Analysis: The Role of Warlocks & Soul Shards in WOW
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:19 pm
Warlocks don't have a true niche in World of Warcraft. (We're not
alone in this.) Like in virtually any RPG that has been influenced
by D&D, there are four core classes. Warriors take the hits; Rogues
sneak & deal damage up close; Mages deal damage and nasty effects
from afar; Priests heal.
Like most RPGs, WoW also has its share of hybrid classes. Paladins
fit between a Priest and a Warrior. A Druid fits somewhere between a
Warrior, Rogue, and Priest. A Shaman fits somewhere between a
Warrior, Mage, and Priest. A Hunter fits in somewhere between a Mage
and Warrior.
Naturally, the Paladin, Druid, Shaman, and Hunter can't fill the
niche of their "base" classes as well as the base classes
themselves. Paladins don't have the combat prowess of Warriors or
the healing capability of Priests; they are good in these roles, but
not best. The same applies to the Druid, Shaman, and Hunter and the
classes they fit between.
To make up for this, they have their novelties and tricks to make
them unique; Paladins have the best buffs, Shamans have the best AoE
buffs and debuffs in the form of totems, Hunters have the best
support in the form of pets, Druids have the novelty of
Shapeshifting.
Warlocks are a bit of an odd breed, since we don't cleanly fit
between any of the four "base" classes. Instead, we're sort of
between a Hunter and a Mage, with a bit of a Priest in there as
well. Our pets aren't as good as a Hunter's, and we don't hit as
hard as a mage. We certainly don't heal as well as Priests. Our
"unique trick" is debuffs and DoTs, which is by no means a bad
trick.
But here's where the trouble begins. We're worse at surviving than a
hunter and worse at nuking than a mage. This is fine, because a
Hunter doesn't hit as hard as a mage or survive as well as a
warrior; a Shaman or Druid don't tank, deal damage, or heal as well
as their base classes; a Paladin doesn't fight as well as a Warrior
or heal as well as a Priest.
HOWEVER, the four other hybrid classes don't have Soul Shards,
either. They are sub-par in the roles they imitate. Warlocks are
sub-par in many of the roles they imitate, but they also have the
annoyance of Soul Shards.
Soul Shards are present for "balance" reasons. I would understand
this if Soul Shards made the abilities that required them about as
good as the abilities from other classes that they imitate. This is
not always the case. On a spell-by-spell basis:
Soulstone:
What it tries to imitate: Rebirth, Reincarnation, Ancestral Spirit,
Resurrection, Redemption.
Drawbacks: It has a long cooldown, it must be prepared ahead of time
and therefore can't be applied to a dead target.
Advantages: It can be activated in combat, which is shared only by
Reincarnation (which has a longer cooldown) and Rebirth (which has
the same cooldown). It heals for more than any other resurrection
spell, except for Rebirth. Only it and Reincarnation are useful for
preventing party wipes. Only it and Reincarnation are good for
soloing.
Conclusion: It's a hybrid of Reincarnation (usable on self, usable
in combat, wipe prevention) and Rebirth (usable in combat for a
large healing upon resurrection). These spells both have cooldowns
as long (or longer than) Soulstones, and both require reagents.
Thus, the Soul Shard cost may be justified.
Demons:
What it tries to imitate: Hunter Pets.
Drawbacks: Not nearly as powerful as hunter pets. Not as
customizable as hunter pets. Summoned slower than hunter pets.
Advantages: More diverse and situationally more powerful than hunter
pets (what pets counter spells, remove magic, help stealth
detection, seduce humanoids, can be sacrificed into a shield, or
provide a stamina buff for the whole party?) Don't need to be kept
happy, the skill management is simpler than a Hunter's, you don't
have to worry about stabling different creatures, leveling the
demons is simpler, reviving demons is no worse than reviving pets.
Conclusion: The raw power of Hunter pets is much better than the raw
power of Demons. Demons have some cool tricks of their own, however.
Demons require a reagent, but don't require food to be kept happy
and you save a lot of money Thus, the shard cost may be acceptable.
Ritual of Summoning:
What it tries to imitate: Portals.
Drawbacks: Requires the help of friends.
Advantages: Can bring someone anywhere in the world.
Conclusion: It's different than Portals. Portaling someone to
Ironforge isn't useful when you're trying to get a group together
for BWL. Likewise, summoning someone to BWL isn't useful when you
want training, buying/selling, or the auction house. While
different, they can perhaps be seen as "equivalent" in utility. Note
that Portals do require reagents; thus, it makes sense perhaps that
Ritual of Summoning requires a Soul Shard. However, portals don't
require two friends. It seems to me that the two friends should take
the place of a reagent, or vice versa.
alone in this.) Like in virtually any RPG that has been influenced
by D&D, there are four core classes. Warriors take the hits; Rogues
sneak & deal damage up close; Mages deal damage and nasty effects
from afar; Priests heal.
