Prestige Classes - A Tier Class System

[wushootaki]

Original Thread Found Here

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...60506459&sid=1

Prestige Classes

Classes introduced beyond a certain level that enhance and differentiate the classes even further. Each class is given 2 choices, that in addition to their other spec, unlock 2 new abilities.
This provides a tier system that introduces new classes without making entire hero classes. In addition, balancing would be relatively easier as each of the prestige classes would only bring 2 new abilities as opposed to an entire skill set.

Hero classes are excluded from Prestige Classes.

In addition, players can have the option to choose to remain their original class, which will also receive updated spells.


These are speculation for what each class could receive for a presitge class, as well as abilities for each.
(information for classes taken from Warcraft RPG )

Druid
- Plagueshifter (http://www.wowwiki.com/Plagueshifter)
- unlocks a white hound, who will target nearby allies and "attack them" healing them for X% with each "attack"
- unlocks a mass disease and poison cleanse ability

- Subversive (http://www.wowwiki.com/Subversive)
- unlocks One with Nature - the druid does anything within its power to protect nature, increasign all dmg and healing by 50% for X seconds
- unlocks Spider's Silk - the druid creates a trap of spider silk, which upon exploding roots all enemies within 8 yards in place for X seconds.

Hunter

- Shadow Hunter (http://www.wowwiki.com/Shadow_hunter)
- unlocks Aspect of Dambala - the shadow hunter turns into a stealthed snake, movement speed reduced by X%. The shadow hunter cannot attack while stealthed, but is free to move. Attacking or taking damage breaks this aspect.
- unlocks Lukou's Embrace - the shadow hunter fires a spiritual arrow into its ally which heals for X over Y seconds.

- Deadshot (http://www.wowwiki.com/Dead_shot)
- unlocks Sniper shot (100 yards, 3 sec cast) - a devastating shot that deals X dmg, and an additional Y% if the target is standing still
- Fade into shadows - A vanish for hunters, increasing movement speed by X% for Y seconds.

Mage

- Techno-Mage (http://www.wowwiki.com/Techno_mage)
- unlocks Magic Bullet - The techno-mage imbues their magical technology with one spell from their spellbow. This spell is able to be fired off the GCD using their magical bullet. (Spell must be set prior to combat and cannot be changed during combat)
- Steam Armor Construct - the techno-mage unleashes a steam armor construct that fights alongside him. While manifesting this construct, the techno-mage enters a trance like state, reducing all incoming dmg by X%.

- Ley-Walker (http://www.wowwiki.com/Ley_walker)
- unlocks Ley-Line - the mage opens a rift a nearby ley line causinga portal to appear that attacks all enemies within a 15 yard radius.
- unlocks Threads of Energy - The mage opens threads of the ley-line, increasing all magical dmg dealt to enemies within the area by X % (reverse Anti-Magic Barrier)

Paladin

- Exemplar (http://www.wowwiki.com/Exemplar)
- unlocks Blinding Banner, summoning a banner of holy light that blinds all enemies within a radius of X seconds
- unlocks Shared Faith - each healing spell cast within 30 yards of the Exemplar heals all other Allies for 50% of its amount. Lasts X seconds

- Templar (http://www.wowwiki.com/Argent_Dawn_templar)
- unlocks Transcendance - decreases Armor by X% in exchange for doubling all stat values offered by armor and weapons
- Divine Lighting - Summons a storm of Holy Energy that strikes all foes for X dmg over Y sec, and also heals allies caught within the storm for X health over Y sec.

Priest

- Pyremaster (http://www.wowwiki.com/Pyremaster)
- Ash of the Fallen - the pyermaster calls upon the ashes of the fallen dead to place a debuff upon their target. The debuff is different depending on the class used
- Blazing Undead - the Pyremaster calls forth a burning corpse to fight with him for X seconds

- High Divinist (http://www.wowwiki.com/High_divinist)
- unlocks Revelation - an instant heal on a friendly target for X that costs no mana
- unlocks Avatar of Light - Takes on the form of the Light, increasing all holy spells effectiveness by X%. Lasts for Y seconds. During this time, the priest is immune to fear and shadow dmg.

