How many more classes can the game sustain?

[Lemons]

I think the game could do with one more class...the Tinker!

I hear a lot of ideas for new classes on these forums, and tinker is the only good one. We don't have a class that relies on technology, and we have two races in-game that already have "Tinkers", we just haven't seen much of them. Perhaps the Gnomes could FINALLY retake all of Gnomeregan and begin training tinkers in earnest. For horde, Thrall already threatened to depose Gallywix, so he could finally be replaced by a charismatic goblin leader who believes technological advancement, not greed, is the way forward for his race.

And I KNOW that it's somewhat akin to engineering, but who cares! Engineering can just be like junior-level Tinkering. It's the stuff other classes can manage to do, but if you go beyond that level of skill, WAY beyond it, then you're a tinker. For example, engineers can use jumper cables to revive fallen allies, but there's only a chance it'll work, with a Tinker they can have something called "Spark of Life" which is there revive spell. It's the same idea as the jumper cables, shocking someone back to life, but it always works.

[melodramocracy]

Demon Hunters have aspects of the Rogue and Warlock.
Rangers have aspects of the Hunter and Rogue
Tinkers have aspects of the Engineering profession (most likely pick among all of these, methinks)
Dragonsworn, no.
Inbokers are mages.
Battlemages are Mages and Warriors.
Necromancers have aspects of Warlocks and Death Knights.
Bards have little lore basis, but also likely and a popular archetype.
Witch Doctors have aspects of Shaman and Shadow Priest (formerly)
Spellbreakers: See Battlemage
Wardens are Rogues.
Sea Witch is a caste of Naga. Naga are not playable, nor will there be a one-race only class.
Keepers of the Grove are a race. Also, druids.
Wizards are Mages.
Runemasters have little to no basis as a playable class, and Death Knights already wield Runes.

and this is why you eliminate all current classes, and re-define things along these lines:

Main classes: Physical Damage, Light Magic, Dark Magic (whatever else if needed)

Physical:
All current warrior, rogue, hunter, monk (?) specs

Light Magic:
All current shaman, priest (minus shadow), pally, mage, druid specs

Dark Magic:
All current lock, dk, shadow priest specs

You pick a class, and then pick any 2 specs you like in that class. Some specs*could* have overlap, ie, be possibly selectable by more than 1 class (for very broad examples, monk's healing abilities might be available to light magic users, and mage's arcane could possibly be selectable via the dark magic class.)

You then get a situation where the demon hunter that people seem to want, and any other specific role, gets introduced as a specialization rather than a separate class that would require 3 distinct flavors.

Advanced version of this would give players tri-spec capacity. Less need for alts, easier to add hybridized specs (ie, you could now have lock tanks without sacrificing any current playstyles)

Things could get even more interesting by allowing players to allot points in their primary attributes themselves rather than an across the board boost that the game currently provides, plus allowing folks to pick and choose from multiple talent trees (as we had back in Wrath). But that's a big can of worms to open.

[Teriz]

I think the game could do with one more class...the Tinker!

I hear a lot of ideas for new classes on these forums, and tinker is the only good one. We don't have a class that relies on technology, and we have two races in-game that already have "Tinkers", we just haven't seen much of them. Perhaps the Gnomes could FINALLY retake all of Gnomeregan and begin training tinkers in earnest. For horde, Thrall already threatened to depose Gallywix, so he could finally be replaced by a charismatic goblin leader who believes technological advancement, not greed, is the way forward for his race.

And I KNOW that it's somewhat akin to engineering, but who cares! Engineering can just be like junior-level Tinkering. It's the stuff other classes can manage to do, but if you go beyond that level of skill, WAY beyond it, then you're a tinker. For example, engineers can use jumper cables to revive fallen allies, but there's only a chance it'll work, with a Tinker they can have something called "Spark of Life" which is there revive spell. It's the same idea as the jumper cables, shocking someone back to life, but it always works.

Agree with all of this. I know Demon Hunter fanboys want to frolick in the woods as half naked elves, but Tinkers are the better fit for the game. There's just no way around that.

[Kuthe]

About -3.
There is too many, and Blizzard just plainly suck at balancing them.
So there shouldn't be anymore, but it's one of the main attractions to buying an expansion, so there will be a new one every expansion or two.

