Man-- as if Blizzard really needed something like this to happen. Shamans are already unhappy with patch 2.4, and in replying to a relatively well-written and well-founded thread on why that is, EU CM Tharfor drops this bomb:The stats don't show a lack of popularity for shaman, they just show a ridiculous popularity for other classes.
I am taking that out of context a bit-- Tharfor is basically saying that Shamans are in the right place, and it's other classes that need to be balanced on to them (and Thundgot later wants it clarified as "certain" other classes-- Druids and Warriors specifically). But as if the Shaman forums weren't enough of a firestorm, that statement has set off a whole other explosion of complaints. People are even asking if a statement like that is supposed to reflect Blizzard's feelings as a company or just Tharfor's as a CM.
I feel for Tharfor-- at least he wrote a lot on the subject, and at least he stepped up to talk to shamans about this, even when I'm sure the other CMs were tired of banning people after dot-shock. But this Shaman issue isn't a problem that can be talked out on the forums-- serious changes need to be made in game. From the missing Shaman review before BC all the way up to the new Stormstrike icon in 2.4, Blizzard has done very little to cure the basic problems with the shaman class (totem length and mobility, and mana management), and posting statements like the one above isn't helping.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
2-13-2008 @ 5:38PM
James said...
If it reads like WoW forum whining, it's gotta be Mike.
*checks byline*
Yep.
Reply
2-13-2008 @ 5:41PM
Mike Schramm said...
Thanks for reading! :)
Hey someone's gotta cover the forum whining. Consider it a public service.
2-13-2008 @ 6:15PM
James said...
No need to be so nice about it. I was only trying to hurt.
But seriously, the WoW forums are a haven for useless complaining. People that stop reading them are generally happier with the game. I know I was when I stopped going near the forums. I'd really rather not see the whining brought here. Thank you for bravely venturing into that cesspool, but couldn't you bring back the rare bits of useful information instead of the negative attitude that pervades that place?
2-13-2008 @ 8:26PM
Aphext said...
James, I'm guessing your main is a warlock? Well, that or warrior.
2-13-2008 @ 10:46PM
James said...
Nope. Never got into warlocks and I gave up on my warrior after the expansion. My main would be a druid, but my first 70 was a shaman. I'm quite happy with it in PvE, but I see people are complaining about PvP.
2-14-2008 @ 11:02AM
Algorithm said...
I want to say thanks for the thread link in any event. There are lots of blue comments, and I think the real bombshell for people in the forums is:
"I don't believe that [the forums] were ever designed to only be a place for players to give feedback to developers via the community managers, but that seems to be what people expect. "
Also, at least shamans can't complain that they never see blue responses. This is a buff for shamans everwhere!
2-13-2008 @ 5:40PM
SaintStryfe said...
A-Freak'n-Men.
Thank you for presenting this comment.
This is why Shaman complain - We haven't scaled. Everyone else has gotten more powerful, Shamans have not, and in some ways regressed.
It's so simple to help us and make us happy. Don't make us feel like we're outside the process, not when Shaman is the game's signature class!
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2-13-2008 @ 5:47PM
Zhalseran said...
I don't begrudge shamans anything, I agree that they are a class that in some ways are very lacking, but come on. There are other classes too and I'm getting very tired of nothing but whining coming from them for what seems like since the beginning of time. Shamans are not content, this isn't news any more. Except apparently for Mike Schramm.
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2-13-2008 @ 5:47PM
ringu0 said...
> the basic problems with the shaman class
> (totem length and mobility, and mana management)
I'm not exactly sure what the current set of "basic problems" consists of, but I'm fairly sure two of the issues listed in the article were to certain extent addressed in the previous patches, that is, water shield was immensely buffed, and totems' longevity was increased by... what, 25%?
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2-14-2008 @ 9:08AM
Angus said...
Totem longevity addressed?!
Okay, a paladin saw their normal blessing go from 5 minutes (not long enough to last a boss fight) to 15 minutes. (Still short, but manageable) They got raid blessings up to an hour now and they hit everybody in the group or raid of the same class. This has made raid buffing for paladins almost painless. Druid, Mage, and Priest buffs are now 1 hour for raid/group buff.
Shaman have 2 minutes and a range on theirs. Making some of the totems go up to 2 minutes long was not a real buff.
"But it went up 100% more!" Yea, and the Paladin's went up 300% more and was already 5 times longer to start.
Totems need to get fixed. For all the whining other classes make about how "powerful" our group buffs are, they seem incapable of seeing how wrong they are. I cannot buff everybody in my group with 4 useful buffs unless it is a trick fight. Melee needs Air, earth and that's it. Water does little to help them. Fire is stupidly weak as a buff unless frost spells are being thrown around all the time.
Casters need air and water. If elemental they get fire too. Earth does nothing for them.
So really, you get a max of 3 buffs. Paladins give 2, better range, mobile, and often as good or better. A priest can give 3 as well and a druid 2 thanks to their auras. The number of buffs can't be the reason for the horrible mechanic. The power of BoK makes almost anything we have weak T6 level. 1K Hps seems like a potent buff, as does armor, resists, and stats. SO relative power isn't it.
Why exactly do I have to walk around at around minute 2 of any boss fight and drop totems, making me lose time on DPS or healing? I'm as busy as every other class in those fights, yet I have to watch a totem timer too and then reapply useful buffs.
2-14-2008 @ 9:51AM
ringu0 said...
Angus, this is why I added the caveat about "certain extent".
2-14-2008 @ 10:16AM
Algorithm said...
I don't think Blizzard wants to treat totems like some kind of passive hour-long buff. Totems should behave differently, because:
-Because they are more powerful. The difference in power between windfury totem (or wrath totem/mana tide) compared to mark of the wild, intellect or spirit is pretty big. Ask a rogue if they'd rather have might or windfury.
-They only give their group the totem buff, not the raid a buff. They're clearly a different mechanic.
2-13-2008 @ 5:48PM
Enignog said...
Go Resto and bask in the glory of Chain Heal. There's your solution.
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2-13-2008 @ 6:04PM
Lucas said...
DIAF PLS
You are the problem.
The idea of "respec resto 4urgild" is asinine. Any raid without an enhancement shaman is a bad raid.
2-13-2008 @ 6:21PM
Good_Idea said...
You don't use chain heal in 2v2 arena.
Other classes are missing the boat entirely with shaman, most of our current problems stem from pvp. Not to be mean, but most non-shamans don't even know what issues shamans have... except that we really suck in arena.
2-13-2008 @ 5:51PM
Uruman said...
Simplest example of the chronic abandonment of shamans is to do a search for any of kalgan's posts in the shaman forums. Surprise! There are none. He has posted in all the other forums several times in the last year (there was a post about this in WoW General). WTF is up with that?
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2-13-2008 @ 6:05PM
Crypt King said...
Find a thread by him in the paladin forums....
2-13-2008 @ 6:10PM
Uruman said...
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/search.html?stationId=1&forumId=10018&searchText=&characterName=kalgan&blizzardPoster=true&recentPosts=0&x=446&y=-34
There you go ...
2-14-2008 @ 10:09AM
Algorithm said...
This is not an example of "the chronic abandonment of shamans."
In which forums blizzard makes a post only shows what thread Blizzard was reading.
2-13-2008 @ 5:53PM
Rudi said...
Hmm. We raid with a resto, an elemental and an enhance shammie and love them all. Why are they all QQ on the forums?
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