Metamorphosis feedback wanted
by Alex Ziebart 
Sep 9th 2008 at 12:30AM
For all of you Warlock beta testers out there, Ghostcrawler is looking for your help! Since the Wrath Beta began, Metamorphosis has been one of those abilities that sound cool in theory, but the application was totally wrong, more or less. Ghostcrawler has put out a call for focused, constructive feedback on the ability. When you head over there, keep in mind that Ghostcrawler wants feedback specifically about Metamorphosis in this thread, and 'get rid of it' isn't constructive feedback. Those of you not beta testing may be interested in the thread as well, since it might be a pretty strong indicator of where Demonology will end up.The most common feedback I've seen is that the ability renders most of your other talent points null and void for the duration of the transformation, rather than synergizing with them. I find myself agreeing with that wholeheartedly. It's an interesting concept, but no top end talent should nullify everything before it unless it's good enough to make up for all of those talent points you lost. Metamorphosis definitely does not have 51 talent points baked into it, and I'd say it would be impossible to even do that.
Filed under: Warlock, Expansions, Wrath of the Lich King
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
hoviboy Sep 9th 2008 12:35AM
"Help! we need REAL beta testers!"
blizzard you shouldn't have given all your beta keys to 12 yrs old kids who fight each other in order to tag mobs
PeeWee Sep 9th 2008 11:24AM
Oh boy, it's been quite a while since I found a post I so wholeheartedly agree with!
11/10!
Ahasver Sep 9th 2008 12:59AM
Looks to me like metamorphasis is garbage. i read a bit of the forum asking what they should do with it and wish i could have commented there but since i am not in the beta i will comment here instead. i LOVE the idea of this spell. but they failed in the implimentation.
Your a demonologist, meaning your entire focus in life as a warlock is in domination/full on mastery of demons. The spell is a great idea. why not give the lock the ability to force a demon into their own body.
well of course in the process of doing this, they remove all the abilities the lock gained in being a demonologist in the first place. so we look at demonic sacrifice and see that a demonologist can crush demons under his command and steal their souls to invest himself with their abilities and enhance his power. why not make this a form spell like shadowform.
say your lock grows some really cool demonic wings and perhaps a shifty shadow dust form of demon overlapping his own body rather than a full on demon model that frankly looks ridiculous.
you could say lets add different metamorphosis effects for each demon you have summoned. but lets not go that crazy.
you gain a demon soul and add a demonic visage to yourself. it gives your spells more power. locks get the awesome GREEN FIRE they want so bad in this form and a drippy BLACK shadowbolt instead of the weak purpley ones we get now. with the demon form/spell effects it will give a feeling of something special.
add some extra spell damage or allow you to use two shield effects instead of just one. fel armor and demonic armor one for your lock and one for the superimposed demon form. health regen and increased spell damage. then you can add in a couple of bonus effects. more damage to your shadow and fire spells by say 15% overall while in this form. make it a permanent effect that might remove your ability to cast fear or something while in this form.
it takes more thought to really perfect but its a great start. and instead of a silly demon form it gives locks something they really want. green fire and black shadowbolts.
Mir Sep 9th 2008 4:25AM
I like your way of thinking :)
OhMySidesAche Sep 9th 2008 5:19AM
I think the Metamorphosis model should have pink ponytails and serve ice cream out of their butts, oh and big red clown shoes.
See utility is what locks are all about, now we get ice cream while we laugh at the clown show.
DIAF
Ryan Sep 9th 2008 9:35AM
That doesn't really fit with the lore at all. Metamorphasis is a spell cast by demon hunters which temporarily transforms them into a demon (i.e. Leotharas and Illidan), granting them separate abilities. Suggestions asking for a 'holy form' or a 'demon form' stance aren't helpful at all, as the purpose served is really not needed. Demonic sacrifice works fine as is.