Like most RPGs, WoW also has its share of hybrid classes. Paladins
fit between a Priest and a Warrior. A Druid fits somewhere between a
Warrior, Rogue, and Priest. A Shaman fits somewhere between a
Warrior, Mage, and Priest. A Hunter fits in somewhere between a Mage
and Warrior.
Naturally, the Paladin, Druid, Shaman, and Hunter can't fill the
niche of their "base" classes as well as the base classes
themselves. Paladins don't have the combat prowess of Warriors or
the healing capability of Priests; they are good in these roles, but
not best. The same applies to the Druid, Shaman, and Hunter and the
classes they fit between.
To make up for this, they have their novelties and tricks to make
them unique; Paladins have the best buffs, Shamans have the best AoE
buffs and debuffs in the form of totems, Hunters have the best
support in the form of pets, Druids have the novelty of
Shapeshifting.
Warlocks are a bit of an odd breed, since we don't cleanly fit
between any of the four "base" classes. Instead, we're sort of
between a Hunter and a Mage, with a bit of a Priest in there as
well. Our pets aren't as good as a Hunter's, and we don't hit as
hard as a mage. We certainly don't heal as well as Priests. Our
"unique trick" is debuffs and DoTs, which is by no means a bad
trick.
But here's where the trouble begins. We're worse at surviving than a
hunter and worse at nuking than a mage. This is fine, because a
Hunter doesn't hit as hard as a mage or survive as well as a
warrior; a Shaman or Druid don't tank, deal damage, or heal as well
as their base classes; a Paladin doesn't fight as well as a Warrior
or heal as well as a Priest.
HOWEVER, the four other hybrid classes don't have Soul Shards,
either. They are sub-par in the roles they imitate. Warlocks are
sub-par in many of the roles they imitate, but they also have the
annoyance of Soul Shards.
Soul Shards are present for "balance" reasons. I would understand
this if Soul Shards made the abilities that required them about as
good as the abilities from other classes that they imitate. This is
not always the case. On a spell-by-spell basis:
Soulstone:
What it tries to imitate: Rebirth, Reincarnation, Ancestral Spirit,
Resurrection, Redemption.
Drawbacks: It has a long cooldown, it must be prepared ahead of time
and therefore can't be applied to a dead target.
Advantages: It can be activated in combat, which is shared only by
Reincarnation (which has a longer cooldown) and Rebirth (which has
the same cooldown). It heals for more than any other resurrection
spell, except for Rebirth. Only it and Reincarnation are useful for
preventing party wipes. Only it and Reincarnation are good for
soloing.
Conclusion: It's a hybrid of Reincarnation (usable on self, usable
in combat, wipe prevention) and Rebirth (usable in combat for a
large healing upon resurrection). These spells both have cooldowns
as long (or longer than) Soulstones, and both require reagents.
Thus, the Soul Shard cost may be justified.
Demons:
What it tries to imitate: Hunter Pets.
Drawbacks: Not nearly as powerful as hunter pets. Not as
customizable as hunter pets. Summoned slower than hunter pets.
Advantages: More diverse and situationally more powerful than hunter
pets (what pets counter spells, remove magic, help stealth
detection, seduce humanoids, can be sacrificed into a shield, or
provide a stamina buff for the whole party?) Don't need to be kept
happy, the skill management is simpler than a Hunter's, you don't
have to worry about stabling different creatures, leveling the
demons is simpler, reviving demons is no worse than reviving pets.
Conclusion: The raw power of Hunter pets is much better than the raw
power of Demons. Demons have some cool tricks of their own, however.
Demons require a reagent, but don't require food to be kept happy
and you save a lot of money Thus, the shard cost may be acceptable.
Ritual of Summoning:
What it tries to imitate: Portals.
Drawbacks: Requires the help of friends.
Advantages: Can bring someone anywhere in the world.
Conclusion: It's different than Portals. Portaling someone to
Ironforge isn't useful when you're trying to get a group together
for BWL. Likewise, summoning someone to BWL isn't useful when you
want training, buying/selling, or the auction house. While
different, they can perhaps be seen as "equivalent" in utility. Note
that Portals do require reagents; thus, it makes sense perhaps that
Ritual of Summoning requires a Soul Shard. However, portals don't
require two friends. It seems to me that the two friends should take
the place of a reagent, or vice versa.
h yeah, and we get pets which gives us advantage on mages since they're alone, we get spells which hunters don't get and although i've only once defeated a hunter in pvp lock is one of the best pvp classes if played well.. only undead shadow priests kick everyone's ass..