Alter Time is At Risk! - Read & Sign to Save It!

[Orthios 271]

Lideri - Quel'Dorei (Addicted to Bamboo), lvl 10 blood elf frost Mage

While I haven't gotten anywhere near being able to use alter time yet (and won't for awhile) I think it's a cool spell, and have always wanted to try it out. That's one of the reasons I created a Mage in the first place, a class mechanic that adds deep complexity to gameplay. If something does happen to AT, I hope it is simply changed (either by talent or through glyph) and not removed entirely.

[Mariketa 8]

What a racist?? You mean you haven't been won over by my wolfish girlish figure? all the fur -- nevermind I don't want my post to get banned for making jokes ;)

My AT macro (#1) just has a castsequence of other buffs to cast first then the modifier to stop the second press from doing anything. It's not a big deal, it just lets me get more done with fewer button pushes.

 

Raiding at the normal level (well, we've downed 6 on heroic now) I have never had heroism popped during my AT. Most of that time, I was the only one who could cast time warp haha!  We have a shaman now, but our communication is good no problems. When I was still running flexies in addition to normal raid, it was an issue sometimes. I was mostly doing pugs and not one particular regular group. I can only imagine how that was for the LFR raider. (But I don't want to /shudder)

[Lockybalboa 618]

Rather see it changed then removed, but tbh I'd live with removed also.

 

For the sake of the mages that like the spell, I sign. Lockybalboa.

[Spawner 0]

Dande  EU - Haomarush  I agree !

[Muel 1]

First time on this forums and I saw this post. It made me create an account.

 

I noticed that some spells that came with MoP are based on abilities that past enemies had and the characters learned how to use - just see some spells from the Warlocks, like the huge AoE from that "Mannoroth's something", that's similar to the one he uses at Well of Eternity Cata heroic dungeon.

 

For the mages, the Alter Time skill is based on the hourglass mechanic we face against Murozond at End of Times.

So, when I first saw the skill, I instantely remembered the fight mechanics for Murozond and I had no problems ever using Alter Time, it was just familiar. Get a snapshot of you current state, regain this state 6 secs later.

I don't even have the problems shown on the 1st post: I get ready to Blink or Ice Block when going back in time over a killing ground, and I try to plan with my group the right moment for Time Warping. I only had this TW problem with LFR, but... hey, I said L-F-R. And I don't remember me cancelling the buff even once.

 

So, Shelda, my Gnome Mage on US-Goldrinn, supports this.

As her player, I'm signing here.

 

PS: I think the Lvl90 Mage Talents needs WAAAAAAAY more fixing than Alter Time.

[Whatwasthat 0]

I Whatwasthat - Kael'thas sign this. Ive always loved it especially as a frost mage since I usally use it at the start when I have a FFB and 2 icyveins to greatly increase my dmg by giving me more big hitting spells along with 6 more secs of icyveins and when use with tw 6 more sec of it. I do think a glyph to take away the being put back at the same space when first use would be great since the only boss its killed me on is Elegon due to being put back on the floor as it dropped since I forgot to click it to end it which was my bad. Ive also used it during phases where tons of dmg was going to be given out to recoup my hp to help healers out though since I prefer to use cauterize don't know why it wouldn't remove that debuff  also. Far as pvp goes which I do do some its not that big of a deal since for me its a lot harder to get a full ffb /2icyfingers and with out it I doubt I could kill the healers since usally even with deep freeze silence and lockjaw they can out heal my dps if we both at = pvp gear or my pve isn't high enough in the world. The main thing is to fix it not do away with it as even a ok player like me can use it if they use their brain even if they have to research it some to learn how to.

[Aoeina 0]

I agree! Alter Time must be saved! Aoeina-Kirin Tor

[Ragiousmagus 0]

I hereby affirm my support for the notions put forth by Akraen, or perhaps a different yet sensible solution to maintain Alter Time as an ability in this game.

 

Frost Mage, Ragiousmagus, Arthas-US.

[almira 2]

I agree with you! Fix alter time. Use it to force tricket to proc and lessen it cooldown.

[TLTeo 29]

My mage is Aleema - Chamber of Aspects EU - Team Liquid

 

I support this idea. The space/time manipulation theme of many mage spells is really awesome, and it'd be a pity to see it reduced drastically for the sake of making the game noob friendly.

 

Sometimes when using AT i got myself killed because i had invis/iceblock/temporal shield all on cooldown and the bad stuff just so happened to spawn underneath me or whatever, but for the most part i could simply have been more careful to my boss timers. Same goes for communication issues and Time Warp...and honestly, in LFR you can solve that issue simply by casting it yourself. I can see why it's not appreciated by the "casual" community, but honestly i would very much prefer to see a rework rather than a complete removal. As so many others have said, button bloat isn't an issue for mages as our rotation is fairly simple and we have a very good number of utility/extra spells, so removing AT for the sake of it would probably be a mistake.

