead, some classes will get 2 AP from each point of Agi (Rogues, Hunters, Shamans, Druids), and other classes (presumably Warriors, Paladins, and Death Knights) will get 2 AP per point of Strength. Side effect: no more plate wearers stealing your gear
- Spell Power is gone. It comes from Int now.
- MP5 is gone. Spirit is the mana regen stat, and all classes that need it will get some form of Meditation. (Hunters, never fear - you don't use mana any more. More on this in a separate post.)
- Armor Penetration is gone. That one was just confusing.
- Defense is gone. Tanks are now defense-capped from talents, like Druid tanks.
- Haste now increases your rate of resource regeneration (
mana, energy, rage, runes, focus). - Block Value is gone, but blocks now mitigate a percentage of damage.
- Stamina is going to be more equal across different armor types - no more "plate HP envy."
Whew, those are some massive changes. I'm very much in favor of this sort of streamlining; the number of stats in game was getting a bit silly. This back-to-basics approach is refreshing. It's going to take some balancing, sure, but I think it's the right way to go.
BlizzCon 2009 is here! WoW.com has continuing coverage, bringing you the latest in Cataclysm news, live blogs, galleries, and reports right from the convention floor. Check out WoW.com's Guide to BlizzCon for the latest!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Steve Aug 21st 2009 11:33PM
I fully welcome the simplification these changes will bring... I mean come on, think about it. Needing to use a spreadsheet to play a game is really just silly. Really.
Derick Aug 21st 2009 11:40PM
I agree. Stat juggling is my least favorite thing in this game after corpse camping.
grump-e Aug 22nd 2009 12:07AM
The game is really becoming more like it used to be pre BC with more simple stats.
Feeble Aug 22nd 2009 12:08AM
This really pisses me off. 5 years old and up to the 3rd expansion and they still seem to have no confidence in the system they base the game upon. I'm not against change but for Arthas' sake, stop moving the goalposts and settle it down. Work out what you want to do and stick to it.
Eternauta Aug 22nd 2009 12:21AM
I approve this post.
Jeff Aug 22nd 2009 12:22AM
@Feeble
That's just not possible. I hear that criticism a lot, that Blizz seems to have no confidence and/or isn't capable of making a truly working system.
The problem is that each and every one of their MILLIONS of subscribers are going to have a different idea of how the game should work, how classes should play, how gear should be itemized, etc. When you've got that many people, all with wildly varying ideas, you can't just "get it right and stick to it", it's a massive balancing act.
Veezy F Aug 22nd 2009 12:28AM
@Feeble
You're complaining about Blizzard making the game easier to understand and play? I'm confused.
I understand that you've become adjusted to how the game is played today. Really, I do.
You need to understand that this is an MMO. The game needs to change and evolve in order to compel people to change. This change not only makes the game easier to understand but makes gear easier to itemize. It allows stats to effect more part of a character, which makes various class abilities more appealing.
Most importantly, it makes the game more balanced.
Damn, please are just impossible to please.
Eddy Aug 22nd 2009 12:29AM
Where is Expertise on the list? Can we get rid of that one too?
brownyboi Aug 22nd 2009 2:34AM
@ Feeble
Totally agree with you, there.
WoW isn't a hard game to understand or work out, all you need to do is to use your brain once in a while and you're fine.
I think this is a bit of a sad reflection on the playerbase. Or maybe it's true, maybe 8 million of the subscribers really are that thick so Blizz dumbs down the game like this.
ecwfrk Aug 22nd 2009 4:24AM
@Jeff
It's entirely possible. They *could* sit back and "stop moving the goalposts". It's what they've been doing so far. You level to 58 stacking one type of gear on your char, and then suddenly you get bombarded with a bunch of new stats and things like gem socketing when you hit Outland, and then things change some more when you hit Northrend.
