Whynow?
Wastheabilitytocastbubbleandwingssimultaneouslysogame-breakingthatithadtobehotfixed?Seriously,howmanyclasseshavebeentunedornerfedsomanytimesthroughhotfixesinthehistoryofthegame?Justhowbadlydidtheproblempersistandbreakthegamethatitcouldnotbeexaminedfurtherandgivenapropersolution?
Whatreallybrokemeaboutthiswholeaffairwasthestaggeringofthenerfs.Ifitwasgivenallatoncewithagoodexplanation,I'dhavebeenfine.Butthislatestnerf,sneakilyunleashedonthePaladincommunitythroughahotfixmerehoursafteranannouncementontheforums(andweallreadtheforums,amirite?)...thisisjustdisappointing.It'slikeagunmanwarningyouthathe'sabouttoshootyoumomentsbeforeheunloadsa12-gaugeonyourchest.Nerfafternerfafternerfbringsintoquestiontheentiredesignprocess.WhyisaclassbeinghotfixedinsteadofproperlyreworkedandrebalancedthroughBetaorPTRtesting?
Aquestionabledesignprocess
GhostcrawlerclaimsthattheyatBlizzard"haveaccesstotestingcapabilitiesfarbeyondthatoftheaverageplayer."Heexplainsthatdevelopersdonotmakedecisionswilly-nillyanddonotmerelymakeadjustmentsbasedonthewhiningsofplayersontheforums.Ibelievethat,sure.SohowexactlydidRetributiongetreleasedonliveinsuchabrokenstate?AndwhydidBlizzard,asrecentlyasBlizzCon,saythattheclassorspecwasfine?
Howcome,despitewhatGhostcrawlercalls"alargenumberoftoolsthatwedon'tmakepublic,"despitebeingableto"lookupnumbersorgatherdatathatmostplayershavetoestimateorguessat,"anddespitehiring"expertsonallclasses"andbeing"incontactwithexpertplayersoftheclassesthroughouttheworld,"RetributionmadeittotheliverealmsinitsstateinEchoesofDoom?Howcansomethingthatbig,thatenvironment-changing,makeitthoughallthatscrutinyandnumber-crunching?
Iknow.Mistakeshappen.That'spartofthedesignprocess.Butthesolutions,hotfixednerfsaccompaniedbystatementsamountingto"we'llseehowitgoes,"doesnothingtoalleviateplayerfearsthatthereisn'tenoughtestingdone.WhenBlizzardstealthilyfixesaclassthrougharestart(justsoyouknow,theyalsoreducedJudgementofJustice'sdurationto10secondsforPvP),it'sjustnotveryencouraging.
Redemption
Let'sfaceit.I'mstillgoingtoplaythePaladinclasslongafterIfinishthispost.Manyofuswillcontinuetologin,bringoutoutourhammers,shields,orswords,andplaythegamewestilllovetoplay.Iwon'tlie.IloveWorldofWarcraft.IstilllovemyPaladin.AndI'llstillbewhirlingmyhammerthroughallthenerfsandhotfixes.It'sthenatureoftheclass.Ifwewereabletoplowthrough70levelsofauto-attacksandthensome,we'llbeabletoendurethis.
We'restillinabetterplacethanpre-Patch3.0.2.ThereworkoftheSealandJudgementsystemisstillthebestthingthat'severhappenedtotheclass.We'restillgreathealers,awesometanks,andyes,fearsomeDPS.EchoesofDoomusheredinanewageofPaladingameplayandIreallyappreciatethat.Recentstumblesnotwithstanding,thedevelopershaveshowedakeensenseofunderstandingoftheclassandfixedmanyofitsissues,there'snoquestionaboutthat.
Thesearestepsthatneedtobetaken.Retributiongotoutofthegateimbalancedanditneedstobereinedin.Itcanbedonebetter,butthisiswhatwehave.Thefunnythingis...IstillthinkBlizzardwilleventuallyfindtheproperbalancefortheclass.Iamcertain-andbull-headedlyso-thatBlizzardwillcompensateforRetribution'slostburstwithother,muchmoreneededtools.IamalsocertainthatHolyhealingandDPSwillbeimproved.Theysaidtheywouldfixit,andridiculousasitmaysoundrightnow...Itrustthem.They'vegottensomanythingsrightI'dberemisswereItoblithelycondemnthisrecentspateofnerfs.Yes,thelatestonebrokeme.Buthey,IplayaPaladin.Icanheal.
