4 Specs, another tack- Adding a Non-DPS spec to each pure DPS class.

[Klingers]

Reading similar threads styled around giving characters specs revolving WCIII heroes and such, I couldn't really think of the point beyond coolness factor. Many of the abilities associated with everything from Wardens to Demon hunters have already been peppered through different classes and specs to the point where it would be nigh-impossible to create a viable fourth-spec with real flavour from what's left.

There is, however, another way to look at it: What about pure DPS classes wanting shorter queue times and/or different roles?

Easy way to solve this: Build a utility spec, either tanking or healing, into the existing pure DPS classes. Without further ado:

Warlocks: Tank
Take the glyph. Make it a spec. Give tanking locks purple glowing claws for their melee attacks. Come up with some cool active mitigation ability using the demon. Maybe even having the lock actively shunt 90% of incoming damage to the pet, and the healer having to focus on healing the pet. Just a thought.

Mages: Healer
I like the the concept of a Temporal Mage, reversing time in a localised field to wipe wounds from existence. Yes, I admit stole this idea from Bleach. It's still cool. Lore even fits with the new mortal guardians of the Caverns of Time being able to impart new magic to mages.

Rogues: Tank
Sadly (well, not really sadly... We have it now and it's awesome) this idea has already been implemented in the form of a Brewmaster. I thought the idea of evasion tanking three years ago would be awesome for rogues. It could still work... Maybe some thematic variation to differentiate it from Brewmasters?

Hunter: Tank
I love my idea for this. You probably won't. Tanking spec for hunters: Let the Hunter be the "pet" while the player drives tanking-themed pets. Perma-Eyes of the Beast on steroids with the hunter as a "minion".

A couple of others for hybrids, just for the heck of it:

Shaman: Tank
Yes they can heal, but I honestly think they need a tanking spec as well. Something about channeling spirits to absorb damage and thumping things with giant totems. I admit this idea is partly stolen from elsewhere, but it's a damn-good idea.

Paladin: Ranged DPS.
Int plate. Shockadin. Wacky Hijinks Ensue.

Warrior: Ranged DPS
I had a cool concept that unfortunately doesn't really fit established WoW archetypes. A ranged-DPS spec for Warriors where a one-handed sword, mace or axe it held on a chain and thrown at enemies before being retracted.

Monk: Ranged DPS
Ok, this one's a bit of a stretch because monks are basically awesome and can do everything... But think about it: Alcohol is flammable. And portable. And can be weaponized.

Anyway, I think that would solve the 4-spec problem for everyone. Plus, with everyone Having a utility spec, there's be 10-odd new "classes" in the game, as well as nobody being able to viably complain about queues anymore. Give it some thought.

[Scram]

Its called RIFT. lets keep WoW Kewl

[Deleted]

Sure, it would be something. Though for hunters they could give a healer spec instead of a tank one, maybe priestess of the moon?

Its called RIFT. lets keep WoW Kewl

so you're saying WoW needs to remain exactly as it is and never change? you're saying all classes are perfect, and dps only classes do great? Because I don't see this. And what's this have to do with RIFT? That's a good game too.

[Gandrake]

i really don't think these people need anything else to half-ass

warrior class has not been updated since cataclysm and is frequently sugar coated with bullshit fotm abilities to make it look less shit until it's nerfed to fuck every expansion

let's see to that first and then talk about new classes or specializations

[Aphrel]

instead of a new spec. id rather see current trees changed to fir a new role, warlock demo/hunter bm tanking whould be great.
and myslef id love to se our boring arcspec becoming something healer oriented.

[Teriz]

instead of a new spec. id rather see current trees changed to fir a new role, warlock demo/hunter bm tanking whould be great.
and myslef id love to se our boring arcspec becoming something healer oriented.

I think that would be a bad idea. Too many people are invested in the current DPS specs to alter them. 4th spec is the superior solution. Not only does it give old DPS specs a hybrid option, it also preserves the older specs for players who want to stay DPS.

As for Monks, chi based ranged DPS based on the Red Crane.

[Rivellana]

I would much rather my hunter have a support/healer role than be a tank. Something like a bard, even though those are traditionally rogue classes. Although if rogues got a healing spec it would be the only time I would ever consider leveling one in WoW. I can think of at least two other games with rogues that have tank specs already.

Mage tanking or healing though is just...ugh. Warlocks already tank and heal themselves well enough in their dps specs.

If you made my paladin or monk have the ability to ranged dps I would totally play it.

[NightZero88]

Blizz can't balance the game as is, we don't need 10 more specs to make it even worse.

[yjmark]

If you just want to shorten queue times, I think there are many easier solutions instead of creating a ton of extra specs for Blizz to try and balance.

Ex - Change the balance of roles. For LFD - make it 1 tank, 1 healer, and 4 DPS.

[Shadowblade7x]

Rogues: Tank
Sadly (well, not really sadly... We have it now and it's awesome) this idea has already been implemented in the form of a Brewmaster. I thought the idea of evasion tanking three years ago would be awesome for rogues. It could still work... Maybe some thematic variation to differentiate it from Brewmasters?

Some rogues would take offense to this lol

On topic though, I think adding more tanks to the game would effectively shortly LFR/LFD queues. I like the idea but Blizzard would have to think of MORE ways to balance it, and the more you add the less balanced things will get.

