World of Warcraft: Forever is changing in some major ways for launch, with Blizzard revealing classes across the board will deal more damage as it pursues design solutions that better fit in with Forever's combat.
In a lengthy developer note attached to Forever's launch patch notes, Blizzard outlined its philosophy for its latest version of WoW. It said during the game's nearly month-long beta that it was trying to keep player power in check. That meant every time it gave a class new tools and abilities, it had to tone down others to compensate. Blizzard now thinks that was the wrong approach.
"Those reductions left some iconic abilities feeling lackluster, and closed the door to other potentially exciting design options," Blizzard said. "So over the last two weeks, we've raised damage on classes across the game, and have increased the health of higher-level creatures to compensate."
In addition to classes simply doing more damage, classes themselves are changing in major ways. Elemental Shamans, for example, have had Lava Burst, a key part of their class during the beta, removed entirely. It's an example of what Blizzard said was the developer hastily "turning to Burning Crusade or Wrath-era solutions" rather than creating new ideas for how classes should play in Forever compared to previous versions of WoW.
"Our aim in class design is not perfect numerical equality, but rather for every class to feel valuable to groups they join, with powerful, unforgettable moments brought on by mastering them," Blizzard said. "In Forever this is accomplished by doubling down on the strengths and differences that make each class unique, rather than overly unifying them."
Alongside Shaman, a number of other classes have received significant changes going into launch, particularly Paladin and Rogue, with much of their talent trees almost completely reworked. Every class has received some balance changes.
Though the patch notes are largely dedicated to class changes, there are some other adjustments coming for launch as well. There are a number of tweaks to the game's controller support and bug fixes for various quests. Blizzard stated it additionally increased enemy respawn rates in the world for launch, particularly in lower-level zones. Its goal isn't to completely remove contention for spawns but to make it so players aren't hitting hard bottlenecks.
"Once the initial launch surge of low-level characters has settled down, we will adjust the lower-level zones down to more typical rates," Blizzard said.
You can find the full WoW: Forever launch patch notes below. WoW: Forever launches November 4. Ahead of launch, read up on the best WoW: Forever addons to install so you're ready on day one. In other news, Blizzard revealed its plans for how often players should expect Forever updates, as well how it's looking to avoid dead servers in the future.
Throw will now correctly use the 0.5 second windup timer (was incorrectly using the throwing weapon’s attack speed).
Legacy Reward - Replica Ironforge Air Rifle can now correctly be used on allies that also have one equipped. Duration of the quitter debuff reduced to 40 seconds (was 5 minutes). Duration of the stun reduced to 2.5 seconds (was 3 seconds).
Duration of the quitter debuff reduced to 40 seconds (was 5 minutes).
Duration of the stun reduced to 2.5 seconds (was 3 seconds).
All Races now have the correct amount of base stats. For example, Tauren Warriors now start with the correct +5 strength relative to Human Warriors (was incorrectly +2). This fix was also applied to High Order and Windshaper Skyborne base stats.
Roots that occur from Procs now correctly have Diminishing Returns. Includes Frostbite, Entrapment, Improved Wing Clip, Counterattack, and Improved Hamstring.
Developer’s notes: Over the course of Beta, we came to the realization that trying to hold ourselves roughly to Classic power budgets for each class meant that every new element we added needed to come at the expense of something else. Those reductions left some iconic abilities feeling lackluster, and closed the door to other potentially exciting design options.
So over the last two weeks, we’ve raised damage on classes across the game, and have increased the health of higher level creatures to compensate. This additional “headroom” has allowed us to tune things to a place that we hope feels better overall. Beyond that, some of this round of changes reflects areas where we were likely hasty in turning to Burning Crusade- or Wrath-era solutions rather than carving out new ones that better fit into the Forever combat model.
Our aim in class design is not perfect numerical equality, but rather for every class to feel valuable to the groups they join, with powerful, unforgettable moments brought on by mastering them. In Forever this is accomplished by doubling down on the strengths and differences that make each class unique, rather than overly unifying them.
