We would like to increase the number of debuff slots, yes, and we most likely will. Unfortunately, this is very complicated to do tech wise. It greatly increases the amount of bandwidth for the server, for example, and also for the client (you).
When designing new talents, we try very hard to not add more debuff slots, though with the addition of a brand new class it's sort of unavoidable. In a nutshell, yes we realize the debuff slot stuff is an issue now and will be in the future and we're working on it.
With the new debuffs available, I really can't see how the current 40-debuff limit is enough in WotLK. Here's hoping they do take the plunge and increase it.
I wonder if they could turn multiple of the same debuffs into the one slot and add the little charge counter, like Shadow Weaving has but for every debuff. So if you have more then 1 priest, SW:P all take up 1 slot, with how many their are up and the inbuilt DoT timer recording yours. Would fix slot problems, but will it cause greater bandwidth I don't know.
I very much doubt that's possible. From what I can tell they have their system designed so that anything that's stackable is normalized for one value. I don't think their system can take a 5-stack of SWP and know that it came from 5 different priests, all with different damage values. Not to mention durations wearing off at different times. As of now, if a 5-stack fades via duration, the entire stack goes (the only exceptions being charge-declining stacks like earth shield and inner fire, which are unrelated to the matter at hand).
With the new debuffs available, I really can't see how the current 40-debuff limit is enough in WotLK. Here's hoping they do take the plunge and increase it.
I would like to see a system where the debuffs were done by type instead of named. Yes it would lead to duplication across classes but it would mean we would not necessarily need all classes all the time. It should also simply their work as they don't have to account for so many types. It is a little difficult at times to ensure everything you can have up there is up there, let alone figuring out who is slacking
That's what they're aiming for - death knights now have a replacement for a malediction Curse of Elements, as well as a slightly lesser version of the new shaman haste totems, and judging by the blue comments recently they're looking at extending this further. It won't be - oh, we need <x> class for this, it will be, we need <y> ability, which can be given by classes <a>, <b>, <c>.
But I think the main problem is if the up the debuff slots, it will up it for all units in the game - and (most) outdoor units don't need that many debuff slots. Which is probably where the technical issues come in for them just blinding increasing the cap.
I expect that the new version of Improved Scorch (10% to fire, frost, arcane) doesn't stack with CoE either, nor would I be surprised if any or all of those don't stack with the druid Earth and Moon (6%? to nature/arcane) or shadow weaving. What I do like is that there's still one that's better than the rest (CoE with malediction), so there is a reason to bring class X over Y, and affliction warlocks can still keep a "debuffer title," but the difference between having one and not isn't so severe. It does rather throw current raid balance out the window though. Patch 3.0, if it's done before WLK, may neuter many raid forces by unstacking previously-stacked abilities.
I expect that the new version of Improved Scorch (10% to fire, frost, arcane) doesn't stack with CoE either, nor would I be surprised if any or all of those don't stack with the druid Earth and Moon (6%? to nature/arcane) or shadow weaving. What I do like is that there's still one that's better than the rest (CoE with malediction), so there is a reason to bring class X over Y, and affliction warlocks can still keep a "debuffer title," but the difference between having one and not isn't so severe. It does rather throw current raid balance out the window though. Patch 3.0, if it's done before WLK, may neuter many raid forces by unstacking previously-stacked abilities.
Why would anyone expect that? At the moment imp scorch is 15% to fire and stacks with coe perfectly fine. It gets changed to 10 and suddenly has to stop stacking? They have never mentioned that they intend to change the way it stacks. In fact, if it worked like you think, it would encourage raid stacking, as people would only take best debuffer e.g. lock and not moonkin or mage. But now, with different debuffs all over the place they encourage different classes and specs in a raid. E.g. at least one mage with winter chill for debuffs, one with imp. scorch.
Warrior demo shout overwrites druid demo roar, and druids can't apply demo roar while demo shout is up. Not everything works that way (and it's annoying if one has a lesser duration or is about to wear off), but that's one example. It does depend on how far they go with preventing stacking of debuffs, though - but even so it'd still be likely to hit the debuff limit.
So, if the various debuffs don't stack would they not take up seperate debuff slots? Isn't' this how Sunder Armor works with Expose Armor?
