If Demon Hunter is the next hero class, What level do you think it should start at?

[Teriz]

It would make everyone else jealous, that's why. Leveling isn't there to learn how to play your class. I wish it were, but that's not how it works. You can do quests all you want, but it won't help you learn how to raid or use a proper rotation against bosses. All that comes from dungeons and raiding, and you can't do that without all your abilities. Running dungeons from 1-80 is fairly irrelevant to 85-95, where you would have unlocked most of your abilities, masteries and other tools necessary for tanking or healing.

At the beginning of Mists, I created a Pandaren Disc Priest from 1-85 through dungeons and some side quests. All I did was put PWS on the tank and used Smite to kill everything while it auto-healed. Not much to learn there.

I disagree. As you level you gain new abilities slowly as you move up the ranks. This allows you to learn your abilities and become a better player overall. If you don't have that period where you're learning your abilities, you just flop around until you figure things out. Heck, using your argument, why have levels at all? Lets just start everyone at max level.

I also think you just don't care about a class you start at a high level. At least, not as much as a class you take from level 1-90.

[Deleted]

If they don't overhaul outland leveling content (and I doubt they would after Cata failed so hard), any new hero class has to start at 68+. Forcing people ever again into Nagrand with its "kill 30 sheep/birds/elephants" then "kill 30 aggro sheep/birds/elephants" type quests would result in a massive backlash. And Nagrand was one of the better BC zones.

[Poochy]

I disagree. As you level you gain new abilities slowly as you move up the ranks. This allows you to learn your abilities and become a better player overall. If you don't have that period where you're learning your abilities, you just flop around until you figure things out. Heck, using your argument, why have levels at all? Lets just start everyone at max level.

I also think you just don't care about a class you start at a high level. At least, not as much as a class you take from level 1-90.

Yes, you gain new abilities as you level. But blizzard does balance the game around the newest expac's levels/max. You don't really get a good rotation for your class until your a high level. Getting new abilities really just lets you see how they work and get a feel for that. Questing isn't just for practice, it's for lore too. If it was just for practice, blizzard's plans for something like the proving grounds wouldn't be necessary. Anyone can push a button, but to do it well usually means you look up the ideal rotation and gearing. That's why there are a lot of people who can improve even at levels like the 70s, something's you just need to be taught to some and not learned by themselves.

Either way, we're not saying levels don't matter, if we were we'd be saying just have a class start at max or the current expac, which we're not, you are. A DH starting at around 65 gets him at a good level for a demon hunter with the skill necessary to start doing something about being a demon hunter. It also is around the level of shadowmoon valley and the black temple, which is where you really get to see most/the start of the DHs, including the trainees, and Illidan, an important character to DHs. DKs important character was Arthas, there wouldn't really be DKs, at least the ones we know today, without the Lich King. It was he right for them lorewise to start at a higher level around this.

It's also because it doesn't make sense, lorewise, for a DH to be participating with other alliance and horde fighting Illidan. Also, I wouldn't make assumptions about things before they happen. DKs were op, compared to other classes especially in places like pvp, because they got out with a set of blue gear around the level they got out at made for them (plate strength wearers), they probably had better gear than a good portion of people. Once you got past the first few levels as they even out as they begin to need/get new gear along with everyone else in Outland.

Monks, I think from what I've heard, start maybe a little below average when they leave the pandaren starting zone. They don't have a starting zone made for just there class and end coming out with blue quality gear with stats just for them. They're around level 12, they're just starting to get greens, and the zone was for all the other classes too. DKs was their first class addition, of course there would be some problems. When they added their second class they tried to remedy their past mistakes but ended on a bit of a low side. I won't pretend I have numbers but my guess is there isn't as many players playing monks like the popular paladin, druid, hunter, or Mage classes. But people still like them for various reasons, the feel, lore, look, newness, etc.

If Blizz makes a 3rd class I'll bet they'll end up more in the middle than at an extreme, but as long as the class feels right, fits the expac, has good lore background, and not overly op it'll be fine. Balancing is a constant process. Blizz said they will add more hero classes if it fits, and if DHs lore make them qualify for being a hero class they'll do it.

[Thimagryn]

I disagree. As you level you gain new abilities slowly as you move up the ranks. This allows you to learn your abilities and become a better player overall. If you don't have that period where you're learning your abilities, you just flop around until you figure things out. Heck, using your argument, why have levels at all? Lets just start everyone at max level.

I also think you just don't care about a class you start at a high level. At least, not as much as a class you take from level 1-90.

The point of 'Hero Class' level skip is to get them into the end game as quick as possible. If you force them to start in a mid level like 75 or under, then you're just wasting people's time because there is no meaningful content there for them to experience other than content they've run 4-5 years ago. If the goal is to teach players how to play their class, there are many better ways of doing so, such as through starter zone quests (tailored to teach) and through the latest expansion's content (which can again, be tailored to the strengths of the new class).

Levels 1-80 is arbitrary. You don't gain your Mastery until level 80, which is a mechanic highly relevant to end-game performance. You also get gear with highly replaceable stats, which teaches you very little about proper gearing and progression. Let's also factor in that every recent expansion (and even current content) has gone through EXP crunches, which has made leveling easier. What is the point starting you off somewhere in the middle when all you're going to do is make people question why they're doing irrelevant content yet again for a Hero class.

80 is a sweet spot to start. You have mastery available, 80-85 is a good chunk of leveling time to learn the basics of all your abilities, you get to experience the still-relevant Pandaria content and that will all ease you into the New Expansion without having any advantage over other people playing their main characters first instead of rolling DH.

[Olrox]

65 with a introzone like the DK's so they can go straight to northrend after the intro.

Agreed. at least level 65. If they do introduce Demon Hunters, they almost certainly have to be "hero" class status as I can't see them having a reason to make them level 1 like they did with the monk.

[SuperomegaOP]

did blizz say they arent going to do DMs because locks, dks and hunters already exist?

[Immitis]

level 75 so that they are 25 levels below the level cap just like death knights were. have them start in a phased felwood and leave the starting zone at 80.