World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums -> Question about the totem bar.

Orcheon

< Warpath >

Illidan

0. Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 03:52:28 PM PDT

Q u o t e:

We wanted to provide some insight regarding the upcoming shaman-specific interface addition, the Totem Bar. Shaman will be able to utilize this new bar to manage their fire, earth, water, and air totems in a more accessible and convenient way. This bar will appear on the left-hand side above the standard toolbar, similar to warrior stances or druid forms. The bar contains space for four totems of the player’s choice, one of each element. Clicking the respective button will drop that totem. To the right of the four totems is a button for Totemic Call, which we have renamed Call of Earth. To the left of the four totems is a new ability named Call of Fire which will drop all four totems on the bar at once. The mana cost is the same as if the shaman dropped all four of the totems one at a time. However, it takes but a single global cooldown.

Questing shaman will be able to quickly move their totems of choice forward, while a shaman in an instance, Arena, or Battleground will be able to replace their totems if they have to move or if the totems are destroyed.

Shamans will also be able to customize their bar to set Call of Fire to drop less than four totems if they choose. Access to this functionality is made available at the same level as Call of Earth (currently level 30.) At higher levels, Shaman will gain two additional spells, Call of Air and Call of Water. These function exactly the same as Call of Fire, essentially giving the shaman three different sets of totems that can be placed at once. New key bindings will also be made available for all of these slots.

As with all new content under testing, we want to caution players that, as a new part of the interface, there may be additional changes during the period of the PTR until the release of the Call of the Crusade content patch. We look forward to constructive feedback once it is available for testing.

So, in a condensed form:

-Totemic Recall Removed.
-Call of Earth=Totemic Recall
-Call of Fire=Places 4 preset totems in 1 GCD. Same mana cost.
-Call of Air="
-Call of Water="

So, with that understood:

1)Will we be able to change the preset totems in combat or arenas?
2)How will totems with a cooldown function? Will it drop a different totem? Drop 3?
3)Is there going to be any changes to the range, survivability or health of totems in general?
4)Is there going to be a change to the mana cost of totems in general? Perhaps a refund when we cast new ones,as if we had despawned them with Call of Earth?
5)Will the Calls be subject to the current 1 second GCD totems have, or the 1.5 second GCD the rest of our abilities have?

[ Post edited by Orcheon ]

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Prinsipe

< Paradigm >

Echo Isles

1. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 09:13:55 PM PDT

1)Will we be able to change the preset totems in combat or arenas?

Most likely yes, since there's no potential for exploitation if you can spare however many seconds to re-arrange your totem bar. You're allowed to futz around with your action bars on all characters during combat after all, it's just not a good idea with an Arms Warrior down your throat.

That being said, the idea behind 3 different Calls is to have 3 different Totem pre-sets so you're prepared for any Totem situation without having to do aforementioned futzing-around.

2)How will totems with a cooldown function? Will it drop a different totem? Drop 3?

I'd imagine it'll skip the cooling totem and drop 3 (or 2).

3)Is there going to be any changes to the range, survivability or health of totems in general?

Here's to hoping the totem-stomping macros are going away in 3.2

4)Is there going to be a change to the mana cost of totems in general? Perhaps a refund when we cast new ones,as if we had despawned them with Call of Earth?

I believe you're already supposed to use Call of Earth to save on mana anyway, although the GCD cost makes this rather unpleasant.

5)Will the Calls be subject to the current 1 second GCD totems have, or the 1.5 second GCD the rest of our abilities have?

Most likely a 1 second GCD, since all you're doing is dropping totems anyway

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Ghostcrawler

Blizzard Poster

2. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:32:14 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
1)Will we be able to change the preset totems in combat or arenas?

You can change them whenever you want. You can also set up the bar to drop 2 or 3 totems if that's all you want for the situation. They also work with dual-spec so you can effectively get 6 different totem configurations and all are easy to change. We also included more key bindings for the new slots. Most shamans in our tests just move their totems off of their action bars. It depends a little on how many different totems you need at a moment's notice. It might be harder to remove the totems from your bar if you PvP a lot and need a specific totem often.

Q u o t e:
2)How will totems with a cooldown function? Will it drop a different totem? Drop 3?

If a totem is on cooldown, it will drop what it can, so you might get 3 out of 4. If you don't have enough mana however it won't drop any rather than try to guess which ones you want. You can still cast totems manually by just clicking their button too.

Q u o t e:
3)Is there going to be any changes to the range, survivability or health of totems in general?

We are not going to make totems hard to kill, however we might make an exception for Mana Tide.

Q u o t e:
4)Is there going to be a change to the mana cost of totems in general? Perhaps a refund when we cast new ones,as if we had despawned them with Call of Earth?

No. Call of Earth still provides the partial refund however.

Q u o t e:
5)Will the Calls be subject to the current 1 second GCD totems have, or the 1.5 second GCD the rest of our abilities have?

I can't recall off the top of my head. Even if it's 1.5 sec it shouldn't be as big a deal because you will rarely ever be casting one totem right after the other (you will drop them all at once now).

Ghostcrawler
Lead Systems Designer

Elemntaldark

< Espionage >

Stormscale

3. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:50:02 PM PDT

Thanks for the info/response. :D

Deadstar

< Flaming Bunnies >

Andorhal

4. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:50:33 PM PDT

Just a quick hypothetical: (I love how the system sounds by the way. <3 Ghostcrawler and the other Developers)

You're in an Arena, you use Call of Water to drop Tremor Totem/Cleansing Totem/Magma Totem/Windfury Totem.

