How would you like to see Demon Hunters Implemented?

[checking facts]

Demon Hunters are a very cool WC3 unity that, sadly, ended up never seeing itself fully translated into a playable class in World of Warcraft. A lightly clothed tattooed blindfolded martial fighter that uses demonic magic to enhance his body and weapons and immolates his foes around him with a powerful aura, being capable of fighting in both close and long range, and to turn himself into a fearsome and powerful demon through his metamorphosis.



So, imagine Demon Hunters MUST be made playable right here and now. The dev team is tightly divided into the following setups, and you must be the tiebreaker that will decide how demon hunters are to be implemented. Here are the choices:

1 - A New Class

This would be the most elegant solution, to create a new class to fit demon hunters in. However, it would also be the one that would require the most development resources, upset class balance and cause homogenization. The classic demon hunter wears light clothes, which means mail and plate wouldn't fit well with the class. Both Cloth and Leather armor have already 3 classes using each, and the leather type has all the 3 classes and 7 specs about being an agility based melee dps or tank. It's hard to define an unique niche for demon hunters without completely changing them from what they once were, and by completely changing them, they are no longer the demon hunter unity from WC3 that we love.

• Pros
  
  • Most Elegant Solution;
  • If done correctly, it Could present some unique gameplay;
• Cons
  
  • Upsets Class Balance;
  • Creates more Homogenization;
  • Dilutes the theme of Demonology Warlocks;
  • Trying to escape homogenization would lead to the destruction of the classic demon hunter;

2 - An Alternative Playstyle for Demonology Warlocks

In World of Warcraft, Warlocks got the magic part of a demon hunter's essence. From Warcraft 3, they got the Demon Hunter's metamorphosis and his immolation aura, as well as the metamorphosed demon hunter's ranged green fire auto-attacks as a spell (fel fire).

In WoW, demon hunters have also been seen using curses, Shadowfury, Banish and shadowbolts, besides the previously mentioned metamorphosis and immolation aura. Loramus Thalipedes was also known in classic for his many Felhunter pets.

Illidan's fighting skills in Well of Eternity, Aura of Immolation, Darklance, Demon Rush,Taunt and Gift of Sargeras, are analogous to warlock's Immolation Aura, Pursuit, Provocation, and Metamorphosis + Grimoire of Sacrifice.

Warlocks also got the Glyph of Demon Hunting, that gives them Dark Apotheosis, a defensive transformation that causes shadowbolt to be replaced with Demonic Slash, a melee shadow damage slash in which you use your weapon to hit.

Lore is also compatible. As far as origins go, most warlocks are former mages that started using demonic magic. Illidan was a mage that started using demonic magic, and so he became a Demon Hunter. Most warlocks use his abilities to fuel their dark ambitions, just like Illidan did. According to the Ultimate Visual Guide, some warlocks use their magic to fight against demons, fighting fire with fire, just like the classic Demon Hunter Archetype does.

The Warlock Challenge Mode set also gives a character the Blindfold and Tattoos of a Demon Hunter.

What is Needed to fully incorporate Demon Hunters into Warlocks:

• Some Lore books in-game explaining why a demon hunter should be a warlock, just like the one that explained the warlock revamp;
• Expanding on the Glyph of Demon Hunting. Making it usable in PvE settings, not only in arena and solo-questing;
• Adding the possibility of Dual Wielding swords and daggers to Demonology Warlocks;
• Allowing Night Elf Warlocks as a valid Race-Class combination, with Demon Hunter Warlock Trainers in Darnassus;
• Adding accessible Transmog blindfold, warglaive swords and tattoo shirts for warlocks;

• Pros
  
  • Much easier implementation than a new Class;
  • Would add new gameplay for Warlocks;
  • Would not upset class balance;
  • Would create the first melee dps/tank Cloth "spec";
  • Would open up at least one new race-class combination;
  • If the new playstyle is a tank playstyle, it would expand the pool of available tanks;
• Cons
  
  • If the new playstyle is a dps playstyle, demonology warlocks will feel forced to take one playstyle or the other depending on which does more dps;

3 - Insert Demon Hunter Aesthetics on Rogues

While the warlock class took the magic part of the demon hunter, the rogue class is the one that feels closer to it in terms of martial prowess. Their blade fighting and evasive damage mitigation abilities make it very similar to a non-metamorphosed demon hunter. They are also capable of transmogging the Cursed Vision of Sargeras and wielding the Twin Blades of Azzinoth, the only obtainable warglaives in-game.

In Well of Eternity, Illidan displayed some shadow abilities that were very similar to Stealth and Shroud of Concealment.

One possible way to insert demon hunters as a playable class would be to, under certain earned conditions, to change some aesthetics of the rogue to match a demon hunter's. For instance, a glyph that you had to earn (instead of just buying from a scribe) could cause Shadow Blades to turn the rogue into the Classic Demon Hunter metamorphosis model during it's course (maybe it would need some polishing, as this is a very old model).

This would be the simplest way to implement demon hunters, as it would be aesthetic only, with no mechanic changes. But it would also be the most shallow and limited implementation, as it would be bound by what rogues can do. There's little space to add, for instance, an immolation aura, as rogues have no skills like that. The "demon hunter rogues" must not trample over the "non-magic rogues", otherwise there's loss of class identity.

