Why Dark Ranger will be the next class added to World of Warcraft.

[meowfurion]

*clap* NO
*clap* MORE
*clap* DARK
*clap* BROODING
*clap* EDGELORD
*CLAP* CLASSES!!!!

NO more. No more emo goth brooding edgy. It's been done to undeath. PeriodT.

We are getting a Tinker.

"Dark Ranger" is just a hunter with emotional problems. You wanna be a dark hunter? Throw on some dark armor transmogs. At best, they should implement glyphs to make you LOOK 'dark' and 'emo' and 'evil' so you'll quit asking for an entire class based around shooting black arrows and purple tentacles.

[SpicedCarp]

I see a lot of reasons why more Horde races could be inducted into their ranks.

But uh, what about Alliance? They exist too you know, I know Blizzard and Horde players like to forget that.

[Nihilux]

The simple truth is that we need another class that wields daggers and most definitely another pure archer and not pet focused class. Dark Ranger provides both. It fits the theme of the expansion and tons of people love the class. It's also a hero class from WC3. You can't go wrong with Dark Ranger.

I agree, as I'm on the Dark Ranger train. But I do understand people's frustration with "dark hero classes". Then again, most non-dark hero classes have already been implemented in the original WoW. Dark Ranger is certainly the most serious option, along with Warden and Shadow Hunter, but I honestly think the shaman solution of merging a bunch of classes into a single one would be best. They all have a darkness aspect to them and a sort of stealthy aspect to them as well.
Still I understand why people want a fun and less edgy class, but it's (Tinker that is) certainly not shaping up to fit the thematic formula that Blizzard has followed with the previous ones. I wonder if a fresh breather, like MoP, would've been a better thing to lead the expansion into, especially with how Mechagon was generally well received, despite looking kinda shit. But yeah, if it's a Shadowlands expansion or LK focused, then Dark Ranger is the way to go.

[Deventh]

*clap* NO
*clap* MORE
*clap* DARK
*clap* BROODING
*clap* EDGELORD
*CLAP* CLASSES!!!!

NO more. No more emo goth brooding edgy. It's been done to undeath. PeriodT.

We are getting a Tinker.

"Dark Ranger" is just a hunter with emotional problems. You wanna be a dark hunter? Throw on some dark armor transmogs. At best, they should implement glyphs to make you LOOK 'dark' and 'emo' and 'evil' so you'll quit asking for an entire class based around shooting black arrows and purple tentacles.

You wanna be tinker? Reroll Mechagnome, get yourself engineering and get some robot pets. STOP ASKING FOR IT.

See? I can do it too.

[threads]

sylvanas makes nelf dark rangers
leaves horde and becomes neutral like illidan
most popular character
all over blizzcon merch

dark ranger is coming.

[kamuimac]

sylvanas makes nelf dark rangers
leaves horde and becomes neutral like illidan
most popular character
all over blizzcon merch

dark ranger is coming.

as 3rd faction

that would be amazing twist

[meowfurion]

You wanna be tinker? Reroll Mechagnome, get yourself engineering and get some robot pets. STOP ASKING FOR IT.

See? I can do it too.

No, but, see, there is actually DEPTH to being a tinker. There are bots and suits of mech armor, machines, turrets....there is actual history and ideas that can be developed into a class....with multiple talent trees

not with the dark ranger. Sorry you're triggered.

[Deventh]

No, but, see, there is actually DEPTH to being a tinker. There are bots and suits of mech armor, machines, turrets....there is actual history and ideas that can be developed into a class....with multiple talent trees

not with the dark ranger. Sorry you're triggered.

Yeah? Agree to disagree there. You can do your research and find out that Dark Ranger has much more depth than you might think. You are absolutely the same person who was saying that Demon Hunters will never be a class because we have Warlocks which just doesn't work with metamorphosis. And I am so glad Blizzard doesn't take your opinion into consideration at all.

[ro9ue]

I've been thinking the exact same thing ever since BC 2.0, and it's starting to look like we hit the nail on the head with that prediction. Dark Rangers would be a cool new class, but I think it'll go something like this instead...

Ion: So what we need the most right now is a ranged melee class who wears mail. Any ideas?

Alex: What about... Dark Rangers?

Ion: They'd wear mail?

Alex: Sure.

Ion: I don't know. They seem a bit too similar to hunters.

Tom: What about Necromancers?

Ion: Hmm...

Tom: Ion?

Ion: Tinkers it is, then.

After seeing all of the Tinker stuff we saw in BFA it makes sense... Tinker expedition units with abilities that had level requirements, Tinker followers, custom Engineering azerite traits, Mechagon and Goblin stuff, etc.

It has by far the most design space available to it where a Dark Ranger does overlap a bit with Hunter/Rogue and Necromancer is literally a reskinned Warlock. Personally, I'd like to see Dark Ranger be more of a sub rogue + marksman hunter melee/ranged hybrid, almost like a Genn in HotS model where you can swap or choose.

