Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Wildvine Potion 2.0

Remember Wildvine pots? I only remember them because I found some cheap on the AH while leveling long, long ago. I used them once, they failed me, and I never used them again.

Wildvine Potion: Restores 1 to 1500 health and 1 to 1500 mana.

New "Massively Random" potion announced by blue recently: New Mysterious Potion created with common materials restores health and mana in a massively random range, as well as sometimes granting the benefit of another potion. The health and mana range is from 1-20,000 and is able to crit. The minimum amount restored, however, is scaled upwards by the Alchemy skill, making it a great choice for alchemists to keep for themselves.

What do you suppose anyone in a pinch (aka "that needs to pot") faced with a choice between a possible 1 HP/MP pot that 'might' grant the effects of another (random) potion and a real pot that you know will work will do?

Really? Don't answer. It was rhetorical.

I'm a rogue, DoTted, and my healer is incapacitated. I need some HP. Pop super random potion!

Combat Log: You gain Massively Random Buff. You are healed for 4 HP. As an added bonus, you gain 2500 Mana. Good luck on the run back.


Zzzzz.

NOBODY will use these, except for Alchemists (The minimum amount restored, however, is scaled upwards by the Alchemy skill, making it a great choice for alchemists to keep for themselves.) Why not just put a "requires 450 Alchemy" label on it so we can feel like Engineers trying to sell those crafted helmets that every Engineer leveling made as well, and can only be worn by other Engineers?

Since I'm complaining, what would be a better solution?

Why not make class specific variations of specific pots? Warrior's Love Draughts that have an increased chance to crit if the imbiber is a Warrior? Mage Mana Madness Juices that also have a chance to proc 10 seconds of +crit when drank by a Mage? That creates a niche for each potion taking "class", and requires the Alchemist to research and adjust to server demand. Are DK health pots not selling as good as Warrior ones? Do you see more Rogues buying your Rogue's Swiftness Haste Vials than Druids buying your Moonwell Mana Spring Water? Adjust accordingly. It also wouldn't be guaranteed effects, so using them in a DPS rotation (like how shadow priests can drink a Wild Magic Pot before they get in combat so they can get an extra lovely SW:P rolling, and drink another pot once in combat).

I'm personally way more excited for the idea I crapped out in 3 minutes than a Massively Random potion that I'll craft a bunch of, then just have in the bank for my own use. Trade skills need to have more interaction with OTHER PLAYERS to be interesting.

NO TANK (or caster) IN THE GAME WILL WASTE THEIR ONE POT COOLDOWN ON ANYTHING THAT MIGHT GRANT 1 HP (or 1 MP).

RL: "What happened there at the end?"

Warrior: "Well, Shield Wall was down, so I gambled on these crazy new pots I found on the AH. Turns out it granted me only 12 HP, but my INT was raised for 45 sec ;)"

Entire Raid: "..."

RL: "/2 LF1M Tank, PST"

4 comments:

Klepsacovic said...

Random pots miss the point of pots: the immediate need to fill up a bar. If we could use multiple pots over a fight and didn't need a bar filled right now, we could afford the randomness.

Maybe with tank health not being so pressing and healer mana being a real issue, these could have more use due to a higher average.

Rades said...

Yeah, I think the only time I would use one of these random pots is if I was somehow out of all others, or if I found it while questing and had nothing else to lose.

Bonedead said...

I'd say it is definitely for more of a solo minded player, not one who 5-mans or raids or pvps in a group.

Why not just have 1 super potion that has different effects depending on your class?

Anonymous said...

Alchemists get a potion somewhat like this already in WotLK. The nicest thing I remember about the point, aside from using it for the random buff, was that it had very, very easy to farm mats. Which made leveling alchemy very easy, if you were lucky and discovered it early like I did. I think it's like two gold clover and a vial for the potion. A list of the effects are in this blog:

http://thideras.com/?page_id=534