Whatever it is, the next expansion could have both a race and a basic class

[Edlarel]

Selling points for Expacs

• BC - Race
• Wrath - hero Class
• Cataclysm - Race
• Mists - Race + basic class (class)
• WoD - Nothing (race, with graphics updates to most races)
• Legion - hero Class [heavy emphasis with new class and class halls]
• BFA - Race [heavy emphasis with allied races]
• Shadowlands - Nothing (covenants are class-oriented with covenant powers, but not directly class-focused)
• ??? - Race + basic class (race)

So, basic class that a good majority of races can be, including whatever potential race is introduced. That's where we should start looking for clues. My thoughts are...

* Finishing allied races for forsaken and worgen, likely swapping sides a'la void elves/nightborne. So lightforged undead and something using the worgen skeleton. Or something pandaren like the tortollans. Would fit with the below suggestions.

* a cloth or mail-wearing class. I'm going to guess mail, and trying to fit a fantasy trope like monk did, maybe an actual bard? with melee dps/caster/heal specs similar to shaman? Could tie into dragon isles as they're "epic and legendary like a bard's storytelling."

* If cloth, then definitely sorcerer, maybe with an elemental (arcane lightning, etc, spell dps), blood (blood mages spell dps), and dragon (healing, lifebinder) specs? It could also tie into the dragon isles idea by focusing on the aspects.

[Teriz]

Selling points for Expacs

• BC - Race
• Wrath - hero Class
• Cataclysm - Race
• Mists - Race + basic class (class)
• WoD - Nothing (race, with graphics updates to most races)
• Legion - hero Class [heavy emphasis with new class and class halls]
• BFA - Race [heavy emphasis with allied races]
• Shadowlands - Nothing (covenants are class-oriented with covenant powers, but not directly class-focused)
• ??? - Race + basic class (race)

So, basic class that a good majority of races can be, including whatever potential race is introduced. That's where we should start looking for clues. My thoughts are...

* Finishing allied races for forsaken and worgen, likely swapping sides a'la void elves/nightborne. So lightforged undead and something using the worgen skeleton. Or something pandaren like the tortollans. Would fit with the below suggestions.

* a cloth or mail-wearing class. I'm going to guess mail, and trying to fit a fantasy trope like monk did, maybe an actual bard? with melee dps/caster/heal specs similar to shaman? Could tie into dragon isles as they're "epic and legendary like a bard's storytelling."

* If cloth, then definitely sorcerer, maybe with an elemental (arcane lightning, etc, spell dps), blood (blood mages spell dps), and dragon (healing, lifebinder) specs? It could also tie into the dragon isles idea by focusing on the aspects.

Basic class, yes. New race? Doubtful. Blizzard could just unlock the allied races and that alone would open up tons of races to players. I hate to say it, but WoW has more than enough races at this point. I do agree that we should add the remaining allied races to the game.

I also disagree with a new clothie caster. We're lacking a third mail-wearing class, and we have more than enough casters, especially if you include healing specs;

Fire
Frost (M)
Arcane
Destruction
Demonology
Affliction
Holy (Pr)
Discipline
Shadow
Balance
Restoration (D)
Elemental
Restoration (Sh)
Mistweaver
Holy (Pa)

Meanwhile we only have 2 physical ranged specs and they're both in the Hunter class. So yeah, physical ranged DPS, and mail armor would be the way to go.

[Sucralose]

Pitch a class idea that isn't simply copy pasted from other classes and doesn't break the game that offers at least 2 spec choices.

I would argue wow has to many classes not that it needs more myself.

[Teriz]

Pitch a class idea that isn't simply copy pasted from other classes and doesn't break the game that offers at least 2 spec choices.

I would argue wow has to many classes not that it needs more myself.

Mechanic. Wouldn't take any abilities from existing classes, and could easily fill 4 distinct specs.

[Sucralose]

Mechanic. Wouldn't take any abilities from existing classes, and could easily fill 4 distinct specs.

Shoot keeping in mind hunters already have grenades even if no one plays survival.

[Edlarel]

Pitch a class idea that isn't simply copy pasted from other classes and doesn't break the game that offers at least 2 spec choices.

