Unleashing the Power: World of Warcraft Augmentation Evoker Revealed

World of Warcraft Patch 10.1.5, Fractures in Time, is about to go live. This update includes new daily activities, a megadungeon, quality-of-life improvements, and expanded options for the Warlock class. However, the most exciting addition is the Augmentation Evoker, a third specialization exclusive to the Dracthyr class. This new playstyle not only introduces a unique specialization mid-expansion but also brings a new DPS archetype with the buff-focused support abilities of Augmentation.

Game Rant had the opportunity to interview Graham Berger, the senior game designer and expert on the Evoker class. He provided a glimpse into the development process, discussing the challenges, rewards, and even some humorous moments of creating this new player option. Berger also shed light on how the specialization functions, their plans for balancing it, and the potential implications for the future of World of Warcraft. The interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity.

A: When the development team initially discussed the creation of the Augmentation Evoker, one of the main objectives was to incorporate all five types of Dragon magic, representing the five main flights. It was important for us to include Black Dragon magic as well, since Devastation and Preservation were already represented by Red, Blue, Green, and Bronze. Although we did include a few spells in the class such as Deep Breath, Landslide, and Obsidian Scales, which are class-wide Black Dragon spells, they do not provide the same comprehensive set of abilities as the two specs.

So, let's discuss our plans for the final color. It's really awesome because we have the chance to define what pure Black Dragon Magic is, instead of the Shadowflame stuff we've seen with Onyxia and Nefarian in the past. So, what options do we have with it? However, for the launch, our main focus was on Devastation and Preservation, which are the primary damage and healing roles, and we wanted to deliver them as effectively as possible.

When the team initially discussed this idea, we were focused on Black magic and its potential. However, we soon realized that the most unique and intriguing magic school for Evokers is Bronze magic. As players, we rarely have the opportunity to explore time magic, so delving into it completely was truly exhilarating. The concept of a support playstyle has been a recurring topic among the team for years, but we never had the perfect moment to introduce it. With Bronze magic, the possibilities of manipulating time to affect our allies in unconventional ways became apparent, while Black magic offered a shield of protection and empowerment. The question arose: can we combine the positive aspects of both?

Nevertheless, we were aware that fully developing this idea would require considerable time and effort. Our main objective is to ensure that we implement this new playstyle flawlessly, especially since it differs significantly from conventional gameplay. Numerous questions emerged: how does this playstyle integrate into the existing game dynamics? How can we balance it effectively? How do we ensure it functions harmoniously in group settings? How can it provide a satisfying solo experience? Lastly, how can players gauge their performance while utilizing this playstyle?

We wanted to ensure we had sufficient time to address all the questions and ensure we were satisfied with the answers before presenting it to players. By positioning it for a later content update, it worked out really well. It also nicely tied in with the ongoing storyline of the Dracthyr in Dragonflight. Although it was a topic of discussion from the very beginning, we concluded that we needed time to perfect it and incorporate it seamlessly into Dragonflight's overall story.

Q: What prompted you to pursue a support DPS style for the Evoker, and what was the process like in turning that idea into reality?

The team has been discussing the idea of creating a support character. This idea comes up in discussions as a potential new playstyle that hasn't been explored yet. However, there are no concrete plans and it's not something we've been actively working on for a long time. The concept of the Augmentation Evoker, for example, was suggested by the feature team working on that class. They presented a working prototype to our design leadership, who playtested it and gave their approval. We then had to address various questions, collaborate with our engineering partners, and determine what tools were needed to implement the idea properly. We also had to figure out how to provide players with feedback on their performance, which involved adding advanced combat log information and updating the UI with features like the uptime of the spell Ebon Might, which is an important part of the support character's buff contribution to the group. Bringing this idea to life required a lot of effort from different team members, but it all started with a simple idea and the question of whether we could explore it and commit the necessary time and resources. Throughout the process, we regularly checked in to assess the direction and ensure continued enthusiasm for the project.

Q: How well does the Augmentation Evoker’s damage compare to other specializations?

On the balancing front, Augmentation serves as a damage dealer in comparison to Devastation or other DPS roles. When queuing for dungeons or PvP, it fulfills the role of a damage dealer. Therefore, the aim of balancing is to ensure that your overall contribution to the group is equivalent to that of another DPS player. In terms of assembling a group for raids or creating your RGB team, we didn't want to introduce a fourth role that would complicate the game for everyone. Instead, Augmentation is meant to be an optional choice.

