Life Tap is one of my favorite mechanics in the game. It's elegant, it's clever, and it's just plain fun; it's a big part of the reason a Warlock is my third-highest-level character (behind my two 70s). And it's really a defining part of the Warlock class, along with demons and soul shards. So when they nerfed it on the patch 2.4 PTR, I was mad, along with a lot of other people. I still am.Anyway, two recent Eyonix posts have discussed the topic. First, he clarified that Improved Life Tap will work the same as in patch 2.3: you get more mana without losing more life. Zero talent points in ILT = 15% of your max mana for 15% of your max life, one point = 16.5% mana for 15% life, and two points = 18% for 15%.
Second, he confirmed the suspicion that like so many other annoying changes, this one was made for the cause of PvP balance. He states specifically that "we wanted warlocks to take a larger hit to their hit points when lifetapping in PvP." Just like the water issue, they're again claiming that this change will have little impact in PvE. He says this could even be played for a gain by stacking Int instead of Stamina -- but doesn't most good Lock gear have a lot of Stam? (Honest question, I don't know much about the state of endgame Warlock itemization.)
Really, can't they just make this ability work differently in PvP than in PvE, like they ended up doing with water? It might be confusing for the players at first, but I'm sick of Blizzard breaking my PvE game to balance the PvP game, and I'm sure PvPers occasionally feel the same in reverse. It's gotten to the point where if I could press a button to remove PvP from WoW forever, I would consider doing it, so they would stop screwing up the part of the game that I enjoy. But it doesn't have to come to that! Just balance the two parts of the game separately where necessary.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
2-25-2008 @ 3:36PM
Gessilea said...
I am sick to death of PvE getting nerfs because of some PvP imbalance. I'll be right behind you pushing that button.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:36PM
Brandon Tilley said...
/agree
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2-25-2008 @ 3:39PM
Zumwalah said...
agree completely
2-25-2008 @ 4:47PM
Lucas said...
Its a warlock nerf, you, again, don't get to complain.
2-26-2008 @ 11:11AM
amasen said...
Warlocks are fine... As a 70 priest, mage and warrior who is in arena... warlocks are fine...
Get with the program, druids are broken... Hunters are the new warlock...
2-25-2008 @ 3:36PM
skynes said...
Malefic Raiment (Warlock T6)
On Live servers:
Total Stamina - 278
Total Int - 158
Almost twice as much Stamina as Int. So this is still a huge blow to PVE.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:38PM
bjp2592 said...
PVP feeling the same in reverse? When has that ever happened?
I used to think all the complaining about class changes to PVP affecting PVE was mostly QQ-ing. But I don't think that way anymore. Just stack +int instead of +stam? Yeah with all of that warlock +int gear I have...
Seriously Blizz has gone so far down the PVP>PVE road that it's ridiculous.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:41PM
Bart said...
Hey, UP YOURS warlocks, youve had this coming for a looooooong time.
Now please, continue with the QQ your tears are delicious
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2-25-2008 @ 3:45PM
Arxidi said...
This is getting to be ridiculous. Why even have PVE at all?
2-25-2008 @ 3:55PM
guesswho? said...
i support this post
2-25-2008 @ 4:11PM
Doma said...
I guess it's QQ until it happens to you.
Love,
An Ele Shaman.
Here's the real issue: Blizzard's making these "balancing" fixes all over the place. Class mechanics included. Nothing is safe, even if you're not even on a pvp server.
2-25-2008 @ 4:17PM
Faar said...
You'd best stop gloating now, regardless of whichever class it is you play it might well be you who's the victim of the next hamfisted pvp-related nerf blizzard decides to unleash on their customers.
Karma's a bitch and all that, best make sure you shut up and take it straight up your backside like a good slave without complaining at all...
Hopefully you're not a mage, remember all the crying when frost nova broke as soon as the rooted target received a crit for example? That one hit mages FAR less than this nerf on lifetap does to locks.
Besides, if you ever team up with a warlock at all - PvP OR PvE - why would you cheer at nerfs to warlocks? It's like shooting yourself in the foot. You just make yourself look like a shortsighted, narrowminded buffoon.
2-25-2008 @ 5:15PM
brucimus said...
when Warlocks cry? what comes out of their eyes?
seriously ...I have no sympathy for Warlocks whatsoever ...You been kicking the crap out of people/dps meters for ever now ..isnt it time for a step back?
2-25-2008 @ 3:41PM
Gessilea said...
Another thing that's irritating about this change is that it reduces/takes away one of the unique things about Warlocks as casters. If Warlocks start stacking int on their gear, that's just one step closer to being mages. I like my classes to be as distinct as possible, thanks.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:41PM
Zechleton said...
Destruction even worse in PvP than before, despite nearly every warlock in the EU feedback threads saying it needs a huge buff. Makes you wonder why Blizzard even bothered with those threads. Hopefully there's a lot more to go in this PTR because as things stand my warlock is going to be getting played even less than it already is, i just can't stand being pigeonholed into the skill-less, boring SLSL yawnsfest spec.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:42PM
Truckin said...
Here here!
Give me back my WORLD of Warcraft and take the Warcraft ARENAS to another title. Hell sounds like a great title for Activison to work on.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:43PM
Gessilea said...
Oh, and I play a moonkin and a prot warrior, not a Warlock, and I still think this change is dumb. Make it PvP only if it's a PvP change, I like my raiding buddies the way they are. Kthxbai.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:44PM
Sanari said...
I am not a mage. Warlocks do not stack int. I am not redoing all those raids to replace my gear and gems to stack int. None of our gear has int.
Blizzard needs to quit f!#$ing the PvE game, and make separate rules for each environment.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:50PM
mk said...
finally some sympathy from wowinsider for this ridiculous change to pve to justify changes in pvp. yea our healers on gurtogg will just go ahead and heal me more both to compensate for bloodboils taken (ideal for locks with their high stam and ranged dps) and more lifetaps. sweet.
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2-25-2008 @ 3:52PM
Bearskunk said...
at a bunch of BS. Nerf a class defining mechanic so they can continue to push their retarded arena for eSports, thanks Blizz!
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