Also, I honestly didn't really see how they would connect a Tinker to a death-themed expansion but after hearing folks say "Ghostbusters" mechanics -- and someone saying a counter to Undead in Warhammer is machines (and we know where Blizzard got their Warcraft lore).

I want both so I'm happy either way tbh.

[Guildenstern]

*clap* NO
*clap* MORE
*clap* DARK
*clap* BROODING
*clap* EDGELORD
*CLAP* CLASSES!!!!

NO more. No more emo goth brooding edgy. It's been done to undeath. PeriodT.

We are getting a Tinker.

"Dark Ranger" is just a hunter with emotional problems. You wanna be a dark hunter? Throw on some dark armor transmogs. At best, they should implement glyphs to make you LOOK 'dark' and 'emo' and 'evil' so you'll quit asking for an entire class based around shooting black arrows and purple tentacles.

When we know its gonna be dark Ranger next this Friday, I'm going to create a big 'fuck you' thread for people like you and Teriz. Your mental circus gymnastics of why Tinkers are next are ending real soon.

And also for posters above me..'melee ranged class'? Tf you're talking about.

[DotEleven]

Let's follow this logic. A Warrior is suddenly using frost spells! Why would that be an entire class instead of a warrior spec (it's not like we have any plate armor wearing, melee weapon wielding guys that use Frost right???)? Warrior using HOLY damage spells? Warrior doing shadow damage? Priest wearing plate armor and a sword? Another spec! Warrior wearing leather and with stealth mechanics? Another spec! A warlock equipped with melee weapons and some wings? Another spec. It's really easy to be reductionistic and just end up with a single class or 2-3 classes this way.

Dark Ranger has nothing to do with Hunters outside of both using ranged weapons. That could be equally said about the numerous melee weapon classes. Especially once hunters lost their former miniscule magical aspects, it's pretty apparent that comparing Dark Rangers as comparable to a hunter spec is completely wack. They are as much hunters as paladins and death knights are warriors.

Anyways, I personally don't think just transfering over WC3 Dark Ranger would happen, because it doesn't easily makes sense and you can end up being overly limited in race choices. That's why my suggestion has been to do as has been done with shaman, whereupon multiple classes have been merged to form the class. Since "Dark Ranger" as a class name isn't indicative of anything other than some shadowy/dark origin, my suggestion has been to merge Shadow Hunter, Warden, Dark Ranger and perhaps even Banshee into a single class, functioning differently in lore, like how it's with Zandalari Paladins and Druids in comparison to Tauren Paladins and Druids. This would open up for at least Night Elves, Forsaken, Void Elves and Senjin Trolls (shadow hunters and their connection to voodoo and Bwonsamdi) and perhaps Kul'Tiran (due to Drust connection) and Zandalari Trolls (due to Rastakhan's pact with Bwonsamdi). Rangers are basically scouts, most of them using ranged weapons, but also some using melee weapons. With combining Shadow Hunters and Warden, one could get a melee spec, with possibility of it even being a tanking spec. Healing spec is however very doubtful.

I'd rather hear some actual objections, like the fact that the only hero units we have are "dark/edgy/whatever you call it".That's a good one, although the problem is that there's very few Hero classes left that haven't been merged into other classes. Currently it's Dark Ranger as an iconic hero class. Goblin Tinker is definitely not an iconic hero class. It'd fit more into as a normal class, just like they did with the Pandaren Brewmaster.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind Tinker being introduced, but it should be done the same way as in all previous expansion, as part of the theme. DKs-> Northrend and Arthas. Monk->Pandaria and Chen and all. DHs->Burning Legion and Illidan and all. Honestly, a Titan and mech focused expansion would've probably been a nice breather, as well as a way to establish new lore and perhaps get a Pandaria-like experience. I even wondered whether it might happen with how Mechagon was suddenly a thing in 8.2, but that doesn't look very hopeful, does it with the current storyline?

See. You're completely blind already and I can tell from the start. Because in lore a Paladin isn't a "Warrior who picked up holy spells." A Demon Hunter isn't a "Warlock who grew wings and uses melee weapons."

The literal lore behind a Dark Ranger is a Ranger (who is a form of hunter) died, was resurrected, and started using shadow spells in conjunction with their hunter training. They started off as a form of hunter, then branched off into a more specialized form of hunter.

Like, what I'm getting at is why would you make a "class" who's lore is "this person was trained as a rogue, then learned a couple frost spells and incorporated them into their rogue skills" instead of making that a spec for rogue?

