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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsRediscovering Alts: A private Cataclysm
by Matthew Rossi 
Jun 2nd 2011 at 7:00PM
Once Cataclysm came along, I was forced to put my shaman on the back burner for a while. Raid needed tank. Me tank. Me tank hard. (Okay, so I neither write or speak like that.) I also got to enjoying messing around with the various warrior DPS specs. But with the passing of time, as my warriors got geared enough to perform the roles expected of them, I got to missing my shaman.
My orc, I may never level again (at least not until I finally break down and buy a race change to tauren -- you can thank Garrosh "Where did my neck go?" Hellscream), but my draenei, I still enjoy a great deal. I know a lot of Alliance shaman players went dwarf, but I'm fond of my big blue. So I went back and started leveling him and quickly discovered a few things.
- I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. A lot of the essentials of the class are still there, but a lot really has changed. Fire Nova works entirely differently now. Stat weights are entirely different. We have whole new abilities, and our older abilities were either redesigned, moved around, or in some cases removed entirely.
- Sentry Totem is gone. I won't lie: I cried.
- We have two forms of CC now! Two! Holy crap, I remember when Hex was barely even viable. Now, it's pretty solid.
- Mages have stolen Heroism. This also made me cry.
In his recent watercooler chat about talent tree design, Ghostcrawler (lead systems designer) talked about pros and cons of the talent pruning. I didn't really get to experience some of those positives on the shaman. I didn't, for instance, get to feel like an enhancement shaman at level 10 because I was level 80 when I picked up the shaman again. May have to roll another one to get the leveling experience. But what I did notice almost immediately is that a lot of talents I was used to holding my nose and picking were gone -- and strangely enough, I actually missed them. Not because they were good, but because they were familiar.
I also found myself realizing that I had to relearn not only how to spec and how to fit in new talents and abilities like Spiritwalker's Grace (which is really nice when I have to run away from a boss but want to throw a heal out anyway). I also had to figure out how to heal again. I haven't healed seriously since early Wrath. Suddenly, there's Healing Rain and Healing Surge to wrap my head around. Enhancement is fairly changed from Wrath with new priorities (keeping the Unleash Elements buffs active at the right time so I can use an unleash boosted Flame Shock, for instance), but healing is entirely new. It almost feels like a completely alien game, and one I admit I am not even close to expert at yet.
It has actually been somewhat exhilarating to play him. With the warriors, I did a lot of PTR play and jumped straight into leveling and performing my roles as quickly as possible. I researched and understood the talent changes before they even went live. But coming to grips with how mastery works for enhancement and restoration, learning my DPS priorities, and figuring out what my healing spells even are has helped bring back a sense of discovery. I went into level 80 not knowing how to play this class and have had to learn slowly as he leveled up.
Now at level 85, I'd say I'm about 90% there in my enhancement spec and less than 60% as resto. I enjoy resto more than enhance for this very reason. I may even spec elemental and experience complete ignorance. At least I'll be learning something.
Filed under: Shaman, Analysis / Opinion, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
razion Jun 2nd 2011 9:21PM
@Bronzey: I see it as him doing what he has to in order to make ends meat--I've heard on various of his sort of vlog posts that he does take his job seriously and that he is disappointed personally when he can't provide a video daily for his subscribers. That just doesn't scream selfish to me. And I'll give you that--I guess I don't notice how he's talking down to us. But then again, I'm not easily offended. When I hear him say something cynical, I don't take it personal, because I know it's not personal. But then again, that's just me. My appologies, Bronzey, I didn't intend to make this a 'thing'. Just wanted to put a different perspective into the mix. :)
Sqtsquish Jun 3rd 2011 3:51AM
Well, Mr Bain (ie Totalbiscuit) does have several good points- the greatest is usually something to the extent that making things progressively easier so everyone can complete it only serves to reward people for putting in progressively less thought into their actions.
When has nerfing content past the point where it was already doable taught people the need for coordination and teamwork? In fact, all nerfing content does is makes the game more about gear and less about the actual people you play with. You want to play with so called "fails" because they are your friends? Then help them to do better, simple. You want to mindlessly pug content with anyone that just happens to have enough gear to get in? Well progressively nerfing content is grat for that.
Nerfing content to the point nothing in the fight matters only serves to slowly dissolve group cohesion, not encourage it. One of the worst times I can remember in recent history for my large super casual guild for raiding was when ToC came out, nothing in ulduar mattered and the only "current" content that mattered was pretty much stupid easy.
I'm not saying that nerfing content won't allow more people to see it sooner, that much is obvious. I am saying nerfing content to the point that you can pug 1/3 of the raid with idiots and still do fine is only going to serve to further propagate the lack of politeness, skill, and comraderie seen in game.
Deathknighty Jun 3rd 2011 8:31AM
@Razion
I understand entirely where you're coming from, but to be truly honest, that podcast was more insulting than entertaining, even knowing that he was taking the piss. Usually there's at least something interesting to hear, but that was nothing but spewing hatred at anyone who had opinions that differed in the slightest from his.
Also, professing many times his hatred of ragequitters and then ragequitting WoW in what was effectively a "OMG WOW SUX F*** U BLIZZ OMG" vlog is, in my opinion, truly pathetic.
