Warlocks desperately need group abilities!

[caldibus]

Warlocks need group abilities NOW! Verent messed up with necromancers pretty bad. But SOE actually made the class better for groups in the long run. But still, all they were good for were mana pumps, but mana pumps in a "i'm a bitch" sort of way.

Warlocks are horrible in groups. This is not to say they can't be in groups, but for the most part, they have limited use.

The problem with warlocks was the same problem with necromancers. It's not that we can't come up with a useful ability for a class to contribute to a group, but instead, what fits the "demonic" side of the warlock, that would also fit the group.

Necromancers had their group regens and whatnot, which were pretty cool at times. They also had ghetto mez.

But in WoW, regen is a problem. I know what you're saying. "regen is fast!" But it's not when you want to go non-stop in a group. It's even a bigger problem when you can't find a healer 75% of the time.

We can kinda solve the healer problem, the mana regen problem of healers being OOM all the time in this game (and mages), and the need for warlocks to have some type of utility for groups, by putting in bard-like regen spells for warlocks. How they implement them, that's up to the comments of this thread, and blizzard, but something needs to be done.

Thanks.

[DiscW]

Originally posted by caldibus
Warlocks need group abilities NOW! Verent messed up with necromancers pretty bad. But SOE actually made the class better for groups in the long run. But still, all they were good for were mana pumps, but mana pumps in a "i'm a bitch" sort of way.

We can kinda solve the healer problem, the mana regen problem of healers being OOM all the time in this game (and mages), and the need for warlocks to have some type of utility for groups, by putting in bard-like regen spells for warlocks.

So you bitch about how necro's we're wanted only for being mana whores, and then suggest a mana whoring spell for warlocks?

Just because lots of people that played necro's sucked at groups, it doesn't mean the class sucked. Same with warlocks.

[boy-]

How is your perceived warlock plight any different from hunter and/or rogue? That's assuming that it even exists.

Soulstone is godly and hellfire is pretty damn nice. In my opinion in group situations, warlock falls right under mage in terms of 'what 5th member do i want'. Donno why your view is so different than mine.

[Elgonn]

I still remember playing "healer" for an entire run of Howling Stones with my Necro.

I can't believe that worked at all. The EQ1 Necro will probably be the most varied, oddball, fun class there ever will be.

Warlocks are just as good in a group as any non-trinity member.

[Tukwhump da Trollie]

When played well Warlocks rock. Unless they are named Catten in which case htey are n00bie bastards. (<3)

[Burning_Samurai]

Let’s do this, Warlocks can:

Gimp mez
AoE in multiple ways
Lower resistances to any school of magic(s)
Soulstone
Off tank VW
Group STA buff, almost as good as PW: F
Banish
Healthstones
In smaller, less risky groups they have 2 types of fears
Summon late members into an instance, past respawns
Can supply DPS to several targets at once through DoT assuming they have reasonable amounts of HP.
Between Life Drain, Life Tap, and Drain mana, you don't have to worry about pacing yourself as much as say a mage.

[ex-genj]

you are nuts. Warlocks got a huge buff this patch simply by the fact you can no longer uberzerg instances, so dots can actually do some damage now instead of you having to sit there and spam shadowbolt.

[Kaige]

ummm...I love taking warlocks to instances, they're awesome.

[Cybsled]

Warlocks have some issues, but being useless in a group/raid is not one of them. We are a very flexible class. Our main issues atm stem from the stupid ass 10-debuff limit (yay! my 3200 hp dot just got pushed off by a 50dmg proc!!!), high end pet usefulness, a few of our spells needing a buff, some pvp related issues (shard gathering), and maybe needing a new armor (as in the spell) line.

Not to say I wouldnt welcome more group abilities (especially some rituals), but I don't it as critical game breaking atm.

As was said, Warlocks played by a non-newb are actually pretty badass in a group.

[Zaniel]

/shrug I'll take a warlock in an instance any day.

Mez, AE, Soulstone, Group STA and Banish all own.

[Star8urst]

It's already been said, but I'll add to it. I play warlock as main and I never have problems in groups. Most of my groups are guild groups, but warlock bring the most flexibility to a group.

Soulstones are good addition to reincarnate.

Health Stones just add more survavibility in a bad pull.

I have very good crowd control (off tank with pet, banish, seduce, even fear).

I have the best sustained DPS, about 200 and hardly ever run out of mana (never need a med break).

I can do AoEs pretty good, and burst DPS if necessary.

I can get a Doomguard and have Cripple, the only reliable way you can slow down a mob by 30% (melee).

I'm usualy the last one to die in a wipe (i realy miss Feign Death) I have second highest HP in a group and break 2k AC. As others say, a well played warlock is worth a lot in a group, especialy with the zerging changes.

[BruuceWarduck]

it sounds like not only is this guy a n00b warlock in WoW, but he was a n00b necro in EQ(if he even played one)

GREAT POST

[Sommarnatt]

If you think warlocks are useless in a group situation you need to click the little button at the bottom of the character select screen and re-roll. Every now and then when I'm in a group and my shadowbolt or soul fire crits I make a joke about being a 2nd rate mage and every time I have made that joke someone has said they love having warlocks in there groups. There is nothing better than being in a group making it pretty far into an instance, wiping, hearing everyone say "well guess thats that" and then they see the rez box because I soul stoned the priest/shaman in the group. You sir obviously need to learn how to play your class better.

[Fizbenx]

If you mean that warlocks suffer the same issue as necromancers in that people have no fucking clue what we do, yah I'd agree. I still group with level 60's who go wow, I've never been in a group with a warlock before. How cool is this.

If you're talking about raids, yah we need some love. I'd suggest blood pact affecting all members of a raid, rather than just a single group, and 8 individualized buff slots per player, rather than 8 per raid. The buff slots they've said they're working on though . . eventually.

Other than that, I could write out a few pages worth of tweaks and changes that I would LIKE to see, but nothing that's absolutely game breaking, or neccasary to make me a viable player. I still haven't considered making an alt, because even at lvl 60 I would rather run around on my lock then be bored as another class.

[caldibus]

derr, i'm not a warlock, i'm a 60mage on garona.

Anyways, yes, you can take a warlock into an instance, but, pretty much any other class other than hunters, are better in that situation.

And as far as making them a mana whore, there's a difference between being a mana pump(necro) and having a group mana spell (bard)

Necro mana pump was a bunch of crap, and should never be done again.