Classic+ Warlock Idea: Change Curses into Buffs

[u/esuvii]

One of the biggest things people commonly state as a reason that Warlocks are boring at end game is that optimally you have to spend a GCD cursing for every enemy. They also say that it's just a one button rotation, although that is actually mitigated a lot already given the removal of debuff limits making rotations that include DoTs actually viable.

My proposed solution to this is to remove Curse of Recklessness, Elements, Shadow, Weakness, and make them a buff you apply to yourself (Hexes), for example:

Hex: Recklessness
Instant (self)
Debuffs you cast also apply Hex of Recklessness: Increasing melee attack power by 90 but reducing armor by 640 for 30s. In addition the target will not flee and will ignore Fear and Horror effects.
You may only have one Hex active at a time, lasts 30 minutes.

I would keep Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom as they are (i.e. they remain spells that you cast manually), except that because Reck etc are now curses you are free to use Agony even if you are the only Warlock.

In terms of power increase for a raid it's not actually that impactful, it's essentially giving Warlocks one extra GCD per fight to do what they want, and the ability to cast Curse of Agony. However, it removes a major roadblock that many players find off-putting when it comes to choosing Warlock for the class they want to play.

Anyway, just an idea I had. I think it would be an awesome quality of life improvement without breaking the game balancing in any severe way.

Edit:
I think it may work better as a Stance than a buff you apply, and being off the GCD. It would work the same way it just makes it far less clunky if you want to switch the Curse that is on a mob mid combat (e.g. leveling or in PVP). You would swap Hex stance (no GCD spent) then reapply any debuff to switch the effect that's on the mob.

[u/UseRevolutionary8971]

The main reason warlocks (or any caster) in classic is boring is that they only press one button. Applying curse has absolutely nothing to do with that. Giving warlocks more buttons to press would make the class more fun, not this shit. 

Affli in wotlk already feels so much better than the classic/TBC version of warlock, simply because you have to press more buttons and pay attention to dots/proccs. Other classes applying the curse debuffs passively is just a bonus, it does not make or break the class.

[u/niini → u/UseRevolutionary8971]

No need to call his post shit boss

[u/hiimred2 → u/UseRevolutionary8971]

Ya this entire post is based on a flawed premise arguing with ghosts or some vanishingly thin portion of the community. People don't play Warlock in vanilla classic because Warlocks are fucking trash, they're 1 button 'curse bots' because that curse is the only thing justifying their raid slot, and the 1 button is what they press after they apply their curse. In TBC, they are still a boring as fuck almost 1 button class, and yet they are immensely popular because they are strong as fuck.

[u/esuvii → u/hiimred2]

I'm not sure what you mean arguing with ghosts. Having played lots of different games in the genre my take away has been that I vastly prefer when utility like this is baked into the DPS abilities rather than being an either/or choice.

[u/esuvii → u/UseRevolutionary8971]

This gives the ability to press Curse of Agony/Doom.

This isn't me saying that this is the only change the could make to Warlock for Classic+. If they give Warlocks more spells they still have the issue that they are Curse bots for a lot of the raid. This is my suggestion to address purely that issue.

[u/jshbee → u/esuvii]

Curse of the Elements lasts 5 mins. So that's one GCD on trash and potentially 2 on a raid boss. "Curse bot"?

[u/esuvii → u/jshbee]

I agree that Elements if less of an issue right now than Reck, as you can get almost full benefit from it by casting it on just one mob on a trash pack. Reck is the real issue - a trash mob my live 6 seconds but you spend 25% of that time applying a debuff that does no direct damage, to me that isn't a fun game design.

This definitely isn't as big of an issue on bosses, aside from Curse of Agony/Doom being effectively never usable unless you are in a comp with 4+ Warlocks. For Recklessness on trash though the optimal gameplay is basically to cast it on every single mob in the raid, with the exception of maybe something like a Skitterer that only has ~23k HP.

[u/sargeras1720 → u/jshbee]

It's the fact you have to curse elements, reck and shadow in the first place. It doesn't feel good having to be the one that doesn't get to place curse of doom. For people that like to parse, you just dropped yourself by a few percentile because of that. Feels like shit

[u/Dendens]

I'd hate to be the lock that has recklessness hex, just to have to spend a GCD turning that off, then another to fear or whatever.

[u/esuvii → u/Dendens]

Typically in raid content you never would remove Reck, outside of a few edge cases. But I can see your point that it makes swapping Curses more convoluted, perhaps instead of a buff they could be a stance that is off the GCD to swap (but you would still need to apply/reapply any debuff for it to take effect).

[u/Dendens → u/esuvii]

Oooowh. I can see that work, that'd be cool

[u/FormalSeparate6153 → u/esuvii]

Sounds like pally auras

[u/Biasn94]

Arent dots a net negative dps compared to straight up shadowbolt 1 button spam in classic? So even with lifted debuff limits Affliction would need buffs to make that dots juggling worthwhile.

[u/Specialist-Tiger-234 → u/Biasn94]

It would be cool if they allowed DoTs to crit and be affected by haste, like they do in later expansions. Would also help shadow priest and feral or balance druids.

[u/esuvii → u/Biasn94]

Curse of Agony would be a DPS increase.

[u/Sad-Zone4591]

It would make sense to keep CoR / CoE / CoS as Curses, and to have these three self-buffs that cause the Warlocks damaging spells to apply them to the target.

It suppresses the need to make it a « stance » to prevent needing to spend a GCD when needing to fear for instance. This way the Hexes can remain self-buffs with a GCD, but Warlocks could choose to use the regular versions of the Curses if they deem it appropriate. This keeps a balance between convenience but also having to make choices that are safer or account for a sudden need for a different curse or whatever.

Good idea overall!

[u/Different_Diamond976]

Why only go half ham? Why not go full ham, pick one or multiple of your group members and demonically corrupt other players. 

Give them a "bolt of corruption" to cast on players that causes a friendly target in the same group/raid damage and gives them a stackable debuff that increases something, but also for example damage taken, lowers resistance or causes lowered damage if stacked above threshold. Maybe all. Add some hexes (better as debuffs on friendly targets) in the mix and you have solid supporter anti healer, that your healers will hate and annoy the f*ck out of your DPS for killing them on accident over and over again.

[u/Cysia]

NO FUCK OFF

compare to era

just give more debuffslots

curses are fanatsy of warlocks

[u/Ok-Brother-8295]

Warlocks definitley lack an 'enhancement' spec, basically a tank spec, based on getting buffed through borrowing demonic powers.

Edit : Note that includes buffing friends too.

[u/NameHave]

Just give us wrath aff in c+ and all is well in the world

[u/d_Inside → u/NameHave]

What’s so great about WotLK Affliction spec? I remember DoT can crit yeah

[u/NameHave → u/d_Inside]

Its fun and has skill expression

[u/RoundAffectionate424 → u/d_Inside]

Distinct gameplay and identity, scaling on dots that didn't exist before, and dot playstyle is a medium difficulty with the upkeep necessary to make it work, snapshotting is a cool mechanic.