[Deventh]

Tinkers would've been a good class choice for BfA. Where we didn't have a clear "theme" on the expansion other than faction war. They have never, and I repeat, NEVER done a class that doesn't fit the theme of the expansion:

WOTLK - (Lich King, Cold, Undeath) - Death Knights
MoP - (Pandas, asian culture, free spirit) - Monks
Legion - (Illidan, Demons, Fel) - Demon Hunters

Shadowlands - (Death (presumably), Sylvanas, Lich King) - ?

If you put Tinkers on the question mark I have another question mark for you.

[ro9ue]

The simple truth is that we need another class that wields daggers and most definitely another pure archer and not pet focused class. Dark Ranger provides both. It fits the theme of the expansion and tons of people love the class. It's also a hero class from WC3. You can't go wrong with Dark Ranger.

Actually really great point. Usually I just think of mail and bow needing another class but daggers as well. I think most people saying Dark Ranger is just a Hunter lack some imagination. It definitely has overlap, no doubt about it, but there's so much more opportunity there.

I picture more of a melee/ranged hybrid. Subtlety Rogue + Marksmanship Hunter. Genn in HotS is a good model for a potential hybrid spec like Outlaw Rogue where you can do both. If specs are still around in 9.0 you can have players just choose if they want to be a melee DW daggers rogue-ish type, a hybrid that swaps or a pure ranged. There's also potential for a healing spec if they go with a "Wraith/Banshee" spec, like seen here:



Would be cool to play on the Mind Control they've had in other games. A unique ability I was thinking of was:

Possession - I'd let Priest keep Mind Control and give Dark Ranger something more unique. Obviously it wouldn't work on bosses and elite mobs (like Mind Control doesn't), but you can turn into the Sylvanas gray mist form (like we've seen in the cinematics) and enter a host body. Then you can control it until you take some threshold of damage. When the mob dies or you're expelled you return to your corporeal form.

I imagine this playing out like - you're in a dungeon, there's a big Lich mob and a bunch of skeletons. You enter the Lich, empower its abilities and destroy the skeles, then exit from damage/duration and finish that mob off. Would be a cool utility/CC that fits with the historical DR kit.

[raz98]

Fingers crossed for Necromancer. Screw DR

[Deventh]

Possession - I'd let Priest keep Mind Control and give Dark Ranger something more unique. Obviously it wouldn't work on bosses and elite mobs (like Mind Control doesn't), but you can turn into the Sylvanas gray mist form (like we've seen in the cinematics) and enter a host body. Then you can control it until you take some threshold of damage. When the mob dies or you're expelled you return to your corporeal form.

I really like that idea. Here's hoping it happens.

[deviantcultist]

*clap* NO
*clap* MORE
*clap* DARK
*clap* BROODING
*clap* EDGELORD
*CLAP* CLASSES!!!!

NO more. No more emo goth brooding edgy. It's been done to undeath. PeriodT.

We are getting a Tinker.

"Dark Ranger" is just a hunter with emotional problems. You wanna be a dark hunter? Throw on some dark armor transmogs. At best, they should implement glyphs to make you LOOK 'dark' and 'emo' and 'evil' so you'll quit asking for an entire class based around shooting black arrows and purple tentacles.

Probably one of the most toxic posts so far. Any point other than parroting idiotic internet phrases to provoke people? If you think that Dark Ranger falls into the same "edgy" category as DH and DK, you're just generalizing.

[meowfurion]

Yeah? Agree to disagree there. You can do your research and find out that Dark Ranger has much more depth than you might think. You are absolutely the same person who was saying that Demon Hunters will never be a class because we have Warlocks which just doesn't work with metamorphosis. And I am so glad Blizzard doesn't take your opinion into consideration at all.

?????

You can't just make shit up I didn't think or say or do and use it as some sort of argument in this debate against me....

WTF are you even talking about with Demon Hunters...???? Jesus

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Probably one of the most toxic posts so far. Any point other than parroting idiotic internet phrases to provoke people? If you think that Dark Ranger falls into the same "edgy" category as DH and DK, you're just generalizing.

Right.

Toxic post : something that disagrees with your opinions.

You all need to take a step back and realize this is a video game and quit taking things as some personal attack against you and your life.

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When we know its gonna be dark Ranger next this Friday, I'm going to create a big 'fuck you' thread for people like you and Teriz. Your mental circus gymnastics of why Tinkers are next are ending real soon.

And also for posters above me..'melee ranged class'? Tf you're talking about.

You sound rather emotionally unstable over this.

[deviantcultist]

?????

You can't just make shit up I didn't think or say or do and use it as some sort of argument in this debate against me....

WTF are you even talking about with Demon Hunters...???? Jesus

See that? You call a fantasy theme "edgy" to bash on the artistic style or the people's preference, while you are rude as hell. I'd rather be someone who enjoys fiction about "edgy things" than be someone who is rude and annoying IRL.

- - - Updated - - -

You all need to take a step back and realize this is a video game and quit taking things as some personal attack against you and your life.