To achieve this, we have incorporated various adjustable elements in their spells and their interaction with different groups. Regardless of whether you are playing with one, five, or twenty people, we have mechanisms in place to ensure that you remain worth approximately one other DPS player.

Q: You previously mentioned ensuring players can recognize their progress with the new Specialization. What steps are being taken to accomplish this?

A: It's a complex matter considering the variety of players in our game. Ultimately, the key indicator is your proficiency in the activity itself. Balancing serves as the means to achieve this. Completing a Keystone of Mythic 5 or 10 within the designated time frame indicates success, affirming the effectiveness of Augmentation.

The second part revolves around damage meters, which many players utilize. In the case of Augmentation, since you are enhancing other players, their damage appears alongside their respective bars. Giving an Arms warrior a significant amount of primary stat and versatility will result in them dealing more DPS on those meters compared to you. However, this is something players should acknowledge. For instance, they may notice that they usually do 80k DPS in a dungeon, but it increased to 100k. They can attribute this difference to receiving various buffs from a specific player.

Certain abilities directly contribute to the damage output of other players. Take Inferno's Blessing, for example. When you cast Fire Breath, it buffs your allies with Inferno's Blessing, giving them a chance to throw additional fireballs. Consequently, other players will see "Inferno's Blessing" along with the corresponding damage in their breakdown.

The UI and engineering greatly assisted us in enhancing the experience for Augmentation players. When you release your buffs, they are visually represented as floating combat text on the battlefield. This means that you can actually see the effects of your buffs, such as +800 Strength or +3% Critical Strike. It provides valuable feedback, reminding you that your buffs are making a difference in the game. It's not just some invisible calculations happening in the background. By combining all of these elements, you are able to witness the impact of your actions and receive confirmation that you are actively participating. Additionally, it allows other players to observe and understand your contributions.

Q: How does the Augmentation Evoker function when playing solo, considering it is a class that primarily focuses on enhancing others?

A: An important question to address is the role of the Augmentation Evoker during solo gameplay. While this class is typically known for its support abilities, particularly in buffing allies, it is still viable for solo play if you prefer a damage dealer role. We want to assure you that you won't feel compelled to switch to Devastation just to be effective in solo encounters. To achieve this, the Augmentation Evoker takes on more of a tank-like playstyle rather than a purely DPS-focused approach.

In your Talent Tree, there is an ability called Blistering Scales which grants your ally increased armor and a thorns effect when you are attacked. When you are playing solo, you can apply this spell to yourself. It significantly enhances your survival capabilities and also boosts your damage output. Most of your buffs can be self-applied, meaning instead of granting Critical Strike to a friend, you can grant it to yourself. While in a group, this spell is more effective when used on others, but you can still utilize it to enhance your own abilities.

They possess considerable burst AoE damage, even when they are alone. The strategy for Tanks in outdoor environments involves pulling a group of enemies together and using AoE abilities to defeat them. Augmentation functions similarly; you pull a few enemies, then utilize Breath of Eons to fly above them, while using Upheaval and Eruption - powerful AoE effects associated with the Black Dragon - to swiftly eliminate those enemies while taking reduced damage. They also have a Talent Tree ability that grants them a second chance at life, among other things. Thus, they are much more durable, although they do not provide the same instantaneous offensive power as Devastation.

Q: When players discovered the initial clues about the Augmentation Evoker, many assumed it would be designed as a tank specialization. What led you to choose the idea of a supportive DPS role instead of filling the missing tank role for Evokers?

A: A valid question! The concept of Black Dragon magic naturally lends itself to a tank role, but for our team, there were two factors at play. First and foremost, Evokers are spellcasters. Their primary focus is on casting spells from a medium range, unleashing their inner magic. We wanted to further develop this aspect. It has proven to be a compelling theme, and one that we're eager to continue exploring. The visual design and animations depicting how Evokers release their spells are distinct from other classes' magic casting methods, and we wanted to showcase more of that uniqueness.

As soon as we began discussing the support playstyle, the team immediately became thrilled. It wasn't that we had no interest in developing a tank character; rather, we were enthusiastic about creating this support playstyle. The concept sounded incredible, and we were all genuinely excited about it. Whenever you can ignite such excitement and passion within the team, you know it's going to be something extraordinary. I believe it went beyond that. This was a remarkable opportunity, and we were eager to bring it to life and offer it to the players.

