Vintersorg
07-14-2004, 04:42 PM
Swarms usually do one of two things: push and/or dps. I think druids should get such an ability, and here's why...
1. DPS AA balancing
The standard argument is that druids do so much that we really shouldn't expect to get anything new. But we are decent at DPS just as we are decent at heals, so this request is not out of order.
Here's a breakdown of swarm/ dps AAs by class. (Apologies if I left anything out or have the wrong numbers.)
Swarm & DPS abilities...
Magician - Host of the Elements ~25 dps
Magician - Servant of Ro ~50 dps
Necromancer - Swarm of Decay ~45 dps
Druid - Wrath of the Wild ~2 dps
Shaman - Spirit Call ~?
Wizard - Manaburn ~n/a due to inefficiency
We also sort-of get a dps boost with SotW, but given it's refresh timer we can only use it as an emergency heal or raid mgb, not as a standard group heal, and almost never as dps. These damage shield options are lacking as far as dps AAs go.
2. Class Definition
Druids don't want to be baby clerics. Clerics don't want that either. And in GoD & OoW we are forced deeper into the role of patch healers. Our versatility has faded. I want to do more than just Patch Heal and Hand of Ro/ Illum. A small dps/ swarm AA would give us that in two ways.
A) A DPS boost for volatile situations. If something goes wrong and I've burned SotW, I'm back to chain casting Treehugger's Infusion and hoping it lands in time. I'm out of options because I can't afford the TIME to cast anything other that patch heals the way the mobs hit even if I have a nice arsenal of spells to go to. A DPS/swarm option will by-pass the casting time problem and help burn a mob in a dire situation or give us a fun toy in a more relaxed setting.
B) A variety of functions. In addition to DPS, a swarm will push. This is especially valuable for xp groups and gating mobs and raids and re-positioning mobs. The DPS becomes a bonus and we can learn about positioning and push instead of staring at the hp bars and patch, wait, patch, wait, etc. We get to learn and use a new skill, and this will wash away some of the baby-cleric image.
3. Proposal
- Pet swarm ~30 dps with a measurable push effect.
- Recast timer of 25 mins.
- Melee only, no casting.
- Mobs have ~200 hp (slightly less than Host of the elements).
- Mobs have a built in 100 point 1-shot DS.
The DPS is modest compared to other classes so this maintains the idea that we get an mid-level option that mirrors a more powerful "master" class but does not compete with them in terms of damage output. We also gain the ability to create a push which is very useful. Currently Mages, Wizards, Shaman, Necromancers, and Beastlords take care of this job with their standard summoned pets, pet swarm AAs, or pet swarm spells. I think this proposal is a workable combination of added dps and push that can be useful in a variety of situations and fits the bill for a Druid who has been and ought to be a jack-of-all-trades like the Bard.
Personally I'd like to veto the Booboo Brigade as a graphics option. Shammies have wolves, so no thanks. Werewolves or POP-era Crocs might be interesting, but both look a tad too evil. How about ravens? They fit the "master of nature" model and they're not too big/ laggy. They also hover which will be a nice unique addition to the swarms that exist now. Plus the DS is an adaption of the WotW idea as a parting gift for mobs that choose to swat them back to the trees.
1. DPS AA balancing
The standard argument is that druids do so much that we really shouldn't expect to get anything new. But we are decent at DPS just as we are decent at heals, so this request is not out of order.
Here's a breakdown of swarm/ dps AAs by class. (Apologies if I left anything out or have the wrong numbers.)
Swarm & DPS abilities...
Magician - Host of the Elements ~25 dps
Magician - Servant of Ro ~50 dps
Necromancer - Swarm of Decay ~45 dps
Druid - Wrath of the Wild ~2 dps
Shaman - Spirit Call ~?
Wizard - Manaburn ~n/a due to inefficiency
We also sort-of get a dps boost with SotW, but given it's refresh timer we can only use it as an emergency heal or raid mgb, not as a standard group heal, and almost never as dps. These damage shield options are lacking as far as dps AAs go.
2. Class Definition
Druids don't want to be baby clerics. Clerics don't want that either. And in GoD & OoW we are forced deeper into the role of patch healers. Our versatility has faded. I want to do more than just Patch Heal and Hand of Ro/ Illum. A small dps/ swarm AA would give us that in two ways.
A) A DPS boost for volatile situations. If something goes wrong and I've burned SotW, I'm back to chain casting Treehugger's Infusion and hoping it lands in time. I'm out of options because I can't afford the TIME to cast anything other that patch heals the way the mobs hit even if I have a nice arsenal of spells to go to. A DPS/swarm option will by-pass the casting time problem and help burn a mob in a dire situation or give us a fun toy in a more relaxed setting.
B) A variety of functions. In addition to DPS, a swarm will push. This is especially valuable for xp groups and gating mobs and raids and re-positioning mobs. The DPS becomes a bonus and we can learn about positioning and push instead of staring at the hp bars and patch, wait, patch, wait, etc. We get to learn and use a new skill, and this will wash away some of the baby-cleric image.
3. Proposal
- Pet swarm ~30 dps with a measurable push effect.
- Recast timer of 25 mins.
- Melee only, no casting.
- Mobs have ~200 hp (slightly less than Host of the elements).
- Mobs have a built in 100 point 1-shot DS.
The DPS is modest compared to other classes so this maintains the idea that we get an mid-level option that mirrors a more powerful "master" class but does not compete with them in terms of damage output. We also gain the ability to create a push which is very useful. Currently Mages, Wizards, Shaman, Necromancers, and Beastlords take care of this job with their standard summoned pets, pet swarm AAs, or pet swarm spells. I think this proposal is a workable combination of added dps and push that can be useful in a variety of situations and fits the bill for a Druid who has been and ought to be a jack-of-all-trades like the Bard.
Personally I'd like to veto the Booboo Brigade as a graphics option. Shammies have wolves, so no thanks. Werewolves or POP-era Crocs might be interesting, but both look a tad too evil. How about ravens? They fit the "master of nature" model and they're not too big/ laggy. They also hover which will be a nice unique addition to the swarms that exist now. Plus the DS is an adaption of the WotW idea as a parting gift for mobs that choose to swat them back to the trees.