Developers’ notes: We’ve used the data and feedback gathered during Beta testing to get everything tuned to a reasonable place. However, the only true test of that tuning is the game itself. With the exception of bugs and serious outliers, we don’t plan on making big tuning changes between now and the opening of the raids next month.
Once we have sufficient data from players leveling past 30 and engaging in a wide range of content, we expect that we will do a large tuning pass based on our data. And this is all merely a starting point for the classes in Forever, which will continue to evolve over the course of the months and years ahead just as they did following the original launch in 2004.
Various talents no longer have a penalty to their chance to trigger when casting spells of a low rank. This penalty does still apply to Blizzard. Blizzard continues to have a reduced chance to trigger Arcane Concentration, Frostbite, and Fingers of Frost when casting a rank learned more than 12 levels lower than the caster’s current level.
This penalty does still apply to Blizzard. Blizzard continues to have a reduced chance to trigger Arcane Concentration, Frostbite, and Fingers of Frost when casting a rank learned more than 12 levels lower than the caster’s current level.
Learning new spells will no longer cause them to be automatically added to your action bars.
Training costs on have been adjusted for all classes. Most abilities learned at the same level have the same cost to train, with the exception of Priest race-specific abilities. Total cost to train class abilities from 1-60 is now between 206 and 207 gold for all classes. Warlocks costs are reduced by the expected costs of buying Grimoires for their pets.
Most abilities learned at the same level have the same cost to train, with the exception of Priest race-specific abilities.
Total cost to train class abilities from 1-60 is now between 206 and 207 gold for all classes.
Warlocks costs are reduced by the expected costs of buying Grimoires for their pets.
Druid Lacerate is now a Feral talent and not learned by all Druids. Ferocious Bite has a new Rank 1 at level 24. All the existing ranks were re-labeled one rank higher. Bear Form and Dire Bear Form: Threat bonus increased from 50% to 115%. This is to compensate for Blessing of Salvation being removed. Poised: New passive ability learned at level 32. “When you are not in combat and have your maximum Energy, you will gain Poised. Poised reduces the Energy cost of your next Energy ability by 10.” Shred: Weapon damage percent increased to 200% from 155%. Claw: Weapon damage percent increased to 140% from 110%. Ravage: Weapon damage percent increased from 350% to 435%. Rip: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%. Rake: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%. Ferocious Bite: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%. Pounce: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%. Starfire: Base damage points increased by about 40%. Balance Genesis: Now increases periodic damage and healing by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%. Moonkin Form: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Leader of the Pack. Feral Heart of the Wild: The talent has moved to the Restoration tree, swapping with Furor. Lacerate: This is now a 1-point talent on row 4, replacing Primal Bite. Lacerate has two new ranks added to accomodate being learned earlier. Predatory Discipline: This is a new 1-point talent on row 4 in column 3, replacing Shifting Power. “Your Ferocious Bite ability no longer converts extra Energy into damage but still deals extra damage based on your excess Energy.” It has no pre-requisite talents. Predatory Strikes: Moved to column 1 (was column 3). Leader of the Pack: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Moonkin Aura. Natural Instinct: Moved to column 4 (was column 1). Rend and Tear: Moved to column 1 (was column 3). Damage bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% (was 2/4/6/8/10%). Berserk talent removed. Primal Bite: Replaces Berserk as a 1-point talent on row 7, column 2, with Leader of the Pack as a pre-requisite. Number of ranks reduced to 3. Shifting Power: Now a 1-point talent on row 7, with Predatory Discipline as a pre-requisite. Like row 4, we now have two different 31-point talents for Feral , one focused on Bear gameplay and one focused on Cat gameplay. Restoration Furor: This talent has moved to the Feral tree, swapping with Heart of the Wild. Naturalist: Now increases all damage by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%. Now also reduces the cast time of Wild Growth by 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5 seconds. Reflection: This talent has moved to row 2 from row 3, swapping with Subtlety. Subtlety: This talent has moved to row 3 from row 2, swapping with Reflection. Gift of the Earthmother: This talent has been removed. Bloom: New 1-point talent in 3rd row, replacing Gift of the Earthmother. “When your Rejuvenation or Regrowth spell expires due to its duration, the target is instantly healed for an amount equal to 100% of your Spirit. If either spell expires due to being dispelled, the target is healed for 50% of your Spirit instead.” Swiftmend: Now requires the Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect on the target to be one placed by the casting Druid. Wild Growth: Now has a base casting time of 3 seconds.