I love the idea behind Cataclysm and in fact, it's something I suggested years ago (in a round about way, I suggested the Nothing in the Emerald Dream break out into Azeroth and transform everything). But the effect is the same. Keep all the content relevant and up to date with the rest of the game and move the story beyond Warcraft 3.5
And resimplifying stats is a fantastic move. They wanted people to think when they got a new piece of gear but it just ended up requiring people to use spreadsheets to play the game. Putting the thought into the encounters instead of the gear is the right move IMO. They can still make gear complex by designing fights the old school way where you need certain resistances for a fight or a set of gear that gives you a larger mana or health pool for a long fight that requires less DPS while you need another set for a tank and spank fight requiring maximum DPS and such.
Now if they'd just ditch weapon skill ups and implement something like Asheron's Call's monthly story lines to keep the story progressing more rapidly WoW would be the perfect MMORPG.
Cyanea Aug 22nd 2009 5:24AM
The one fact that had me really worried (as a healer) was more caster DPS rolling on my gear. Both this summary and MMO-Champ's missed one important line:
"http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/august/classdiscussionspanel_030.jpg
Basically...if it has Spirit, it's for healers.
ramivore Aug 22nd 2009 6:01PM
Hear hear,
It looks like an end to the World of Stat Redundancy.
AP:More a renaming than a reworking; AP is already almost completely redundant to Str/Agi.
SP: Have you ever chosen Int. over SP? Didn't think so. Blizz is removing this false choice.
MP5: This change effects only those who:
1)Think the main goal in life is to beat the other raid healers for time spent in FSR
2)Enjoy solving quadratic equations
Defense: Okay, so this stat did perform an important social signalling role. Can be replaced with a hard-to-find checkbox saying "This tank is not a paste-eater."
Haste:What no more pew pew? GODS DAMN YOU BLIZZARD!!!!!!
Jason Aug 23rd 2009 10:10AM
I don't think this is a good idea. I loved and hated those classic moments where you had to choose between something with more SP/AP or the bonus stats. I think they make gear chosing more fun. Now it'll just be the bigger the numbers, the better the gear.
scotmax Oct 3rd 2009 3:32PM
I'm also very much in favour of this. Although I never play Plate classes I can fully understand the frustration Leather/mail classes must feel when DPS Pallies/DK's/Warriors roll on Leather/mail. Too many times i've seen plate wearers in leather.
I'm a cloth wearer so i'm mildly annoyed when I get leather casters rolling on my cloth but I understand the situation since leather caster itemisation is pretty bad but there's no excuse for plate, we're pratically swimming in the stuff every time a raid boss is downed.
Veezy F Aug 21st 2009 11:35PM
Very excited about these changes, much so for Warrior tanks.
Good show, Blizzard. Keep the changes coming. Rerolling looks to be much less painful, and much more appealing, with each new announcement.
Torr Aug 22nd 2009 3:19AM
Sorry for piggybacking on your comment Veezy F, but i find this an important tanking issue:
I know making tanks Uncritable with talents is a good idea, Feral Druids have always had an advantage in that regard, and its a simple addition for Prot Worriors/Pallys, but what of DK's? DKs have no one tree that is THE tanking tree, a DK tank can tank as wich ever spec he/she chooses if they are skilled enough, and get at the minimum the 5/5/5 tanking talents in all three trees, but from there is your preferance. So if blizz were to add a Uncritable tanking talent to the DK, and it was tossed, say,. 35 points into Frost, that would pretty much seal the coffin for anyone who isnt a Frost DK tank.....wich i am NOT, i tank as blood because i enjoy the spec, and i make it work, but having to invest 35+ point into a tree i only invest 5 points in now is kinda unfair, especially for a class with its current utility and options.
Aubrecia Aug 21st 2009 11:35PM
I just wish they'd also lost Hit!
Dazaras Aug 22nd 2009 12:55AM
If they make Tanks def capped via talents, they could conceivably do the same for DPS and hit. I know I'd like that change a lot.
Torr Aug 22nd 2009 3:24AM
Sorry Aubrecia, my comment was supposed to be for the comment above yours.....must have hit the wrong button.
initial Aug 22nd 2009 3:43AM
he he i hear you on that one