AvengingWrath
Didn'twegothroughthisalready?AvengingWrath'sviabilitypre-EchoesofDoomwastieddownbyitscausingForbearance,particularlyinPvP.Priortothepatch,usingAvengingWrathinPvPwasakintosigningyourowndeathwarrant.Inthecurrentenvironment,itbecomesevenworsebecauseForbearancelaststwofullminutes.It'saneasilydispellablebuffthatleavesPaladinswithouttheuseofitsclass-definingdefensivespell.Onlythemostfoolish-andconsequentlydead-PaladinsusedAvengingWrathinArenas.InBattlegrounds,itwasonlyusableagainstopponentswhodidn'thavedispelmechanics.Otherwise,usingitwouldbeconsideredareckless,oftentimesdisastrousmove.It'simportanttonotethatdispellingorstealingAvengingWrathdoesnotremoveForbearance.
TheremovalofForbearancefromthespellwasbrilliant.Oneofthebestandcelebratedmovesfortheclassingeneral.Itopenedupmanyopportunitiesforallspecs,notjustRetribution.Forafewgloriousweeks,itwascriticaltoHolyhealinginArenas,andeventanksinPvEgottouseitwhileundertheeffectsofthenewDivineProtection.MakingAvengingWrathcauseForbearance-nowalongerdebuffthanbefore-isoneofthemostdebilitatingretractionsthatBlizzardhaseverdone.TheremovalofForbearanceactuallymadeAvengingWrathusableinArenaorevenBattlegroundPvP.ThischangewillagainseetheuseofthespelldeclinesharplyinPvP,andalmostvirtuallyneverinArenas.TwominutesinArenasisaneternity.EvenHypothermiaonlylasts30seconds.
ForbearancelastingtwominutesalsomeansthatRetributionPaladinsinPvEwillneverhavetheopportunitytouseDivineShieldorevenDivineProtectionasanuh-ohbuttonbecauseitleavesnoroomforerrorinourrotations.PvERetadinswillhaveSanctifiedWrath,allowingtheuseofAvengingWratheverytwominutes.OptimalDPSrequiresAvengingWrathupwheneverpossible,whichmeansthatinPvE,wewillhaveForbearanceupprettymuchpermanently.Ifweevermanagetostealaggroatanypoint,weare,toputitbluntly,screwed.
I'llbeclearaboutthis:Idon'thaveaproblemwithAvengingWrathandDivineShieldbeingmutuallyexclusive.IfBlizzardfeelsthatitsoverpowered,thenfine,changeit.ButForbearanceasasolutioniscrudeandclearlydonewithoutenoughtesting(I'lltalkmostaboutthatlater),removingtheutilityofthespellandrevisitsoldproblems.
Thefixshouldbeveryeasy.HaveAvengingWrathoverwriteDivineShieldandviceversa.Thisway,ifoneisdispelled,Paladinswillhavetheoptionofusingtheother.Thewayitstandsnow,useofeitherspellisanextremelyheavystrategicdecisioninPvPandDivineShieldwillprettymuchalwayswin.MakeAvengingWrathandDivineShieldsharethesamesub-typeofspell(e.g.BlessingsandHands)andallowonlyoneup.CallitaDivineGiftorsomething:"PlayersmayonlyhaveoneDivineGiftonthemperPaladinatanytime."Problemsolved.Nomoreuntouchablewingedjuggernautsofdoom.
IfBlizzardinsistsonappendingForbearancetothespell,thenIimplorethemtoatleastmakethespelldispellableonlybyMassDispel.AvengingWrathnowincurssuchaseverepenaltythatitsimplydoesn'tmakeanysensetohavethespellremovableorstealableandleavingthepenaltyon.Itdidn'tmakesensethen,itmakesevenlesssensenow.Forgetthatrequest.Justmakethemthesamespellsub-type.