While I think tiny gnome druids would be adorable, gnome hunters are the most likely.
Personally, I think the best thing that could happen to gnomes would be make them the central Alliance faction of an expansion, soaking you in gnomish lore and decor for a year or two. This could be as simple as making the Alliance hub (portals, trainers, etc.) be a gnomish town, massive airship, etc.
I think they are trying to get more Alliance high-end raiding activity by handing out OP racials this time around. I think it will backfire and cause the exact same problem next expansion with factions reversed.
In my experience, most "gnome hate" is good natured fun and not serious. If you want to see serious race hate, just look at pandaren haters right on this board.I don't take Gnome hate seriously. These people obviously have some real life issues fueling it. That's their issue, not mine. My goal is to stay focused on Gnomes as a great race, and see that they are eventually given the attention and respect they deserve.
Last edited by Darmalus; 2014-03-04 at 08:01 PM.
Of the various class/race combos still lacking, some of the biggest outcry comes for adding Shamans, Hunters, or Paladins to Gnomes. And I strongly believe the best possibility for a new Gnome class would be Shamans.
Between Warriors, DK's, and Monks, we don't really need another tanking-capable class, even if Holy-spec would lower a bit of demand on the Priests, so that sharply drops odds for Paladins, if not outright removes them from the running.
We totally lack any form of mail-using class whatsoever, so there's a big bonus in favor of Hunters and Shamans, if only for the sake of expanding transmog looks, LOL.
With only seven classes (the lowest amount of all races), three of which being pure-DPS types (rogues, mages, and warlocks), and two of those being ranged attackers, adding a fourth DPS-only ranged class to make fully half of our already-limited class choices pure-DPS seems all sorts of redundant. And while the small stature of our hated rivals, the Goblins, kills the jokes about "eaten by pet" and such, the truth is, we simply lack the subtle empathy needed to have animal companionship - why else would we rather build our pets and mounts instead of breed them? Either way, down go the Hunter odds.
As Shamans have Restoration spec, this would also expand the race's healing capabilities and raid versatility. Another mark in favor of Shamans.
And the finishing-blow is this: Goblins, with the mechanical "totems" and elemental-binding contracts, have proven it is possible to use technology (and their craftily-loopholed legalese trickery) to utilize the powers of the Elements without the typical spiritualism and worshipful reverence normally shown by the other races who have a Shaman class. And since Gnomes and Goblins have been rivals since literally the pre-WoW days, it makes perfect sense that there could be a group of Gnomes somewhere, studying the nature of the elemental powers and how to harness them, in what basically amounts to "anything you can do, I can do better".
Plus, think of the benefits... Steampunk techno-totems! Trainers referred to as "Environmental Engineer"! GNOMISH CHAIN LIGHTNING! What's not to love?
Right now, the only two races with element-unique-model totems are both Horde - the trolls have different masks on each of theirs, while the Goblins have different fans and drills and such on theirs. All other races have a singular model with only different colors marking which element is which. That is obviously an unfair balance.
Gnomish totems could rival the Goblin ones in their mechanical goodness, and have potential to offer element-unique models for the Alliance side - currently, only Horde have races (trolls and goblins) whose totem models are individually-unique and not just recolors of a single design for each race.
I propose tiny clockwork robo-totems! The Air totem-bot could have a winged jetpack. The Earth totem-bot could have tank treads. The Fire totem bot could have a flamethrower. The Water totem-bot could have scuba-gear.
Thinking about it, it is not entirely implausible my ideas for elemental robots might resemble Mega Man villains. This is just an awesome bonus.
"Let's see. There are monkeys that evolved into men and monkeys that didn't. Just as well, there are men that remained men and men that evolved into something else. Do you really think humans are the ultimate form of evolution? How arrogant."
--Kakurine, Evil Zone for PS1
Anything new for Gnomes would certainly be welcomed.
Some great thoughts in the thread, I fully support more Gnome classes, especially Shaman Gnomish totems.
There was a post here the other day for D.R.U.I.D. robotic animal forms. THAT's a druid concept I can get behind!
I would like to see a Gnome-based expansion following WoD. It would make sense given that it would be in the aftermath of the Iron Horde invasion.