Lacerate is now a Feral talent and not learned by all Druids.
Ferocious Bite has a new Rank 1 at level 24. All the existing ranks were re-labeled one rank higher.
Bear Form and Dire Bear Form: Threat bonus increased from 50% to 115%. This is to compensate for Blessing of Salvation being removed.
Poised: New passive ability learned at level 32. “When you are not in combat and have your maximum Energy, you will gain Poised. Poised reduces the Energy cost of your next Energy ability by 10.”
Shred: Weapon damage percent increased to 200% from 155%.
Claw: Weapon damage percent increased to 140% from 110%.
Ravage: Weapon damage percent increased from 350% to 435%.
Rip: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%.
Rake: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%.
Ferocious Bite: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%.
Pounce: Base points and attack power scaling increased by about 25%.
Starfire: Base damage points increased by about 40%.
Balance Genesis: Now increases periodic damage and healing by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%. Moonkin Form: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Leader of the Pack.
Genesis: Now increases periodic damage and healing by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%.
Moonkin Form: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Leader of the Pack.
Feral Heart of the Wild: The talent has moved to the Restoration tree, swapping with Furor. Lacerate: This is now a 1-point talent on row 4, replacing Primal Bite. Lacerate has two new ranks added to accomodate being learned earlier. Predatory Discipline: This is a new 1-point talent on row 4 in column 3, replacing Shifting Power.
“Your Ferocious Bite ability no longer converts extra Energy into damage but still deals extra damage based on your excess Energy.” It has no pre-requisite talents. Predatory Strikes: Moved to column 1 (was column 3). Leader of the Pack: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Moonkin Aura.
Natural Instinct: Moved to column 4 (was column 1). Rend and Tear: Moved to column 1 (was column 3). Damage bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% (was 2/4/6/8/10%). Berserk talent removed. Primal Bite: Replaces Berserk as a 1-point talent on row 7, column 2, with Leader of the Pack as a pre-requisite. Number of ranks reduced to 3. Shifting Power: Now a 1-point talent on row 7, with Predatory Discipline as a pre-requisite.
Like row 4, we now have two different 31-point talents for Feral , one focused on Bear gameplay and one focused on Cat gameplay.
Heart of the Wild: The talent has moved to the Restoration tree, swapping with Furor.
Lacerate: This is now a 1-point talent on row 4, replacing Primal Bite. Lacerate has two new ranks added to accomodate being learned earlier.
Predatory Discipline: This is a new 1-point talent on row 4 in column 3, replacing Shifting Power. “Your Ferocious Bite ability no longer converts extra Energy into damage but still deals extra damage based on your excess Energy.” It has no pre-requisite talents.
Predatory Strikes: Moved to column 1 (was column 3).
Leader of the Pack: The critical strike bonus from this talent is again an increase to all types of critical strikes and is again exclusive with Moonkin Aura.
Natural Instinct: Moved to column 4 (was column 1).
Rend and Tear: Moved to column 1 (was column 3). Damage bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% (was 2/4/6/8/10%).
Primal Bite: Replaces Berserk as a 1-point talent on row 7, column 2, with Leader of the Pack as a pre-requisite. Number of ranks reduced to 3.
Shifting Power: Now a 1-point talent on row 7, with Predatory Discipline as a pre-requisite. Like row 4, we now have two different 31-point talents for Feral , one focused on Bear gameplay and one focused on Cat gameplay.
Restoration Furor: This talent has moved to the Feral tree, swapping with Heart of the Wild. Naturalist: Now increases all damage by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%. Now also reduces the cast time of Wild Growth by 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5 seconds. Reflection: This talent has moved to row 2 from row 3, swapping with Subtlety. Subtlety: This talent has moved to row 3 from row 2, swapping with Reflection. Gift of the Earthmother: This talent has been removed. Bloom: New 1-point talent in 3rd row, replacing Gift of the Earthmother. “When your Rejuvenation or Regrowth spell expires due to its duration, the target is instantly healed for an amount equal to 100% of your Spirit. If either spell expires due to being dispelled, the target is healed for 50% of your Spirit instead.” Swiftmend: Now requires the Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect on the target to be one placed by the casting Druid. Wild Growth: Now has a base casting time of 3 seconds.
