Question:
"so why does shape shifting as a druid clear movement impaires but not shaman's ghost wolf? + the additional 10% speed increase?"
Blue Answer:
"That's just a druid class benefit. We try not to have every class mechanic work the exact same way."
So, let me get this straight. Because you don't want a druid defining class mechanic to work the same way as another's class generic movement speed ability to work similarly? you wont even think about this as a glyph or something similar, like the Minor Waterwalking glyph that casts WW on you when you shift into GW? When I think of class defining abilities for shaman, GW is the last thing I think of that is even in the most remote realm of possible class defining abilities. The first thing I think of is totems, then weapon imbues, then mail wearing melee/caster, and after all that, GW still doesn't come to mind as "class-defining".
You shoot for class homogenization, while attempting to keep them "unique". You say "We try not to have every class mechanic work the exact same way"...Thats funny, cause you keep tuning totems into buffs, and not actual totems like they used to be. Slowly, but surely, shaman are being homogenized into other classes :S
Sounds on par with the treatment blizzard has towards shaman to me..."We just don't care enough about shaman to work on them like we should"
I apologize if this sounded like a rant, but I am offended that Blues compare Ghostwolf to a Druid's Shifting ability. They have nothing in common, other than maybe cheetah form compared to ghostwolf, and that's still a SINGLE shift form for a druid.