Fracture could at least have launched with Shaman - could it still?

[Mace]

Not that blizz can’t do anything new or unique. In a 1 race /class.

Still, lore wise and mechanics wise, I feel at least a shaman class should have been possible - given their origins and story line.

Then later at least classes linked to the flights.

Mage - blue
Druid - green
Priest - red
Paladin - bronze

Shaman obviously from the black.

I’d have been fine with the other classses not being available to. Or even better. All Dracthyr classes had a melee spec that was a warrior/rogue/DK/DH combo and a tank spec. Available on their Evoker, mage, Priest class - now that would have been something new.

A 5 spec mage and priest class, and a 4 spec shaman and Evoker class only Dracthyr Druids would have no addition

I think that would have been very exciting and compelling.

I do wonder if it is possible it could launch with shaman tho

[ReVnX]

Responding only to the shaman bit. 4th and 5th specs are definitely not in the table in the near future.

Could have? Sure, they can simply do whatever they want, like tauren rogues.

Can it now? Expecting any changes this "big" this far into the development cycle is just delusional. You already know how the expansion is going to launch. Any changes happening from now to the launch date are just tweaks and balancing.

[Mace]

Responding only to the shaman bit. 4th and 5th specs are definitely not in the table in the near future.

Could have? Sure, they can simply do whatever they want, like tauren rogues.

Can it now? Expecting any changes this "big" this far into the development cycle is just delusional. You already know how the expansion is going to launch. Any changes happening from now to the launch date are just tweaks and balancing.

But is it really that big?

You just simply add the shaman to the roster.

Nothing changes, you might have to consider how the racials balance but that’s it.

Do you have Soar as a racial feature or an Evoker feature. That’s it, unless I’ve kissed something? You don’t need to do anything.

You might need to check shaman animations are possible in Draconic form, they def are in visage form , but then you would be able to play in either form at will as unlike Evoker no ability requires any form.

What would be too late for launch but most awesome would be a tank spec.

[Kharli]

But is it really that big?

You just simply add the shaman to the roster.

Nothing changes, you might have to consider how the racials balance but that’s it.

Do you have Soar as a racial feature or an Evoker feature. That’s it, unless I’ve kissed something? You don’t need to do anything.

You might need to check shaman animations are possible in Draconic form, they def are in visage form , but then you would be able to play in either form at will as unlike Evoker no ability requires any form.

What would be too late for launch but most awesome would be a tank spec.

Dracthyr do not need a tank spec for evokers, why would they need one? for what purpose would it be for them to have a tank spec?

If you add classes like paladins for example you would then need to add additional things like specific animations, a divine steed, totems etc, its additional resources they dont want to add and they clearly stated this.


So no, in my honest opinion, no they do need to add more classes to Dracthyr, they are fine as they are. sure they can add them later down the line in like 2 expansions from now when Dracthyr is not as heavily focused upon in the expansion and they have been around for a while., but honestly it should only be limited to basic classes like a rogue/warrior they have a ranged dps/healer through the evoker.

Remember as far as we know right now, the Dracthyr CAN NOT make more Dracthyr, sure we haven't had anything that does not say that, but we haven't had anything that say they can either, so.. yeah, also Dracthyr are an elite fighting force, created specifically to fight the primordial dragons by what is told in the starting zone.

[Nymrohd]

If you add classes like paladins for example you would then need to add additional things like specific animations, a divine steed, totems etc, its additional resources they dont want to add and they clearly stated this.

It really is mixed messages though to say in the same year that you plan to open all races to all classes and then release a race that can only be a single class (and a class that no other race would ever make sense as).

And I don't think Evoker needs a tank spec simply because it would just be so much easier to give Dracthyr the basic classes (hunter, mage, rogue, warrior).

[Nightshade711]

Dracthyr absolutely are going to be opened up to other classes. I won't be surprised if they're opened up right after DF in the 11.0 prepatch, probably as a "preorder bonus" like allied race DKs were.

They've had animations for warrior/rogue and most of the hunter animations since Alpha. I personally think that they intended on the Dracthyr being other classes originally (given the lore on the wyerns, like the one that specialized in infiltration.) but couldn't map player armor to them in time.

[Nymrohd]

Dracthyr absolutely are going to be opened up to other classes. I won't be surprised if they're opened up right after DF in the 11.0 prepatch, probably as a "preorder bonus" like allied race DKs were.

They've had animations for warrior/rogue and most of the hunter animations since Alpha. I personally think that they intended on the Dracthyr being other classes originally (given the lore on the wyerns, like the one that specialized in infiltration.) but couldn't map player armor to them in time.

It just would be a missed opportunity not to do it when they release their starting zone as an endgame zone.

[Nightshade711]

It just would be a missed opportunity not to do it when they release their starting zone as an endgame zone.

Agreed.
Though I doubt they will solely because of the armor thing. Unless they fix that before DF is over.

[Nymrohd]

Agreed.
Though I doubt they will solely because of the armor thing. Unless they fix that before DF is over.

Meh they don't need to. They can clearly use weapons. Don't get me wrong, they absolutely SHOULD fix it. But it's as much of a problem for a warrior as it is for an evoker.

[Xath]

Dracthyr do not need a tank spec for evokers, why would they need one? for what purpose would it be for them to have a tank spec?

If you add classes like paladins for example you would then need to add additional things like specific animations, a divine steed, totems etc, its additional resources they dont want to add and they clearly stated this.


So no, in my honest opinion, no they do need to add more classes to Dracthyr, they are fine as they are. sure they can add them later down the line in like 2 expansions from now when Dracthyr is not as heavily focused upon in the expansion and they have been around for a while., but honestly it should only be limited to basic classes like a rogue/warrior they have a ranged dps/healer through the evoker.

