Rangers deleted from pvp, again

#1 - Sept. 3, 2013, 10:01 a.m.
Blizzard Post

-All spirits can now be launched, knocked down, and knocked back.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, Stone Spirit, and Spirit of Nature will now begin their recharge when the spirit dies instead of when the spirit is summoned.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, and Stone Spirit: Recharge has been reduced from 60 seconds to 25 seconds.

-Spirit of Nature: Recharge has been reduced from 240 seconds to 180 seconds.
Solar Flare: Fixed a bug so this skill no longer applies a duplicate infinite duration blind.

#57 - Sept. 3, 2013, 11:39 a.m.
Blizzard Post

-All spirits can now be launched, knocked down, and knocked back.

This was a bug fix which now will allow more counter-play when fighting spirits.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, Stone Spirit, and Spirit of Nature will now begin their recharge when the spirit dies instead of when the spirit is summoned.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, and Stone Spirit: Recharge has been reduced from 60 seconds to 25 seconds.

-Spirit of Nature: Recharge has been reduced from 240 seconds to 180 seconds.

Previously you were able to pre-cast spirits before a fight so that when they would die you could instantly re-summon them. This made it feel like there was little to no counter play. Players could take the time to AOE them down simply to have to deal with another set of spirits. These changes were made so that there is a time window where the ranger will be without spirits once they die. Since the spirits now die after their duration, we had to reduce the recharge to compensate. In fights where they are dying often, the shorter recharge is a buff.

Solar Flare: Fixed a bug so this skill no longer applies a duplicate infinite duration blind.

This was a simple bug fix removing unintended functionality.

#79 - Sept. 3, 2013, 12:38 p.m.
Blizzard Post

-All spirits can now be launched, knocked down, and knocked back.

This was a bug fix which now will allow more counter-play when fighting spirits.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, Stone Spirit, and Spirit of Nature will now begin their recharge when the spirit dies instead of when the spirit is summoned.

-Storm Spirit, Frost Spirit, Sun Spirit, and Stone Spirit: Recharge has been reduced from 60 seconds to 25 seconds.

-Spirit of Nature: Recharge has been reduced from 240 seconds to 180 seconds.

Previously you were able to pre-cast spirits before a fight so that when they would die you could instantly re-summon them. This made it feel like there was little to no counter play. Players could take the time to AOE them down simply to have to deal with another set of spirits. These changes were made so that there is a time window where the ranger will be without spirits once they die. Since the spirits now die after their duration, we had to reduce the recharge to compensate. In fights where they are dying often, the shorter recharge is a buff.

Solar Flare: Fixed a bug so this skill no longer applies a duplicate infinite duration blind.

This was a simple bug fix removing unintended functionality.

I understand the knockdown thing (although that could be the hardest nerf out of the 2) BUT I thought the timing the spirits was one of the few things spirit rangers had to actually plan out.

I mean that’s removing the potential for good gameplay is what that nerf is. Now if people still play spirits it will be even more mindless and less beneficial :/

How does this change remove the potential for good game play? Before a spirit ranger could go into a fight with spirits already out and off recharge allowing them to instantly re-summon them once they died. There is no counter play to that.

The spirits last for a limited duration so that the ranger must make a conscious choice when to summon them or else they could go on recharge early in a fight if you use them ‘mindlessly’. This also provides a downtime window of 25 seconds once they have died that a player knows they can deal with the ranger. This works consistently with other minions now.

We are obviously watching any changes we make closely and will make adjustments if it is necessary.