[Crym]

I like the idea of working out a 4th spec for all the classes. There are so many "new class" ideas that are so similar to existing classes it should be a spec instead of a whole class anyway. Give all the "pure" classes a tanking or healing spec and groups will become at least slightly more available (as people cave for faster queue times). Give paladin a caster damage spec so there is FINALLY at least a second spec that uses INT plate.

At this point(with as many classes as there are) it would still take a bit of balancing, but not nearly as bad as adding entirely new classes.

[Nightfall]

I think the Monk was already superfluous, Blizz had to give them annoying abilities just to attract players to the class. However I still want 1 more class because I wasn't excited to play melee DKs and Monks. DK is a nice concept, just not my cup of tea. Before MoP I was sure we'll get some kind of caster or Demon Hunter for diversity, but no - we got monks, more melee.

I'd like to see a new ranged dd class. Preferably caster, petless archer and healer hybrid. Or some kind of Battlemage with melee/range caster/healer specs. Will be really disappointed to see yet another melee. Or Tinker for that matter. I dislike playing non-mystical classes in a fantasy setting. That's why I dislike Monks so much. Stupid Kung Fu drunkards. You're getting a Fireball in your face and an Obliterate on top of it - don't tell me you can soak it up with some BS Zen inner peace or extreme alcohol intoxication and then punch a full-metal plate wearing warrior in the chest.

[datboi448]

In general, 1 more hybrid and 1 more dedicated dps. Ive been kicking around in my head the idea of a "spiritmaster" hybrid class. For tanking, summon a spirit to share health with and manipulate it to be a ranged tank. Summon spirits, rip them up and shoot them at a target for ranged dps. Summon spirits and infuse them into other players to heal them.

[Wildberry]

Agree with all of this. I know Demon Hunter fanboys want to frolick in the woods as half naked elves, but Tinkers are the better fit for the game. There's just no way around that.

Tinkers fit that spellsword niche everyone wants? Okay, whatever you say man. (Protip: Forsaken, Gnomes, Dwarves, and Goblins are the only races that could be tinkers without some serious lore re-writing [There's just no way around that ])

As far as how many new classes we can have, as many as Blizzard wants, I'd prefer to see two more at max though. As far as balancing issues, those issues would be there without Death Knights or Monks, same with overlapping classes.

[Deleted]

If anything another mail class but not more than that.

[Wazooty]

Its funny seeing people complain about current classes being under/overpowered. CLasses are more evenly powered now than ever by FAR.

IMO, the only real limitations for new classes would be if they felt unique, since as far as overall balance is concerned, I think blizz has it down. There will never be perfect balance, and people will always complain so....not too worried about that

Another mail class. It would be pretty easy to say demon hunters use mail.

Just saiyan.

[Teriz]

Tinkers fit that spellsword niche everyone wants? Okay, whatever you say man.

Don't Death Knights already fit that niche since they swing swords and use magic?

(Protip: Forsaken, Gnomes, Dwarves, and Goblins are the only races that could be tinkers without some serious lore re-writing [There's just no way around that ])

You're forgetting Humans, Worgens, Pandaren, and Orcs. Of course, technically any race could be a tinker.

Technology in WoW is pretty widespread.

[Nightfall]

Don't Death Knights already fit that niche since they swing swords and use magic?

No, they're not. It's like saying that Mages already fill the niche of a cloth spellcaster, so that we don't need Warlocks and Shadow Priests. Flavor is key here. Death Knights are not spell casters, they're melee infused with powerful magic abilities by the Lich King. They utilise shadow and frost magic abilities. What I'd like to see in a new class if it's going to be of a spellsword type is a class that learned their spells him/herself in order to gain the edge in battle. Arcane and Fire schools preferably or Arcane+Nature, Arcane+Holy.

[Orthonon]

I would rather they just add specs to the current classes over time rather than trying to create new classes that each need to have 3 or more specs. I think it is easier to balance trying to add one or two more specs into the game at a time rather than a whole new class with multiple specs and untold number of new abilities and talents that have to be balanced and made interesting. You could add new races all day long as long as you could come up with the models and not upset balance but new classes just seem too much of a hassle. Give some classes a 4th spec here and there rather than trying to start from the drawing board with some new class.

Most classes have potential for new specs so there is still plenty of development room with just what we have already:

Caster dps paladin spec for those who want the big sword caster.

Warlocks, Hunters, and Shaman all have feasible ways of making a tank spec with---hunters and warlocks with some sort of system with pet doing the actual tanking with them developing threat a mitigation at range. Shaman already can use shields and can build up a good bit of dodge easily stacking agility and totems could be made for some interesting tanking cds.

