#0 - June 11, 2010, 9:01 p.m.
Q u o t e:
While we like how Titan's Grip plays, we recognize some warriors liked the Fury tree because of the really fast swings that dual-wielding one-handed weapons could provide. Therefore, we're planning to try out a talent called Single-Minded Fury that is parallel to Titan's Grip and will provide a large boost to the damage of a pair of one-handed weapons.
From the Damage Dealing Forums, specifically the Enhancement Talent Tree Feedback
Q u o t e:
Enhance is intended as a dual-wield tree. We aren't going to support a competitive 2H spec. We aren't going to prohibit it, but it won't be competitive.
Now before I actually start in on why I think this is complete malarkey, let me start by saying that I did not start playing a shaman until DW was the standard. I leveled from 1-80 as enhancement and only switched to elemental on a whim. I have not raided as enhancement for a very long time, thus have no real feel for how it actually does in raids. I do not PvP except for rare occasions. My second spec does in fact happen to be enhancement, but that is only because I do not like healing as a shaman.
All that being said, I still feel as though my first 40 levels of playing a shaman were my most fun. I have not, and do not feel like I will ever enjoy being a DW class.
Now I realize that what I think is merely a personal preference, and that my opinions hardly represent the opinions of all, or any, other shamans. What does concern me though is that devs have "recognize[d] some warriors liked [...] dual-wielding one-handed weapons" and are going to try to implement a talent in the fury tree that will add a (assumed) competitive boost to DWing 1 handers.
Enhancement shamans however get no such recognition. I do not normally post on the forums, but I do read them fairly consistently. I cannot count the number of threads in which shamans just wanted the option of wielding 2 handers competitively again. I do not understand how this particular desire does not meet the same conditions as a fury warrior's desire to DW 1 handers again.
I know that the devs will mostly likely just glance over this post, and I know that some of you shamans won't care at all either. Some of you may tell me to "stop complaining" and that "it isn't coming back so deal with it", but this is important to some and it wouldn’t be fair to stifle our opinions without hearing a reasonable argument. On a further note, I wouldn't be writing this unless I had something constructive to contribute as well.
First, if enhancement shamans aren't meant to use 2 handers, why give them the option in the first place? There are no 2 handed spell power weapons, so neither of the two remaining specs would need this either. Again, why is it even an option? At the moment, the option only exists in order to fill the gap between level 1 and 40 (soon to be 30) but only for those playing as enhancement. Again, neither other spec would consider using a 2 hander
Consider this. A rogue is not meant to use 2 handers. A rogue will use 2x 1 handers from the moment it gets the ability (which is currently baseline from level 1). An enhancement shaman is not meant to use 2 handers. An enhancement shaman will use 2x 1 handers form the moment it gets the ability (which is currently talented at level 40). Do you see the difference here?
My proposed solution is not one that I personally have a liking for, but is in my opinion an extremely viable solution. Remove the ability for shamans to use 2 handers completely and make DW a baseline ability.
This will accomplish one, and possibly two things. One, enhancement shamans will get a feel for how their class is "meant" to be played from the beginning, much like rogues do. The second possible outcome of this depends on how you would like the future of elemental and restoration shamans to unfold.
With DW as a baseline ability, you could make SP weapons able to be wielded in the offhand, giving these particular casters a unique option that other casters do not have. In contrast, you could keep SP weapons the way they are, main hand only, and change FT and EL weapon buffs to not stack with themselves or each other, thereby removing the desire to DW as those specs.
Honestly, if using 2 handers were to make a comeback, this would the opportune moment. It would fit with the theme of the new expansion, of returning to the roots of the game yet changing it so that it's not quite the same.
It was stated that frost DKs will have the option of using 2 handers in the upcoming expansion. This is quoted from the Enhancement Talent Tree Feedback thread in the Damage Dealing forums by Ghostcrawler.
Q u o t e:
Letting the Frost DK go 2H as an option is pretty easy. All of the mechanics already work. It just needs a talent to offset a couple of DW talents. For shaman, it's a lot harder. There is no equivalent for Lava Lash or Stormstrike. DK combat isn't heavily tied into weapon swing speeds, but shaman most definitely are. Sure we could solve all of those problems, but that takes a lot of development time, and if you consider all of the challenges we've faced over the years related to shaman weapon speed and enchant choices, it could be a considerable amount of development time. We'd spend that time if we thought it was really important, but we think the class functions just fine with two weapons and we'd rather spend our effort on other shaman issues.
I cannot agree with this statement. There are currently two talents in the frost tree that make DW a desirable option for DKs: Nerves of Cold Steel (+hit chance and +offhand damage) and Threat of Thassarian (a Stormstrike-like effect for many DK attacks). In the enhancement tree there are currently two talents that actually make that tree DW oriented (three if you count the actual DW talent): Dual Wield Specialization (+hit chance) and Lava Lash (offhand weapon attack).
Q u o t e:
There is no equivalent for Lava Lash or Stormstrike.
I agree about Lava Lash, but what about Stormstrike? It has been in the game since its inception and functioned with 2 handers just as it does now while DWing.
What this tells me is that the implementation should not be as hard as the devs think it will be seeing as there are an equal amount of talents and abilities that make each tree DW oriented. So, in accordance with what I actually want to accomplish, I will not just rant but will give constructive solutions.
This solution would be by far my preferred one, only because it would bring back the viability of wielding 2 handers. Since you are introducing a new ability anyway in the form of Primal Strike, why not give us the option further down in the tree to enhance Primal Strike ONLY when using a 2 hander? It keeps the option to use the ability while DWing, but also would give 2h wielding shamans something extra. As for how to handle Lava Lash, one simple option comes to mind. Why not have a talent in the same tier as Lava Lash that gives the chance on a successful hit to deal extra nature damage. Call it something like Thundering Strikes or something and give it about the same proc rate as it if you were casting Lava Lash every 10 seconds or so. Of course, this talent would have to only be active while the shaman was using a 2 hander.
As for how to handle the weapon situation and what they should use, there isn’t really even a problem. In the expansion, shamans will gain attack power only from agility from what I understand. The good news is that you already have well itemized weapons in place for a 2 hander wielding shaman. Staves are currently shared by druids and hunters, both of which use these simply as “stat sticks”. Maces with agility are used only by druids. Axes with agility are used only by Hunters. You could honestly choose to add more staves to instances and raids in places of some of the agility based polearms, axes, and maces just so you could cover all 3 classes that would use them.
That is all I wanted to say on the matter. It’s getting far too wordy anyway. I invite and appreciate your constructive criticism and thoughts and encourage you to post them. I hope the devs read this, but I don’t necessarily expect a reply, just merely a consideration.