Even if they don't stack, I pointed out in the DK thread that some of those new mechanics also have side effects that will make keeping up both necessary. For example with Icy touch and Thunderclap, while Thunderclap provides a better melee speed reduction, it won't overwrite Icy Touch because icy touch also provides a casting/ranged debuff. That and well, they added one whole class with at least 2-3debuff, and each of the member of this class needs its own debuffs since they're dot related, while every other class have gotten a few new debuffs(and a few less with the stacking changes). As someone said though, if they could just increase raid mobs displays, and actually lower current non raid mobs, it wouldn't be an issue. You don't need more than 12debuff slots on non elite mobs. You don't need more than 24 for instance mobs. You definitely want a big bunch of them for 25mans, and arguably 10mans.
So, if the various debuffs don't stack would they not take up seperate debuff slots? Isn't' this how Sunder Armor works with Expose Armor?
It is. However Sunder/Expose never stacked, and dropping CoE, Imp Scorch, Misery etc. would be about the same dps decrease as stacking sunder and expose would increase melee dps, either case it would drop quite a few "debuff stacking" classes to sub-par dps and throw melee a mile ahead. It's not too far off the lock-stacking everyone was complaining about with sunwell. Locks got more debuffs to improve their dps than mages and pulled ahead based on multipliers, add in the raid utility and you raid with one mage and 5 locks. I doubt this would be something Blizzards repeating, I'd rather see them reducing the class dependency on debuffs by making them more generic (all schools of magic instead of one) than plain removing stacking buffs. This way the raid utility from one class' talents won't make another class/specc useless but rather have them complement each other.
Couldn't they program it so that only Boss mobs had the increased # of debuff slots? Would seem like that could reduce the problems created by everyone and everything walking around with that much information.
Couldn't they program it so that only Boss mobs had the increased # of debuff slots? Would seem like that could reduce the problems created by everyone and everything walking around with that much information.
I'm sure Blizzard would have done so earlier if they could, we were running right up against the 40 debuff limit even in early BC raiding (honestly 40 debuff slots isn't a lot, especially if you pack more than a few debuff specs like shadow priests, aff locks, etc).
More than likely, there's another technical limitation that we're not thinking of. [Speculation Here] Perhaps adding more debuff slots would increase the amount of data being sent to the client, using up more bandwidth than Blizzard has. Perhaps Blizzard wants to limit the amount of debuff specs and encourage guilds to build a raid that is weighted heavily towards direct damage classes. Perhaps the computation required to process the DoTs is too much. We don't know unless some dev wants to comment on their setup.
Or, Blizzard could move more debuffs into raid buffs. For instance, the Misery Shadow Priest talent could become, "On casting a shadow damage based spell, all allies within 50 yards have a chance to gain Misery, increasing their magic damage by 5%".
Spell casting and spell channeling pushback has been changed to the following:
* When casting a spell:
o The first and second hit will add .5 secs each to the cast time.
o All hits after the second will have no effect.
* When channeling a spell:
o The first and second hit reduces current duration by 25% of total duration each.
o All hits after the second will have no effect.
Spell casting and spell channeling pushback has been changed to the following:
* When casting a spell:
o The first and second hit will add .5 secs each to the cast time.
o All hits after the second will have no effect.
* When channeling a spell:
o The first and second hit reduces current duration by 25% of total duration each.
o All hits after the second will have no effect.
Would seem to dovetail nicely with most interrupts being off the GCD now.
- Zul'Drak got quests now (and the shortest fp ever)
- Maps start uncleared (except for areas you cant enter)
- Storm Peaks got a proper map, but still getting ported when entering
- Wintergrasp got a proper map
- Dalaran got names for the subzones, lots of NPCs got moved from their piled up placement before.
- Blacksmithing got updated (blacksmith only bracer and glove sockets, belt socket for everyone)
UI changes, at least stuff I noticed. There's a little gem indicator near the threat now, that displays color for various threat state. Red=you have aggro, Orange=you're gonna lose aggro. It doesn't seem to show when someone else has aggro your own aggro, until you reach those same caps however(around 80% of the threat). Also one thing I hadn't seen before, when I used Strangulate on a caster, the scrolling text said Silenced in an orange color on the mob I silenced. There's also new rune graphics.
Also on login screen, there's now a frostwyrm flying around and interacting with the screen somewhat. Like, the screen will shake when it flies into the screen, or when it roars.
Not sure if it's new, first time I notice, there's a Show all Spell Ranks option in your spellbook.
Also it seems that Death Knights will have their own hair colours and skin tones, making them look more "dead" (a few of the skins look really ugly, especially the draenei and gnome ones). Example:
08/08/08, 3:45 AM
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