I would argue wow has to many classes not that it needs more myself.

Bard with loremaster (healer, Cho) and explorer (ranged dps/buffs and debuffs, Brann/explorer's league). loremaster uses ancient techniques and historical knowledge to keep party members well off, while explorer is more focused on finding weaknesses in enemies and bolstering allies during combat with temp bonuses while staying at range.

The reasoning would be that we're exploring new parts of the world and need all the help we can get, so the Explorer's League, Reliquary, and other similar groups finally decide it's time to step in and be more active with their research. Could also mean new content for archaeology.

[Teriz]

Shoot keeping in mind hunters already have grenades even if no one plays survival.

Sure, but a mechanic would have charges, missiles, gravity bombs, robotic summons, mech suits, lasers, etc. It's a completely different archetype.

[Syegfryed]

It could, it should, will it? probably not, more profit for less work, so, think about things like class skin or more lazy allied races, or some half-asset customization.

[Sucralose]

Bard with loremaster (healer, Cho) and explorer (ranged dps/buffs and debuffs, Brann/explorer's league). loremaster uses ancient techniques and historical knowledge to keep party members well off, while explorer is more focused on finding weaknesses in enemies and bolstering allies during combat with temp bonuses while staying at range.

The reasoning would be that we're exploring new parts of the world and need all the help we can get, so the Explorer's League, Reliquary, and other similar groups finally decide it's time to step in and be more active with their research. Could also mean new content for archaeology.

Buff classes kind of break the game though and effectively become a new role onto themselves taking in a new slot next to healer,tank,and dps. While you can sorta make it work without going that far its extremely difficult.

- - - Updated - - -

Sure, but a mechanic would have charges, missiles, gravity bombs, robotic summons, mech suits, lasers, etc. It's a completely different archetype.

I can't see how that would work in pvp as all of those abilities (over shield, dmg from outside of los ,and area denial ) are all absurdly powerful.

[Edlarel]

*snip*

I'm not saying a cloth class is guaranteed, I'm saying it's one of the things for which groundwork exists. It would be class #4, similar to leather, so it's not impossible. And it has options that aren't already taken by other classes or which can be different enough in their function. Examples in game include this guy in Pandaria.

https://www.wowhead.com/npc=70169/ma...guyen#comments
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Master_Nguyen

and again, blood mages and dragons

[Khaza-R]

I think a new class is something they desperately do not want to add because it means more work and balancing for them. A lot of people assumed we would see a new one in Shadowlands because BfA was lackluster. But they obviously didn't break the glass then and I am not sure they will in 10.0 either.

As for new races. I think like mounts, or pets there is a diminishing return on player interest with these. The more that are added to the game the less excitement they generate. Even if they were to release something popular with fans like Ethereals or Dragonkin, would this really bring anyone back to the game?

Personally I think we will continue to see more lower effort stuff like ARs, customizations and possibly class skins.

[ablib]

Blizzard has had a hard couple of years, as are most organizations. I doubt they're going to take on something as daunting as a new class during these times, and we're about Race'd out with all the allied races we've got recently.

[Edlarel]

What I'm seeing from several of these replies is that Blizzard's clearly going to throw away any chance of adding something to what is still their most successful franchise that will draw in new and returning players. Yeah, okay. Obviously they've lost interest in making money because of the pandemic and recent scandals.

[AngerFork]

I feel it's somewhat unlikely we'll see a new class, with races being a solid maybe. While we have absolutely hit a bit of a saturation point with races (can you imagine doing a WoD style racial remodel with our current setup?), they do tend to be something that Blizz can use as an easy expansion selling point and/or pre-order bonus. If we do get new races, I suspect we won't get things for them like new starting zones or massive backstory quests...they'd instead likely go through the Allied Race treatment of a small quest chain to cover their unlock, then they'll be thrown in either to Exile's Reach or they'll start at a higher level.

