Should there be playable races in Shadowlands?

[Nagawithlegs]

I've seen "no new class/race" mentioned often as one of the reasons many players, hardcore and casual alike, think that Shadowlands is "filler".

Plenty of threads about the class, but do you think that they should add playable races sometime during the expansion to counteract this look? Keep in mind that Blizzard will add and/or change any lore that keeps Shadowlands races from walking with mortals, though that is a point of contention for many.

[Hugnomo]

I've seen "no new class/race" mentioned often as one of the reasons many players, hardcore and casual alike, think that Shadowlands is "filler".

Plenty of threads about the class, but do you think that they should add playable races sometime during the expansion to counteract this look? Keep in mind that Blizzard will add and/or change any lore that keeps Shadowlands races from walking with mortals, though that is a point of contention for many.

I hope and think the new covenants will be playable as their own factions. I think they look great, I want to play them, they'll be building every art asset around them, might as well. There's always some macguffin that makes things possible.
I mean, if we look at how they've been leaning with their cosmic powers, and for instance, how N'zoth lived in a different dimension in the Void, trying to cross over. How demons come from a different dimension in chaotic energies called the Twisting Nether, it seems they want to have this kind of norse inspired 9 realms thing where each of the cosmic forces has a world/dimension, with Shadowlands belonging to Death. If demons can come to our reality, if old gods can come to our reality, I'm sure they'll find a way to bring the denizens of the Death realm into our reality.

[shoc]

I think making the Covenants playable at the end of the expansion makes sense.

[Flarelaine]

I believe there will be 25 playable races in Shadowlands.

[Snowfunk]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

[DatToffer]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

I think we're just kinda used to having new things.

[TristanTaylor]

I would say they should add a few new races during the expansion, however considering we're just meeting some of these races it makes sense that they're not just jumping into either faction the moment we get there. Let us meet them, learn about them, let them learn about us, and then as the troubles ramp up, some can decide to join one faction or the other.

[Snowfunk]

I think we're just kinda used to having new things.

Races, has historically been somewhat of a selling point. But with Allied races, I really think this is a moot point to make.

As for classes, I really don't see them adding any new ones, for quite some time.
In my opinion, Death Knight was and is an excellent class.
Monk, while being a mechanically interesting & unique class, I think it's a failure, it doesn't fit at all into the Warcraft universe, same about the Pandaren race. Both we're a mistake as playable options.
Then we got Demon Hunter in Legion, the class makes kinda sense, unlike Monk, it at least has some appeal. With an impressive movement kit, that is unique to other classes and also fits the theme very well. But beyond that, it simply doesn't have much going for it. Demon Hunter being limited to only 2 specs is a fail in it self, and Havoc being the single most mind numbing spec to play just solidifies this.

Obviously this is all my subjective opinions, but I'd like to present, as an objective opinion.
Each class they add, gets worse than the last one, and I think they know this. I think they are very reluctant to add another class at this point.
And frankly, people can just GTFO with their idea of a tinker class. And Necromancer, squeezed in between DK and Warlock? Fat chance.
Adding a new, unique class, that's anchored in the world, makes sense, is a near impossible task. And adding something made up, will never go well over.

And let's not even get started on the far reaching consequences, of adding another class to the balancing scales.

[Razion]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

In regards to classes...

Dark Age of Camelot: 45 classes.
RIFT: 51 classes.
Ragnarok Online: 53 classes.
Uncharted Waters Online: 73 classes.
Tree of Savior: 80 classes.
City of Heroes: 82 classes.
(Source: massivelyop)

Even outside MMOs, here are what other games are working with:

Super Smash Bros: 75-81 fighters
League of Legends: 148+ champions


"36" just isn't as big a number as what other games are offering nowadays.

[Amarys]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

Yep... less is more. We have too many classes/specs now but they all play the same way. Instead fix the current specs and overhaul boring, samey play styles.
Players who insist on more races and classes are why BFA is so bad. Blizzard is spamming half-assed allied races and cosmetics and has forgotten about gameplay.

[Jester Joe]

I believe there will be 25 playable races in Shadowlands.

A sad state of affairs. Obviously there should be no playable races, not a single one. We'll all play as squares and relive the golden days of Atari games.



On a more serious note, I don't see any new playable races or allied races coming from Shadowlands.
The only reason we're able to traverse between Azeroth and the Shadowlands is because we're still alive and something about a connection to Azeroth herself.

It's the same reason why we can enter and leave the Maw. Unless Blizzard feels like screwing over the lore they literally just established, there's no way anyone from Shadowlands should be able to follow us back to Azeroth.

Now, maybe we could see some races from Azeroth itself have a connection to Shadowlands somehow, due to the nature of it. But most of those races I don't see as playable to begin with. Like maybe some of the more primitive races could have a connection to Ardenweald for example.

