After several attempts to balance the Nitro Boots ability in the arena, we have decided that we currently do not have an acceptable solution. Until we are able to better balance this ability it has been shut down in the arenas. We fully plan to continue working on this item and we intend to adjust it in upcoming patches.
Now I can understand that Blizzard has to constantly make moves to adjust professions. As game balance changes so must profession balance; how strong each profession is relative to both PvE and PvP. That being said, this nerf to the nitro boots tinker that happened to get left from the patch notes is completely ridiculous.
First things first, I know that from a PvP perspective there is a lot more to this game than arena. That being said, arena is the centerpiece for PvP balance in this game. This is due to a few things: world pvp is basically non-existant, battlegrounds are essentially for honor farming and have lost their competitive spirit, wintergrasp is a joke and has nothing to do with pvp balance, and blizzard has repeatedly stated that the game isn’t to be balanced around 1v1. Therefore, we have to assume that when blizzard balances proffessions with PvP in mind, they do this around arena. At least you’d think that, until you hear ignorant blue posts like this:
I wasn’t aware that engineering consisted entirely of one schematic. I was under the misinformed position that it was actually a collection of interesting “gadgets” or explosives.
The gadgets useful in some very diverse ways, but no items that could entirely change the balance of the game.
The bombs useful in pretty much any situation you wished to do additional damage.
Neither the bombs nor the gadgetry were as simple as pure stats. All had some other trick to them which require skill, timing and understanding to use effectively.
With this unannounced nerf, last week’s nerf to goggles (which from a rogue perspective was logically a buff, but still a nerf from an engineers perspective, but I digress) it’s hard as an engineer to think blizzard isn’t biased against the profession. This response from blue is completely irrelevant to arena. I refuse to believe that blizzard would plan this nerf, unannounced, and have it only apply to arena if they didn’t agree that arena balance is tantamount to PvP balance. That makes this post pretty inexplicable, talking about bombs that are not usable in arena, and too expensive to be used in other situations. This guy doesn’t seem to realize that what people are angry about is the removal of one profession from arena and the underhanded way it was removed.
Engineering now offers very little from any perspective. For PvP, the glove haste or rockets are mediocre at best as “the best things the profession has to offer”. From a PvE perspective, engineering tinkers are inferior to the best enchants available. So not only do you get extremely little for PvP, you also get essentially nothing for PvE. Engineering provides some fun tricks, but an entire profession providing a few fun, expensive tricks that you can use only once in a while is extremely underwhelming.
What about the other professions and what they provide in arena? I don’t think you can say that nitro boots were better than jewelcrafting or enchanting’s statistical upgrades in every situation before this nerf. Was nitro boots a powerful enchant? Yes, absolutely. Was it out of balance when compared against other professions? I would argue it was right where it should be. Engineering is clearly designed as a pvp profession, if you’re serious about PvP it was a good idea to level it. Nitro boots were nice, they helped with mobility slightly for less mobile classes (the ones who will really feel this nerf), but they could also backfire or be countered with an immediate snare in reaction to the boots. They were only effective when not snared and usually could only be used once an arena. Good? Yes. Overpowered? No.
Maybe removing glove tinkers and all other engineering advantages usable in arena would have been fine, but this move is equivalent to removing ring enchants for arena, and doing it without releasing it to patch notes. I really feel bad for those that leveled engineering and dumped thousands of gold into a dead profession.
How I Fixed my Ping
Now before you do anything, read this. Someone showed me how to do this. I have no idea how it works, I have no idea about registries. I am simply relaying information and I can tell you that it has thus far worked for me without a problem. This is by no means new information and it’s been around for years, but I had really forgotten about it until maybe a month ago. You make these changes at your own risk and I really can’t help you beyond what’s being said here. To make this clear, I don’t know how this works, I just know that it worked for me. People asked me to post it so here it is, use at your own risk.
About two months ago my latency was anywhere from 180-250. My current latency is anywhere from 40-90. I was under the impression that the “ping fix” from years back had been made irrelevant by some blizzard changes, but I was corrected. Here are the steps I took. (more…)