2.10 profession preview - Page 2

Gaspode · 04/09/07, 4:51 PM

Elixirs still need one of the following;

Lasting through death
More Herbs gained per node with Herbalism
Alchemy specialisations having a 100% proc rate

This change is decent, but we still actually have to farm for them, plus now it feels like we would be expected to have them at all times. Any one of the above I believe would fix things right up.

As for Engineering, I thought it was very disappointing. Unless the Goggles have some incredible stats and bonuses on them, I don't see too many making them. Hopefully they will be meaningful items, rather then just 'toys', but we'll see.

What I was hoping to see with Engineering was Gun/Wand/Relic/Trinket epic patterns (something which benefits more then one class), which can be upgraded through Primal Nether and Nether Vortexes, just like the Blacksmithing patterns. I think that type of thing would be very popular.

Nezralix · 04/09/07, 4:52 PM

There's just no way that this is the extent of the consumable changes. There's no way that an official statement of "there are big changes coming for alchemy, to reduce the crazy amount of time raiders are spending on it" amounts to this solution. Just wait and see.

• Kestrel · 04/09/07, 4:52 PM

Originally Posted by rochan

Heh, I doubt flasks will count as elixirs. Still, as a warlock, this change will knock off one elixir that I have to use which helps. I assume bosses will have to be retuned as tanks will no longer be able to use as many elixirs (Mastery, Fortitude, Stoneshield, Agility) so they will have to hit softer. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the end.

The prospecting change is also interesting. It is already more profitable to prospect your ore and sell the gems than sell it in bar form. As mentioned previously, it will most likely mitigate the dramatic difference in price between green and blue quality gems. More gem types is also a good change that I look forward to.

Stoneshields/Ironshields are potions, not elixirs. Probably all it means for tanks is they won't be using Elixir of Fortitude anymore. It's not tank damage that has to be balanced around, since they mostly flask anyway, it's dps encounters.

Whiteknight · 04/09/07, 4:53 PM

I'll be very curious to see which category Elixir of Mastery lands up in.

Exewut · 04/09/07, 4:54 PM

Originally Posted by kharen

So they're fixing the set bonus. Wonderful. Noone sane would actually wear the entire set anyway due to the ridiculously stacked stat balance on all three of the pieces, but never mind.

Now how about fixing the fact that it's ~10ilvls underbudget and completely missing sockets, as well, ffs.

I wonder if they changed the socketbonuses on the 'moonkin' set. (it's 4 agility btw)

levk · 04/09/07, 4:59 PM

Originally Posted by thebuddha

I really hope the new +spell hit gem is yellow/blue since if it's only yellow it would mess up my metagem (5% half spell cast requires more blue than yellow; since blue is useless for raiding mages I just stack +9 dmg and avoid any yellows). I doubt this will be the case since it'll just be a clone of the meele one.

There's hit/agi gems now (at least according to wowwiki)... If they were to make a green +spell hit gem it'd probably have mp5 or spirit on it.

e: I hope they added a int/stam gem, the only one in the game is a heroic drop and hnce is unique.

songster · 04/09/07, 5:01 PM

Thinking about it, for me it's boiling down to one question: Do flasks count as elixirs?

snape · 04/09/07, 5:07 PM

I rejoice at the introduction of a [non-Epic, non-Heroic] spell hit gem, but quail at the lackluster alchemy "news". I have always been an Herbalist on my main - I don't expect that to change...EVER...but I had assumed that I would spend less of my time doing that and more of my time, you know, not flying around looking for yellow dots on a mini-map.

Gaspode · 04/09/07, 5:21 PM

Originally Posted by snape

I have always been an Herbalist on my main - I don't expect that to change...EVER...but I had assumed that I would spend less of my time doing that and more of my time, you know, not flying around looking for yellow dots on a mini-map.