• Warlock tanks are obviously already in the making, they wouldn't have created Apotheosis without an idea of doing it.
• Hunter tank could work, they could do it like warlock and make it a glyph though than a spec.
• Rogue tank is kinda weird, but thinking of it they could balance it as closely to BrM as much as they can and have their work cut out for them.
• Paladin shockadin, not sure why you thought of this because they are not a pure dps class, same with warrior.
• Shamans have a taunt, same though as to why the messing with non-pure dps classes again?

P.S. To the hunter tank, the glyph would make pet's crit defense capped (I think they might be?), get healed for more from outside sources by a smidge, their AOE threat ability to be slightly buffed, and for misdirect to become a longer duration or even a toggle when selecting the pet, and give their pet a 'survival instincts' like ability. Looking at like a BM only glyph, and that it changes your mastery to increase the health and armor of your pet by % amount.

[Electromatt]

Warriors ranged dps could use a bow like in GW2.

[Kharli]

Some rogues would take offense to this lol

On topic though, I think adding more tanks to the game would effectively shortly LFR/LFD queues. I like the idea but Blizzard would have to think of MORE ways to balance it, and the more you add the less balanced things will get.

• Warlock tanks are obviously already in the making, they wouldn't have created Apotheosis without an idea of doing it.
• Hunter tank could work, they could do it like warlock and make it a glyph though than a spec.
• Rogue tank is kinda weird, but thinking of it they could balance it as closely to BrM as much as they can and have their work cut out for them.
• Paladin shockadin, not sure why you thought of this because they are not a pure dps class, same with warrior.
• Shamans have a taunt, same though as to why the messing with non-pure dps classes again?

P.S. To the hunter tank, the glyph would make pet's crit defense capped (I think they might be?), get healed for more from outside sources by a smidge, their AOE threat ability to be slightly buffed, and for misdirect to become a longer duration or even a toggle when selecting the pet, and give their pet a 'survival instincts' like ability. Looking at like a BM only glyph, and that it changes your mastery to increase the health and armor of your pet by % amount.

Regarding paladin..
there is only ONE SPEC that uses plate int, HOly paladins..so yeh.

[Shadowblade7x]

Yeah, but that's unique to the class and spec. Blizzard even just made a post about the uniqueness of classes. So maybe you have a retadin in your raid, int plate drops frequently, make him an/the off-healer! This makes sense.

[MoanaLisa]

The end result is that most every pure class would be even more like every other class than they are now. If you're a mage and want to have a healing spec, then roll a priest and play do a shadow/healer split or a shaman with elemental/resto. I'm not convinced that adding more tank specs would actually get us more tanks. If tanking in the game were such a wonderful activity there would be more of them.

There's really only three roles in the game. I can imagine a fourth support role but it would either 1) not be played by much of anyone or 2) to get people to play it Blizzard would have to design it in such a way that it would be mandatory to carry along in raids. Neither of those things are likely to happen.

[Shadowblade7x]

Why are you not convinced more tanking roles to classes would get us more tanks? As I see it, people who already have warlocks at max but hate leveling the current tanks would probably try tanking and most would go to it, people who have rogues and want to try it the same, people who have hunters the same.

There would be a gain in people who would try out the tanking spec vs their already set pure dps specs. And some would even stick to it. That would indeed lead to more tanks, even if it is just a few %.

That's like saying 0% of the people playing warlocks, rogues, and hunters would even try it. Even though, fairly speaking, 15%-25% easily would. Even if they didn't consider playing a current tank class, it's not having to switch classes.

[Deleted]

Maybe pure classes want to be pure classes

[Shadowblade7x]

Not going into an arguement so getting out of this thread after this. Most people who start playing WoW for the first time sometimes choose a pure dps class without the intent on wanting to be "only dps." But they did it because they don't know. My first character was a rogue, same with a friend of mine, and another was a mage. All of us got to max, and then leveled a priest, druid, and paladin. For the pure fact that when we were first leveling it was just for fun, not really "planning" on only being purely one spec.

Also 'pure' classes is not the way I'd put it. A limited class is more exact. Also the topic was to add onto what he was thinking, not what I put. I added my thoughts, then extended to people who were trumped by my simple response.

[fangless]

Think of the rage from every other class in the game if one class got a new spec before the rest :P They would have to implement them all at once, and if they only introduce a new class every few years, I don't think a dozen or so new specs would happen any time soon.



That said, it would be a welcome addition across the board. Who wouldn't want more options for their character?

[Mushedcow]

Too much work, you have to create new spells, make stats balanced, gear balance for the different specs. I'd rather each class have only 2 specs than 3 and have them all balanced rather than have 4 specs balanced similarly to how they was balanced in vanilla.

[AVPaul]

You know. It's good idea. Today we lacking healers and tanks, which makes LFD/LFR unenjoyable due to very long queues. And it's becoming worse and worse with time. This process started with Cataclysm and was caused by wrong designing decisions, i.e. by trying to make healing and tanking more "interesting" via making it harder. By buffing pure dps too much. And instead of solving problem with tank/heal roles popularity, Blizzard are choosing the easiest and laziest way - they're shifting to solo/dps-only content. I.e. dailies, scenarios, pet battles, brawler guild, etc. That starts chain reaction: as there too much dps/solo content and as Blizzard trying to "force" players into this content, players start losing any reasons to play healers and tanks. That leads us to the point, where there will be no need to have tanks and healers at all. And game will completely turn into GW2. But... If I would want to play GW2, I will play GW2. And I wanna play Wow! So, 4th spec may be the right decision it this situation.