However for a new class, while it's something that the game desperately needs right now I'm not convinced that this dev team is willing to put in that sort of effort towards something that lasts past an expansion. We've seen this dev team lean more into the borrowed power/abandon after one expansion design model where the new ideasthey add can largely be thrown out & don't provide extra work after the current expansion ends. Garrisons, Island Expeditions, Warfronts, Mage Tower, Order Halls, Covenants, Artifact Weapons, Azerite...this team takes a lot of effort to design things meant to be thrown out at the end of an expansion. Aside from the Demon Hunter & M+, I'm not sure I can recall anything that would last multiple expansions since WoD released. If anything, we've seen them more often abandoning pieces of the old game such as Archaeology & First Aid. Adding in a new class would be work not just for this expansion, but expansions in the future...and I don't feel this dev team is willing to make that kind of commitment.

They absolutely should add in a new class...this game needs a marketing win & a new class would absolutely provide that. I just don't see this team doing that right now.

[Edlarel]

Aside from the Demon Hunter & M+, I'm not sure I can recall anything that would last multiple expansions since WoD released.

This is a very weird thing to say, since it's only been (WoD, Legion, BfA, Shadowlands), 2 expansions since they added a whole new class, and they explained in prior interviews that Shadowlands wasn't going to have a class because they didn't feel there was a theme they wanted to add that didn't clash with the story they were telling already. Plus, it has historically been 2 expansions between classes. They could have put the class idea on the backburner so that they could better flesh it out going into a new expansion.

Again, I'm not saying it has to happen, but I'm also not seeing any good arguments for why it couldn't other than claims of lazy designers from most of these replies. And we've had the same argument about "class balance breaking" with a new class since at least WotLK (No way they'll add DK, it'd break PVP even more than it already is with another tank class.)

[AngerFork]

This is a very weird thing to say, since it's only been (WoD, Legion, BfA, Shadowlands), 2 expansions since they added a whole new class, and they explained in prior interviews that Shadowlands wasn't going to have a class because they didn't feel there was a theme they wanted to add that didn't clash with the story they were telling already. Plus, it has historically been 2 expansions between classes. They could have put the class idea on the backburner so that they could better flesh it out going into a new expansion.

Again, I'm not saying it has to happen, but I'm also not seeing any good arguments for why it couldn't other than claims of lazy designers from most of these replies. And we've had the same argument about "class balance breaking" with a new class since at least WotLK (No way they'll add DK, it'd break PVP even more than it already is with another tank class.)

Let me try to refine that a bit better then. In the earlier WoW expansions, the devs put in a lot of features that wound up adding in what I call silent work towards future expansions. This refers towards new features that continued on past the expansion that they were made in & instead became extra baseline work in each future expansion. To give some examples in addition to the previous classes added, look at things like Jewelcrafting, Inscription, Archaeology, Pet Battles, & Flying. Each of these are features added in the first few expansions that had work in subsequent expansions, yet really weren't marketing points anymore...it's just added work to reach what was considered the floor for an expansion.

Aside from M+ & the Demon Hunter, can you think of anything like that which has been added since WoD? I feel this dev team has been somewhat burned by the sheer amount of new systems like that added & is a bit shy to add anything else like that, which in my estimation would include new classes.

[Edlarel]

Aside from M+ & the Demon Hunter...

But you're just saying the same thing. "Except for that class they added at a time when a class has historically been added (every 2 expansions), they haven't added a class in 2 expansions." Your justification for not doing it is contrary to your belief that they won't. As stated previously, they drew attention to not including a class with this particular expansion (Shadowlands) and gave their reasoning. They may do the same again, or they could add one because it fits the theme and story of the new expansion. My case stands that a Dragon Isles expansion would be as good a time as any to introduce either a bard (mail explorer type) or sorcerer (cloth caster with a different set of abilities, including draconic focus).

Given the previous addition of a hero class with Demon Hunter, I feel it is more likely we'll get a "general everybody class" than a hero class. Those two fantasy tropes both check off the idea that it's something different than before and can stand on its own.

[AngerFork]

But you're just saying the same thing. "Except for that class they added at a time when a class has historically been added (every 2 expansions), they haven't added a class in 2 expansions." Your justification for not doing it is contrary to your belief that they won't. As stated previously, they drew attention to not including a class with this particular expansion (Shadowlands) and gave their reasoning. They may do the same again, or they could add one because it fits the theme and story of the new expansion. My case stands that a Dragon Isles expansion would be as good a time as any to introduce either a bard (mail explorer type) or sorcerer (cloth caster with a different set of abilities, including draconic focus).

