Anyone NOT that hyped for 'return to class'?

[Daronokk]

"Return to class" is just a lame excuse to not have to develop all 3 specs, they can just make one and add a few minor differences. It's less work.

That says enough about Blizzard to know where they stand on WoW. It's in maintenance mode. Put in a minimal amount of effort and still hope to make some cash.

[Pury]

I think the way people feel about spec/class philosophy depends on the picture in their heads. Mages are the best example. More than 10 years a go I didn't pick a mage as my main class, because, in my head, it doesn't make sense, for example, to use arcane (polymorph, blink, portals) and frost (frost nova, ice barrier) as a fire mage. I am a god of fire, I don't want all other stuff! And even if you can ignore existence of a frostbolt, blink or ice barrier can't be ignored, they are too important mechanicly. Funny how even blizzard kind of confirmed this feeling, when they made unique barrier spells for fire and arcane.

On the other hand, a lot of people prefer the idea of archmage, who is capable to use all basic spells no matter of chosen specialization. I don't feel that way, but it is totally valid perspective and it makes perfect sense.

When such opposite ideas can exist in the minds of a community, what blizzard supposed to do?

I choose a warlock instead. In my mind all specs makes sense and don't conflict with each other. Demonic shadow magic, demonic fel-fire and demons themselves. Great. And curses are coming back, which is nice. Cursing your enemies feels very demonic no matter what. Blizzard can move specs closer or further away from each other, it doesn't matter for me, because affliction, demonology and destruction can exist together as types of demonic magic, unlike frost, fire and arcane, which, in my mind, conflict with each other.

If you are a type of person who worries about class fantasy and stuff, try to pick a class that can not be ruined in your mind whatever variation of class fantasy blizzard is going to use next, and you will be happy no matter what

[Dracullus]

Devil is in the details. If classes on average will be better than BfA, it could be even "left toe identity" for all I care.

[How dare you]

Just theoretical as I probably won't play Shadowlands.

I am levelling a frost mage and I enjoy the feeling I am 'frost'. Personally I don't like the idea of getting fireball since I like this feeling of specialisation. I DO think classes can be a tad more complex, just because a) they are too simple (though not that simple as people seem to think) and b) it gets boring having the same spells all the time, I miss getting new spells in expansions. That said, I like the idea of shattering throw for warriors (I used to play/play a warrior a lot), it doesn't 'feel' like it should be a spec specific ability and it's cool and adds depth, complexity and possible counterplay (PvP perspective).

I don't like the whole covenant system as usual there has to be some grindy new feature to boost playtime, it's artifical complexity just like azerite traits.

I think each spec getting maybe 2 or 3 new talents, as well as maybe ONE or TWO spells made classwide will be fun, but I don't want spec homogenization, I like spec identity.

Yeah I am with you. I think it was a natural evolution and it made sense. What's the point of having fire abilities as frost when you don't use them? The whole point was to make specs different from one another.

[rarhyx]

class > spec

[Jaggler]

Playing since TBC. I rather like being specialized, but to each their own. gotta see how it turns out, not gonna complain about it yet.

[How dare you]

class > spec

Whatever that means.

[Gardoc]

I am not

I want 36 streamlined aesthetically pleasing classes, not 12 cobbled messes with tons of dead buttons

As a PVPer I always laugh when people mention "dead buttons". In PVP you have to use 99% of your spells to be good at your class. Like duel of WotLK frost mages, which is the biggest mind battle in WoW, where both mages are casting anything but frost, baiting the counterspell to pop Icy Veins and burst with Arcane Blasts. Your stremlined braindead classes killed PVP. Everyone is a dps bot now with builder-spender gameplay.

[Shakana]

I'm hyped for that, but at same time i'm not cause they didn't even show much about it, just some abilities and didn't show like the design talent trees in game, or how it will be exactly, they just said it out loud on a powerpoint how it will be and nothing more, no image, nothing.

[Zarvel]

Just theoretical as I probably won't play Shadowlands.

I am levelling a frost mage and I enjoy the feeling I am 'frost'. Personally I don't like the idea of getting fireball since I like this feeling of specialisation. I DO think classes can be a tad more complex, just because a) they are too simple (though not that simple as people seem to think) and b) it gets boring having the same spells all the time, I miss getting new spells in expansions. That said, I like the idea of shattering throw for warriors (I used to play/play a warrior a lot), it doesn't 'feel' like it should be a spec specific ability and it's cool and adds depth, complexity and possible counterplay (PvP perspective).

I don't like the whole covenant system as usual there has to be some grindy new feature to boost playtime, it's artifical complexity just like azerite traits.

I think each spec getting maybe 2 or 3 new talents, as well as maybe ONE or TWO spells made classwide will be fun, but I don't want spec homogenization, I like spec identity.

Can people like you at least wait till the Alpha before you over-react?
Or are you a fan of staleness?