With Black Temple and Hyjal coming out, I expect they would want us to have an Elixir buff at all times, since the system is 'easier'. That could in the long run might end up meaning MORE herb farming for some classes (for me it probably means more Nightmare Vine, and less Terrocone), but lets wait and see the bosses first.
I am also predicting a lot more dps Flask farming, i'm assuming their plan for a typical dps orientated boss is one Flask, one Elixir, and however many health/mana pots it takes

Yaltus · 04/09/07, 5:22 PM

Originally Posted by Avair

Capping players to two elixirs is the 'big' alchemy changes then? So one Flask of Relentless Assault/Supreme Power/Titans will still be the price of raiding each night then. Since when was the cost of Imbued Vials really the problem with raiding consumables?

The 2.1 Alchemy Checklist
1. Casters chain chugging Mana potions still? Check.
2. Tanks chain chugging Stoneshields still? Check.
3. Full flasking of raids still? Check.
4. Herbalism still the most important raiding profession? Check.
5. Full buffs is two elixirs + food + flask + world buffs? Check.

Meet the new Alchemy, same as the old Alchemy.

Update: God responses are fast. I hope this preview is not all there is, and admittedly, the 'General forums concerns' are not the raiding community concerns so I can understand to some extent why they would focus on what they did. But right now, I don't see anything groundbreaking.

It's almost as if they have no clue why people were upset about alchemy. As you noted, potions are still going to be a huge part of raiding consumable usage for many classes. Maybe flasks count as an elixir, maybe not, but they are still going to be needed. Plus now this removes the ability to really pot up to the absolute gills in order to get a first kill, which is something that many people didn't mind and found fun. So I have to use fewer consumables on old content, but with the lack of gear scaling, I still have to use them, and that's the problem.

Also, say goodbye to ever seeing certain elixirs...Empowerment and Strength for starters, and quite possibly Mastery, depending on how it is classed.

starsin · 04/09/07, 5:24 PM

Originally Posted by Whiteknight

I'll be very curious to see which category Elixir of Mastery lands up in.

Looks like it is a combat elixier. A few weeks ago with the old client my elixiers were already classified and Mastery definitely was a combat elixier. There's an old thread about it you can find here: Possible change to consumables?

Rhyick · 04/09/07, 5:34 PM

Honestly, I would not mind the fact that the stacking of elixirs are getting nerfed, as long as the boss encounters are gear quality are fixed too, making elixirs and potions more of a bonus that won't be needed after the first few boss kills instead of a requirement to kill the boss. Who knows, we'll have to see what the rest of the patch notes bring, I guess.

Monsanto · 04/09/07, 5:35 PM

Major Arcane Protection Potion
Primal Mana
Mana Thistle
Imbued Vial

Major Fire Protection Potion
Primal Fire
Mana Thistle
Imbued Vial

Major Frost Protection Potion
Primal Water
Mana Thistle
Imbued Vial

Major Holy Protection Potion
Primal Life
Primal Water
Imbued Vial

Major Nature Protection Potion
Primal Life
Mana Thistle
Imbued Vial

Major Shadow Protection Potion
Primal Shadow
Mana Thistle
Imbued Vial

I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for the raiding game to pick back up to the point where you have Loatheb/Sapphiron style encounters where you get to chug these pots every 2 minutes. 25 gold per primal + the cost of mana thistle every 2 minutes sure sounds appealing to me.

Nutron · 04/09/07, 5:36 PM

i assume 99% of raiders would wait till they got a bit more gear that didnt warrant taking the major version, and that that old ones wuold be just fine.

30g a pot = no thanks

Neruse · 04/09/07, 5:36 PM

Leatherworking

* Skinning higher level creatures will give more leather; you will no longer get a single leather scrap.
* "Knothide Armor" kits now require less leather to make and give skill increases for longer.
* Leatherworking made primalstrike set now has an attack power set bonus rather than a strength set bonus.

The larger number of leather per skin is a necessary change, if only to make the profession less aggrivating whilst farming mats.

The rest... is a tiny, pathetic bandaid to a profession which has no long term use outside of armor patches and the occasional drum. The craftable BoP epic sets need to be rebalanced and properly itemized, AND have an upgrade chain to make the profession useful.