Given the previous addition of a hero class with Demon Hunter, I feel it is more likely we'll get a "general everybody class" than a hero class. Those two fantasy tropes both check off the idea that it's something different than before and can stand on its own.

I'm not saying anything about the two expansions, I'm saying that this dev team is hesitant to give themselves extra work that carries forward from expansion to expansion. Professions aren't a new class, but we haven't received a new one since Cata. There are plenty of extra game features that aren't new classes, but aside from M+ we haven't received one that has stuck around from expansion to expansion that I can think of since MoP. I don't doubt that the next expansion would be a great time to add a new class, but I do feel it would be counter to the design practices we've seen of late.

[Edlarel]

...but I do feel it would be counter to the design practices we've seen of late.

What do you mean, "of late," though? Because until the next expansion does come out and officially breaks the cycle of classes coming out (barring world-shaking pandemics), there is no change in design practices from what has existed since at least WotLK.

On a related note, I can appreciate this seemingly random side note from the ROTA 10.0 thread.

Some parts of the "leak" that are correct -- 10.0 is dragon isles, the cap is 70, and tyrande has to make a hard choice regarding sylvanas, but not with what is described here. Her choice involves a new world tree. Cross-faction play is planned. Other things they mention are completely wrong.

- there is no tinker class, and there is not one being planned for any expansions being worked on
- there is no old-world revamp
- there is a new class, and it's dragon-related (last i heard was two DPS specs and a healer, no tank)
- there is a new race, and again it is dragon-related
- the expansion also has to do with tyr, tirisfal, and ulduar
- player housing is coming, but not until 11.0 or later
- ive been informed that while 10.0 is going to be really cool, 11.0 will "make me crap my pants" as far as the concept goes

edit: forgot this tidbit
- new heirloom gear sets for remaining races are being worked on
- humans look very stormwindy (surprise)
- night elves look similar to the OG cinematic night elf armor
- draenei look like their rugged BC concept art

Fingers crossed I'm not being played

With the idea that a class is planned with draconic theme, I'm circling back to the idea of a sorcerer, which traditionally (in D&D for example), has a dragon-themed option that can be expanded on with how WoW handles their dragons.

Maybe it has 4 specs for the living dragonflights, Time, Life, Arcane, and Nature/Dreams. That would bring us to 40 specs in game, a nice, round number. Or dragon could be one spec like I considered above, with the others being "storm" (based on Master Nguyen), and blood.

As for the mentioned race here being dragon-themed as well, IF (given recent cross-polination of games) Wizards and Blizzard collaborated on a new WoW RPG tying to D&D 5e, it would give reason to include a dragonborn race that could potentially have aspects (ha) of different flights built into their appearance. YES, this would be way out of left field for current WoW, but the drakonid exist and are mutated humans, so it isn't without precedent either. And Dragon Isles would be the best time to do a crossover of that nature.

[Teriz]

With the idea that a class is planned with draconic theme, I'm circling back to the idea of a sorcerer, which traditionally (in D&D for example), has a dragon-themed option that can be expanded on with how WoW handles their dragons.

Maybe it has 4 specs for the living dragonflights, Time, Life, Arcane, and Nature/Dreams. That would bring us to 40 specs in game, a nice, round number. Or dragon could be one spec like I considered above, with the others being "storm" (based on Master Nguyen), and blood.

As for the mentioned race here being dragon-themed as well, IF (given recent cross-polination of games) Wizards and Blizzard collaborated on a new WoW RPG tying to D&D 5e, it would give reason to include a dragonborn race that could potentially have aspects (ha) of different flights built into their appearance. YES, this would be way out of left field for current WoW, but the drakonid exist and are mutated humans, so it isn't without precedent either. And Dragon Isles would be the best time to do a crossover of that nature.

I find it highly doubtful that they don't have a name for a "dragon-based class" at this point., thus I can't take any of that seriously. Also a dragon-based class without a major lore character to be based upon would be a huge departure for the WoW class lineup.