wow PvP and Raid Gear Changes Coming in Patch 9.1

[Stan 5,018]

The current problem with itemization in Shadowlands is that gear from one mode excels in other modes. For example, PvP gear can be great for raiding. In Patch 9.1, Blizzard wants to introduce systems to make PvP gear best for PvP or raid gear for raiding, but how will they achieve that?

Mythic Dungeon Gear Changes in Patch 9.0.5

In Patch 9.0.5, we saw the return of Valor Points. They didn't return in the original form as we remember them (currency to buy gear), but they clearly helped make Mythic Gear best to use for Mythic Dungeons. You complete your dungeons, earn the currency, upgrade gear, and that's it.

However, the minor patch could not accomplish the same with raid and PvP gear, but the solutions are coming soon in Chains of Domination.

When it comes to gear, the main philosophy is they want gear from mode X to be best for mode X, so PvP gear should be best used in PvP scenarios (think Arenas, Battlegrounds) raid gear for raiding.

PvP Gear Changes in Patch 9.1

In the EU Group Interview, Ion Hazzikostas talked about the return of relative item level for PvP Gear in Patch 9.1. If you remember, Warlords of Draenor PvP gear had 2 item levels and scaled differently in PvE (item level 670), and PvP (item level 710), which meant PvP gear was more powerful for PvP than in PvE. The devs would like to have something similar in Chains of Domination, which would basically result in PvP gear being best for PvP.

Raid Gear Changes in Patch 9.1

The current plan is to add powerful bonuses to raid gear that would only work inside the raids, so if you equipped those in PvP or Mythic Dungeons, they would be worthless, making raid gear the best for raiding.

Are you looking forward to clear gear differentiation in Patch 9.1?

[Bobbis 208]

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't argument but I like that the gear works in all content. It means you can do what you want to progress your char for anything. I.e I don't like PvP, but if I had to jump in again for something like the essences in BfA, I could get to an ok level since I raid mythic and do 14/15 keys. 

Equally our guild MT likes PvP as arms, and has helped kit himself in some decent gear for pushing mythic, without having to run too many M+ with people.

It's currently a good system for those who like to mix it up. Changing it so that raid gear becomes rubbish in M+/PvP means we're back to needing multiple sets of gear all the time, and I'll completely ignore PvP again for example. I get that some people feel forced to do things they don't want to progress in one area, which isn't great either...

[Jotham 8]

I'm good with it, as long as the gear actually drops! While I like M+ for fun, I don't like it as the primary way to gear for raiding. I'm in the game for raids, so I'd like my time in raids to actually count for something. Honestly, I wish they'd do the same for the M+ gear, making it only useful in M+ situations. 

[CTEKK 12]

Tbh it's not too bad atm but if they go for separate raid and m+ gears that's too much imo. My bags are full anyway and I have my leggis to juggle for content (ST/MT for pve dps alone) . Having ST/MT/Raid/M+ is too much to be easily handleable, especially with the outdated gear management system. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by CTEKK

[ResoWho 68]

They just should have decreased pvp ilvl rewards or make it harder to get from the beginning since its ridiculous that so many people had gotten a 233 ilvl weapon while there had been like ~5 guilds at that time who defeated mythic raiding endboss for the same ilvl loot.

im ok with a split between pvp and pve but i dont see why you would want to split m+ and raiding since its both pve. why do people have a problem if raiding and m+ giving same ilvl? i mean you could adjust the m+ requirements so that a higher key then +15 gives max ilvl loot. at a certain m+ level a 30-39 minute run is harder then a 7-10 min mythic boss fight.

Edited March 15, 2021 by ResoWho

[seyeyi93 1]

Instead of doing all these weird combinations and stupid systems they should just cap PvP gear to 220, just like m+ valor gear, and be done with it. Raid is top tier gear, and it that should be true for everything and everyone. I seriously don't undertsand the need to waste such vast amounts of dev time in issues that can be solved with this minuscule balance change.

[Migol 425]

Ok Boo and Hiss.

If there was enough content this wouldn't be so bad, but the idea that the RNG personal loot system which is still hard capping at drops is supposed to be the main source for raiding?   That's just yet another artificial timegate.

I LIKE OPTIONS.     I like that I can dabble in PVP to get gear that fills slots that RNG refuses to help me with in raiding.    I liked world quests that had rewards I could use, until they became obsolete.    I run mythic+ with guildies because it gives us potentially more raiding gear in the weekly chest.

This is advertising time gating and the taking away of options as somehow, someway being a benefit?  