 

I will say though, that i don't paritcularly like it right now, when you look at the big picture. It's a very easy ability to mess up, so it kind of doesn't follow Blizzard's motto of "simple to learn, hard to master". It's fine for high level play, but we don't account for most of the population, which is something that we should always keep in mind when evaluating skills and general balance or design. WoW is a game that's balanced across all levels, not exclusively the top players.

Edited March 3, 2014 by TLTeo

[nerdrage 1]

Has Alter Time already been thrown out the window? 

 

Celestalon:

That is effectively a significant nerf to Berserking and Blood Fury, since you'll no longer be able to extend their benefit long past their intended duration

Edited March 4, 2014 by nerdrage

[SparkSovereign 61]

Has Alter Time already been thrown out the window? 

 

Celestalon:

That is effectively a significant nerf to Berserking and Blood Fury, since you'll no longer be able to extend their benefit long past their intended duration

That's re: snapshotting.  Unholy DKs could keep the benefit of Blood Fury until the sun burns out, thanks to Festering Strike.  Pretty sure he wasn't thinking about Alter Time when he said that.

[Haladon 4]

 

I will say though, that i don't paritcularly like it right now, when you look at the big picture. It's a very easy ability to mess up, so it kind of doesn't follow Blizzard's motto of "simple to learn, hard to master". It's fine for high level play, but we don't account for most of the population, which is something that we should always keep in mind when evaluating skills and general balance or design. WoW is a game that's balanced across all levels, not exclusively the top players.

I'm just a grain of sand in respect to the player base. I'm not a high level player to any extent, just check my profile (when blizz fixes it.) I helped my guild with a couple of the MSV bosses on normal mode but that's been it. I can't remember what my iLvl is, but I don't think it's higher than 520. I would consider myself part of this general population you are referencing here.

I might have not said it earlier but I freaking LOVE alter time! It was one of those abilities I didn't understand, and was even scared to use it. Curiosity finally got the best of me though. I cringed the first time I hit it, but about the time I realized I was okay it expired and put me right back where I was, heating up and all! And once I realized my buffs went into it, I couldn't keep my finger off that button. If people would just try it once, outside of the stress of a raid, where they could pay attention to what it does, I just think the majority of them would understand it better!

I'm not the smartest Fire Mage in the world, so I rely on curiosity, guides, and all you smart people here when I have questions. But sometimes you just gotta try it, and usually (at least in my case), it becomes a very integral part of the game!

[nerdrage 1]

That's re: snapshotting.  Unholy DKs could keep the benefit of Blood Fury until the sun burns out, thanks to Festering Strike.  Pretty sure he wasn't thinking about Alter Time when he said that.

They also said they want to reduce dot snapshotting, I really don't think Alter Time is going to survive if they think dot snap shotting is too hard. OMG having to snap shot CD's, hell it's so hard!

[rjparker1 7]

 

Greetings Mage Community

 

This is a controversial post, right off the bat. It's in response to the recent movement to address button bloat. There is a great chance that no matter what I type here, some people will see the author, me, and discount it immediately or simply skim through it. Because of this, I've decided to put a little bit more effort into how I present this information.

 

Why are we concerned about a game XPac that hasn't even made beta yet?  There is lots of conjecture about this and about that.. but it's just THEORY, the only thing Blizzard has said is they want to remove SOME burst and SOME instant cast spells and SOME damage from the game, Alter time is one of many.

 

You are too concerned with an ability that hasn't been tested in the new expansion, maybe they will come out with something better, maybe it will be gone... but let's not forget OTHER classes will get similar removals as well.  The other thing Blizzard has said over and over is that these will NOT be nerfs.  NOT.  So that means they will BALANCE the classes not punish classes for the sake of others..

 

I welcome those changes we haven't seen or tested yet, whatever they will be.  Why not WAIT to find out what they are before starting a petition (which will NOT make a difference anyway) for a game expansion that is STILL under development...

 

When PTR comes out, and you have a chance to SEE everything then you can make recommendations.. 

[Ghanjo 37]

Why not WAIT to find out what they are before starting a petition (which will NOT make a difference anyway) for a game expansion that is STILL under development...

 

The devs DO listen to feedback from the community. And, the devs HAVE mentioned Alter Time as a spell that they are not sure what to do with. If the devs did REMOVE the spell from the beta, it would be a much harder campaign to get it back. Giving the feedback NOW will show some support for the spell, and they might do a little more work to TRY and KEEP Alter Time in the GAME.

[TLTeo 29]

I'm just a grain of sand in respect to the player base. I'm not a high level player to any extent, just check my profile (when blizz fixes it.) I helped my guild with a couple of the MSV bosses on normal mode but that's been it. I can't remember what my iLvl is, but I don't think it's higher than 520. I would consider myself part of this general population you are referencing here.

I might have not said it earlier but I freaking LOVE alter time! It was one of those abilities I didn't understand, and was even scared to use it. Curiosity finally got the best of me though. I cringed the first time I hit it, but about the time I realized I was okay it expired and put me right back where I was, heating up and all! And once I realized my buffs went into it, I couldn't keep my finger off that button. If people would just try it once, outside of the stress of a raid, where they could pay attention to what it does, I just think the majority of them would understand it better!