[ZebrasRule]

How long did you play WoW? This needs some context, If you haven't played before the era of Cataclysm I can understand you being skeptical of the idea of "Class" as you've never truly known what a class is, but rather a spec with a few doodads shared among the class. Go to classic, that alone will teach you what a CLASS truly is, not a spec. And hopefully Shadowlands will do a good job at returning class identity.

To me, as someone playing 15 years It feels shit to know I've had over 50 abilities and then am restricted to 15 per spec and the other 5 were removed. It felt like my class was butchered, standardized and according to analytics and data alone, was streamlined, not due to player feedback or criticism.

I've played since vanilla, and I am uninterested in a return to class rather than spec. I have really enjoyed the focus on spec identity.

I also see no point in bringing back dumb spells nobody will ever use just for "flavour" or nostalgia. Classic exists for that reason.

(also, like the OP, I'm probably not coming back for Shadowlands... unless all the people I play with who left in a mass exodus in early BFA return. Nearly all of them are not as it stands so far)

[Pakheth]

I hated that they removed totems from shamans. I loved that little bit of management. I also hated it when they removed traps from every hunter spec but SV. We got some traps back but it's not the same.
I guess since I played hunter for 15 years I felt we as a class lost the most with the prune as our 3 specs got changed so drastically I barely recognise them anymore.

I like utility. It heightens the chance of my survival out in the game world. I am not a huge PvP'er, I raid more than I PvP, but I still love my utility.

Remember Distract? Or Tranquilize? Eye of the Beast? Kill Shot? Serpent Sting? They all had their purpose and they fit for all the specs.

I feel so many on here mostly just raid. To you it seems only a few buttons are enough, but for me my classes feels lacking and barebones to what they once were.

And I miss that.

[Aresk]

I main classes that would be awkward to really streamline into classes over specs. Monk has a tank, DPS, and heal spec, and I don't see a lot of opportunity for really changing how those play that much. Shaman has the melee DPS, ranged DPS, and heal spec, and adding melee or ranged attacks is likely just going to add buttons that are rarely used. Druid has tank, heal, ranged, melee, and either the specs will be meaningless (if all forms have the same abilities), or the specs will dominate (if key abilities are missing). Granted this is all speculation since we haven't really seen a fully fleshed example of a class under this system (as far as I know).

[Gaidax]

I just hope they won't end up messing up specs by mixing in unrelated bullshit. I certainly don't want Corruption to be a thing for Destruction Warlocks.

[kamuimac]

How long did you play WoW? This needs some context, If you haven't played before the era of Cataclysm I can understand you being skeptical of the idea of "Class" as you've never truly known what a class is, but rather a spec with a few doodads shared among the class. Go to classic, that alone will teach you what a CLASS truly is, not a spec. And hopefully Shadowlands will do a good job at returning class identity.

To me, as someone playing 15 years It feels shit to know I've had over 50 abilities and then am restricted to 15 per spec and the other 5 were removed. It felt like my class was butchered, standardized and according to analytics and data alone, was streamlined, not due to player feedback or criticism.

the problem is that there are 2 completly different groups here

first one plays wow like a piano - they need 50 buttons to be happy and treat wow as peak of their life accomplisment

2nd dont mind classes that use 10 buttons max because they play for fun .

sadly because of PR pressure made by streamers blizzard decided to do a suicide and are going back to archaic game designs.

we seen it already back in WoD - it will end in even bigger disaster now because game i 5 years older.

blizzard must be joking that they are planing to get new players

new players = teens

and teens play mostly/only mobile games nowadays.

[Puupi]

Spec identity > class identity.

Hopefully we won't end up with a half assed mess which resembles more classic than modern wow.

[neik]

Ditch Void Form + Insanity Mechanic and I'll be happy.

You and me, we could be good friends.

It feels like I'm eating stones with those you've outlined.

[Frozenbeef]

Bring the player not the class! (for 2 expansions then it's switched for the 3rd time)

[Denymeplz]

Im not, but thats cuz i play dh lmao.

[Pheraz]

Just theoretical as I probably won't play Shadowlands.

I am levelling a frost mage and I enjoy the feeling I am 'frost'. Personally I don't like the idea of getting fireball since I like this feeling of specialisation. I DO think classes can be a tad more complex, just because a) they are too simple (though not that simple as people seem to think) and b) it gets boring having the same spells all the time, I miss getting new spells in expansions. That said, I like the idea of shattering throw for warriors (I used to play/play a warrior a lot), it doesn't 'feel' like it should be a spec specific ability and it's cool and adds depth, complexity and possible counterplay (PvP perspective).

I don't like the whole covenant system as usual there has to be some grindy new feature to boost playtime, it's artifical complexity just like azerite traits.

I think each spec getting maybe 2 or 3 new talents, as well as maybe ONE or TWO spells made classwide will be fun, but I don't want spec homogenization, I like spec identity.

100% agree.
I am not dramatizing the change but I WANT spec identity. I don't want fireball shooting frostmages or warriors with 23984234 abilities. Again... listening to the loud minorities is a very bad idea.
Will play it anyways but prbly not enjoying those mixed spec stuff