It seems really difficult to build a decent FG/ES build now too... you miss out on 2 points in Demonic Tactics if you want Soul Fire Execute, and you miss 2 points in Molten Core if you want the (probably incorrect...) Master Conjurer.

The next couple of weeks are going to be interesting to say the least.

I won't focus much on quantifying dps impact, I'm sure they can adjust the numbers here and there. From a design and play standpoint, several things have been accomplished it seems:
1. Affliction's rotation is simpler - Siphon Life is gone and immolate is probably back in optional status. They probably think the buff to pandemic and eradication (yes i think it will end up being a buff) will balance the nerfs to SL and immolate.

2. Demonology got less reliance on pet dps and a more interesting rotation - Meta every 2mins (approx), and an execute with soulfire. Warlock's dps is buffed, FG's is nerfed.

3. All warlocks got some additional utility (and yes, mages imp scorch is getting nerfed to 5% - blue has hinted as much)

4. Destro gets a mechanic change to conflagrate. If the glyph doesn't change, it effectively just changes the scaling mechanism to be tied to immolate. Sounds like a buff (15 second dots scale better than instant casts).

Questions I have on the notes:
Where is Master Conjurer now located?
Molten Core to Tier 8 demonology, is that a typo? (tier 5 or 6 makes much more sense) - Edit: Nevermind. Answered above.

Not only have they nerfed Affliction, they have made the rotation so simplistic that it will take all the fun out of Affliction as it is on live. I don't wish to SB > Haunt > UA > Corr(once) > CoA > Spam SB for the entire raid. I believe the developers have focused far too much on "fixing" PvP for warlocks (not that it needed fixing in Arena) and that because of this they have neglected the PVE element of our rotation. The changes to Eradication(2/4/6% chance to gain 30% crit chance on SB -_-) and Siphon Life are laughable for PVE. Looks from a first glance as if its back to a Demo/Destro combo for us in PVE, even though the changes there are laughable (Molten Core). A sad shame.

Anyone got any opinions on what spec could potentially work for us regarding Affliction? I know it will be hard to construct without the use of the PTR but would welcome any suggestions that followed.

Goodbye Top Spot for DPS on Patchwerk , good game Blizzard

Pandemic: This talent has been reduced to a 1-point talent, now grants your Corruption and Unstable Affliction the capability to critically hit.

I think this is nerf too... Normal crits are only 1,5x dmg

Hmm I don't want to seem like I'm complaining because I'm not I'm happy for changes and it's very interesting to see whats going on.
I do think a lot of you guys are underestimating the new eradication it's pretty decent considering how little crit an aff lock runs and they say nothing of it's internal cooldown. Though it may be safe to assume it's 45 seconds again.

The problem I see is the buff to demo is so large and the nerf to the other trees as well as the current lack luster state of deep destro seems they have just caused less interest and made demo the default spec for both pvp and PVE.

The problem with affliction is it scaled too well do to drain soul, and the only way they though to nurf drain soul was to nurf our overall damage with the SL change. I think the aff changes fix the over scaling that aff had, but then again simplify it to the point of disinterest.

Also don't forget the buff to aftermath is in some ways as good as molten core was do to the static % increase to fire dmg vs the periodic increase in fire dmg. I'm not sure if immo is out of the question.

Add in the 3% hit talent in suppression that seems quasi mandatory for all trees. Then again 3 pts vs 78 hit is close call on which would be better.

I'm definitely interested in giving this all a try and I'm sure these changes will keep evolving.

Mistake: Delete please

Mage changes have clearly not gone in yet, apart from the Replenishment change, and I bet somebody went and did the Hunter, Warlock and Mage Replenishment changes all together. For example, we know with 100% certainty that Impact is being changed, but it hasn't happened yet; we know they're working on some shatter combo problem for Frost and survivability issues for Fire, but no changes related to those. So I think they just haven't decided yet what to do with our trees. I completely expect that Improved Scorch and Winter's Chill will change to be similar to Improved Shadow Bolt, with the crit debuff reduced to 5% and a personal DPS increase added as a second effect. Remember that, with the exception of the various spell power buffs, every fully-talented buff or debuff is supposed to be exactly the same strength, and remember also that GC stated that 10% crit was probably too strong a debuff.

I've always been one to say that Blizzard know what they're doing and are correcting something most of the time rather than nerfing it but these changes feel very strange. I feels like they're basically trying to homogenise classes and talent tree's to me to a much greater extent than they led us to believe.

But this is the PTR lets give them a chance. If things go horribly wrong come patch day then fair enough but until then lets let them do their stuff. Although I must say I'm intrigued as to how some of these changes came about it's hard not to immagine 10 guys sitting in a conference room hot sticky and annoyed in total silence. Then one of them randomly goes "Hey you know what would piss those warlocks off? - Lets just randomly move Molten Core into 35 Pt Demo" it just feels really really random. But if the tiers are somehow not crystal clear or are still being finalised I must say almost all the changes feel good they just feel like they're in the wrong place.

Decimation sounds awesome for instance but what you would think is a core Destruction talent both practically and in terms of lore just isn't. I always invisiged my Destruction Lock as pouring his anger and frustration into his spells summoning the biggest and badest balls of death to hurl at his enemy wheras my Demonologist as sneaky sitting at the back and channeling his energy into his demon.


Anyway; if these talents stick I expect every guild to run with a Demo lock especially as we get geared in Ulduar its already not unreasonable to expect raid buffed (and with Illustration) roughly 3.3k spell damage far more than an elemental shaman brings and considering how much they seem to be buffed I immagine Demo would push some interesting numbers.

Except unless I'm badly misunderstanding the notes, Improved Shadow Bolt is no longer crit-related in any way.

Oh good catch well guess it doesn't matter then o.o

Cheers!

Before, ISB was only applied on critical hits. Now it is a on hit talent, much like scorch (with the talent) is; crit or not, it is applied on hit.

Anyway, am I the ONLY affliction warlock not too concerned about his DPS? Eradication nerf is hurtful, and while I use immolate and siphon life, as any good lock would, I don't think it's going to be a HUGE DPS decrease.

Who knows, a few glyphs are now opened up (no more Siphon Life, Immolate0 -- perhaps they will be able to aid in said loss of DPS.

Rotation will clearly be easier, though it's not that hard now...