Just as you hit the button, you see a mage cast Polymorph, and bam, you're sheeped. Having either a 1 or 1.5 second GCD on Call of Water (and all the other "calls") can make the difference in grounding that poly or not.

Vras

< It Just Works >

Uldum

5. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:53:17 PM PDT

Q u o t e:

I can't recall off the top of my head. Even if it's 1.5 sec it shouldn't be as big a deal because you will rarely ever be casting one totem right after the other (you will drop them all at once now).

In PVP it is quite common to cast stoneclaw (for the hp buff) then tremor immediately after.

Deadstar

< Flaming Bunnies >

Andorhal

6. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:54:29 PM PDT

Q u o t e:

In PVP it is quite common to cast stoneclaw (for the hp buff) then tremor immediately after.

That too.

Vyraal

< Ethereal >

Vek'nilash

7. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/17/2009 10:54:50 PM PDT

Will Stoneclaw still cover the other totems with a shield if it's included in a preset bar?

Life is not a practice, always play to win.
"The stats don't show a lack of popularity for shaman, they just show a ridiculous popularity for other classes." -Tharfor

Cameronlol

< Click Me >

Blackrock

8. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 12:52:43 AM PDT

can grounding totem come off the GCD? or are we finally getting some real way to get out of sheeps.

honestly the problem with totems (which doesnt seem to be addressed) is that there is no advantage to them, when compared to other equivalents.

-Not mobile
-Shorter duration
-Fragile (every class can easily kill them)

for this, totems will always be seen as weak and terrible.

[ Post edited by Cameronlol ]

Senari

< Incarnate >

Wildhammer

10. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 01:27:27 AM PDT

Q u o t e:
HEY GC

When are Holy Pallys going to get some info on upcoming chnages? You cant tell us but you can tell shamans?!

Once again paladins are left in the dark

This is a thread for and about Shamans. Take your garbage else where.

[ Post edited by Senari ]

Zuleikha

Kirin Tor

11. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 01:52:37 AM PDT

Q u o t e:

In PVP it is quite common to cast stoneclaw (for the hp buff) then tremor immediately after.

And nothing in the new system stops you from continuing to do that.

Gromahk

< El Pug >

Ragnaros

12. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 02:10:08 AM PDT

Q u o t e:

And nothing in the new system stops you from continuing to do that.

He's refferring to the importance of the 1 second or 1.5 second GCD, which GC said didn't recall but it shouldn't make much difference, and that player was explaining a common situation where it does, probably so GC can find out the GC and said it to him. I dont do much PVP so it doesn't really affect me.

[ Post edited by Gromahk ]

Seabull

< Noob Explosion >

Anub'arak

13. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 05:24:52 AM PDT

Q u o t e:

This is a thread for and about Shamans. Take your garbage else where.

Indeed. This is shaman's day.

I think they've been waiting for it since classic.

ThroughputThroughputThroughputThroughputThroughputThroughputThroughputThroughput.

Duessah

< Call Me Shirley >

Argent Dawn

14. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 05:57:08 AM PDT

Sounds great GC.

Zavijah

< Furia Francese >

Runetotem

15. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 06:14:06 AM PDT

Q u o t e:
We are not going to make totems hard to kill, however we might make an exception for Mana Tide.

I thought it was a general consensus that totems were too easy to destroy right now...

/sad

70 Blood Elf Priest
70 Draenei Shaman
70 Human Priest
61 Tauren Druid
61 Night Elf Priest

Sprouticus

< Agents of the Kirin … >

Azjol-Nerub

16. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 06:46:01 AM PDT

Q u o t e:

We are not going to make totems hard to kill, however we might make an exception for Mana Tide.

No. Call of Earth still provides the partial refund however.

GC, you might want to think about that. What your saying is that we will STILL have to use 2 GCD's to redrop totems.....

Wouldnt it make more sense to combine the totemic call effect into dropping the new set? That way if I move I will still be able to drop all 4 in 1 GCD instead of 1 GCD to pull them up and 1 to drop the new set.

I see no advantage gained by this style of implementation. Except for reduced GCD's for the shaman, which is the point, right?

Duessah

< Call Me Shirley >

Argent Dawn

18. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 06:58:22 AM PDT

Q u o t e:
how did I know the op was going to be a shaman

haha good one sir!

Shinzui

< Knights of Fortune >

Uldaman

19. Re: Question about the totem bar. 06/18/2009 06:58:31 AM PDT

I have a request for the functionality of the four totem icons between call of fire and call of earth. For myself, I have 4 totem dropping macros, one for each element. Now if I am just dropping a standard set of totems, Call of Fire would be like left clicking on all four macros.

But if I need Fire Resist instead of healing Stream, I am using three left clicks and a middle click instead of the usual four left clicks. Need to drop an elemental mid-fight? Then I click the fourth mouse button of the appropriate element. But four elements, with at least 3 totems each, is a lot more than Call of Fire, Call of Air, and Call of Water can handle. And a lot of times, I am only changing one or two totems.

As for my more reactionary totems...grounding, earthbind, stoneclaw, etc..., I just have those on my toolbars like I would any other spell.

I guess what I am asking for then, is to somehow make the four totem "stances" have functionality for 3-4 mouse clicks that can be set when you set-up your calls.

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