It was a complex process. The factor that convinced us was the integration of this new specialization with the overall content introduced in Fractures in Time. We wanted to delve deeper into the story of the Dracthyr. Despite the excitement that comes with creating new specs and classes, it requires extensive effort from various teams including design, engineering, art, UI, and sound. Therefore, the timing and suitability need to be just right. With Augmentation, we aimed to explore the backstory of Emberthal and Ebyssian and unveil the final secrets and forgotten memories of the Dracthyr. It's hard to imagine something bigger than obtaining a new spec for it!

Which other classes would you like to create support DPS specializations for?

Whether we proceed with these changes or not will largely depend on how the community reacts to Augmentation. Our belief is that there is an audience who would appreciate this style of play. Do they desire a wide range of options? Are they seeking more possibilities? Furthermore, does it align with the narrative we are developing for upcoming expansions?

When reflecting on the history of World of Warcraft, it becomes apparent that there are numerous opportunities to cater to this particular playstyle that we have glimpsed in the past. For instance, think about Enhancement Shaman Totem Twisting in Wrath of the Lich King, or Shadow Priest's Mana Return in Burning Crusade. We do not intend to modify these specializations to fully support these playstyles as they currently exist, but I can envision these themes and this archetype blending quite naturally with our players who choose those classes. It is likely that this is the area we will focus on initially, although there are no concrete plans at present, and our course of action will largely be dictated by the future trajectory of the game.

Q: Buffs are often highly-coveted by members in a party or raid. Do you worry players might be upset if they don’t get them from the Augmentation Evoker?

In developing the Augmentation Evoker, we took inspiration from classic classes like Shaman, Shadow Priest, and Paladin to create a support playstyle that would align with the current playstyle preferences of World of Warcraft players. During the development process, we experimented with various ideas, constantly tweaking and refining. One of the initial playstyles we explored involved selecting a designated ally and greatly enhancing their abilities. We even tested a mechanic similar to the Paladin Beacon, where marking an ally would cause many of your spells to automatically target them. Our goal was to create a playstyle that was accessible and easy to learn right from the start.

However, even in our internal playtests where there is no risk and no pressure to beat a timer, players started questioning why some characters were receiving all the buffs and being super strong while others were left behind. They did not engage with the Evoker or acknowledge their presence because they were not receiving any buffs. As a result, we adjusted our approach to align more closely with the playstyle we observe today.

One example of this is Ebon Might, a spell that buffs four people. In a dungeon or an Arena, everyone benefits from your buffs. This spell alone significantly contributes to your overall effectiveness. Additionally, there is Prescience, a Critical Strike buff in your Talent Tree. Its cooldown is short enough that you can maintain it on two or three people. It automatically prioritizes nearby damage dealers, making it easier for you if you prefer not to manually select targets. Lastly, Breath of Eons, a powerful ability that creates temporal wounds like ticking time bombs, is linked to Ebon Might. Each ally in your group contributes to building these bombs for themselves.

The group-oriented altruistic approach enhanced the overall experience. Every member of the group benefits from it. Whether you are a tank or a healer in a dungeon, the presence of the Augmentation Evoker is felt by all. Our utility kit includes abilities such as Blistering Scales, which aid the tank, and Spatial Paradox, a spell that grants the healer the ability to cast while moving and increases the range of their spells. We intentionally incorporated this focus later in the development process to ensure that everyone acknowledges and appreciates your presence in the party. No one should feel envious or disappointed about not receiving buffs. Your presence should be a source of excitement for everyone.

A: The Evoker's performance has been very promising since its release a little over six months ago. Personally, within my gaming group, we have seen multiple Evokers participate in raids and thoroughly enjoy the class. It is incredibly gratifying to witness the strong themes resonate with players. The excitement and enjoyment players are experiencing when playing the Evoker is always the ultimate objective, and I am delighted to say that we have successfully achieved that goal.

Looking back, we wish we had implemented the tuning buffs or nerfs earlier. However, it was difficult to do so, especially during the early stages when data was limited. Overall, the combat team's approach to tuning and adjustments has been successful. We are satisfied with the current tuning of the Evoker, but we will continue to monitor it closely.

During the PTR, we discovered a few things that would have been better if we had addressed them from the beginning. Reacting to these issues later was more challenging. However, I don't believe I would have made significant changes. It may not be the most exciting answer, but we find it very enjoyable. Our main goal is to have fun, and that's what matters.

Q: What have been your favorite parts of developing and releasing the Evoker and the Augmentation specialization? What have been the hardest parts?