Warriors can use guns and bows seems like there could be room to develop that somewhere.

Might be some sort of room for a more caster style hunter since we have all this intellect mail laying around and hunters have access to all sorts of weapons other than guns and bows.

That is just a few things off the top of my head so there seems plenty of development room just with the classes we have to work with.

[Deleted]

2 to 3 classes, + 4th spec

But after this it depends: you can see necromancer as a new class, or a new dk spec, demon hunter as a new class or new warlock spec, Battle mage as a new class or new mage spec, and so on

Whatever, every new expansion has to give us lots of new gameplay features, and so more diversity in spec and classes

[Northem]

For me, the classes that are still missing are:

Regular classes:

• Necromancer
• Bard
• Tinker

Hero Classes:

• Demon Hunter
• Dragonsworn

Possible new specializations of existing classes:

• Battlemage (Mage)
• Ranger (Hunter)
• Stalker (Rogue)
• Inquisitor (Priest)
• Knight (Paladin)
• Spellbreaker (Warrior)

[tru]

They need a class that can use plat INT gear or a class to use mail INT gear to not hog up more leather/plate/cloth loot tables. R Shammy and H Pally have their own loot tables. Well H Pally even more so since they did that stupid shit with spirit to hit conversion for HYBRID dps casters. I think it would be interesting to see if they could build something around that.

[Frolk]

As many as they want, as long 1 of em is the necromancer

[Wildberry]

Don't Death Knights already fit that niche since they swing swords and use magic?



You're forgetting Humans, Worgens, Pandaren, and Orcs. Of course, technically any race could be a tinker.

Technology in WoW is pretty widespread.

Death knights are far too melee oriented according the spellsword club

Technically any race can be any class, however, due to the fact that some race/class combos are such a small minority, if they even exist at all, what with cultural conflicts, that there simply aren't enough to warrant a race/class combo. Here are the races that fit into that Category

Humans (They're not bad with technology, just not good enough to be Tinkers)
Worgen (See above reasoning)
Pandaren (The only "Technology" Pandaren even know of, is Mogu Technology, which even they didn't know how to use properly, because it was titan technology)
Orcs (The only thing Technological Orcs make are Siege Engines and Crude ships)

Sorry Teriz, the outcome isn't likely.

[Teriz]

Death knights are far too melee oriented according the spellsword club

Then what about Enhancement Shaman?

Technically any race can be any class, however, due to the fact that some race/class combos are such a small minority, if they even exist at all, what with cultural conflicts, that there simply aren't enough to warrant a race/class combo. Here are the races that fit into that Category

Humans (They're not bad with technology, just not good enough to be Tinkers)
Worgen (See above reasoning)
Pandaren (The only "Technology" Pandaren even know of, is Mogu Technology, which even they didn't know how to use properly, because it was titan technology)
Orcs (The only thing Technological Orcs make are Siege Engines and Crude ships)

Sorry Teriz, the outcome isn't likely.

Any race can become a Tinker because every playable race in WoW can be of average intelligence, to above average intellect to outright genius. Thus, any race can be taught how to be a Tinker by a gnome or a goblin. Just like any race can be taught how to use Siege Engines, airships, and guns.

Its no different than in the real world when a more technologically advanced civilization encountered a a civilization that was stuck in the past. A good example would be Japan. Prior to 1850, the most industrialization Japan had gone through was manufacturing a few guns. When an American steam ship forced them to open their borders, Japan underwent a massive industrialization process, and matched European technology within 40 years.

The Orcs are no different than the Japanese. They haven't advanced as far as the Gnomes and Goblins in terms of technology, but if they believe that their adversaries have a technological advantage, the Orcs will deploy their best and brightest to figure out how to use technology to benefit the Horde. We've already seen this with the Skybreaker beating the crap out of the Horde in Northrend and Pandaria. All they need is the contact to teach them. The Goblins are there for that exact purpose. BTW, this can also be applied to any playable race in the game on either faction.

The only thing that would stop a race from becoming a Tinker is a hatred of technology. That would include mainly Tauren and the Elves. Everyone else is fair game.

[Peacemoon]

There isn't an artificial limit 'just because'. We could have 20 classes. The problem is you would probably struggle to give each one a unique identity, at which point you have multiple classes that are basically the same.