Breakfast Topic: Are you satisfied or disappointed with minor glyphs?
by Josh McGee 
May 24th 2011 at 8:00AM
Glyphs have been a great addition to World of Warcraft, and with Cataclysm, they only got better. One thing I am disappointed about, though, is minor glyphs. I really feel like Blizzard really didn't try hard on them. When they were first announced, everyone was speculating what great and fun changes they would add, and while some classes get some pretty good ones (like druids, for example), some classes get pretty boring ones (like paladins).
Druids get a faster aquatic form, lesser cooldown on sprint, a graphic change to Tree of Life, and more -- exactly what minor glyphs should give! Yet literally all of the paladins' minor glyphs are "X mana cost reduced by 50%." Very boring, and the things that have mana cost reduced are already uber-cheap and are buffs that change no way the game is played.
I know minor glyphs are supposed to be weak and not game-changing, but Blizzard promised many fun, cosmetic minor glyphs that would make the game more customizable. How many warlocks wanted to turn their fire green with a minor glyph? Hunters in 4.1 just got the option to make their pet smaller, but why do classes like priests and paladins have such uninspired minor glyphs?
What minor glyphs would you add to your class? Are you happy with the minor glyphs you have now?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
exogenesis. May 24th 2011 8:07AM
I want to be able to turn my shaman's Ghost Wolf form into a black wolf. I believe that was once a glyph, in the beta, but was for some reason removed.
I want it back. The Arctic wolf form doesn't look all that different to the timber form shaman automatically get, unless you happen to be standing next to a fellow shaman in the uneditted form.
MattKrotzer May 24th 2011 8:19AM
I think they should make an Elemental Wolf form, and each time you cast it, it randomly picks an element to emulate, be it Earth Wolf, Water Wolf, Wind Wolf or Fire Wolf.
Mike May 24th 2011 8:31AM
Oh? That's pretty cool. Which beta, Wrath or Cata?
Xotzalqual May 24th 2011 8:49AM
Ooooh, I like the elemental wolf form thing! That's a good idea.
Personally, I would like to take a more flavorful minor glyph, but the ones that I have make it so that I don't have to carry reagents, which frees up bagspace, which make them indispensable for me (waterwalking, waterbreathing, and rez glyphs). I was kinda meh about the wolf glyph since I think the ghostpuppy looks a lot cooler, so yeah, shammy minor glyphs are also kinda not what I was expecting as far as adding "flavor", but they do add convenience.
-X
Nawaf May 24th 2011 9:34AM
Oh if they give a Skoll glyph
Devo_AS May 24th 2011 10:00AM
The Elemental Wolf glyph would be a great idea although probably not happen due to new graphics/models needed. Although using the Skol model (lightning) would be a nice change!
Ive always said even if they glyph just gave us the wolf model from Wrath where the wolves are more hunched over and skinny that would at least add some new variety to the model. A slight color change of a form that has 10% opacity really doesnt do much unfortunately
Ianmis May 24th 2011 5:04PM
How about a glyph to change which elemental form your Flame and Rock elementals take. Wouldn't mind having the new cata forms or even the Wrath forms for elementals. Same could be done for the frost mage pet.
TY May 24th 2011 8:07AM
wtb green fire for locks!
Baba May 24th 2011 10:05AM
I want all my fire colour to be customisable - they tried with Fel Flame but I want it ALL!!
Green perhaps, I want black flames so that I can scream "AMATERASU!!!!" with every cast... :>
Miranda Kali May 24th 2011 10:22AM
This. This. A million times, this.
I was left with the impression that we'd be able to do this, and all we got was one lousy spell that has green fire. (and that not through a glyph) I want all my firey, destro spells to have green fire. ...and my dread steed, too, though that may be asking a bit much.
In the end, I'm a bit disappointed with minor glyphs. I thought they would be able to give each class a variety of aesthetic options, and but for a few little tweeks, it's simply not the case.
llcjay2003 May 24th 2011 11:48AM
Preach it, brother!
Therinor May 24th 2011 12:23PM
Maybe its technical considerations that they didnt include that yet, or maybe they worry about some people going overboard with their customisation, maybe trying to put everything into the most obnoxious colors available... I mean, WOW is not a totally strict fantasy world, and we are not RPing, but I imagine "arthuskillerxxlolpwn" with everything being neon-pink. Add color-options for clothes, like in UO, and ppl will run around in colors that'll make you think the 80s are back =)
However, it still would be interesting (just like choices for, say, bear-form etc) in terms of customizing your char even more. City Of Heroes lets you pick color combinations for your spells/powers, so you can make them fit to your outfit/story etc.
So who knows, maybe they WILL put in color options for that... but that would prolly involve a major overhaul of the char-creation too... we'll see =)
Antigone May 24th 2011 5:04PM
Between their refusal to make any kind of concessions toward some kind of appearance tab or armor dyes and their failure to add any real cosmetic changes for minor glyphs, I'm getting the impression that Blizz is very attached to its own aesthetic vision of Azeroth. You know, "warlocks use red fire, not green, because that's how we envision warlocks," "armor piece x is this color, not that color, because that's how we envision it," etc. And that's fine, I guess. Kind of boring, and I wish they'd just say it, but what can you do?
adam200 May 24th 2011 8:09AM
As you said, playing a paladin as my main, it's very disappointing to have such boring minor glyphs.
Personally, I'd love a glyph that could change the look of the Guardian of Ancient Kings, Hammer of the Righteous, Divine Storm, etc., like giving them different coloration, visual effects, and so on. Maybe, for paladins, based on the Aura they're sporting, a glyph could actually give the paladin an ACTUAL aura, like a corona of light surrounding them.
I don't know, I'm not a designer by any means, but some more interesting choices would be nice.
MattKrotzer May 24th 2011 9:06AM
I like the idea of the auras, but considering the number of paladins my guild sometimes runs with, I can already smell the odor of burned-out graphics cards if they had to render that effect so much.
pinteresque May 24th 2011 9:55AM
Changing spell effects is something Blizz won't do for the same reason they keep player character silhouettes differentiated - when you're hit by a spell in PvP or when, say, you're buffed by a priest's Power Infusion in PvE, you need to be able to know what just happened to you at a glance. Having multiple spell effects depending on how the caster is glyphed breaks that design philosophy pretty thoroughly.
Nadia May 24th 2011 11:43AM
Maybe a color change to the Paladin class mount? Make the horsie glow more, or be all golden!
Personally, I would love a minor glyph for Priests that lets your vanity pet not be subject to Shadowform color change.
Quasi May 24th 2011 12:34PM
Minor glyph that allows for your paladin mount to change back to a horse (for Draenai and Tauren) or change to the faction specific secondary option if you already have a horse. I know my wife isn't an Ellek fan, so when she lost her horse it made her sad, I myself would love a giant silly elephant mount as a dwarf.
Minor Glyph that gives exorcism a beam effect like drain life while channeling, so I can feel like a ghostbuster.
Minor Glyph that makes my beard stick out under all my helmets so I NEVER have to see my dwarf belly ever again.
Minor Glyph that takes our silly Mastery, and instead of a shield, it turns it into a HoT over 8 seconds.... (yeah ok the last 2 would NEVER happen)
Shinae May 24th 2011 12:42PM
With all this talk about "female demon pets", I surprised no one has mentioned giving the option for a female Guardian of Ancient Kings.
Susinko May 27th 2011 11:21AM
Oh what I wouldn't give for my Draenei's Elekk to be a horse again!