Why not a fourth spec next xpac ?

[hazahell]

A lot of threads speculate of the possible next class that can be added in WoD (or no new class). You speak about the addition of entire new class like blademaster or demon hunter. But for the Blademaster, for example, you say that it's too identical to the warrior.

But what if Blizzard add a fourth spec for some classes (not all of them, it's too much)? For example, only Blademaster for warrior and earth tank for shaman ?

Why this possibility seems out of the picture for you? I would love to have a shaman tank

[Deleted]

I hope for no new classes, no new spec - blizzard need to fix the current specs as they are now - alot of classes feel too similar.

[Imnick]

Adding 11 specs is a lot more work than adding 3, especially when they have no overlap of abilities, mechanics and assets
I would like it if they did but it's not happening

They also couldn't really only apply it to some classes because then the ones that don't get a fourth spec feel justifiably left out

[Deleted]

They're not doing fourth specs.

This is roughly translated from German, and comes from Vanion.com's summary of the Gamescom Blizzard roundtable discussions:

"Four Specs would create far more problems than it would make sense to add more selection options for each class. It would not really interesting for players to have a fourth spec."

[beanman12345]

Balance is so out of whack, your talking of basically introducing the equivalent of 3 1/3 new classes in specs. I can't even imagine the nightmare that would cause.

[VerasGunn]

Balance is so out of whack, your talking of basically introducing the equivalent of 3 1/3 new classes in specs. I can't even imagine the nightmare that would cause.

Well, not specifically. The number of abilities that each spec has differs from class to class, but in the end all classes have their own base abilities and another spec adds maybe like 10 to 20 new abilities. It's not like a fourth spec means you need to add thirty or so new base abilities in addition to the new specialization abilities, just add a spec that works inline with those new abilities.

That being said, adding a fourth spec to every class would be a lot of work, which is why they haven't done it and aren't likely to do it. If they ever were to do it I would imagine they would do it slowly, focusing on a few classes each expansion until all have four.

[Arbs]

The only reasons Druids have a Fourth Spec was to seperate Bears & Cats, which I think should of never happened in the first place.

[Zhira]

Given the problems the developers currently have balancing the classes, I would say that a fourth spec would be shooting over the crossbar.

Z.

[LeperHerring]

Why this possibility seems out of the picture for you? I would love to have a shaman tank

I think it would make sense. Since Blizzard abandoned the "hybrid tax", they pretty much owe every pure dps class a tank/heal offspec.

[hazahell]

And if blizzard add one day the support role they were talking about in an interview ? (don't remember where, they said that a new role beside tank, heal, dps could be a possible idea). They will surely add a new class for that, but this new role cannot be used by only one class, it will be necessary to add this role to some of the other class I think, via a fourth spec. But yes, perhaps not for the next expansion...

[LeperHerring]

And if blizzard add one day the support role they were talking about in an interview ?

They had one, it was called "shaman".

[Dangg]

Given the problems the developers currently have balancing the classes, I would say that a fourth spec would be shooting over the crossbar.

Z.

Balance is so out of whack, your talking of basically introducing the equivalent of 3 1/3 new classes in specs. I can't even imagine the nightmare that would cause.

I hear this a lot and wonder when the balancing in WoW was supposed to be better than it is now?
Certainly not in Vanilla or BC and there were also bigger gaps between classes' usefullness in WotlK/Cata IIRC. Among healers for sure.

[Wrathonia]

ITT: People with little imagination or little faith in Blizzard to do their jobs.


4 specs would be amazing and I seriously hope they do it and do it right.

[Marahdeka]

That fourth specc would in my book have to be a pure pvp specc. But how that would work outside arenas and for pvp servers where you quest with a dash of pvp I don't know.

Monks are already tank, healers, dps...a fourth specc would be? Range dps? Would hunters get a 4th petless specc? Would all speccs who have no tank specc get one? A tanking clothie priest? And DKs get a healer specc? Would they wear Int plate and compete with Pallys?

Just very few of too many questions - I wish people would actually think about implications and how to solve the basic issues as well when they make "I wish" topics.

Exactly. People focus too much on their char (for example OP wishing a tanking shaman) and miss the big picture. WoW is very complex, thus already hard to balance. Blizzard can't just throw in every fan's wishes. Just to give another example, let's imagine me, as a warrior, i wish Mortal Strike hit for 5 million dmg. Would it be cool? Yeah, for me it would. Would it be cool for the game as a whole? Nope. everyone would reroll to 1 class, 1 spec.

[Aberration]

Something something "my class needs buffed and this other class needs nerfed" something something.

[makketota]

The only reasons Druids have a Fourth Spec was to seperate Bears & Cats, which I think should of never happened in the first place.

Abit sad to see it go aswell, but ferals switching bearform in pvp was just so broken.

[Deleted]

I hope for no new classes, no new spec - blizzard need to fix the current specs as they are now - alot of classes feel too similar.

^this. Also, class balancing is hard enough without fancy new specs.

[Jessicka]

It's far more work than 3 new specs for one class. The uptake of their use would be barely significant either since most players already have a preferred spec for each of their classes anyway, so while they might toy with a new spec on their main, the likelyhood of doing so with their nth alt diminishes substantially with each character. It's an awful lot of buck, for what would prove to be not much bang.

[Theed]

1. Because it would be impossible to balance and the game is already poorly balanced with 30 specs (in pvp at least).
2. Does every class need a fourth spec? No.
Classes that do not need another one: Warriors, DKs, Rogues, Mages,
Classes that could use a 4th spec: Warlock (Tanking Spec), Priest (2nd DPS Spec), Shaman (Tanking Spec), Monk (Ranged DPS Spec), Hunter (No Pet DPS Spec or Tanking Spec), Paladin ("Shockadin" Spec)

I think if they would introduce a 4th spec for some classes, it would be because of the new "support role" Greg Street was talking about.

[Shamanberry]

4th specs are the only way I could see some classic warcraft heroes implemented, like Demon Hunters and Blademasters, simply because there's just way too much overlap with existing classes to fit them in. However, it would be a difficult proposition because while it's easy to think up a few of them, everyone would want one if they were to get started ("This is stupid, why are they only adding a new spec for rogues and warlocks? Why does blizzard hate mages?" etc etc.).

The problem then is thinking up one for *everyone*, and that's not only not easy without absurd overlap (what would you give to DKs or Priests, for example?), but also hard to do because you're essentially implementing 11 new specs in an expansion, and balancing even 1 new spec of each flavor (tank/heal/melee) was hard enough.

Long story short: It could work, but it would likely cause so many problems that it wouldn't be worth it.