Warlocks need a way to be able to take a beating in PVP, and it looks like that's what Metamorphasis should be - a way to to turn the tables on that pesky rogue or warrior who've gotten you trapped in melle range. Up your armor and give you instant-cast abilities more suited to close-quarters combat.
In PVE, demonologist often lag behind their counterparts due to their reliance on their pet; so Metamorphasis can serve as a dps-timer ability, especially useable in situations where your pet could easily die quickly. I think it needs to last a good amount of time, but really only useable once per fight. Say 3-4 minutes on a 15 minute cooldown.
Krenik Sep 9th 2008 1:06AM
While I love the thought of transforming into a demon, I think the 51 talent point should summon all of your demons at once for a certain duration. Now that would be leet :D
Heilig Sep 9th 2008 3:52AM
This is actually a really cool idea. Granted, I wouldn't want to be seduced while a fel hound eats my buffs and a felguard tears me in half while the imp is burning me alive, but it IS a cool idea.
Tim Sep 9th 2008 1:19AM
If mages get Mirror Image, then this needs to become uber-lockage personified. Which means all of the lock abilities need to be activated...
-- Demonology -- the ability covers this, but the devs should throw in an earth-shattering, terrifying roar to freak everyone out;
-- Affliction -- every melee strike APPLIES or REFRESHES either an existing or unique DoT
-- Demonology -- random chance to proc either a wave of shadow bolts or a Howl of Terror
I know, I know, this sounds ridiculous...but what the hell.
Seamus Sep 9th 2008 1:27AM
It's a game. It's a very cool looking spell. "It's better to look good than to feel good, my dahlings."
Daniel Sep 9th 2008 1:43AM
hmmm well it should give a buff depending on what pet you have out:
Imp - Increases your spell power and haste rating by 10% of your health for the duration of the metamorphosis. ( imps are the spell caster pet, so lets give it a haste effect! )
Succubus - Increases your spell power by 10% of your health and gives your spells a chance to make your next shadowbolt/incinerate to be instant cast (cant think of anything good... really)
Felhunter - Increases your spell power by 10% of your health and increases your stealth detection by... a lot aswell your spell resistances by 40% (the oh no button for warlock tanks, like way back in Leo at SSC)
Voidwalker - Increases your spell power by 10% of your health and increases your armor by 200% of your health (cmon locks get some armor love xD) and making your enemys to ocassionaly flee in terror (i could see this working againts melee in pvp)
Felguard - Increases your attack power by 10% of your health and increases your speed by 10% (lets say.. a make up for charge) and your armor by 100% of your hp, aswell making you immune to stun effects (cant think of anything good at all)
Well since it consumes your pet during metamorphosis it should give you a buff depending on wich one its up, the health spell power and armor for VW Metamorphosis is clearly to say that stamina is still, the prior stat for warlocks atleast for demo ones, and it could help for the lowbie geared locks, altho it should need a lot of tune for this if its implemented like this.
the more hp, the less bonus spell power, lets say a warlock at lv 80 has arround 20k hp, 2k spell dmg for the metamorphosis seems OP so it could be something like 5% making it 1k (still kind of OP tho)
they could either increase the cooldown of the spell, or either just decrease the bonus spell power you gain out of it, tune it down to 5%, it would mean that a 10k hp warlock would get 500 spell power, wich seems a little fair plus the effect out of the pets, making imp and succ the predominant raid dps pets if they go like this.
the succubus buff might be a little lame, and the imp might be a little OP, so it could be 10% haste instead of 20%.
Hope you guys like this one and if someone can, please post this on the beta forums feedback since i didnt get in of the Beta.
-Dan
Ryan Sep 9th 2008 10:02AM
That doesn't really work though as a 51 point demon talent, because it's pretty much assumed that you are going to be rocking a fel guard.
Fantômas Sep 9th 2008 1:58AM
I'm not sure people are really following the guidelines of "constructive feedback on the ability". This should'n't be "what it should do".
