Three Point One: Warlocks, or Unpeaceful Keyholes.

Time for the shake down and my thoughts on the recent posts of 3.1.

Eyonix, Blue Poster for Blizz recently went down the line for some content coming up for the next big patch, 3.1. While 3.0.9 is on its way to fix the 3.0.8 debacle (Death Grip Wormhole, 2 minute cooldown on Satan TV with no Satan TV, amongst others), Blizz, teasing as they should, gave us a few of their definitive plans on THE patch. Let's admit it, this would have been in the expansion if they hadn't have been greedy little monsters trying to ship content out before Christmas 2008.

I'm sure you've read the posts yourself, so I'm just going to selfishly highlight some points I care about, because when I care about it, it's awesome.

I'm a Warlock. Let's talk Warlock. Zee Warlock changes!!!

* Improved Shadow Bolt – this talent now provides a 5% spell critical strike buff (similar to Improved Scorch).

Yea, because I've never understood the current Improved Shadow Bolt. When SB crits, my Shadow Damage is increased by 10% (neato)UNTIL 4 non-periodic damage sources are applied within the 12 seconds this lasts. What this basically means is that there can be N amount of DoTs, doesn't matter, but say Nightfall procs twice mid-SB cast, sending two SBs then proc, another two SBs, the 10%-bump gets scrubbed. Yea? Am I right? I don't know. With this new change, if it's anything like Improved Scorch, it'll be a ramping crit buff. If they're REALLY awesome about it, it'll get refreshed after each successive cast after ramping, staying on a plateau of crittackular rock and roll. I can only hope. Shadow Bolt is my number 5 key. I think in the new content patch, I'm going to break it.

* Improved Soul Leech – this talent now provides Replenishment (similar to shadow priests)

WHAT WHAT WHAT?! Sick dude! Now I'm not just an SS or a Soul Well or "Can-you-summon-me-because-I'm-lazy"-ticket-back-into-the-instance-guy. Why am I griping? I'm useful. Guess I'm going to try out Destruct.

* Drain Soul now has a chance to produce Soul Shards even if the target doesn't die.

Great, now I won't look like a retard when my fingers slips and I hit 6 instead of 5 in raids now (the 6 key is Drain Soul for me, 5 is SB). I'm trying to cast SB, finger slips, my tank (who's also got a warlock he's leveling) turns to me and goes, "Oath, he's not really dead yet, still has 1.3mil left."

Me: "Yea, well, I'm really confident about our DPS. QUIT HOLDING BACK."

* Siphon Life no longer as an active ability but the talent grants the old Siphon Life effect to Corruption.

Oh. My. GAWD. As much as I like DoTs like a Shaman Loves them totems, seriously, this rocks my gym socks to the stars. Afflict Warlocks, rejoice! Less crap for you to cast! now one DoT is two (only if you spec for it though).

* Curse of Recklessness and Curse of Weakness have been combined into one spell.

CoR makes them squishie (drops their armor) while hitting hard (ups their AP), something I used to cast only if I had a rogue or a hunter, though the curse itself wasn't really noticeable. Same with CoW, which made mobs or players hit like pansies. I can only assume combining the two curses makes the targets just downright feeble, less armor and less AP. Wouldn't it be awesome, though, if it did it straight up CoR then CoW with a residual armor debuff, with a ridiculous up and down of AP? It's like putting a backpack of bricks on their back, holding that hook-strap on the top for a while, giving them support for a brief second, then letting that bag drag them down. Then you do it again. What an awesome curse.

What to call it? "Curse of Hey-Quit-That-You're-Hurting-My-Neck."

* Consume Shadows – this Voidwalker ability is no longer channeled but has a cooldown.

Big Blue feel better? Tangtaz, you one bad mother. Yes you are! Yes you are! KIBBLER'S BITS!

What?! Tangtaz rules you.

But seriously, this rocks. I pop Consume Shadows, Health Funnel the rest, Tangy's good to go. Steamlining the farming, yea, Blizz?

* Several other warlock talents have had their ranks reduced, their effects changed or removed. This list includes but is not limited to Demonic Empathy, Shadow Embrace, Eradication, Suppression, and Pandemic.

The two trees I know and Love, Demo and Afflict, might get a tree revamp. Sadness, right when I was getting used to the new stuff...

* Additional new talents have been added.

...they put in more stuff. Am I excited? Yes! Let the darkness come, take me completely, so that I may share it painfully with the rest of the World (of Warcraft).

There's my thoughts on the 'Lock related jazz we've heard so far. I'll post more later on Ulduar, mana regen, mounts swimming, and dual-specs.

WTF WoW Armory?!

Seriously, start working. Everything I try to use works off of you. Warcrafter.net. Mobile iPhone Character Profiler. Your innovative .xml itemization is paramount to all, problem being YOU SUCK AND DON'T WORK. I just want to get some ideas instead of doing my blind heroics and hoping something on the loot table drops. Stupid crap.

Your websites reflect your patches, Blizzard.

Speaking of patches, it'll be a bit until I write that response to 3.1 stuff. My brain hurts and I gotta work then nap.

Whoops, here I am!

Sorry! I should be writing, shouldn't I? At least for this I should on occasion, since I play so damn much.

I've allowed myself to be taken up on the wave of heroics lately as well as IRL stuff such as writing, hanging out, working, watching movies, etc., you know, stuff where I don't have to cast Fel Armor every 30 minutes.

I was more or less prompted when I saw the barrage of new articles over the course of 2 days on WoWInsider about Blizzard's announcement of 3.1 content. What's my take on it all? I'll tell you today! Just give me a bit to wake up first. It's so damn early. Freakin' 3:30PM man.