Furor: This talent has moved to the Feral tree, swapping with Heart of the Wild.
Naturalist: Now increases all damage by 2/4/6/8/10%, up from 1/2/3/4/5%. Now also reduces the cast time of Wild Growth by 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5 seconds.
Reflection: This talent has moved to row 2 from row 3, swapping with Subtlety.
Subtlety: This talent has moved to row 3 from row 2, swapping with Reflection.
Gift of the Earthmother: This talent has been removed.
Bloom: New 1-point talent in 3rd row, replacing Gift of the Earthmother. “When your Rejuvenation or Regrowth spell expires due to its duration, the target is instantly healed for an amount equal to 100% of your Spirit. If either spell expires due to being dispelled, the target is healed for 50% of your Spirit instead.”
Swiftmend: Now requires the Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect on the target to be one placed by the casting Druid.
Wild Growth: Now has a base casting time of 3 seconds.
Hunter Hunter’s Mark can no longer be applied to a target multiple times by using different ranks of the spell. Fixed an issue where Rank 4 Hunter’s Mark was providing less Ranged Attack Power than Rank 3. Fixed an issue with the wording of the Explosive Trap debuff. All types of Hunter traps now have the same shared 30 second cooldown, instead of separate cooldowns for Fire-based and Frost-based traps. Aimed Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by ~110%. Arcane Shot: Base damage on all ranks increased by ~30% and Attack Power coefficient raised from 0.1 to 0.15. Serpent Sting: Attack Power coefficient per tick increased to 5% from 3%. Base damage on all ranks increased ~20%. Aspect of the Hawk: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 70, 90, 110 for ranks 1-6. Hunter pets should no longer lose their innate Attack Speed passives when untraining them. Beast Mastery Pathfinding: This talent moved from 2nd row to 3rd row. Marksmanship Barrage: Damage increase raised to 5/10/15% from 3/7/10%. Sniper Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by 100%. Trueshot Aura: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 75, 100. Survival Lacerating Strikes: This effect will always overwrite an existing one from the same Hunter, even if the new effect is weaker damage per second. Lightning Reflexes: Agility bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% from 2/4/6/8/10%.
Hunter’s Mark can no longer be applied to a target multiple times by using different ranks of the spell.
Fixed an issue where Rank 4 Hunter’s Mark was providing less Ranged Attack Power than Rank 3.
Fixed an issue with the wording of the Explosive Trap debuff.
All types of Hunter traps now have the same shared 30 second cooldown, instead of separate cooldowns for Fire-based and Frost-based traps.
Aimed Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by ~110%.
Arcane Shot: Base damage on all ranks increased by ~30% and Attack Power coefficient raised from 0.1 to 0.15.
Serpent Sting: Attack Power coefficient per tick increased to 5% from 3%. Base damage on all ranks increased ~20%.
Aspect of the Hawk: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 70, 90, 110 for ranks 1-6.
Hunter pets should no longer lose their innate Attack Speed passives when untraining them.
Beast Mastery Pathfinding: This talent moved from 2nd row to 3rd row.
Pathfinding: This talent moved from 2nd row to 3rd row.
Marksmanship Barrage: Damage increase raised to 5/10/15% from 3/7/10%. Sniper Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by 100%. Trueshot Aura: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 75, 100.
Barrage: Damage increase raised to 5/10/15% from 3/7/10%.
Sniper Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by 100%.
Trueshot Aura: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 75, 100.
Survival Lacerating Strikes: This effect will always overwrite an existing one from the same Hunter, even if the new effect is weaker damage per second. Lightning Reflexes: Agility bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% from 2/4/6/8/10%.
Lacerating Strikes: This effect will always overwrite an existing one from the same Hunter, even if the new effect is weaker damage per second.
Lightning Reflexes: Agility bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% from 2/4/6/8/10%.