Feedback: Mages

#1 - July 26, 2022, 10:19 p.m.

In this thread, please post your feedback on the revamped Mage talent tree, once you’ve had a chance to test Mages in the Alpha.

Thank you.

#11 - Aug. 22, 2022, 3:51 p.m.

Hello Mages!

In this week’s Alpha update, there will be a number of updates to both the Core and Spec trees for the Mage Class. We’d like to talk a bit about our design directions for this iteration and the improvements we’re looking to make.

Core Tree

The Core tree is seeing the heaviest redesign. Our goal has been to increase options by adding new spells, reducing overall multi-point nodes, cutting all existing 3-point nodes, and improve pathing. Several choice nodes have been split into standalone nodes to increase utility options. We’ve also been looking to reduce the number of nodes that may feel required. Cone of Cold will be moving baseline to improve the base kit and remove dependency issues.

Here are some examples of spells you can expect to see:

• Reflection – Teleports you back to where you last Blinked. Only usable within 8 seconds of Blinking, 45 second cooldown.
• Volatile Detonation - Greatly increases the effect of Blast Wave’s knockback. Blast Wave’s cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds.
• Time Manipulation - Casting Fire Blast/Ice Lance on Frozen targets/Arcane Missiles reduces the cooldown of your loss of control abilities by 1/2 seconds.
• Energized Barriers – When your barrier receives melee attacks, you have a 10% chance to be granted 1 Fire Blast/1 Fingers of Frost/1 Clearcasting charge. Casting your barrier removes all snare effects.

Some of this work is ongoing, and you can expect to see a couple of nodes marked NYI (Not Yet Implemented) for now.

Fire Tree

We felt the pathing in this tree has not allowed for enough exploration due to nodes that feel required. We’re looking to reduce the number of “mandatory” points by moving a few spells baseline, such as Hot Streak and Fire Blast Rank 2, and providing more options below gate 1 and 2. Phoenix Flames will also be moving up to above gate 1.

Frost Tree

A good amount of feedback for this tree has been related to the Icy Veins nodes and how required they feel, which is leading to little choice in the bottom third of the tree. We’re looking to allow for backtracking and additional choice. To help accomplish this, we’re making all 3 point nodes into 2 point nodes and reducing the point count of the Icy Veins related nodes below gate 2. Additionally, Winter’s Chill functionality will now be baseline when Flurry is learned to allow for more point flexibility.

Arcane Tree

The Arcane tree has been updated and will have quite a bit of re-organization of talents to better open up options as you navigate through the tree as well as make a few talents that felt previously inaccessible a little easier to access. Cooldowns on some abilities have also been adjusted to better flow with Arcane’s 45/90-second windows. Below is a highlight of some of the changes you can expect in the next alpha build.

• Arcane Bombardment – Reduced to max 1 rank, down from 2.
• Arcane Echo – Reduced to max 1 rank, down from 2.
• Arcane Surge – Now grants a burst of mana on cast so that the player can immediately start casting Arcane Blast
• Arcane Orb – Moved up the tree. It’s now available before the first gate and directly after Arcane Missiles.
• Rules of Threes - Now a choice node with Arcane Familiar. This choice node has swapped places with Arcane Tempo
• Evocation – Cooldown reduced to 90 seconds, down from 120 seconds.
• Improved Evocation – Cut
• Siphon Storm – Converted to a single node (was previously a choice node with Improved Evocation).
• Charged Orb – Now available after unlocking the first gate (Charged Orb grants Arcane Orb 1 additional Charge).
• Orb Barrage – Converted to a single node (was previously a choice node with Orb Barrage).
  • Now also reduces the cooldown of Arcane Orb by 2 seconds when Clearcasting is consumed.
• Nether Tempest - Position on the tree has moved toward the center of the talent tree as a choice node with Reverberate connecting from Mana Adept and Improved Arcane Barrage.
• Conjure Mana Gem – Now restores 25% Mana, up from 10% Mana.
  • Now grants 5% increased spell power for 10 seconds baseline.
• Cascading Power – Now grants up to 2 stacks of Clearcasting when consuming a Mana Gem (previously granted Spell Power).
• Enlightened – Moved lower into the tree (from Row 6 to Row 8).
• Resonance – Moved to Enlightened’s previous position.
• Presence of Mind – Cooldown reduced to 45 seconds, down from 60 seconds.

Thank you for all of your testing and feedback so far. We’ll address some of the remaining tweaks and NYI spots in a future build soon after the next.

#12 - Aug. 25, 2022, 1:24 a.m.

