Shaman/AM balance - in relation to recent BO changes

[havartii]

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[Delegator]

To me (and maybe just me), RP/Zealot was supposed to be the best "pure healer," DoK/WP the "melee healer" and AM/Shaman the "caster/healer". Sure, it is annoying to think you will get heals and have the AM/Shaman fancy themselves as ranged DPS, but the hybrid style of play is what the classes were built for. What I see from the changes is pushing both classes into much more of a pigeonholed healer role for which the RP/Zealot are better suited.

[Auzor]

Spoiler:

The Shaman & Archmage, are a class where given their class mechanic, I'd like to see a complete change to the trees themselves. But this will be very, very difficult to achieve.

The class mechanic, is to give a bonus to using Mork/Gork, and Force/Tranquility.
So, the idea is to alternate.
Yet... you have tree A for for heal, B for dmg, and C for... mostly 'dmg' (Gork/Force using abilities).

I think it'd be far more interesting, to change the classes, so that they do get dmg/heal bonus from both Willpower & Intelligence, all at the same time.
Example:
Tree A does dmg shields & buffs, plus single-target direct dmg.
Tree B gives HoT, single target direct heals, debuffs, and AoE dmg.
Tree C gives AoE heals, and DoT (inc lifetap?) effects.
The aim being, that each tree has some insta-cast, some channeled, and some longer cast time abilities. But, varied between dmg, buff/debuff & heals. Each tree should be close in the amount of abilities that give Mork/Gork or Force/Tranquility.

Then, the mechanic:
if you use 5 Gork/Mork Force/Tranquility, you end up at 3 stacks of the opposing type.
If you use 3, you end up at 1.
Extra of gcd ability: next spell, does not consume your stacks. 40s? cooldown. So you can do 2 5-stack casts in a row.

That would end up meaning, Archmage/Shaman would have to be below 'pure' healers; and indeed, below 'pure' damage dealers.
But, they'd have a more functioning class mechanic (imo), and be 'weaving' magic; some dmg, some healing, alternating.

This sounds like a work-around RoR lifetaps nerf (tied with mechanic rework few years back) - and reverting that nerf would fix the issue you're writing about. And while I like the idea of getting stacks of dmg/effects on top of everything AM/SHM does (and their skills already have tons of effects - buffs, debuffs, cc and so on) I'm afraid it would make them OP beyond guardian lion levels. Still, making lifetaps crit again would definitely make dps healing/alternating worth it - as well as re-introducing hybrid menace to the lakes... Yeah, afair Wargrimnir has some strong opinions about this

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I don't agree with FotG being a must for battle shamans but that boils down to preferred playstyle.

If AoE heals + lifetap in a single tree combo is too strong; (which in hindsight, it very well might be), then some stuff has to be swapped around;
AoE heals, AoE buffs, and single-target, direct dmg in tree 3.
Tree 1 gets damage shields, single target buffs, & lifetaps

To be balanced with other classes, an Archmage/Shaman healer using constant heals, cannot reach equal level to a Zealot/RP/WP/DoK.
Likewise with DPS.
But, the effect of +25% effect, or towards instacast, via alternating, should allow 'decent' healing & decent dps output at same time.

I can fully understand that balancing out a hybrid class, is something very difficult to do.
But, if that is so, then Archmage & Shaman might as well not have any class mechanic.

In a sense, the RP/Zealot tree division, makes MORE sense for Shaman/Archmage, than as it is now.

a different alternative, would be to completely rework the Archmage/Shaman mechanic.

all instacast abilities build 'force' or Mork (/tranquility/Gork); all casted abilities build the opposite.
Tadaa.

I'd still propose a system where using 5 stacks, gives you 3 stacks of the opposite, or perhaps 2 by default, and going 5 to 3, 3 to 1 requires a tactic slot.

Now *every* healer will be using the mechanic, every damage spec, and every '3rd tree' user too.

It is blander imo, but building towards faster cast times may be quite enjoyable for people.

[Auzor]

To me (and maybe just me), RP/Zealot was supposed to be the best "pure healer," DoK/WP the "melee healer" and AM/Shaman the "caster/healer". Sure, it is annoying to think you will get heals and have the AM/Shaman fancy themselves as ranged DPS, but the hybrid style of play is what the classes were built for. What I see from the changes is pushing both classes into much more of a pigeonholed healer role for which the RP/Zealot are better suited.

Bolded emphasised: agreed; see my other post in this thread.

The tree division of RP/Zealot, makes more sense for the AM/Shaman.
But it is always difficult to balance out hybrids.
Btw: also see how the 'tank' tree of tanks, tends to not contain that much support abilities, gotta go for the third tree...

I also think virtually all MDPS should have a snare as part of their *core* abilities, not tied to a specific tree, and likewise a healing produced or received debuff. (doesn't always have to be -50%; but still..)



Anyhow, if hybrid builds are too problematic, then the AM/Shaman mechanic should be reworked;
make all instant cast abilities build stacks of 1 type; all abilities with cast times build the other.
Now you can still have pure DPS/Healing/(de-)buff playstyles, but each tree would use the class mechanic.

Perhaps the effect deserve tweaking then; is +5%? to a HoT really valuable? Perhaps it should have to become +10% per stack even. Somewhere in between probably.
Could even change the effect on abilities that are truly channeled instead of casted: perhaps it reduces the AP cost & increases the crit chance,..