Thoughs on an additional playable WoW Class

[MilitantCasual]

Looking at specs and roles currently in the game could give us a clue as to what would fit for a new class in World of Warcraft. Under the assumption that any new class would have to feel different from any current class, while still filling one of the three basic roles of WoW let's do a bit of analysis.

I'll break the current classes down into several roles:

Tank
Healer
Ranged DPS
Melee DPS
Ranged DPS (with a pet)
Melee DPS (with a pet)

If we look at the various specs we find that the role with the lowest representation is Melee DPS (with pet) Unholy Death Knights are the only specialization to use a pet in this fashion. This is followed by Tank, with 4 viable specs in Cataclysm. The largest role is that of Melee DPS, followed closely by Ranged DPS (with pet).

Additionally let's look at each type of resource system. There are 16 specializations that use mana as a resource system, while Focus and Energy represent the least used systems. If we delve a tad deeper and consider the resource systems as 'do the build up and spend, or are they top off and spend?' For example, Energy starts at 100 and is spent to perform actions. Mana starts at a large number and is spent, with a considerably slower refill rate than energy. We could say that these resource systems 'build down'. Rage and Runic Power build up. They start and zero and build based on actions, and are then spent. They also decay back to zero. Only Rage and Runic Power build up. This leads me to believe than any new resource system will also 'build up' like Rage or Runic Power.

So what sort of class could fill in gaps in the current landscape of specializations? It would need to be able to tank. This seems to be the primary role that could use an additional specialization. It would also need to be able to do ranged DPS without a pet. This is the other role category that is under represented in the current specializations. If it was also able to heal we would go a long way to filling in the balance of specs.

It sounds like another Paladin/Druid sort of class, perhaps closer to Druid.

What about types of damage? What could we glean from that? If we break damage types into Arcane, Nature, Fire, Frost, Holy, Shadow and Physical, the underrepresented types are arcane, nature, fire, frost, holy. Generally a class doesn't have more than 2 types of major damage available to it (mage being the outlier).

So now we're looking at a hybrid class that uses two forms of damage, from arcane, nature, fire, frost, holy. It would build up a resource and spend it like Rage or Runic Power.

Lastly, let's look a the different armor types used by the specs/classes. Plate and Cloth both are used by 3 classes, while Leather and Mail are used by 2 classes. This would seem to push us towards a class that uses mail or leather. However, the Druid already tanks, heals and DPSes in leather. It would seem that mail is the underrepresented armor type across the broadest range of specializations.

A Hybrid class that can Tank/Heal/Ranged DPS (w/o Pet) in Mail armor, with a resource system that builds from zero to be used, with damage done by two of arcane, holy, nature, fire or frost. I don't have any good ideas on what such a class would be, but if the WoW developers are wanting to maintain a sort of balance between the current specializations, while targeting under-represented roles this seems the most likely.

[dgarner32]

no. new classes suck and will ruin the game, just like death knights did

[vazar_da_priest]

Somethihng like a jedi would be cool

[PlatedPriest]

no. new classes suck and will ruin the game, just like death knights did

naw i disagree........ i feel they there is no way they can squeeze in another race. another class on the other hand (i believe) is very possible

[4KhazModan]

no. new classes suck and will ruin the game, just like death knights did

DK never ruined the game. Sure it was messy in the beginning with balance and everything, but I think they found a good middle ground for the first hero class.

OT: How about a mage/shamman/paladin a la Me'dan

[dgarner32]

naw i disagree........ i feel they there is no way they can squeeze in another race. another class on the other hand (i believe) is very possible

ill approve of a new class if it is only one word..
if the name of the class is two words, they are thinking too hard

[Sexyama]

Monk

/Thread

Edit : Holy/Nature
Melee, Range/Healer, Tank
In Mail.
Using sort of like the Paladins new holy power combo point system type of thing?

[Lothaeryn]

Looking at specs and roles currently in the game could give us a clue as to what would fit for a new class in World of Warcraft. Under the assumption that any new class would have to feel different from any current class, while still filling one of the three basic roles of WoW let's do a bit of analysis.

