I know it's late (early? :p) and you're tired, but did you, or anyone present that happens to be hanging around on these boards, get any further specific information on Shadow Priests? The current state (both beta and PTR) is looking very grim for both our DPS and utility (little utility at all, and none effectively in 25mans (replenishment granted by two other classes, both much easier and more efficiently than Spriests do), yet still doing "just above the tank" level DPS). They've been saying for over two months now that they're aware our DPS is low and it's "not done yet", but there haven't been any real positive changes since then.
I'd venture to guess, they're shying away from saying much, as the boards (beta and live) have been pretty loud lately regarding the changes.
Quote:
* So many priests have been specced as shadow that it was decided to finally let shadow specs actually do DPS and not just be used as a "mana battery" in group situations.
* Currently, the two most favorable specs are either Holy (healing) or Shadow (some DPS, mana regen utility). They decided to change things around to let Discipline actually heal a raid (i.e. the spec has been revamped to be a more viable raid spec).
* To add to the DPS priests currently have available, they are adding Mind Sear to all priests - this means no racials.
1 - PTR and Live reports have us sitting at roughly 40% less DPS than other DPS classes
and other hybrid specs (all with the same or more utility than we currently have)
2 - Disc is still weaker than Holy for all cases of PvE healing (group, single-target, AE). It's a general consensus among the priests that they gave up trying for Disc "standalone" viability for the 3rd time (Vanilla, BC, now Wrath).
3 - This may very well be a result of 4amish typing :p. To clarify for other priests (and non-priests). Mind Sear is an AoE Mind Flay, all priests getting at 80. They're also doing away with racials as we know them with something (I forgot the original) being replaced by Hymn of Hope (Holy based weak group evocation (channeled), Desperate Prayer going to Holy Nova's old location (and weakened), Holy Nova going baseline, and Devouring Plague going baseline and nerfed to oblivion (damage down, % healing return way down, CD down, mana cost not much down at all).
Then again, looking at the one image, that may simply have been their points, but people can use the rest of this as informative (with a
slight bias :p) for filling out information on the 3 (technically 4) key points that were mentioned there. But, I wasn't there :(, so there could have been more said by the actual panel.
And of course, thanks for pushing information over to us non-Blizzcon non-DirectTV people :).
Edited, Oct 11th 2008 7:36am by cafeen Edited, Oct 11th 2008 7:46am by cafeen