The full list of changes in today’s update:

• Class Tree
  • Rearranged various talents and created new pathways and choices.
  • New
    • Volatile Detonation – Greatly increases the effect of Blast Wave’s knockback. Blast Wave’s cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds.
    • Reflection – Teleports you back to where you last Blinked. Only usable within 8 seconds of Blinking. 45 second cooldown.
    • Energized Barriers – When your barrier receives melee attacks, you have a 10% chance to be granted 1 Fire Blast/1 Fingers of Frost/ 1 Clearcasting charge. Casting your barrier removes all snare effects.
    • Freezing Cold – Enemies hit by Cone of Cold are frozen in place for 4 seconds. Your spells will not break this effect.
    • Time Manipulation – Casting Fire Blast/Ice Lance on Frozen targets/Arcane Missiles reduces the cooldown of your loss of control abilities by 1 second.
    • Temporal Warp – While you have Temporal Displacement or other similar effects, you may use Time Warp to grant yourself 30% Haste for 40 seconds.
  • Class Talents
    • Cone of Cold – Now learned baseline for all Mages.
    • Meteor – Now deals 20% additional initial damage for Frost/Arcane Mages.
    • Shifting Power – Now reduces spell cooldowns by 12 seconds (was 10 seconds).
    • Arcane Warding – Now reduces magic damage taken by 2/4% (was 3/6%).
• Arcane
  • Rearranged various talents and created new pathways and choices.
  • Arcane Bombardment – Now increases Arcane Barrage damage to enemies below 35% health by 100% damage (previously was 50/100% but has been reduced to a 1 rank node).
  • Arcane Echo – Damage increased by 60% and max ranks reduced to 1 (was 2).
  • Arcane Surge – Now grants a burst of mana on cast so that the player can immediately start casting an Arcane Blast.
  • Rule of Threes – Now a choice node with Arcane Familiar, both have moved to row 5 (swapped with Arcane Tempo).
  • Evocation – Cooldown reduced to 90 seconds (was 120 seconds).
  • Improved Evocation has been removed.
  • Siphon Storm – Converted to a single node (was previously choice node with Improved Evocation).
  • Orb Barrage – Converted to a single node (was previously a choice node with Orb Barrage).
  • Orb Barrage – Now also reduces the cooldown of Arcane Orb by 2 seconds when Clearcasting is consumed.
  • Prodigious Savant – Increased value to 20/40% (was 10/20%).
  • Nether Tempest – Damage increased by 15%.
  • Nether Tempest – Position on the tree has moved toward the center of the talent tree as a choice node with Reverberate, connecting from Mana Adept and Improved Arcane Barrage.
  • Reverberate – Position on the tree has moved toward the center of the talent tree as a choice node with Nether Tempest, connecting from Mana Adept and Improved Arcane Barrage.
  • Conjure Mana Gem – Now restores 25% mana (was 10%), and grants 5% increased spell power for 10 seconds baseline.
  • Cascading Power – Now grants up to 2 stacks of Clearcasting when consuming a Mana Gem (previously granted Spell Power).
  • Presence of Mind – Cooldown reduced to 45 seconds (was 60 seconds).
• Fire
  • Rearranged various talents and created new pathways and choices.
  • Hot Streak has been moved to be baseline.
  • New Talent: Fervent Flickering – Ignite damage has a 5% chance to reduce the cooldown of Fire Blast by 1 second.
  • Fire Blast – Now always crits.
  • Incendiary Eruptions – No longer a choice node.
  • Pyromaniac – Swapped positions with Pyroclasm, now a choice node with Molten Skyfall.
  • Fiery Rush and Kindling no longer a choice node.
  • Improved Blazing Barrier has been removed.
  • Fire Blast Rank 2 talent has been removed.
• Frost
  • Ice Lance – Damage reduced by 10%.
  • Wintertide – Now a 2 point node. Ice Lance damage increased by 20% (was 30%).
  • Chain Reaction – Now a 1 point node. The Ice Lance damage increase effect is now 1% (was 1.5%).
  • Arctic Piercing – Empowered Ice Lances deal 5% damage (was 10%).
  • Fractured Frost – Frostbolt has a 25/50% chance to hit up to 2 additional targets (was 20/40%).
  • Icy Propulsion now reduces the cooldown of Icy Veins without requiring Icy Veins to be active. Now a 1 point node.
  • Icy Propulsion single target ability cooldown reduction is now 2 seconds (was 1 second).
  • Snowstorm – Now a 2 point node.
  • Winter’s Chill functionality is now granted by default when Flurry is learned.
  • Winter’s Chill talent has been removed.

#13 - Sept. 1, 2022, 9:03 p.m.

Notes for today’s update:

• Class Tree
  • New Talent: Sloooow Down – Slow applies to all enemies within 5 yards of your target.
  • Blast Wave – Cooldown increased to 30 seconds (was 25 seconds).
  • Temporal Warp – Now causes Time Warp to not trigger its cooldown if cast without a sated or equivalent debuff.
  • Time Manipulation – Now requires Clearcasting Arcane Missiles. No longer decreases the cooldown of Blast Wave.
  • Shatter – Removed from class tree.
  • Added additional connections to Ring of Frost.
  • Frigid Winds – Effectiveness reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
  • Tempest Barrier – Effectiveness reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
  • Diverted Energy – Effectiveness reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
• Fire
  • Split up the Firestarter and Searing Touch choice node above gate 1.
• Frost
  • Shatter – Replaced Shatter Rank 2 and includes both effects.