I'll break the current classes down into several roles:

Tank
Healer
Ranged DPS
Melee DPS
Ranged DPS (with a pet)
Melee DPS (with a pet)

If we look at the various specs we find that the role with the lowest representation is Melee DPS (with pet) Unholy Death Knights are the only specialization to use a pet in this fashion. This is followed by Tank, with 4 viable specs in Cataclysm. The largest role is that of Melee DPS, followed closely by Ranged DPS (with pet).

Additionally let's look at each type of resource system. There are 16 specializations that use mana as a resource system, while Focus and Energy represent the least used systems. If we delve a tad deeper and consider the resource systems as 'do the build up and spend, or are they top off and spend?' For example, Energy starts at 100 and is spent to perform actions. Mana starts at a large number and is spent, with a considerably slower refill rate than energy. We could say that these resource systems 'build down'. Rage and Runic Power build up. They start and zero and build based on actions, and are then spent. They also decay back to zero. Only Rage and Runic Power build up. This leads me to believe than any new resource system will also 'build up' like Rage or Runic Power.

So what sort of class could fill in gaps in the current landscape of specializations? It would need to be able to tank. This seems to be the primary role that could use an additional specialization. It would also need to be able to do ranged DPS without a pet. This is the other role category that is under represented in the current specializations. If it was also able to heal we would go a long way to filling in the balance of specs.

It sounds like another Paladin/Druid sort of class, perhaps closer to Druid.

What about types of damage? What could we glean from that? If we break damage types into Arcane, Nature, Fire, Frost, Holy, Shadow and Physical, the underrepresented types are arcane, nature, fire, frost, holy. Generally a class doesn't have more than 2 types of major damage available to it (mage being the outlier).

So now we're looking at a hybrid class that uses two forms of damage, from arcane, nature, fire, frost, holy. It would build up a resource and spend it like Rage or Runic Power.

Lastly, let's look a the different armor types used by the specs/classes. Plate and Cloth both are used by 3 classes, while Leather and Mail are used by 2 classes. This would seem to push us towards a class that uses mail or leather. However, the Druid already tanks, heals and DPSes in leather. It would seem that mail is the underrepresented armor type across the broadest range of specializations.

A Hybrid class that can Tank/Heal/Ranged DPS (w/o Pet) in Mail armor, with a resource system that builds from zero to be used, with damage done by two of arcane, holy, nature, fire or frost. I don't have any good ideas on what such a class would be, but if the WoW developers are wanting to maintain a sort of balance between the current specializations, while targeting under-represented roles this seems the most likely.

To be honest, the class you are describing sounds just like the Shaman class save for tanking, but that could easily be fixed if their resource system was changed to a build up type and enh was made the tanking spec.

[MilitantCasual]

To be honest, the class you are describing sounds just like the Shaman class save for tanking, but that could easily be fixed if their resource system was changed to a build up type and enh was made the tanking spec.

I was kinda struck by that by the time I'd gotten to the end of picking things apart. Return the Shammy tanks!

[Xevan]

What about some sort of Buffing class that runs on cooldowns

meaning it can deal out a crap ton of damage at once, but has to wait before it can do it again.

That's something ive been pondering over.

[Lothaeryn]

I was kinda struck by that by the time I'd gotten to the end of picking things apart. Return the Shammy tanks!

I feel like Shamans should be able to tank seeing as they were the original hybrid class for the horde, it seems that when BC launched the reason they removed the faction specific classes was because Horde had 2 tank classes while alliance had 3.

---------- Post added 2010-10-04 at 03:08 AM ----------

What about some sort of Buffing class that runs on cooldowns

meaning it can deal out a crap ton of damage at once, but has to wait before it can do it again.

That's something ive been pondering over.

that class already exists, its called a Paladin, only difference is they dont do a shit ton of damage anymore

[Xaneris]

Monk

Meditation:
Healing spec

Martial Arts:
Physical DPS

Guardian:
Tank

Uses leather armor, staffs, maces or goes unarmed (gets a bonus for not having any items in melee slot.)

