Less Diminishing Returns
While some players may be vexxed to learn that they have lost some of their stun and crowd control capabilities in the transition to Midnight, stuns are becoming much more easy to use. PvE enemies will still suffer diminishing returns, but no longer become fully immune no matter how many are used on them. This reduces the need to track diminishing returns, while also serving as something of a soft-buff to groups with lots of crowd control effects.
In contrast, players in PvP combat will become fully immune after 2 uses of crowd control, rather than 3 in The War Within. This is meant to reduce the effectiveness of chain stuns and make crowd control a little less frustrating in PvP.
DIMINISHING RETURNS
Developers’ notes: We are making some adjustments to how diminishing returns work in World of Warcraft. “Diminishing returns” refers to the system that reduces the duration of crowd control effects if they are used repeatedly against the same target. In order to make crowd control less frustrating in PvP, players will now become immune after 2 applications of crowd control from the same category (ex. after being stunned twice, you are now immune). We felt that very low duration crowd controls were making it hard to cast spells and generally felt excessive. For PvE, we are removing the immunity after 3 stuns. Our primary goal here is to remove the need to track diminishing returns state on enemies. Instead of enforcing a hidden and complex system to reduce effectiveness of stuns, we are doing a pass on classes and making sure the amount of stuns and their durations are appropriate for combat.
Diminishing return categories will reset after 16 seconds (was 18 seconds).
Creatures will no longer be immune to stun effects after 3 applications of the effect. The duration of the stun effect will continue to diminish in half upon each application, until they reach 1/16th duration, where it will remain until 16 seconds have passed.
In PvP combat, players will be fully immune to a crowd control category after 2 casts (was 3).
Longer Interrupt Durations
Impacting most players, the global interrupt duration has been increased by an average of two seconds before the target is able to start casting again. For most spells this extends the period of time before a target can begin casting again from three to five seconds, though it isn't completely consistent, as the eponymous Rogue Kick has increased from 3 to 6 seconds. In any event, interrupts should be better able to counter spell casts across the board.
The Global Interrupt duration has been increased:
Developers’ notes: We would like players to have more effective tools against caster enemies, particularly in dungeons. To that end, we are increasing interrupt durations across the board in PvE content.
Death Knight
Mind Freeze interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Demon Hunter
Disrupt interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Druid
Skull Bash interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Balance
Solar Beam interrupt increased to 7 seconds (was 5 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Evoker
Quell interrupt duration increased to 6 seconds (was 4 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Hunter
Beast Mastery and Marksmanship
Counter Shot interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Survival
Muzzle interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Mage
Counterspell interrupt duration increased to 7 seconds (was 5 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Monk
Spear Hand Strike interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Paladin
Rebuke interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Priest
Shadow
Silence duration increased to 5 seconds (was 4 seconds) and interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds in non-PvP combat (was 3 seconds).
Silence duration increased to 4 seconds in PvP combat (was 3 seconds).
Rogue
Kick interrupt duration increased to 6 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Shaman
Wind Shear interrupt duration increased to 4 seconds (was 2 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Warlock
Spell Lock interrupt duration increased to 7 seconds (was 5 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Demonology
Axe Toss interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
Warrior
Pummel interrupt duration increased to 5 seconds (was 3 seconds). Does not affect PvP combat.
