Making mob types more interesting

[Netherspark]

I've been thinking recently how mob types (Beast/Elemental/Dragonkin etc) are now almost redundant (well to be honest they pretty much always were). There are a few player spells that only work on specific types, mostly CC spells but other than that the mob types serve very little purpose. We don't even get weapons and enchants that deal bonus damage to them any more.

So I've been trying to come up with a way to make them more interesting and what sprang to mind was something similar to how Pet Battles are handled: In pet battles each type of pet has some kind of special ability or effect and I think something similar should be done to normal mob types.

So here's my idea: All mobs of each type have their own special ability or effect which is used by every single mob of that kind (they should probably be disabled for raid bosses though).


GIANT - Chance to deal crushing blows regardless of the level difference

BEAST - Enrages at 40% HP

MECHANICAL - May repair (heal) itself when damaged

ELEMENTAL:
Fire - Deals periodic AOE fire damage
Air - Chance on hit to deal additional nature damage
Earth - Chance to deal physical damage to the attacker when struck
Water - Chance to fully absorb the next attack
Plant - Deals a small amount of nature damage to the attacker every time when struck

UNDEAD - Chance to come back to life at 25% HP when killed

DEMON - Deals shadow damage when killed to whoever got the killing blow

ABBERATION - Chance on hit to afflict you with a curse

DRAGONKIN: (Breath attacks with added effects)
Red - breath heals the dragon when cast
Blue - breath freezes/roots you in place
Green - breath has chance to put you to sleep for several seconds
Bronze - breath has slow effect
Black - breath afflicts you with a fire DOT
Nether - breath fades you into the nether, reducing all damage you do
Infinite - breath stops time (stuns you) for several seconds
Proto - breath afflicts you with a debuff that increases damage taken
Twilight - breath fades you into the twilight realm where you take additional periodic damage
Stone - breath has a chance to disorient you
Storm - breath afflicts you with a debuff that reduces your chance to hit


What do you think, would you like something like this to spice up the normal mobs in the game and put these unit types to good use?

[TheWindWalker]

Honestly, this would add a lot of variety to the typical "kill (X) creatures" - "Kill (X) other creatures" routine. I like it.

[Golden Yak]

That's kind've a neat idea. I like the undead one, it'd be so freakin' annoying a lot of the time though! Bet they'd come back at the most irritating times!

[LilSaihah]

(they should probably be disabled for raid bosses though).

Yeaaaaaah. I'd love to do Naxx back in the day with their ability. :P

[Maoli]

I like the idea. I wish they'd do that instead of all the damn stuns some of the mobs have now. Nothing more annoying then doing dailies and having two kill a bunch of mobs that interrupt you each time at the start.

[CursedEmbrace]

While I like some of the suggestions you have I almost feel as if we should just leave those kinds of quirks to the individual monsters themselves, as opposed to baking certain attributes into the various monster types.

Sadly I have not played as much MoP as I'd have liked but ever since Wrath and especially with the revitalisation of the Old World in Cata I feel Blizz have been doing a great job of adding nice little abilities to the monsters you are sent out to kill (one example that jumps to mind right now to me are the Scorpids in Durotar that have that venom ball they fire that leaves a damage over time area on the floor where it strikes) but most monsters now seem to have an ability or two they use, even if it is just a generic "Deals X physical damage" after a 2 second cast, it in on the whole a lot better than it used to be.

[klaps_05]

sounds great, but prolly will never happen. i mean it took 6+ years for them to figure out they need to redo old world, now you are talking about redoing all npcs. it sounds great and it would be great if implemented, but doubt they will ever devout time to changing it.