On Twitter: PvP Chief Compares Shadowstep to Other Classes’ Baseline Mobility

BlizzBlues typically avoid, in plaguelike fashion, any direct class-vs.-class comparison of a single tool in the toolkit. They’re fond of saying — and rightly so — that classes aren’t created to be hard counters with one another, and that if they all had the same tools, they’d all basically be the same class (which might be very nicely balanced, but would also be the most boring thing in the history of ever).

That made it a little surprising that WoW PvP honcho Brian Holinka engaged in some back-and-forth last night over Shadowstep, and how the ability — which is currently a level-60 talent option — stacks up against the baseline mobility-aiding spells that other classes get. It’s a bit of an odd comparison, and as you’ll see Holinka doesn’t just talk about the ability in a bubble (since its synergy with other abilities, such as Cloak of Shadows, can add to its strength). But it’s one of those cool little glimpses into the way the mind of a senior PvP designer works and how he regards the strengths and weaknesses of rogues compared to other classes.

@objectirl Low cooldown and instantly on target. Comparing to Ret, Enhance, Death Knight and even Warrior it's very good. Monk may be better

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

@objectirl not to mention automatically applied snare and shiv'd 70% snare.

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

@Bludzeu @objectirl DK mobility = grip?

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

@Bludzeu @objectirl cloak and ams are a wash, chilblains is a talent (unlike crippling), potentially many cc breaks but not mobility

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

@Bludzeu @objectirl but I agree warrior is a stretch

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

@Bludzeu @objectirl to be fair I forgot ferals which are also very mobile

—
Holinka (@holinka) May 06, 2013

Read Full Post »

Twitter: Ghostcrawler likes the rogue rotation

@SamSykesSwears: “@Ghostcrawler http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/10/10/encrypted-text-combo-points-chi-and-your-slow-rogue/#continued … Pretty good article on where rogue rotations fail. Worth checking out, maybe?”

@Ghostcrawler: “@SamSykesSwears We like the rogue rotation. We wanted monks to feel different and they do.”

Twitterized 10/10/2012

Read Full Post »

Twitter: Ghostcrawler on how rogues are doing

@zNaTuu: “@Ghostcrawler Many said the Rogue dps is too low and the energyreg seems very very slow. Are you going to change something?”

@Ghostcrawler: “@zNaTuu Rogue dps in PvE is fine. Keeping a close eye on them in PvP though.”

@HayakuEl: “@Ghostcrawler Tell me, how are rogues in pve fine? We are getting our asses outdone by friggin DK and Monks in tanking specc. GG, GC.”

@Ghostcrawler: “@HayakuEl In what situation? Feng? He buffs tanks. Dungeons? Tanks historically win there, but it’s uptime not DPS.”

Twitterized 10/8/2012

Read Full Post »

Official Forums: Daxxarri on the state of rogues

Daxxarri stopped into the WoW rogue forum on Oct. 5 for a little back-and-forth with players on how the rogue class is playing in 5.0.4. He started off responding to a post that monks and rogues are similar because they both “consume singular resources” for their abilities.

While true, the abilities Monks use to generate Chi are not very damaging, while the strikes a Rogue uses to create combo points are core damage abilities. Monks need Chi to execute bread and butter damage abilities at all. It’s not a very good direct comparison. One should always be careful when comparing how one class’s abilities work versus another to take into account all the variables.

Then later, in response to a post about how blues don’t appear in the rogue forum:

Class forums are places where we want players talking to players, but I heard you guys were a little frustrated. I wanted to drop by and say hi, and I saw the comparison with Monks. That kind of false side-by-side comparison is something I like to nip in the bud. It creates un-justified class jealousy, y’know?

Better to consider your class mechanics within the context of your class mechanics instead.

And a little later in the thread:

To be fair, I remain impartial in that I always have to (and want to) take the broad view when considering class issues. I also know that you guys are frustrated, but the hard truth is that, even before Legendary weapon hijinks, Rogues needed some adjustment.

Still, we want every class to feel fun and satisfying to play, and I wanted to drop by and find out some specifics regarding why you guys are sad.

Edit: Please don’t exaggerate the issues, by the way. It’s much easier to relay information when I’m not trying to separate fact from fiction.

Daxxarri extended the post limit and let the discussion continue for about a week, before locking things up at post #739 with:

I don’t have anything specific to share just yet, but I want to thank you all for taking the time to share your feelings in the thread.

Read Full Post »