#0 - June 12, 2009, 6:14 p.m.
The BS with totems is that those are our class buffs and most of the other class buffs that are important are no longer removable by purge or dispel. The other classes buffs follow them wherever they go and an already limited-mobility class has to reposition and replant carefully every time the battle shifts.
The mechanic that totems are destroyed by most often is pet macros, which is BS because the player doesnt even have to know where the totem is they just need to spam their totem stomp macros while they are casting. This doesnt even use a GCD to do. -Totems should no longer be able to be targeted by pets.
Targeting of totems via macros should no longer be a mechanic of the game. it is far too easy for players to have /target (xtotem) /startattack macros and they have the mobility to use them.
SOLUTION(S):
Totems need an HP buff, it should take a healing class at least 2-3 melee swings / wand hits to down a totem.
Totems need a change in their "ticking" mechanic. Totems need to "tick" every second for the first 3 seconds they are put down in order to prevent full fears that we always eat.
Totems need a change in thier mana cost. Its far too costly to keep having to replace totems the entire game. Either the mana cost of the totems need to be reduced so we can spam them like we have to, or a mechanic needs to be implemented so that if a school of totem is killed then the next totem of that school cast within 5 seconds no longer costs any mana. This still eats our GCD but the biggest problem with shaman in arena right now is mana in every bracket.
Shaman need an ability to imbue the next totem put down, keeping it from taking damage for its duration. The shaman may only have *ONE* imbued totem down at a time. it needs to be on a relatively short cooldown (10-20 seconds) because we need to be able to replace totems often due to the fight always changing. this not only takes care of the problem with mana tide getting 1 shot even though you have put down stoneclaw to protect it. but it also gives us at least 1 guaranteed buff for the duration of the fight, just like every other class has because those buffs are no longer removable.
Id just like to note that i have been the back seat healer in every bracket in every season, theres no reason with all the changes to the other healing classes that you devs dont have time to at least make shamans playable.
