Concerned about Survival's future

#0 - July 28, 2010, 9:28 p.m.
Blizzard Post
I know it's still early in the beta process, but there's a lot going on and I am concerned about the future viability of the Survival tree. Recently GC posted which specs bring which buffs (roughly), Survival hunters bring two:

Replenishment -- Shadow Priest, Frost Mage, Survival Hunter, Destro Lock, Ret Paladin
20% Melee Attack Speed -- Shaman, Frost DK, Ret Paladin, Survival Hunter

For both buffs, you'll notice that the Survival Hunter is the only spec that does NOT benefit from either of the raid wide buffs it brings. It's the only spec that does not use mana yet provides replenishment (they may have a plan for replenishment to effect focus, but nothing has been said publicly about that. Likewise, why is the Spec brining 20% melee attack speed? It's a toss up as to which is more out of place.

Add to that Talents that are unwanted (counterattack), outdated (black arrow), or useless (mirrored blades - no one will put 2 points to a talent that doesn't improve our big defensive cooldown, it's a cool idea but it would be a waste to use deterrence to reflect one sheep for example). The tree suffers from extreme bloat (not the good kind where there's too many choices, but the bad kind where all the talents are required to make the spec work), and the 31pt tree lock so a pvp survival huer can't even skip the redundant black arrow and pick up Silencing Shot.

Does anyone else share this concern? or are we resigned to playing BM or MM?
#9 - July 29, 2010, 9:35 p.m.
Blizzard Post
The "20% melee attack speed" is in fact melee and ranged attack speed. That was just developer shorthand on my part.

The effect for Survival will probably get tied into Hunting Party since Replenishment alone doesn't do anything for hunters and longer.