A new class shouldn't be a priority

[Schattenlied]

Would be BfA better received with a new class: surely yes.

It would have still been poorly received, it would have just been slightly less poorly received because better received does not = not shit. It would still be shit, just like Legion was shit in spite of Demon Hunters.

You missed the point entirely...

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

It would have still been poorly received, it would have just been slightly less poorly received because better received does not = not shit. It would still be shit, just like Legion was shit in spite of Demon Hunters.

You missed the point entirely...

Yes so why remove it at some point blizzard is gonna have to be able to deal with this workload. We've done nothing but make excuses for them and what is their to show for it?

[Felshatner]

New classes are probably the biggest draw an expansion can have. It's no surprise that expansions without one (Cata, WoD, BfA) aren't very well received compared to those with one (WotLK, MoP, Legion). A new class often coincides with big shake ups in the meta and keeps the game fresh.

What you're saying should be done in parallel sure, but it shouldn't stop them from designing and introducing a new class.

Absolutely correct. They need to both add a new class, and dramatically improve the existing classes. Stop all this pruning and give classes new and unique shit. They must put more effort into this.

[predasmoke3]

Coming from classic, while not perfect, classes are 100x more fun in bfa than they were back then. I would however like to see a shift towards the more wrath to mop era design

That said, bring in a new class too, new classes are fun

ya my 1990 honda accord doesnt run nearly as good as my 2005 one. designers must have been idiots back then right?

[TheVaryag]

The currently existing classes have never been in a worse state than they are since Legion and BFA, with an abundance of problems including: spec fantasy was prioritized over existing class fantasy, ability pruning has compressed skill gaps and made gameplay stale and one dimensional, tuning problems exist in both PvE and PvP.

Therefore it should be a bigger priority of the development team to fix the existing 36 specs and ensure that every single one of them is fun to play, mechanically interesting, feels connected to the greater class first with the specialization being more secondary, and well tuned for PvE and PvP content, BEFORE introducing any new specs or classes into the game.

The classes have been pruned long before Legion, Legion is what truly started to show the divide between specs. Ever since roughly Cataclysm the classes got lots of their uniqueness' around them removed or just reworked completely.

I do agree that they should not priotirize another class, so tinkerers, necromancers or w/e can wait another expansion and same for Allied Races. It's enough that we get Vulpera and Mechagnomes as Allies, when the whole gameplay and lore point of Allied races was to get extra bodies for the War between the Horde X Alliance. But since the war Is over now, so why are we getting furries for the Horde, and cyber gnomes for Alliance?

I want Blizzard to stop focusing so much on selling us tiny miniscule character customization options that should be part of their existing respective races rather than pretending to be entirely separate races. If you want to give us new races, give us NEW RACES and not different clans/tribes/kingdoms of existing races. Same for classes, If we want new classes It better be something we'd never expect, not a tinker, not a necromancer, something cool and new to go along with (Hopefully) a new planet, with new landscapes, races, enemies, characters etc.

[Ielenia]

I agree, and chances are that Blizzard does too. We have little to no reason to believe a new class is coming out next expansion.

Other than the fact that Blizzard has maintained a track record of releasing a new class every two expansions, for over 10 years, and the next expansion just happens to be expansion number eight, which means a new class is coming, if Blizzard maintains the track record.

Other than that, suuuure, no reason at all.

[Irian]

Other than the fact that Blizzard has maintained a track record of releasing a new class every two expansions, for over 10 years, and the next expansion just happens to be expansion number eight, which means a new class is coming, if Blizzard maintains the track record.

Other than that, suuuure, no reason at all.

Just because people think a pattern has been identified doesn't mean there's actually a pattern.

I'm not saying it won't happen, but Blizzard kinda has a tendency to throw curve balls.

[Wermys]

The currently existing classes have never been in a worse state than they are since Legion and BFA, with an abundance of problems including: spec fantasy was prioritized over existing class fantasy, ability pruning has compressed skill gaps and made gameplay stale and one dimensional, tuning problems exist in both PvE and PvP.