[endersblade]

I have actually been thinking about ways to change the current specs to make them more unique...it's similar to new classes, but not quite there I guess :-P

My first was for Hunters, and it makes some quite unique choices. BMs would be similar to BMs in FFXI; melee-oriented. Just because you're a hunter, doesn't mean you have to use a ranged weapon for your attacks! Your pet does more damage than the other specs, as it currently does, and you would have various abilities that involve using your pet. Pet gives a raid-wide buff of some sort, depending on the pet. Prefers using 2 1-handers, most likely axes. (I realize this essentially boils down to an enhancement shaman with a pet. Sorry, haven't ironed out the details yet to make them different.) Was toying with the idea that it uses leather instead of mail, for added agility (not the stat, but being able to move/dodge, flexibility essentially). Main stat would be str instead of agi.

Second would be Marks. No pet at all. (Or, if it DOES have a pet, the pet doesn't fight, but gives you some kind of buff while it is out, depending on the pet.) The farther away you are from your target, the more damage you do. Think sniper. Ability to hit various body parts, causing debuffs to the target. Hit an arm, slows attack speed, hit the head, increased chance to miss, etc. Has some stealth ability, and increases your damage as long as you stay stealthed; every attack has a chance to bring you out of stealth if you're standing in front of him. (essentially, hiding from the enemy, being able to hit him when he's unguarded, that sort of thing.)

Third is survival. This actually doesn't change much from the current survival; use of traps, has a pet, ranged, etc. Primarily uses Polearms. Has less damage with ranged attacks than marks. Thinking possibly using plate (yes, I understand the headache it would cause making hunter-DPS plate items. Just bare with me.) However, has increased damage from traps, lower cooldowns, more variety, etc. In other words, a utility spec.

The other class I was messing around with was Pally. I really think there should be a caster-DPS spec for pally. I like the holy spec and prot spec the way they are; but ret I would actually change into a caster spec (remember shock-adins?). Kinda too long to put here, but I had figured out ways to play around with temp buffs and debuffs that involved being good and evil. Kind of a fun system :-) This spec's main weapon would be staves (it just felt right to me) and unable to use shields. Boils down to a holy-casting mage/partial warlock, for lack of a better comparison.

Anyway. Comments are welcome, though I'd appreciate people refraining from "That's stupid!"

[Xevan]

that class already exists, its called a Paladin, only difference is they dont do a shit ton of damage anymore

What about the possibilities of a caster based version?

[Thefonz]

shadow hunter, uses bows, uses"voodoo power" as a resource or something, heals in a manner similar to rogue dpsing (building up insta-cast buffs or combo points, then popping them on uber-heals or buffs, and primarily deals nature&shadow damage.

[schwarzkopf]

My suggestion ages ago was a Healer/Tank class ... the mechanics are like this:

TRUE HEALER CLASS

1. Has crap loads of health (like a tank)
2. Can take damage from friendly (damages himself)
3. Can give damage to enemy (removes taken damage)
4. Has abilities to heal self, and take damage/wounds/effects and give damage/wounds/effects.

Think in terms of the original magical Healer (that was only capable of healing himself).

It would be a unique concept in that it would be capable of tanking by healing, however is incapable of initiating any damage.

[HotSauce]

no. new classes suck and will ruin the game, just like death knights did

Thank you for your informative contribution. I look forward to reading your thaughts on many other topics.

OT: I enjoy the idea of new classes, try slapping this up on official forums too!

[Nangz]

I do not intend to derail this thread about why death knights being overpowered in early wrath won't happen as much as it did but the only problem with death knights was that blizzard felt the need to give them more buffs than needed so people would play them as at the end of BC players said that death knights would not have been accepted into their raids or arena teams because they couldn't fit them in.

[jrdark10]

What about the possibilities of a caster based version?

Priest

[owsla]

I'll break the current classes down into several roles:

Tank
Healer
Ranged DPS
Melee DPS
Ranged DPS (with a pet)
Melee DPS (with a pet)

If we look at the various specs we find that the role with the lowest representation is Melee DPS (with pet

While this is true, I think Melee dps (with pet) is tied for least represented role. Range DPS can be further broken down into magic based range dps and physical based range dps. Hunters being the only phsycal ranged dps.