What is Needed to fully incorporate Demon Hunters into Rogues:

• An in-game way to implement those aesthetics, maybe a short class quest to steal the secrets of the demon hunters;
• Adding accessible Transmog warglaive swords and tattoo shirts for rogues;

• Pros
  
  • Easiest Implementation, aesthetic only;
  • Cannot possibly upset class or spec balance in any way;
  • Adds optional aesthetic flavor to a relatively aesthetically bland class;
• Cons
  
  • Limited by what's possible for rogues to do, cannot bend the class so as not to disrupt it for the "non-magic rogues";

4 - New playstyle for Warlocks AND new Rogue Aesthetics

Options 2 and 3 are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take both. This way, you could roll a warlock if you wanted to focus on the magic aspect of being a demon hunter, or a rogue if you wanted to focus on the martial aspect of it.

• Pros
  
  • All the pros from 2 and 3;
• Cons
  
  • All the cons from 2 and 3;

Vote Now! Remember: weight the info on this thread, your own opinions, the pros and cons (it's not the number of pros and cons, but their weight) presented here, the ones you can imagine and the game's need on the long run and make your choice

[Teriz]

The best option is making it a spec of the warlock class. Bsed on your post above, that seems to be direction blizzard is going in anyway.

[checking facts]

The best option is making it a spec of the warlock class. Bsed on your post above, that seems to be direction blizzard is going in anyway.

I agree, but I also see merit in giving rogues some demon hunter aesthetics as well. if it was up to me, I'd take option 4

[Deleted]

How about not at all? I do not want them in the game. There are other "fan classes" that are so much more interesting than DH's.

[Arrashi]

Option 5 - Npc faction.

[Deleted]

I don't see everybody's obsession with a 'Demon Hunter' class,it seems far too similar to a Warlock.

I would much rather see a Tinker/Engineer class that isn't like something we have

[Hulari]

I wouldn't.

I want a tinkerer. Mail wearing ranged, guns, bows and pistols. With gizmos that explode, turrets, all sorts! Can heal, ranged or tank.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't.

I want a tinkerer. Mail wearing ranged, guns, bows and pistols. With gizmos that explode, turrets, all sorts! Can heal, ranged or tank.

^This is what I want

[Deleted]

there should be a new class every xpac imo

and these look soooo cool, if they ever make it in id definitely play one

[Deleted]

No 'none of the above' option?

- - - Updated - - -

I don't see everybody's obsession with a 'Demon Hunter' class,it seems far too similar to a Warlock.

I would much rather see a Tinker/Engineer class that isn't like something we have

Agreed. A demon hunter seems like adding a new class just for the sake of a new class.

[-Superman-]

No 'none of the above' option?

Agreed. Not sure this topic needed another thread.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/search.p...rchid=63327851

Close to 1k threads on the topic.

[checking facts]

Agreed. Not sure this topic needed another thread.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/search.p...rchid=63327851

Close to 1k threads on the topic.

is there another running topic about how one would implement demon hunters in-game? I didn't see any.

[Cafua]

I can't vote because there's no option for "I don't want them implemented". I just don't see them being that different from existing classes. At first I didn't like the idea of tinker but the more I think about it the more I like it. 3rd mail wearing class. Could be 2 dps and healing specializations. One melee dps and one ranged, melee using 2 1handers only like rogue, ranged using a staff/pole arm or 1h and offhand/shield. The ranged would spawn little bots like temporary hunter pets and you would use abilities to buff their damage and attacks. Also they would be the 1st support role in the game, most of their abilities would be buffing healers heals, dpsers dps, and tanks health/threat. In return that would buff their DMg or healing. The healing spec would be tricky, they would kinda be first aiders but also summon statues kind of like monk statues but players could click them to heal themselves, some would be Hots and some would be potion/health stone like heals. They would also be able to build machines that players could stand near/ click to receive damage or secondary stat bonuses, that would be part of their support system. Idk I can imagine it to be kind of like shaman/hunter/melee. But yeah, I like the idea of tinker much more than demon hunter...

[-Superman-]

is there another running topic about how one would implement demon hunters in-game? I didn't see any.

Current running topic for implementing a Demon Hunter

[checking facts]

Current running topic for implementing a Demon Hunter

the premise is completely different. one is about discussing one way to implement demon hunters. the other is giving several ways and asking people to pick one, and discuss why.

just because there's one central theme between the threads, doesn't mean they overlap.

[Alpharius]

I don't want to see it implemented

[-Superman-]

the premise is completely different. one is about discussing one way to implement demon hunters. the other is giving several ways and asking people to pick one, and discuss why.

just because there's one central theme between the threads, doesn't mean they overlap.

Yet in every other Demon Hunter thread we will still have the exact same discussions:

Player A: YES! Implement them now!
Player B: Where's the I don't give a fuck option on the poll?
Player C: I would do it, but like THIS (shameless plug for their own idea)
Player D: Aren't they just a hunter warlock mashup?
Player E: I know everything about Lore and you will BOW DOWN to my facts!
Player F: I don't care if they do it, as long as they are not lazy/stupid/etc about it.

I can see it all coming. So, it may just be my opinion, but this thread will look like all the others, and end... like all the others. Unless it is DonQShot or Teriz and then they will update every 89 days to avoid necro and come back to page 1.

[vindicatorx]

I would like to see them not implemented at all. Please fix your poll and I will vote accordingly.

[Teriz]

I don't see everybody's obsession with a 'Demon Hunter' class,it seems far too similar to a Warlock.

It becomes even more nauseating when you realize that the only reason most of these people want a DH class is because Night Elves can't be Warlocks, and the Warlock can't dual wield.

That's it.

I would much rather see a Tinker/Engineer class that isn't like something we have

When you get right down to it, the Tinker class seems infinitely more interesting than a melee Warlock class.

[Deleted]

The "I wouldn't like Demon Hunters to be implemented option is missing"

But if it had to be implemented, as a class, all of the other options are stupid and supported by misinformed people.