Infinite Duck Jun 3rd 2011 9:40AM
Beh! Each have their own opinion. I side more with Mr. Rossi. My guild is upset about the incoming nerfs and only 7 new bosses in tier 12, but I always repeat this to them. At the moment 33.76% have killed Nef, 53.35% Cho'gall, 39.22% Al'Akir (take from wowprogess.) If you've downed this bosses good for you. But half the guilds out there are still struggling with tier 11. When we got 12/12 it was closer to 75% of guilds were still struggling. People are making progress, but not that fast. Only a small fraction of guilds have made their way decently into hardmodes. If total is quitting because WoW is moving too slow for him or not providing enough content for him, he needs to stop and take a look around at the numbers. Not everyone is burning content through that quickly. I'm really sick of hearing, "ZOMG were my new raidz?! 7 bosses LOLOLLLLLLLLOLLLL!!!111!!!!111! fAilzZ"
Seven bosses means I'll still get to do hardmodes for tier 11 or get to pick up things for guildies like late tier 11 tokens, trinkets, etc.
razion Jun 2nd 2011 7:19PM
I do, however, love the idea of you playing a dwarf with a GLORIOUS AND MIRACULOUS BEARD? Perhaps your beard got jealous and twisted your mind against that ultimately awesome would-be decision... The beard is corrupt!
AudreyR Jun 3rd 2011 6:28AM
Drainei have squid for beards.
Maybe he's just used to eating from his.
Stonebeard Jun 2nd 2011 7:20PM
This is how I felt coming back to my hunter, who was my main from late vanilla when I started until I got bored with waiting for groups and decided to start a tank about three months before Cata. I started a warrior to see all the dungeons before the old world got Deathwinged. I took him up and then started a prot pally to experience the dungeons afresh. He is now 85 as well.
I have tried several times to dust off my hunter, but I just can't go back to him after tanking. I miss melee, can't stand the quirky pet controls, and feel way too bursty with energy. It's odd; I played him almost exclusively since 2005, and now he feels like a stranger.
I hope I can pick him up like you've done with your shaman, Matt.
Stonebeard Jun 2nd 2011 7:22PM
Sorry. Focus. See? I know nothing anymore!
briker Jun 2nd 2011 7:35PM
Also, Hunters stole Bloodlust/Heroism too. My Shaman says boo! My hunter says "meh". Another pet I have to keep in my 5 slots in case there is no Shaman.
Also, I've found that many many mages don't know the first thing about how and when to use it properly, if at all. I don't think they fully comprehend the awesome and grave responsibility that having that power is.
Saeadame Jun 2nd 2011 7:42PM
Agreed on the mages - some of them use it at totally the wrong time (like, why would you blow it JUST AFTER the boss finishes the phase where he takes increased damage? How does that even make sense?)
xvkarbear Jun 2nd 2011 7:52PM
Yeah I've encountered this problem with mages as well.
I think they see it as a new toy and want to use it all the time.
Or they are one of those people want to make sure they use theirs before I use mine.
Imnick Jun 3rd 2011 3:47AM
In my guild we run two mages and the only person to cast heroism at the wrong time ever is the shaman
It's a player issue, not a class issue ;)
vocenoctum Jun 2nd 2011 7:45PM
"But what I did notice almost immediately is that a lot of talents I was used to holding my nose and picking were gone"
That phrase may conjure a different image than you intended...
MacAndy Jun 3rd 2011 12:51PM
I'm glad I was not the only one to have that image come to mind.
In fact my literal response to that line was 'How do you hold your nose and pick it at the same time?' O.o
Aruhgulah Jun 2nd 2011 7:58PM
I just recently picked my 'lock back up, who'd been on the back burner since early Wrath/late BC. Yeah. Total change around. The first instance my lock did:
Guildie: "Rez the tank, Rug!"
Me: "Huh?"
Guildie: "Rez the ta--ARRGGH" (party wipe followed, followed then by heated explanation of how soulstones now worked. Followed by much rejoicing on my part over the flexibility of SS'ing now).
And summoning additional demons? No more bag space wasted on shards? YAY! I'm still working out all of the changes to the mechanics, but man, playing my lock is a lot more fun now.
Mackeli Jun 2nd 2011 8:10PM
I completely agree about how hard it is to get used to a class that has changed so much, any of my alts that are under level 40 I have just re-rolled seeing as the game has changed so much
and in doing this, I've got to experience all the new zones at a relevant level, I'm absolutely loving cataclysm still
Necromann Jun 3rd 2011 6:58AM
Just make sure To mail heirlooms back to your main (if you want to lvl with heirlooms) and not delete 2 toons fully decked out in heirlooms before realizing it. Personal example.
tenaciousmonkey Jun 3rd 2011 8:20AM
@ Necromann
Ouch.
slim1256 Jun 3rd 2011 9:28AM
Maybe I'm just cheap, but if I was deleting a toon, I'd sell all their gear off down to their shorts prior to deleting, and forward to my bank alt... That would make it hard to forget about Heirlooms for me. Just sayin'. :)
terph Jun 2nd 2011 9:15PM
I have a little shammy alt that I'm leveling and loving too! Resto/elemental, and at 82. Enhancement sounds more fun, but I have a stable full of melee toons and I figured I should learn about life at range.
I leveled her slowly, just when I felt I needed a break. Around the time Cat dropped, she was in her 60s. So I also missed out on the new content and new leveling style. But switching to ele for questing was a little bizarre when I finally stopped running dungeons exclusively. (in her mid-late 70s) She's been such a blast though, I've been enjoying playing her more than anyone except my main. And my main is stuck in "all dressed up but nowhere to raid" mode, so shammy healing and burnination it is!