Rogue

- Spymaster (http://www.wowwiki.com/Spymaster)
- unlocks Infiltration - the rogue transforms into a member of the opposing faction. All enemies view him as a friendly target. Breaks upon entering combat.
- unlocks Mistrust - an AoE confusion effect that forces enemies within 8 yards of the Spymaster to attack each other for X seconds.

- Buccaneer (http://www.wowwiki.com/Buccaneer)
- unlocks Swashbuckling - the Buccaneer increases his parry rating by X, and increases dmg dealt by Y for Z seconds.
- unlocks Dead Man's Chest - For each kill that yields experience or honor, you gain a 1% dmg increase up to a maximum of 16%.

Shaman

- Hexer (http://www.wowwiki.com/Hexer)
- unlocks a chant ability that works like an aura, except acts as a debuff to all hostile targets within range
- unlocks an idol ability, in which the shaman binds a spirit to an idol, calling upon it for help (idol spirit is different for each tree of shaman)

- Spirit Champion (http://www.wowwiki.com/Spirit_champion)
- unlocks Incorporeal - the shaman becomes incorporeal, immune to all physical attacks for X seconds. During this time the shaman may attack but deals Y% reduced dmg.
- unlocks spirit strike - (0-15 yards) the shaman strikes the target with the force of the spirits, dealing X dmg that ignores armor, resistanec, and dmg immunity abilities.

Warrior

- Bone Crusher (http://www.wowwiki.com/Bone-Crusher)
- unlocks Juggernaut Punch: devastating punch that deals X dmg and launches the target up into the air (knockdown effect).
- unlocks Unwordly Strength - the bone crusher gains an additional X atk pwr for each point of Str they have.

- Beastmaster (http://www.wowwiki.com/Beastmaster)
- Call of the Bear - calls a ferocious bear companion to fight for you for X seconds, the Bear has its own abilities
- Call of the Lizard - calls a gigantic lizard companion to fight for you for x seconds, the Lizard has its own abilities

Warlock

- Fel Sworn ( http://www.wowwiki.com/Fel-sworn )
- The warlock combines their own body with that of one of their demons, gaining all of its abilities while still able to summon another demon.
- Fel Breath - breathes fire upon the enemy targer, dealing X dmg plus forcing the target to erupt in immolation.

- Shadow Ascendant (http://www.wowwiki.com/Shadow_ascendant)
- unlocks Shadow Shade - the Warlock's shadow splits off from him, dealing the same attacks as the warlock but at reduced dmg for X seconds
- Living Shadow - makes the warlock immune to physical attacks for X sec, but limits the warlock to drain spells only, increasing their effectiveness by 100%.

[Scunosi]

I'm always for the idea of further customizing our characters, but some questions come to mind.
-Would choosing a Prestige tier be required? Like, if you choose it do you lose anything from the "regular" class, or is it just a gain thing?
-Can you "respec" your thing? Sure it might seem weird to change something so...important? But what if you find you don't like the new playstyle. Maybe a hefty fee...

I do like how all of these are found somewhere in the game, if not in WoW then in the RPG or whatever; making your own classes tends to result in....odd ideas.

[Xeraluin]

sounds like fun, not to complicated but still fresh and newish. some abilities need changes like with all new abilities in-game. hope gc sees this

[Iacom]

Prestige? Someone's been playing too much CoD.

[Nahte]

Talents basically do the same thing, just not as much.

[Airlick]

No, Blizzard already fails at balancing 10 classes. They don't need 20 more, even if they are not so much different from 'core' classes. Or well, if there was no PvP in this game, or if PvP was like in Lineage for example, then this would be a good idea.

[MusikDisaster]

This sounds like an idea from another MMO that failed. I can't remember the name.

[Deleted]

This sounds like an idea from another MMO that failed. I can't remember the name.

World of Bloatcraft Online

[conscript]

I didn't hate this nearly as much as I expected. Its just overly complicated and fairly pointless as essentially all of this could just be incorporated into current specs. I don't think we will ever see this in WoW though. It is tough enough to balance adding one class. Adding prestiges would be pointless unless they were powerful enough to justify balancing which would make Blizzard have to balance 20-40 extra class elements. Would be fairly terrible imo.

