#0 - Sept. 25, 2006, 11:29 p.m.
This is not a discussion on the new talents or skills. This is a discussion of the fundamental +spell damage mechanics and how +spell damage affects the mage skills. Although this is founded on mage considerations the same considerations applies to all casters, but the mage is one of the more effected classes because many of our spells, especially our AoE spells, gets not only one penalty but several, and this is a big problem as AoE is the crux of our class and an issue central to our balance. The purpose of this thread is not to whine "Buff me - make me overpowered and nerf warlocks!". It is to balance the spells of all casters better when wearing the best gear possible, and I hope Blizzard have considered this issue for the release of the expansion. If the +spell damage mechanics are not reworked now I doubt they ever will be. Instead of just whine about Blizzard not working on rewamping the system I decided to give my views on the matter and why I think reworking the +spell damage mechanics would be worth it.
My basic thesis is this: For spell damage to be balanced it needs to be a ratio increase system, with X spell damage constituting a the same 100% increase in damage that a equivalent fireball gains.
The reason for this necessity is that by basing damage on cast time, the fundamental balance of spells has shifted in the endgame, overpowering some and leaving others to wither. For 1-60 a mage learns to use certain spells in certain situations, once he passes into the endgame the balance begins to shift and suddenly things are no longer the same. The spells original designs become less and less important and the spells themselves become more and more unimportant, only how well they serve to deliver the plus damage that the mage has in the gear. As one man eloquently put it: 'At a certain point, all its about is finding the right missile to deliver the spell damage warhead'.
Subsection 1: How spell damage works now
Subsection 2: The problems
Subsection 3: The Conclusion
