Separating Lightning and Madness

[Obelisk-Kai]

I really like the Sorcerer but as with any MMO I can identify areas for improvement, some gameplay related, but others are aesthetic. An example of an aesthetic improvement I'd like to see applied in the long term is the separation of Lightning and Madness. Please remember, this is only a desire for an aesthetic change on my part.

 

What do I mean? Well let's take a look at the priority list for a 31 specced Lightning Sorc as taken from the Sith Sorcerer codex

 

0. Affliction (if not active)

1. Lightning Strike (Less than 3 stacks of Subversion)

2. Crushing Darkness

3. Thundering Blast

4. Chain Lightning (Lightning Storm active)

5. Force Lightning (Lightning Barrage active)

6. Lightning Strike

 

Now compare that with the priority list for a Madness Sorc (slightly modfied from the Sith Sorcerer Codex)

 

0. Death Field

1. Affliction

2. Creeping Terror

3. Crushing Darkness (if no DoT present, or Wrath is active)

4. Lightning Strike (Wrath active and Crushing Darkness on CD)

5. Force Lightning

6. Shock

 

Six steps each, yet both specs share four of the same abilities applied in different ways, with talents causing them to diverge further. For example, the 31 Madness Sorc can cast Force Lightning whenever he wants, but the Lightning Sorc uses it as a proc. Both specs use Affliction, Madness because it's a dot spec, Lightning to make sure TB crits.

 

I would like, if possible, for the two specs to be separated as much as possible. I don't ever expect a total separation as Madness deals with increasingly some abilities baseline to both Assassins and Sorcs.

 

Lightning Strike for example is used as the filler for Lightning, but it is also the ability Madness Sorcs use when wrath procs and CD is on cooldown. I would suggest, aethestically, that Wrath can only proc once every eight seconds and that it would reset the cooldown of Crushing Darkness, meaning that for all intents and purposes Wrath would be used as the Crushing Darkness proc button.

 

This would make Crushing Darkness feel like more of a Madness ability and it would remove Lightning Strike from the Madness rotation.

 

Again, please bear in mind, these suggestions take no account of DPS because I would assume that in making these alterations the dps would be rebalanced. I am merely seeking to provide greater identity to our two DPS specs so that each 'FEELS' and plays differently, so that our choices feel more substantive when we decide to be the dot spec or the dd spec.

[Paperbag_Hobo]

Yes, THIS is what bioware should focus on. /end sarcasm

[Daellia]

Well, first off, any Madness Sorc using Wrath on Lightning Strike is doing it wrong. LS, even with the 20% boost from Wrath, does less DPCT than Force Lightning (not to mention consuming the same amount of force as an FL in half the time). You actually lose dps by consuming Wrath with LS rather than simply ignoring Wrath (until CD is available) and continuing to cast Force Lightning.

 

Also, Shock is used by both Lightning and Madness, but only as a "I'm moving, and nothing better is available" button. Most raiders never use it, as they can time their movement properly to avoid needing to, and thus can be omitted from the priority queue.

 

Also, Lightning Strike, as a separate priority placement if you're under 3 stacks of Subversion, is completely unnecessary.

 

This brings Lightning to a priority queue of 6 and Madness to 5, with only 3 cross-over abilities (Affliction, Crushing Darkness, Force Lightning), of which the two DoTs should be cross-over abilities.

 

However, you're also forgetting the Hybrid builds:

 

1. Affliction (if not active)

2. Death Field (if off CD)

3. Crushing Darkness (if Wrath)

4. Chain Lightning (if Wrath, CD unavailable, and >100 Force)

5. Force Lightning

 

This has significantly more crossover, but it's a hybrid build, so that's sorta a given.

 

The one thing I will argue for is moving Lightning Barrage either lower in Lightning, or preferably into the Madness tree. This would cut out one of the procs from Lightning (and honestly, they are already watching enough as that spec, 1 DoT, 2 cooldowns, 2 procs, and a stack to maintain currently), while easing the hybrid pressure on Madness. Combine this with a boost to the damage on Creeping Terror, and you'd likely separate the specs by default.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Daellia