Therefore it should be a bigger priority of the development team to fix the existing 36 specs and ensure that every single one of them is fun to play, mechanically interesting, feels connected to the greater class first with the specialization being more secondary, and well tuned for PvE and PvP content, BEFORE introducing any new specs or classes into the game.

The priority should be to ditch how wow has operated since WOD. The whole structure they created after that expansion is rotten. 2 of the worst expansions coupled with a midling meh expansion. Move back to how things were during and before MOP. Have gear from earlier tiers actually matter in later tiers. So there is reason to back in those raids to farm that gear. Get rid of gearing from mythic+ and go back to cosmetics. And badge gear again put back into place to actually have a sense of progressions picking up different pieces. Make threat a thing again. Not every tank should be great single target threat and not every tank should be great aoe threat. Spread it out make different classes have different specialties. But also make single target dps viable for all dps not just the flavor of the month. On mythic raiding. Have those types of differences higlighted. On a fight where single target dps is needed with high burst? But you need the right tank that can sustain high burst threat but isn't great threat over time. While in another fight you need consistent aoe threat but single target threat isn't important. Differentiate between cleave and aoe also. Anyways just my worthless 2 cents.

[Ielenia]

Just because people think a pattern has been identified doesn't mean there's actually a pattern.

I'm not saying it won't happen, but Blizzard kinda has a tendency to throw curve balls.

But there is a pattern. It's undeniable:

• TBC: no class.
• Wrath: class.
• Cata: no class.
• MoP: class.
• WoD: no class.
• Legion: class
• BfA: no class.

Don't confuse "pattern" with "rule", please.

[Korru]

I prefer having another class than another lame attempt to pursue the false god known as class balance.

[msdos]

Classic enhancement and retail DK both have the same talent trees. A bunch of garbage, useless talents that don't really do anything for you whatsoever. You could strip away pretty much all of them but one or two and the specs would still be functional.

In fact, Enhancement used to be even more braindead. You could just put 22 points in it, there was never a reason to put anymore than that unless you wanted improved totems and storm strike, but honestly SS was horrible, you generally wanted Nature's Swiftness at all times and were considered scrub if you didn't have it.

[crakerjack]

Yes.

I don't see it as picky to want to experience a different class. Some people just like certain class fantasies more than others. For example, for people who prefer naturalistic type class fantasies, we've only had the same classes since vanilla to really play. Monk could count, I suppose, but it's leaning more into a hand-to-hand/martial artist/asian theme than anything else. I would love another "nature" type class, but the ones we have (shaman, druid, hunter) probably cover all of the easy themes we could get from that. The other two classes we've gotten have not at all hit that niche, being undead/dark knight and demon themed.

Tinker covers a class fantasy WoW doesn't currently have. Sure, there's a crafting profession that covers some of it, but when I think Tinker, I think Mekkatorque and robots and goblin zeppelin bombers and the like... engineering doesn't adequately cover that sort of niche.

Dragonsworn, while kind of out there since it originated in the WoW RPG books, would cover the draconic niche WoW doesn't currently have playable. That particular aesthetic niche could also be filled by a playable dragonkin or other reptilian race.

Necromancer has similar class fantasies in WoW via Warlock, but it would be cool to see class skins become a thing in this case.

In the end, it shouldn't matter if players have played all of the classes at max level or not. Players are generally either drawn to mechanics of a class or the aesthetic feel of the class. If they play mostly by what they think looks cool, then yeah they're probably not going to play the classes they have no real desire to check out because they don't care for the theme.

I get what you're saying, but it doesn't justify the need for new classes. If someone wants to play a new class and they only have 2-3 at max level, then there's plenty others to tryout. If they want to get picky and demand something new, then they can simply unsubscribe and play some other RPG where everything will feel new. As someone who plays every class at max level, I can safely say there's too many similarities and I only see it going downhill from here unless they focus on the current classes. If blizzard creates some awesome new ability for tinkers, guess what, no current class will get that same ability? They'll have to have a handful of abilities like this and that's 5 or so abilities that very easily could have been applied to current classes.