I for one was looking forward to this talent, I thought it was an interesting idea to turn a warlock into a melee fighter. I'm surprised to hear it's not working out in the beta testing. (since i'm unfortunately not one)
Super demon Sep 9th 2008 2:03AM
Every warlock love the idea of transforming into a demon im sure gut i think this verson is badly implimented. I think the demon for is 51 talent point that should build on what youve been doing in demonolgy all this time. Youve been letting your demon tank while you cast spells. If you combine the 2 you get a demon that can cast spells and do some awsome melee, probably when somone gets up on you. Would love to see a nice axe with the form with killer melee stats since you dont stack those stats.
So in conclusion it should be a form like shadow form permanant not temporary. You should be able to cast at a distance and melee when you have somone up close, like a hunter. Therefore having the best of both having a demon and being a caster.
Drakkenfyre Sep 9th 2008 5:32AM
So you want a caster, but the ability to melee up close? Lol, OP much?
Lol, j/k.
Redash Sep 9th 2008 2:10AM
Some recommendations are:
~ both "Artistic display" and "Gameplay"
SKILL ALLOCATION:
1> Charge: (Art) runs forth like Warriors? Since it has wings, why not make it a "Charge via Wings" outlook?
2> Charge: (Gameplay) Inaddition to stun effect, throws in a knockback, (target is knockback first then stun takes effect upon landing) so it can be chain with other skills like "LEAP" or bolts
3> Leap: (Art) Remove the thunderclap animation and use the Shadowfury AOE effect instead
4> Shadow Volley (Gameplay): Remove the Volley and change it to "Shadow Nova" instead with pushback, since Meta is all about "mid-range" pwnage. (I am imagining Kiljean's DESTRUCTION "Wing-spread" animation...)
5> Shadowflame: I wonder if they should make this skill MEta only, since it looks like a Demon Screaming and breathing Darkfire... it will be an instant cone AOE but then throw in a dazed + horrored effects for some CC ~ it does look like a demonic version of "Howl of Terror"
6> Shadowbolt: Either they make it instant (so it looks like a flying punch) with CD or they replace it with a soulshard-free Shadowblast.
7> Shadowward: Now this will give us a little edge as we "supposed" clothies get into melee... every damage helps
8> Demonic Ascension (from WH40k haha): Everytime the Warlock take the form of demon there will be a discharge of energy that knockback those in close proximity (like Shaman's Thunderstorm)
All in all, the whole idea I am bringing forth is that with the SHORT timer for META, the skills given should be ALL be instant or at least cast on move. No CAST TIME skills please! We have enough of those as a Warlock. And META should just introduce something different (at least gameplay wise):
Let us tear at their face with our demonic bare hands!
~ I do not mind a 10 minute CD, just give me 30 seconds of Demigod form and I am happy.
Just my 2 cents... for my love for Warlock... and the coming Death Knight...
Meta needs only some tweaking. Down the road, with cries and flames in the local Blizz forum, I believe that Meta will get tweaked for the next few coming patches.
Memzer Sep 9th 2008 2:10AM
Would be really nice to see the demon you change into and it's associated abilities be an aspect of the pet you had summoned.
Got a Felguard out? Become a melee hybrid.
Got the imp out? Spell Caster.
Etc.
AfflictionDestruction demon form ? Sep 9th 2008 2:20AM
Also another thought ,
Perhaps this form should be in the affliction or destruction tree,enhancing your spell damage like shadowform.
Ps: I also would like to see the ablility to summon mutiple demons at once , i mean thats what demonology is all about controlling demons.
Norm Sep 9th 2008 2:16AM
you guys still aren't getting this. stop telling us what you think Metamorphosis should do and tell us how it's actually working in the beta. you really have no need to comment if you're not playing a lock in beta
Token Sep 9th 2008 1:54PM
They seem to be getting it just fine. Constructive crit can also mean "you should change it to work like this." Maybe someone will take note and post these on the beta forums so their ideas can be heard.