My favorite parts are the amusing ones. Whenever players find bugs on the PTR that turn out to be funny, it's always great. It's like, yeah, we should fix it, but it's hilarious. I think this still happens in the game; for example, if you activate a toy that transforms you into a different model, like a gnome, or use a Noggenfogger to turn into a skeleton, and then cast Deep Breath, it looks really silly. You're just a skeleton flying around with your arms flailing and fire coming out of your head. When Reddit exploded with images of people discovering this for the first time, it was like, "Yeah, it looks silly, but it's okay." We didn't do anything about that one in particular because it's harmless, right? It looks silly, but it doesn't break the game or exploit anything. Have fun. But it's always fun.

For Augmentation, some members of the community organized a raid on the PTR. They had 15 Augmentation Evokers, a couple of tanks, and a couple of healers. So they were fighting trash mobs in Aberrus, and they used Upheaval, which is the new Empower spell. It erupts the ground beneath the target's feet, causing it to expand the radius and launch them into the air. But when you have 15 players all using knock-up abilities at the same time, the trash mobs went flying! It was very funny, but we had to fix that one. But thank you for testing! We always appreciate that kind of stuff.

Balancing and Augmentation are always a challenge, especially when dealing with more difficult aspects. Our goal is to gather as much data as possible and make educated guesses, but it's important to also react to player actions and make necessary adjustments. Will players notice unintended interactions?

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that players may not see, but it results in small tweaks mentioned in patch notes, such as adjusting abilities or cooldowns. However, on the backend, we invest a significant amount of time analyzing data and discussing the most appropriate changes. We ensure that every aspect of the game is considered when making these decisions. For example, changing the cooldown of one spell may seem like an easy fix for some players, but it may affect others who enjoyed the visual aspect of using that spell more frequently. What is the right choice to make? We spend a great deal of time discussing elements that may go unnoticed, but it is an integral part of our work.

Do you have concerns about the impact an Augmentation Evokers support DPS will have on the balancing process? We understand the current hyper-focus on Augmentation due to its new and unique playstyle, being added in the middle of a patch. However, from our perspective, every value and buff provided by Augmentation Evokers can be adjusted numerically as necessary. Introducing these adjustments during the middle of a season is actually advantageous as it allows for testing and feedback without disrupting the race to world first. Many groups have already completed content, so take the opportunity to try it out. If any tuning is required before Season 3 is released, we will provide ample notice in advance.

Overall, we perceive them as an additional DPS class, similar to a Rogue with its three distinct specializations. When one specialization outperforms the other two, there is a noticeable shift in player preference. We anticipate a similar pattern with the Evoker. Of course, if our balancing is significantly off, there may be a substantial migration towards one specialization or the other. However, we hope it won't be as black and white as having either 100 or 0 players choosing the Evoker, as it is just another option for DPS. The Augmentation specialization offers such a distinct playstyle compared to Devastation that many players will naturally gravitate towards one or the other.

Q: Do you have any last thoughts about the Augmentation Evoker, Fractures in Time, and Dragonflight?

A: As I mentioned before, I am extremely excited to see the final result and have players experience it firsthand. I believe the audience that enjoys this playstyle will fully embrace Augmentation and derive great pleasure from empowering their allies, making them as formidable as possible.

As soon as the patch launches, Augmentation will be available, which is an important feature to highlight. If you're already an Evoker, you can start playing it without any restrictions. We have included some quests with Emberthal and Ebyssian that delve into the history and help free Adamanthia, as well as provide a better understanding of Augmentation. However, participating in these quests is not mandatory. We are thrilled about this and have considered locking the spec behind the quest chain, but we understand that many players just want to jump right in and try out the new feature or engage in a dungeon. Therefore, we made sure that option is available for them. Enjoy playing!

World of Warcraft is available now for PC.

World of Warcraft Developer: Blizzard Entertainment - Genre: MMORPG As a devoted fan of World of Warcraft, I am enthralled by its immersive and expansive virtual world. The game's rich lore, stunning graphics, and captivating gameplay keep me engaged for hours on end. I appreciate the plethora of challenging quests, dungeons, and raids that cater to both solo and group play, fostering a vibrant and supportive community. The constant updates and expansions inject fresh content, ensuring that there is always something new to explore. The well-developed classes and races allow for endless character customization, enabling players to truly make their mark on Azeroth. World of Warcraft remains a masterpiece, consistently delivering unforgettable experiences and cementing its status as a legendary MMORPG.