This is also why I feel they're doubling down on adding customization to the original races. Remember WoD, no new race or class, but revamped original races. Shadowlands could go the same route, no new race or class, but you get new customization at least.

[FelPlague]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

Excepting a new class every expansion, it's more of every other expansion, but still, I think they is insane good I think every 3 would be best, maybe 4. I rather they focus on making current classes better. Cause yes while I LOVE the idea of a tinkerer. I love a warlock. And idk if I would have the guts to reroll, saying goodbye to my class of 15 years. So I rather just... Not have a new class, and instead have my current class become better.

But races, you can change races, and more races the better, cause that's more choice and customization! Sadly as an rose, with well my icon and such as you can see, I sorta have a chardfter. Deep down I wanna play mechagnomes. But the 10% rep is too good. Plus the lack of hair choices for female really did me in. But if they add Naga, or ethereal, or sethrak. That might be enough to make me change!

And hey they can easily add races.
In BFA they added 2x more races then wows previous expansions had combined.

[Varodoc]

I don't really think of any new race they might add, except the Ethereals thanks to the friendship between Alleria and Locus-Walker. The races of the Shadowlands are bound to the afterlife and thus unlikely to rejoin the world of the living, let alone pick a side in the faction strife.

[matrix123mko]

Venthyr and Kyrian look like allied race material.

[Polarthief]

I really don't get why people are so obsessed over getting new races, and expecting a new class each expansion is just insanity.

Because looking at how pretty barebones Shadowlands is, a new class or race would pad it a bit. We basically replaced AP for Covenants and IEs, WFs, and all the other dumb garbage BfA gave us for Torghast, which looks neat on paper, but how is that going to be all of our time? Redoing levels reminds me of when Cata was pretty barebones because "all our time went into revamping old world". Legitimately scared for SL right now, especially after we just had the second-worst expansion of all time. A new class would give people a decent amount of extra content leveling it. Races not as important but would be the same for many people. Where's the features and stuff of Torghast? Almost nothing was shown at Blizzcon.

Honestly, they could have broken the faction barriers and that probably would have been a lot of my enjoyment, but instead chose to make it the "cornerstone of WoW", thus continuing this awful faction imbalance and forcing you to play Horde or be stuck on the side with vastly less experienced players.

[Aresk]

In regards to classes...

Dark Age of Camelot: 45 classes.
RIFT: 51 classes.
Ragnarok Online: 53 classes.
Uncharted Waters Online: 73 classes.
Tree of Savior: 80 classes.
City of Heroes: 82 classes.

Even outside MMOs, here are what other games are working with:

Super Smash Bros: 75-81 fighters
League of Legends: 148+ champions


"36" just isn't as big a number as what other games are offering nowadays.

And there are plenty of games with fewer classes:

FFXIV: 18 classes
ESO: 5 classes
SWTOR: 16 classes
Wildstar (before closing): 6 classes

Other Games:
Path of Exile: 7 classes
Diablo 3: 7 classes

[Flarelaine]

It's the same reason why we can enter and leave the Maw. Unless Blizzard feels like screwing over the lore they literally just established, there's no way anyone from Shadowlands should be able to follow us back to Azeroth.

Agreed, though we will certainly shake things up over there, maybe just enough to allow a few stragglers to escape. Which can then grow to any number. After all, all the void elves are really a handful of Umbric's followers, right?

[The Emperor]

Since some people in the thread in all seriousness think that game doesn't need to 'obsess with new classes' being added every now and then, I feel obliged to say that I and, many players included, feel incentive to start playing a 15-something years game only when something radically new is added, like a class, or a race.

Because, newsflash, people love new things that are not zones/raids, whatever. This is the reason I believe Shadowlands will fail. Just not enough radically new gameplay additions.

Some people, whose conviction in trying to balance out classes 'perfectly' is not unlike trying to build communism (and just as futile) seem to forget that in all of the game history there hasn't been a point of perfect balance. Why insist on something that game developers have never succeeded in? And choosing to sacrifice a new class for this, really?

If Shadowlands wont add some cool compelling races it would be even a bigger failure than BfA, WoD. Which is really sad, since every 2nd expansion overall looked promising.

[conceptKitty]

Part of me thinks yes since I feel like I've become accustomed to always getting a shiny new race in Warcraft but let's face it, it's getting overly saturated with races in this game.

In my opinion, I still feel like Alliance is lacking that something cool and none of the current allied races for me personally have added that.
I'd love to have some of the races from Shadowlands added to Warcraft but given all their lore ties it probably won't happen without a good retcon.

[Rend Blackhand]

I’d rather have more customisation for the current races like they’re doing.

Wow customisation has always been poor compared to other MMO games