I have noticed there are two design directions for the Druid’s shapeshifting system. The first is skill tree nodes that encourage players to swap between multiple forms. The second is gear that provides exclusive bonuses for a single shapeshift form, such as the Treant form, pushing players to focus on and maintain only one form.
I personally prefer to stick to one single shapeshift form permanently. However, many of the Druid’s passives and skill tree bonuses seem to be designed around frequent form swapping, which feels inconsistent and frustrating for players who favor a single-form playstyle.
Swarm Druid is barely popular and rarely played in Patch 1.4. Are there any future plans to buff and support single-form Druid builds? For instance, adding new sets or unique items that reward players for staying in one shapeshift form at all times.
Furthermore, the locust summons of the Swarm Druid are too fragile and have a limited duration. It would be really awesome if locusts could self-destruct upon death, just like the Banelings from StarCraft.
Alternatively, you could draw inspiration from Kha’Zix, the Void Reaver in League of Legends. Give locusts the ability to fire ranged projectiles or add other cool thematic mechanics.
On a side note, I’m really looking forward to seeing shop cosmetics and skins for all of the Druid’s shapeshift forms. The Lich already has exclusive skins for its transformations, so the Druid should definitely not be left out.
Frequen swapping sucks. I love werebear, finally found one that does big aoe dmg this season with shattertotems - sadly it’s spell damage. i don’t grasp and never will the idea of a giant werebear not being fully melee and benefitting from that primalist as a class is super dissapointing for me. I agree with your thoughts on multi swaps for sure. Hope one day they work hard on this class. Rampage is clunky, fury leap can stall and be clunky, the whole class is clunky. Compare how smooth sent/rogue is to primalist is a joke.
Unless things have changed, the “on shift” bonuses are only when you change from human, they never used to apply when you shifted from one form to another.
They don’t. When I tested last season, I only got the bonus for “leaving form” when going back to human. I didn’t test “entering form” but I assume it works the same way.
There was nothing in the patch notes about it that I noticed either, so I don’t think it changed this season.
I am confused by this tread. There are just few nodes in tree of druid passives that work perfectly with switching forms: Primal Shifter and those linked to it. There are some mechanics related to forms that procs when entering form and switching them too. But those things fits only to some specific builds, many of the druids are built around being in one form all the time.
Unless they’ve changed it, those nodes are the ones I was talking about. They only apply to human->form, not form->form. There was a thread on here complaining about it a few years ago.
I also prefer to stay in one form permanently, and I don’t see myself ever getting into a multi-shape shifter build… I don’t even like druid builds that have to swap back to human form at all. I make my own builds based on fun concepts, ideas, and roleplay.
I think it’s kind of neat that EHG incentivizes using multiple shapeshift forms, assuming some people do like that, but I’d be surprised if anyone really needs that build avenue of roleplay. I feel like the vast majority of shapeshift players are doing it for only one form permanently.
We think both playstyles have a place. Not every passive and skill is always going to apply to your build, just as items with minion affixes may not be applicable to your melee build. The question would be does it restrict single-form builds? I don’t personally feel like it does - both options are viable, and having those passives doesn’t take away from elsewhere.
If one option was far stronger than the other, that would actually be a situation which would require changes as players would feel there’s “only one option” due to burden of optimal play.
Sadly to say, I think we would be much more likely to add more support for multi-form play style than single form. This is as multiform requires more interaction, planning, attention, and mechanical skill, so should have more reward. Though it’s most likely new items and such support would be designed to work for either option. I don’t think we want to systemically prefer one over the other. Though if there’s suggestions for fun uniques, or other changes that “happen” to support one or the other playstyle, we’re not opposed to hearing them out
TLDR: We don’t mind adding extra support for a play style, but we don’t want to remove any play styles.
