I've been playing disc since forever. No fucking way I would prefer to be melee, thanks.
I'd say that's the lesson you get from demonology. That should've been done better.
Anyways, they did say there aren't any big changes planned and even if they didn't, I'd still say you'd have more chances with getting a new spec or part of a new class then changing a very staple healer to melee.
I wish they would stay same as they were in Cataclysm, they were powerful as hell.
After the Survival Hunter outrage, I don't think Blizz will change a spec so drasticly anymore...however...
That Survival failed was not because it has become melee, but because it has lost everything from its original spec, gained nothing from its core concept back in classic and was overall a bad spec with no niche and which didn't live up to its name but hat a lot of cluncy mechaniques that were no fun.
In terms of priests:
They tried the melee healer spec with monks but it never played out. I mean even in classic you had that "melee healer" Paladin that needed to melee the boss for judgement refreshing.
I don't think it is a good or fun way to play.
If you stay next to a big dragon you don't see anything else beside that dragon, but as a healer you technically need to see your mates.
So while it sounds fun and refreshing on paper, the concept doesn't work.
However I still think they need to do something with disc spec. It is basically just a holy spec
Disco should use a bit more shadow abilities. Currently the ones used specially in raid environment are one dot and a single target heal (could add covenant in 5man). To me there is no balance between light ans shadow abilities.
Now if one would like to go for one more drastic redesign of the spec as the op suggests, disco would be the most suitable canditate to become a "bard" like spec applying buffs and debuffs whilst contributing in healing/dps w/e one wants to add here.
Imo leave it as it is , a hot-like raid healing with huge raidwide burst potential with the downside of difficult recovering (since w/e u do u are going to need a couple more gcds to find your inner music again when someone trips over a mechanic).
Current disc is the best it's ever been, pls stop
Are you guys actual disc priests playing the spec right now?
Did you just say Disc is just another spec like Holy? Discipline is nothing like a Holy priest in terms of playstyle, and I have no idea how you came to that conclusion.
I mean, if you're just saying they use too much 'holy' spell school... I mean, why does that matter? If you want more shadow damage, don't spec into Purge the Wicked. And glyph Penance so it's shadowy. You still have Shadow Covenant, Shadow Word: Pain, Mindbender/Shadowfiend, and Shadowmend.
There's no way these guys are actually raiding discipline priests.
Disc is already a very unique healing spec, and doesn't need to be changed into even more of a special flower.
These guys want a niche class that doesn't exist yet.
Void Elf Rogue. There you go.
A cloth discipline priest tank or melee sounds silly.
But if we are being silly atm I did have some thought about having more fun with disc.
If you would replace 1 talent in the first row with a "Join the dark side" kind of talent where instead of a hybrid healer you would become a dps.
Still using most of the same mechanics but in a different way. Instead of healing the person with your atonement, they become a beacon and spread your dmg.
Then you have to make a choice if you cast another smite or get more atonements out to do more dmg.
Like a disc tank or melee would be strange and not fit the lore probably but it does sounds fun.
Just imagine all the rage when people are finally used to a dps-healer and suddenly they can also be a full on dps. ow the good times you would have.
People seem to like the current incarnation of Discipline, so I don't see changing it soon.
If we ever get 4th specs, this could be an option, but you'd have to be careful not to tread on Paladins' or Monks' design space.
Resurrected Holy Priest
Yeah they pretty much have already said in the past that Holy Paladin is their "melee cleric" themed healer. It's just not a part of Priest class fantasy in WoW.
There were melee discipline priests in Vanilla Stratholme. They were called the Crimson Priests.
http://www.wowhead.com/npc=10423/risen-priest#abilities
Disc was a melee spec during the development of vanilla. You used to find bits of cloth with agility and strength on them.
Also Inquisitor tanks in SWTOR wear cloth armour
RETH
Alright, but that version of Discipline never came to fruition, and that fantasy already belongs to Paladins for player characters. Does it matter which class it is? There exists a melee, holy warrior in the game. And they do seem to go out of their way to prevent class fantasies from stepping on each others' toes (see demon hunter/demo lock shift).