So, I was reading the 5.2 PTR forums, or more specifically, the seven or eight threads on the first page about rogues being overpowered. And upon reading one thread's title ("Rogues, Ranged or Melee class?"), I had a sudden thought.
What if rogues were a partially ranged class?
Or rather, what if one of the three rogue specs was ranged in nature?
As it stands, Hunters are the only physical ranged class in the game, so there's certainly room for a second class in that niche, especially since a ranged rogue wouldn't be after agility mail.
Rogues lack any feature that really makes us unique.
Druids and Hunters both have stealth, and other classes have temporary invisibility states. So we aren't really the "stealth" class, especially considering how rather lack-luster our openers currently are. Monks are a more agile, quick-moving, leather-wearing fighter than we are, so we don't have that going for us anymore. Other classes have stuns that rival ours, or have bleeds, or can apply poisons.
But there is no physical class that is a ranged/melee hybrid.
I think the spec that would be replaced is combat.
Frankly, combat doesn't bring anything interesting to the table, (Except BF, which Blizzard seems determined to nerf). The other two specs play almost the exactly the same as combat, but with more interesting mechanics (shadow dance, blindside procs), and more unique elements (poisons, bleeds).
Combat would be changed into a brand new spec (I have no idea what the name would be), that features ranged auto-attack, shuriken throw as the main CP generator, something akin to Deadly throw replacing Evis (without the silence effect), a ranged stun to replace kidney shot, etc. BF could even remain, and cause your throws to hit a second nearby target.
Rather than actually suggesting this be a change, I'm more curious what the rogue community thinks of theoretical shift of such a magnitude.
Are you fine with rogue specs/talents as they are now?
Would a revamp like this be going too far? Leaving the roots of the class too much?
If not specifically this idea, do you think that a revamp of this magnitude is necessary to fix the class?
Would you miss combat?
Do you hate the idea of also being a ranged class?