[Narveid]

Its an awesome idea, but that doesn't mean it would be balanced or working ..

[Sylar Hao]

Most of these abilites are weird and don't match much with their classes, but the specialization far beyond the solely talent tree specialization sounds interesting. The new talent trees don't feel like you're really choosing talents, in fact, it seems like you just place talents til you get 31 points and then you can choose. So this system you propose feels refreshing ^^

[Ebontail]

so essentially you want the class system to work like it did in EQ2 before it failed miserably and they said screw it lets just let people pick their specialized class form the beginning

[ghtybv]

This would be an interesting idea to introduce, and i would be all for customizing your class farther.

Although these ideas just seem like it would be mandatory for certain specs, like why would a holy priest ever pick Pyremaster over High Divinist. They might as well just be talents then because shadow will always pick Pyremaster and holy will always pick High Divinist.

If they would introduce anything like this they would have to make each Prestige viable to all specs of the class but not making a prestige better than the other prestige, making it more of a customization tool not a mandatory thing. (maybe even having a downside to prestige making regular class still viable)

on a side note, 90% of your spells are terrible and would never work.

This could even work out as a cosmetic thing like completing a difficult (raid?) quest chain for your class faction (pallys argent crusade, druids cenarian expedition, rogues ravenholt, locks some kind of fancy lock group)

could give a title and allow visual customization of your class (tattoos, animations, dance, spell colors) or class specific mount (updated charger, updated felsteed, warrior have armor on mount? hunter ride pet?)

[fex]

This sounds like an idea from another MMO that failed. I can't remember the name.

Ragnarok Online.

[Wat]

What a Goblin Techno-Mage might look like:




Do want.

[JackalopeSpam]

... In addition, balancing would be relatively easier as each of the prestige classes would only bring 2 new abilities as opposed to an entire skill set.

...

As they have enough trouble balancing and finding a place of the current classes and specs, I think that is a blatantly false assumption. Sure this would be fun and entertaining, but it's really not going to add a lot to it.

Perhaps in the original system if they added this in where up to a certain point all specs of a class are somewhat homogenized and then they split off into the other 3 specs, maybe. But it just doesn't make sense for it to be implemented on top of the current 3 talent trees of each class as current.

Not to mention, some of the prestige classes ignore one of the given roles of the class currently implemented. Take for example the Paladin, they have a prestige class that looks to be meant to replace holy and one to replace retribution. What happened to the tank? Why would anyone then stay with Retribution or Holy?

So no, Blizzard can fix the current first and maybe in WOW II they can try the prestige method of class differentiation.

[Traejun]

There feel more like additional specs than the sub-specs you're making them out to be. Truth be told, there's too much mixed-role abilities here. Why would a hunter [pure DPS] really want to waste a cooldown/focus on an ability designed to heal someone else. We're thinking raiding here - because that's where specs really matter - and in a raid, most of that stuff is useless, pure fluff, or better suited to be a new talent/spell.

[Albert the fish]

why are hero classes exempt again?

there is no good reason at all to exclude any class from this so im kinda forced to believe it's the fancy of a 13 year old that wants to be 'kewl'

[Herecius]

No, Blizzard already fails at balancing 10 classes. They don't need 20 more, even if they are not so much different from 'core' classes. Or well, if there was no PvP in this game, or if PvP was like in Lineage for example, then this would be a good idea.

Blizzard has trouble balancing 10 classes because there are really 30 classes.

OT, this is essentially the Ragnarok Online system, and there, you choose a prestige class rather early in your character's development, and you can't really alter your character much from your path once you choose that prestige class. Such a class system would not translate well into WoW where there are talent trees.

[fex]

What a Goblin Techno-Mage might look like:




Do want.

Yeah. After looking through all of the units available in WC3, I'm pretty sure techno-mage was my absolute favorite candidate.

With that said, however, a well-designed Bard class is still at the very top of my list. I absolutely loved my bard in Ragnarok Online.