I agree too, it isn't picky to want to play a new class, but it 100% is if they decline to play other classes they've yet to experience. If those are the types of players demanding a new class, then I already see them as a spoiled brats and honestly have no desire to play games with them. Blizzard would only be shooting themselves in the foot by listening to those childish players.

[Musta]

I agree. /10chars

[Neuroticaine]

The currently existing classes have never been in a worse state than they are since Legion and BFA, with an abundance of problems including: spec fantasy was prioritized over existing class fantasy, ability pruning has compressed skill gaps and made gameplay stale and one dimensional, tuning problems exist in both PvE and PvP.

Therefore it should be a bigger priority of the development team to fix the existing 36 specs and ensure that every single one of them is fun to play, mechanically interesting, feels connected to the greater class first with the specialization being more secondary, and well tuned for PvE and PvP content, BEFORE introducing any new specs or classes into the game.

People have been making this argument ever since the first new class was ever introduced. Class mechanics and balance won't ever be perfect, and Blizzard will continue to add classes when they want to.

[GMZohar1]

Not making new classes cause of "balance" is dumb.. If that were the case we would never have another class through the rest of wow..... Balance will always be an issue so who cares

[shoegazing]

Many are missing the point that there is a lot more to the OP than balance.

[gutnbrg]

New classes are probably the biggest draw an expansion can have. It's no surprise that expansions without one (Cata, WoD, BfA) aren't very well received compared to those with one (WotLK, MoP, Legion). A new class often coincides with big shake ups in the meta and keeps the game fresh.

What you're saying should be done in parallel sure, but it shouldn't stop them from designing and introducing a new class.

its funny bc the 3 xpacs u mentioned without new races/classes were seen as being terrible for so many other reasons than what u claimed...

[GenericDragon]

I get what you're saying, but it doesn't justify the need for new classes. If someone wants to play a new class and they only have 2-3 at max level, then there's plenty others to tryout. If they want to get picky and demand something new, then they can simply unsubscribe and play some other RPG where everything will feel new. As someone who plays every class at max level, I can safely say there's too many similarities and I only see it going downhill from here unless they focus on the current classes. If blizzard creates some awesome new ability for tinkers, guess what, no current class will get that same ability? They'll have to have a handful of abilities like this and that's 5 or so abilities that very easily could have been applied to current classes.

I agree too, it isn't picky to want to play a new class, but it 100% is if they decline to play other classes they've yet to experience. If those are the types of players demanding a new class, then I already see them as a spoiled brats and honestly have no desire to play games with them. Blizzard would only be shooting themselves in the foot by listening to those childish players.

No, I agree that players shouldn't absolutely refuse to try a new class if they're bored with their current class. I myself finally broke down and tried most of the classes in Legion, seeing if there was something else I wanted to play besides the usual hunter/druid/shaman I play. Only thing I didn't have at max level was a rogue, but I was in the process of leveling one. That said, there are probably plenty of players who would like to see x class fantasy fulfilled in the game, and would come back to the game or play more if that class made it into the game.

Which is honestly where class skins would be nice here, I think. Same classes, different looks. Fulfills aesthetic niches without adding extra balancing. Lore immersion. Blah blah blah. I myself would prefer that over a new class, at least currently. And not just because the only class fans are asking for right now that interests me is dragonsworn. xP

[shoegazing]

its funny bc the 3 xpacs u mentioned without new races/classes were seen as being terrible for so many other reasons than what u claimed...

Also, Legion was an absolutely terrible expansion for the tremendous and lasting damage it did to class design. What an utter disaster. It's going to take so much effort to fix it, if they can even fix it.

[Nephys]

This argument of "fix current classes before adding new ones" always makes me roll my eyes, its not like only one developer can work at any given time, they have multiple people working on multiple stuff. If they focus on solving the problem that classes suck it wouldn't mean that they succeed on it, and if they make a new class it doesn't necessarily mean that the other classes would be in a bad spot. If you want an example look at MoP, new class introduced and most classes were in a good spot, now look at BFA, no new class and current classes suck.