/le sigh

• Ren · 04/09/07, 5:37 PM

Originally Posted by Yaltus

Also, say goodbye to ever seeing certain elixirs...Empowerment and Strength for starters, and quite possibly Mastery, depending on how it is classed.

Warriors and feral druids will still be using Elixirs of Major Strength; tanks will still be using Mastery.

Lodekim · 04/09/07, 5:39 PM

This alchemy change as listed accomplishes next to nothing. I'd save one potion (mastery) which I usually don't use anyway because I can't afford that with everything else, and the upgrade isn't that big compared to the price.

I still give a chance because Nethera did mention that these were not the full changes, but as is, nothing is fixed at all.

Maledict · 04/09/07, 5:42 PM

I'm holding to the hope that this is simply a publicity view of the upcoming changes, and that they don't want to mention major nerfs to alchemy before the patch notes come out, given the effects that could have on the economy and the casual player etc.

Any other answer probably means the days of my guild raiding at a decent level are over, and I don;t want to face up to that as it probably means the end of the game for me. It's just not *fun* anymore using up mana pots like water every week, on top of al the elixirs, stat food oils and flasks.

Bliss · 04/09/07, 5:45 PM

Originally Posted by Ren

Warriors and feral druids will still be using Elixirs of Major Strength; tanks will still be using Mastery.

Unless you really need the 200 hp, Fel Strength Elixir is going to add more AP.

• Erongg · 04/09/07, 5:45 PM

Remember, Tigole said:

We’re making substantial changes to the way certain consumables work . In particular, Flasks and Elixirs are going to undergo major changes. More information will be available later on. We want Flasks and Elixirs to be a part of the game. We want alchemy to be a cool, needed profession. But we want to remove the tedium and cost from the massive consumable farming that’s going on for endgame raiding. We’ll provide more information soon – but for now, expect big changes to Flasks and Elixirs.

They'll fix more.

roquer · 04/09/07, 5:47 PM

I'd like to see a breakdown of which elixirs fall under which categories. If someone with the german client wouldn't mind posting them, I'd appreciate it.

Shadout · 04/09/07, 5:48 PM

Um, there must be more to the consumable changes, or Blizz is so out of touch

Guess we just have to wait and see, again.

Not only will it still be expensive to use them (maybe even more so if everyone fcous on the same elixirs), but the issue about potting up being so much more of a buff than items can ever give isnt addressed at all here.

Lithose · 04/09/07, 5:53 PM

Unless they change elixers to last through death, I am underwhelmed...

Can anyone give me a reason why elixers evaporate on death? Even lasting through death, you will still need 2-3 a night (of each type) to do an entire raid, this, to me, seems like more then enough buisness for the servers alchemists, without pushing it to 15 or so a night for learning ect.

• Bluefish · 04/09/07, 5:54 PM

I think we can all agree Primalstrike isn't worth getting LW to 375, much less making or wearing. What stats WOULD make it exciting? With LW being the massive pain in the butt that it is (potentially less massive after the skinning change, but c'mon, farming primals for skillups sucks) it would take something like agi/stam/ap/hit/sockets to tempt me, or stam/ap/hit/crit/sockets. The Hunter/Shaman one is stam/int/ap/crit/mp5/sockets, so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Primalstrike to get MUCH better.

One band-aid to LW that would INSTANTLY make the tradeskill much more appealing? Drums of Restoration trainable. Those things just scream overpowered -- 31 mp5 / hp5 for the PARTY. The fact that the recipe is an un-farmable world drop is ridiculously asinine.

Cryect · 04/09/07, 5:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ren

Warriors and feral druids will still be using Elixirs of Major Strength; tanks will still be using Mastery.

If a feral druid uses Elixir of Major Strength instead of Major Agility and its not because they have excess major strength laying around well shame on them.

Edit: and I expect warriors to use Fel Strength Elixirs unless stamina is an issue.