[Ragingwolf 286]

So basically looking for Raid only bonuses like it was for EP on select Nazjatar Gear after it's been upgraded to max ilvl.

[Reno2171 24]

Sounds good to me. Blizz has always liked the idea of players having different gear sets for different aspects of the game. Players will either choose to focus on raiding, M+ or pvp. Having the best gear for their chosen expertise. OR have three different sets so they can continue to excel at all three.

[Laragon 269]

I don't take any issue with the PVP v PVE "bins" of gear. The real pain point is raid and M+ splitting. PVE players like PVE, but raids can only really be 2-3 days a week at most.

It also means the raid gear is going to be BiS just by existing due to the "special properties" - get piece, equip piece. You're going to have such little flexibility in secondary stats, which currently the M+ method allows you to fill out your min-max needs. Overall seems like they will really bind themselves up on the loot issue and sacrifice game design for it.

[Krimzin 59]

From how this reads. PvP gear will scale down when in PvE content. Raid Gear will have set bonuses that will not translate into Mythic Plus Dungeons.. I think thats a great system. Im hoping that Mythic Plus wont have a gearset that will require PvE Players to have 2 sets of gear. We shall see.

[Mishmish 65]

I'm ecstatic for this. Pvp gear will still be useful in pve, just not as much as top pushers or raiders, and it will be the definitive best in pvp, as should be. Will get me to arena again. 

[Jueles 0]

I'm good with this!  I raid, I want my raid gear to be best for raiding.  I'm not a happy camper doing M+ and will be happy not trying to do M+ for gear.

[SidonisAntares 288]

What's the difference between PvE and PvP gear? PvP gear almost always has versatility. Why is PvP more desirable than PvE gear? Because two out of the three other secondary stats aren't outweighing versatility as a choice.

Specs with Vers as 1st or 2nd (even if 2nd is a tie)
DK: Blood (Haste/Vers)
DH: Both (Haste/Vers)
Druid: Boom/Bear (Mastery/Vers)
Hunter: BM/Surv (Haste/Vers)*
Mage: Fire (Haste/Vers)
Monk: Brew/Wind (Mastery/Vers), Mist (Crit/Vers)
Paladin: Ret (4 way tie)
Rogue: Outlaw (Haste/Vers), Sub (Crit/Vers)
Shaman: Ele/Resto (Crit/Vers), Enh/Battle (Haste/Vers)
Warrior: Prot (Haste/Vers)

That's 19 out of 37 specs or playstyles (Battle Shamans ftw), without factoring in how versatility becomes better and better as you get into high level keys, especially as you start getting one or both of your preferred secondary stats to 25% or better. Seems like the real answer is to make one of the two stats that are equivalent or less desirable than versatility actually be worth more to their spec.

* Survival Hunter included for thoroughness, not as a recommendation.

 

TL;DR: Guess you won't know what was said then.

Edited March 15, 2021 by SidonisAntares

[Guest]

 

SidonisAntares:  Thanks, this comparison you did is the cat's meow and really shows that I am thinking.  I bet Blizz did not do this type of list.

What I dis-like from this changing of stats (from class to class to xpac to xpac, to patch to patch that what was supposedly well tested out before any releases) and blizz says, "oops", is this type of shite from Blizz.  But they do it all the time, like Microsoft.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Guest

[Laragon 269]

15 hours ago, Krimzin said:

From how this reads. PvP gear will scale down when in PvE content. Raid Gear will have set bonuses that will not translate into Mythic Plus Dungeons.. I think thats a great system. Im hoping that Mythic Plus wont have a gearset that will require PvE Players to have 2 sets of gear. We shall see.

It has to... otherwise what's the use of Mythic+?
Raid = gear progression
pvp = gear progression
M+ = Get to +15 and quit because you have your mount?

M+ has to have gear, or why would they bother with the whole Valor point fix at all. Their goal is it's going to be better than raid gear for generic PVE because the "special property" doesn't turn on. So it might be 20 ilevel higher for the really high pushers but that property is worth 40 when in a raid so your M+ set is "worthless" once you have a raid set. Seems like a hyper limited play-style for us at the sake of making design easier for them to balance with everything in it's single one use category.

[awoocow 0]

I loved WoD's gearing for PvP. I had all the motivation to stick with PvP and didn't have to do content I didn't want to (PvE). Not that it isn't fun, but I wasn't forced to do it. I think having multiple gear sets is okay and if you're dedicated enough, you should be able to get them all easily.