Stat Changes Version 4.0 - Cataclysm' s Itemization

Many agree the direction of World of Warcraft's latest expansion has been to make gearing up easier for the more casual player. The expansion itself allowed for the purchase of Tier set items through the Emblem Quartermasters and 3.2 homogenized all emblem drops, except for the Trial raids, to be [Emblems of Conquest].  Now even the fresh level 80 can become a powerhouse in a relatively short amount of time, making alt leveling more appealing than ever.

Part of the process to make things easier for the average player is to make instance gear drops available to more players and the one pesky thing that can stand in the way is itemization. You have healers and caster dps who want spellpower and the rogues fighting hunters and enhancement shamans for those leather agility drops.  With the introduction of the Death Knight we now have Retribution Paladins, Fury and Arms Warriors fighting them for the plate gear.  This often makes people angry and a little disappointed that after 3 hours of raiding you have nothing to show for your time except a pile of emblems for inferior gear and a long list of lost need rolls.

So then, what happens to the gear when you take out the stats that differentiate them?  In the coming Cataclysm, Blizzard takes itemization a step further by removing attack power, defense, spellpower, mana per 5 and armor penetration from the gear.  It is a process they started at the beginning of Wrath of the Lich King when they took both Healing Spellpower and Spell Damage and created one stat called Spellpower that would go toward your healing or spell damage stat, making life for a healer more glorious when there isn't a caster in the group.  This isn't to say the stats themselves are leaving the game entirely.  No, they are merely getting worked in to the other things your class concentrates on most.  To take the rogue/hunter/enhancement shaman example again, Agility will become attack power at a 2:1 ratio and the hunter's mana pool is being turned into focus, like the pets they run with.  This doesn't take the problem away from the rogue; in fact, this change doesn't feel like it would alleviate the pain of lost rolls for many classes but, rather, a simplification on what to concentrate on when you do happen across an upgrade.

I think the most interesting change out of all the itemization thus far would have to be the defense.  The necessary critical avoidance percentage will be available through your talent tree, much like the Druid talent (via Survival of the Fittest).  Without defense, a tank is left with mitigation and avoidance which makes me think of the rogues who Evasion tanked Gruul back in the Burning Crusade.  Nothing makes a monster more mad than when they can't hit you.  But, does this mean the only thing standing between a Titan's Grip Warrior and a tank is that part in the tree that doesn't let him get critically hit?  No.  Even though Blizzard hasn't revealed the drastic changes they claim they are making to the talent trees I firmly believe they still want to keep the lines clearly delineated.  A protection warrior will still have tricks for threat and survival that a Fury or Arms Warrior will not have access to.  If not, why have separate talent trees?

Ultimately, I don't see the stat changes as affecting your end game content.  While you might have to change your priorities for enchanting and gems, (or in the case of a Holy Paladin, introduce yourself to Spirit) the decisions are practically made for you.  Less is more, as they usually say, and this will be an amazing opportunity to see how that cliche pans out.

How do you see these changes affecting your playstyle?  Or has the simplification of the game finally gone too far?

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