Remember as far as we know right now, the Dracthyr CAN NOT make more Dracthyr, sure we haven't had anything that does not say that, but we haven't had anything that say they can either, so.. yeah, also Dracthyr are an elite fighting force, created specifically to fight the primordial dragons by what is told in the starting zone.

Because tanks lack any setup besides boomkin that allows them to be long ranged dps in raids and tank outside of raid. If you have to largely play ranged dps inside of raid this will naturally lead to a lack of tanks for 5 mans because people are going to play their mains until they don't need anything on them. Also it kind of blows for tanks to be the only section of the game that can't play the new race.

[Teriz]

Meh they don't need to. They can clearly use weapons. Don't get me wrong, they absolutely SHOULD fix it. But it's as much of a problem for a warrior as it is for an evoker.

Not really. The Evoker is based around the concept of having the abilities of a dragon, thus armor is optional, since standard dragons don’t wear armor.

Warriors, Rogues, Shaman, and other classes revolve around their armor and weapons. Blizzard would need transmog to work perfectly on Dracthyr dragon form for that to happen. I personally don’t see it happening.

[Lochton]

Not that blizz can’t do anything new or unique. In a 1 race /class.

Still, lore wise and mechanics wise, I feel at least a shaman class should have been possible - given their origins and story line.

Then later at least classes linked to the flights.

Mage - blue
Druid - green
Priest - red
Paladin - bronze

Shaman obviously from the black.

I’d have been fine with the other classses not being available to. Or even better. All Dracthyr classes had a melee spec that was a warrior/rogue/DK/DH combo and a tank spec. Available on their Evoker, mage, Priest class - now that would have been something new.

A 5 spec mage and priest class, and a 4 spec shaman and Evoker class only Dracthyr Druids would have no addition

I think that would have been very exciting and compelling.

I do wonder if it is possible it could launch with shaman tho

A little too big so close to release.

And 5th spec, no, there's way too many 4th specs to make before you should even consider a 5th for some class.

[Mace]

A little too big so close to release.

And 5th spec, no, there's way too many 4th specs to make before you should even consider a 5th for some class.

Are there any technical difficulties that could supposedly make this more than just a toggle on option? I guess for shaman, you'd have to design the totem.

[Kharli]

Because tanks lack any setup besides boomkin that allows them to be long ranged dps in raids and tank outside of raid. If you have to largely play ranged dps inside of raid this will naturally lead to a lack of tanks for 5 mans because people are going to play their mains until they don't need anything on them. Also it kind of blows for tanks to be the only section of the game that can't play the new race.

Again, the amount of tanks is not because there is not enough tank specs, it's that people don't want to play tanks.

Adding additional tank specs a t this moment will not help, also this is the first new clas that does not have a melee spec and thank kark for that.

[Mecheon]

Are there any technical difficulties that could supposedly make this more than just a toggle on option? I guess for shaman, you'd have to design the totem.

There's no technical difficulties, but it very much goes into balance and development concerns. Each new spec is basically a new class into the game. The one fourth spec we have, Guardian, came out of years of it being shoved into Feral until they decided that it deserved its own stand-alone tree

A new spec would require similar levels of gameplay justification for it being a thing, and would also compound any more balance discussions going forward as you've got to consider it in terms of everything.

As for new classes, the animations for everything are already in game. Rarer classes require more art assets and that's why they're not playable by everyone yet

Shaman: 4 Totems, generally same model with some flourishes
Paladin: 2 Mounts, generally similar to existing ones but very distinctive
Druid: 5 forms, one that runs on bear, one that runs on cat, one that runs on a mount animation set, and whatever is going on for flight and moonkin for this particular one
Demon Hunter: 4 demon forms per gender and spec, plus a fair bit of customisation unique to the class

[Lochton]

Are there any technical difficulties that could supposedly make this more than just a toggle on option? I guess for shaman, you'd have to design the totem.

Technical, no, but there's more than that.

As well, why Shaman, and not like, you know, Warrior? As that would fit Black more, and give fans the wish of melee/tank.

- - - Updated - - -

Again, the amount of tanks is not because there is not enough tank specs, it's that people don't want to play tanks.

People have problems understanding this, and I do believe what Blizzard says with "Just because we make more tanks doesn't mean you will get more tanks".

[Xath]

Again, the amount of tanks is not because there is not enough tank specs, it's that people don't want to play tanks.

Adding additional tank specs a t this moment will not help, also this is the first new clas that does not have a melee spec and thank kark for that.

The lack of tanks is in part due to the lack of tanks being paired with ranged dps specs. Would it fix everything absolutely not would it help yes it would. If I play a mage in raid even if I like tanking I won't be in the tanking pool because getting my raid main in the best possible shape comes first.

[Mace]

The lack of tanks is in part due to the lack of tanks being paired with ranged dps specs. Would it fix everything absolutely not would it help yes it would. If I play a mage in raid even if I like tanking I won't be in the tanking pool because getting my raid main in the best possible shape comes first.

And the thing is, it's the a good class lore wise to do a tank spec. Could utilise the Black Dragon flight abilities for tanking - black and bronze.

Well they may yet surprise us with a tank spec + body type 1 on Evoker, then maybe adding mage, druid, priest, pala and shammy classes to it too. ALthough I think that may come next expansion now.

[Enter Name Here]

somewhat offtopic: what is "fracture" in the thread title supposed to be?

[Mace]

somewhat offtopic: what is "fracture" in the thread title supposed to be?

It's an auto correct mispell of Dracthyr - would be nice if the mod could edit the title, seeing as I can't.