Mind your wording and maybe people will get less annoyed.

- - - Updated - - -

Tinkers would've been a good class choice for BfA. Where we didn't have a clear "theme" on the expansion other than faction war. They have never, and I repeat, NEVER done a class that doesn't fit the theme of the expansion:

WOTLK - (Lich King, Cold, Undeath) - Death Knights
MoP - (Pandas, asian culture, free spirit) - Monks
Legion - (Illidan, Demons, Fel) - Demon Hunters

Shadowlands - (Death (presumably), Sylvanas, Lich King) - ?

If you put Tinkers on the question mark I have another question mark for you.

It screams Dark Ranger or Necro or something Death/Shadow related. Anything else is a curveball and no class at all is laziness they cannot afford.

[Destinas]

Like, what I'm getting at is why would you make a "class" who's lore is "this person was trained as a rogue, then learned a couple frost spells and incorporated them into their rogue skills" instead of making that a spec for rogue?

That's a very good point, which I think is where some of the trouble comes in for new classes at all now.

That logic could be applied to Warlocks and Necromancers as well - people like Kel'Thuzad and Helcular started out as mages, but then started to become Necromancers later on. They're both considered Warlocks as well, through Helcular's spells and an armor set for Kel'thuzad. I'm not advocating that Necromancers would become a spec for Warlocks or Mages, because in my opinion they're quite different - but there are plenty of people do do feel that they're too similar.

Likewise, with Dark Rangers, they're certainly not like other hunters. We see them use dark magic, summon dark beasts, sometimes turn into spirits, among other things. But, you have a really good point - they started out as hunters and became just a dark hunter, utilizing their new forms/powers with their old skills. That's certainly unlike all the other classes added so far, where DKs were any class before they became a DK (like Koltira, being a ranger), Monks were trained that way, and Demon Hunters were all sorts of things before (Vandel was a rogue, Jace was a mage).

So, in the end, if they were to add a Dark Ranger, I would assume that the entire class would be a hybrid, like Monks. Instead of just a Brewmaster, like people were speculating, they gave them the generic name "monk" and made Brewmaster it's own spec. Perhaps they could make a spec that is essentially a Dark Ranger, and another spec that is essentially a Shadow Hunter. Overlap between the two (and other classes), but they are different enough to be their own specs. They're both somewhat of a Hero Class on their own, fitting with DKs and DHs. Likewise, it would give bows/guns/crossbows to another class, as well as glaives.

That said, I wouldn't mind if Dark Rangers were just a spec for hunters as well, but the problem is that we don't exactly see living Dark Rangers.

[DotEleven]

That's a very good point, which I think is where some of the trouble comes in for new classes at all now.

That logic could be applied to Warlocks and Necromancers as well - people like Kel'Thuzad and Helcular started out as mages, but then started to become Necromancers later on. They're both considered Warlocks as well, through Helcular's spells and an armor set for Kel'thuzad. I'm not advocating that Necromancers would become a spec for Warlocks or Mages, because in my opinion they're quite different - but there are plenty of people do do feel that they're too similar.

Likewise, with Dark Rangers, they're certainly not like other hunters. We see them use dark magic, summon dark beasts, sometimes turn into spirits, among other things. But, you have a really good point - they started out as hunters and became just a dark hunter, utilizing their new forms/powers with their old skills. That's certainly unlike all the other classes added so far, where DKs were any class before they became a DK (like Koltira, being a ranger), Monks were trained that way, and Demon Hunters were all sorts of things before (Vandel was a rogue, Jace was a mage).

So, in the end, if they were to add a Dark Ranger, I would assume that the entire class would be a hybrid, like Monks. Instead of just a Brewmaster, like people were speculating, they gave them the generic name "monk" and made Brewmaster it's own spec. Perhaps they could make a spec that is essentially a Dark Ranger, and another spec that is essentially a Shadow Hunter. Overlap between the two (and other classes), but they are different enough to be their own specs. They're both somewhat of a Hero Class on their own, fitting with DKs and DHs. Likewise, it would give bows/guns/crossbows to another class, as well as glaives.

That said, I wouldn't mind if Dark Rangers were just a spec for hunters as well, but the problem is that we don't exactly see living Dark Rangers.

While some big names may be that way, not all necromancers or warlocks were mages from the start. They're all certainly magical, but not all of them started off training and then went "You know, I want to go be this." and branched off. You can become a necromancer by purely studying necromancy or a warlock by studying and enslaving demons. The only way you'd start being a Dark Ranger is by training to be a hunter and then dying. Or I suppose you could die and then train to be a hunter. They really are just a darker shade of them. That is pretty much shown by the fact they aren't just on Trueshot Lodge but members of the Unseen Path themselves.

Like, it's not that I don't think Blizzard CAN make Dark rangers a class if they wanted to, I just don't see why they would when there's other options.