Spell pushback mechanics changed on Beta
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Aug 11th 2008 at 2:00PM
Pushback has always been the bane of spellcasters and Hunters everywhere, be it in PvP or PvE. The slightest bit of damage, even the environmental kind, can make a quick 1 second cast somehow stretch into eternity. However, as of the latest Beta build, the eternal cast time may be a thing of the past thanks to some new spell pushback rules.
When you're casting a spell, the first two hits will add .5 seconds each to the cast time. Every other cast will have no effect. For channeled spells, the first 2 hits will take 25% each off the total duration, while all subsequent hits will have no effect.
This sounds like it should be a pretty awesome change overall, especially for solo or small group PVE, where one who has drawn aggro or otherwise lost control of their target can rest assured that it will take them only a single second longer to get off a heal or cast a crowd control spell. Here's hoping this is one change that makes it to the live servers.
Of course, it's probably still worth taking that pushback protection talent if you can. There's no use tempting fate, and that 1 extra second can be a surprisingly long time when you're under pressure.
Thanks to everyone who pointed this out!
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, News items, Expansions, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Greg Aug 11th 2008 2:06PM
Epic Win!
Chaotique Aug 11th 2008 5:29PM
So Malacrass got nerfed? :-D
Jeremy Aug 11th 2008 2:10PM
This is easily the most amazing change to class mechanics that I've heard come out of the beta yet. This was so desperately needed, and it sounds like they did a good job of implementing it.
Andrige Aug 11th 2008 2:17PM
Feral Druids will cry so much T_T
(yes I cry, it was the one and probably only benefit of a 1sec attack speed)
Soatari Aug 11th 2008 2:31PM
If as a feral druid in PVP you require pushback to succeed, then you're doing it wrong. You're going to be behind the target anyways, so why does it matter?
Andrige Aug 11th 2008 3:54PM
Uhm... of course I don't rely on the thing... but the difference here is that it helped. And we all know Feral Druids could use a little bit of 'help' against casters.
Feral Charge is 15sCD, 8yard range and Bear, Bash is 1min and Bear, Maim requires 35energy and combos...
It's not exactly 'easy' to try and stop a cast from happening but our fast attack speed worked at least slightly and passively against casts.
Not that I mind this change all that much but it's uhm... the 3sec silence on Maim which also is introduced in the patch is not exactly a compensation since Maim interrupts and will have a chance to break now compared to before. All things to help me being able to kill a healer is very.. very welcome.
Angus Aug 11th 2008 2:47PM
Sotari: They can cast heals even if you are behind them.
That would have been the biggest benefit. Making healers pay.
MisterMoose Aug 11th 2008 3:53PM
They can also rotate while casting. Frankly you can't depend on being behind targets in pvp. You'll get it some of the time (particularly with a pounce), but not all of the time (and probably not most of the time overall, since no class just stands still and casts for an entire combat).
toddcore Aug 11th 2008 2:19PM
Lame. Is it really that hard to give classes that need it a talent to reduce/remove pushback and interrupt mechanics? And does this universal change not greatly reduce the benefit provided by those talents that are already in game?
My first thought on reading this is paladin AOE grinding/tanking. Currently you have to spec a bit into the Holy tree to get some pushback resistance on your healing spells and even then it's only a 70% reduction. When you have 5 or 10 mobs wailing on you, I think there's a good chance this new change will actually reduce the number of interrupts a paladin sees in those situations MORE than the talent does! So you have a fully prot/ret specced paladin with 10 mobs on him and he's easily healing himself through it thanks to this and the Spell Power change.
I have a prot paladin myself, so it's not like I'm opposed to changes that happen to benefit the class... but this change is completely unnecessary and total overkill to fix something that was arguably not even a problem to begin with.
Nizari Aug 11th 2008 2:29PM
I smell a bitter rogue
toddcore Aug 11th 2008 2:32PM
Note where I said I play a prot paladin myself. Hardly bitter and certainly not a rogue. Try reading comprehension, it's awesome!
Faar Aug 11th 2008 3:34PM
Spell pushback affect far more than prot paladins, especially since these characters aren't really a spellcasting class, but still belongs to the melee school.
I can only wish this had come far sooner, shadow priests for example have NO pushback protection whatsoever right now other than the bubble - which has a cooldown, breaks easily and costs HUGE mana.
Good change, even though it does make it harder to kill healers for classes without any reliable stuns, spell interrupts and silences (I'm lookin atcha, balance druids...)
Rihlsul Aug 11th 2008 2:20PM
My shammy will LOVE this.
Reric Aug 11th 2008 2:26PM
I also just noticed that they added more ranks of Water Shield starting at lvl 20. This is going to make leveling a lot more bearable as my current gribe is having to sit and drink so much.
William Aug 11th 2008 3:10PM
i'm with you. My shammy is very veeerrrrryyyyy happy!! :D
Xeren Aug 11th 2008 3:31PM
I was going to say that this makes it possible for a pally to cast holy wrath finally while AOE grinding in WPL, but it looks like they also changed HW to an instant cast spell! combined with the water shield being available to shamans at level 20, it makes me want to reroll both classes just to get to take advantage of all these great changes
Clasifyd Aug 11th 2008 2:22PM
I see this as affecting more than just PvE. I believe PvP is in for a little change, as well. For example, what if that lock your beating on has only a 2.5 second cast fear, instead of a nearly five second cast? With my main as a lock, however, I approve this change. ;-)
Algorithm Aug 11th 2008 2:33PM
Yeah. My main is a mage. I'm definitely looking forward to this in PvP.
Ikarus Aug 14th 2008 2:43PM
I realize I'm chiming in a bit late on this, but is the .5 x2 push back per spell or per attacker? I mean, if I'm getting hit by 2 people then is the max push back 2secs? or does it just mean that any given spell can only be pushed back 1 sec regardless of the number of attackers?
Mediator Aug 11th 2008 2:23PM
I hope they consider changing pushback avoidance to pushback mitigation, so a talent that would give you a 70% chance to avoid pushback would instead cause you to only be pushed back .15 seconds (30% of .5 seconds), reducing the RNG factor even further.