I'm not the smartest Fire Mage in the world, so I rely on curiosity, guides, and all you smart people here when I have questions. But sometimes you just gotta try it, and usually (at least in my case), it becomes a very integral part of the game!

 

By "high level" i don't mean "high item level", but rather actively trying to research our class(es) and play as well as we possibly can, getting all the dps possible out of our characters. Believe it or not, the average player doesn't bother reading all of the guides here for instance, and if they do they don't apply those concepts.

For this kind of player, which again is the majority of the player base, alter time is definitely a confusing skill. I was just pointing out how that is something to keep in mind.

 

Edited March 5, 2014 by TLTeo

[Oltier 471]

By "high level" i don't mean "high item level", but rather actively trying to research our class(es) and play as well as we possibly can, getting all the dps possible out of our characters. Believe it or not, the average player doesn't bother reading all of the guides here for instance, and if they do they don't apply those concepts.

For this kind of player, which again is the majority of the player base, alter time is definitely a confusing skill. I was just pointing out how that is something to keep in mind.

 

Hello Kitty's Adventures might be the best game for them, then.

If they cannot use a spell, then just don't use it. But then they shouldn't start whining about that spell is awful.

If it is a confusing spell for them, they should start reading sites like Icy-veins, where it's mechanic is explained. If they don't take the trouble of reading 10 lines maximum, then no one can help them and I feel so sorry for them.

[Haladon 4]

By "high level" i don't mean "high item level", but rather actively trying to research our class(es) and play as well as we possibly can, getting all the dps possible out of our characters. Believe it or not, the average player doesn't bother reading all of the guides here for instance, and if they do they don't apply those concepts.

For this kind of player, which again is the majority of the player base, alter time is definitely a confusing skill. I was just pointing out how that is something to keep in mind.

TLTeo, I understand what you mean now. It seems like whenever I hear "high level" It's meant to indicate heroic four night a week Raiders. I guess I do have a hard time believing, though. In this day and age, confusion tends to be quickly remedied with a Google search. It is just a game though, so I can see where maybe people don't feel they should have to endure confusion at all! Anyway, go Alter Time!

[TLTeo 29]

Hello Kitty's Adventures might be the best game for them, then.

If they cannot use a spell, then just don't use it. But then they shouldn't start whining about that spell is awful.

If it is a confusing spell for them, they should start reading sites like Icy-veins, where it's mechanic is explained. If they don't take the trouble of reading 10 lines maximum, then no one can help them and I feel so sorry for them.

 

On the one hand, i 100% agree with you. On the other, we have to accept that the core of the community is made of much, much worse players who have a hard time looking at the bad shit on the floor, let alone using their boss mod timers to know wether popping Alter Time is safe or not. One thing is reading icy veins and macroing AT with Icy Veins, another is knowing exactly when to use it on each fight to make sure nothing goes wrong (say, you don't have to move to a puddle on Malk).

 

I just feel like it would be a better spell if there was a little less risk involved in it. One thing is checking out a rotation, the other is paying attention to (usually) minor details like the interaction between your cd's and a boss' abilities and mechanics.

Edited March 6, 2014 by TLTeo

[Akraen 230]

I can't respect anyone who macros IV to AT. It's not that hard, I'm not even a real gamer or anything.

[Oltier 471]

On the one hand, i 100% agree with you. On the other, we have to accept that the core of the community is made of much, much worse players who have a hard time looking at the bad shit on the floor, let alone using their boss mod timers to know wether popping Alter Time is safe or not. One thing is reading icy veins and macroing AT with Icy Veins, another is knowing exactly when to use it on each fight to make sure nothing goes wrong (say, you don't have to move to a puddle on Malk).

 

I just feel like it would be a better spell if there was a little less risk involved in it. One thing is checking out a rotation, the other is paying attention to (usually) minor details like the interaction between your cd's and a boss' abilities and mechanics.

That macro has been removed from our macro section a few weeks ago.

Should have been earlier, I admit.

 

I can't respect anyone who macros IV to AT. It's not that hard, I'm not even a real gamer or anything.

Yeye, we know you are noob. <3

[Akraen 230]

And now we go to Philomena Cunk who will explain to us how time works:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvpbW7JRu0Q

[Antenora 3]

remember when if you used alter time when lei shen was walking across the platforms the dot would get stuck on you and the only way to lose it was to die? ah good times. im sure the blizz backend guys loved patching that one. gl keeping it, i think its great for a laugh.

 

it would be cool if you could use it to bank a sequence of actions your mirror images would do next time you pop those guys out.

 

Any decent player with a offensive dispel would just remove it the second you cast. Only bads let Alter Time run its full duration.

[Oltier 471]

Any decent player with a offensive dispel would just remove it the second you cast. Only bads let Alter Time run its full duration.

I hope you only mean the above mentioned special occasion...

 

Under normal circumstances, only bads cancel alter time early.