Tier design concepts

[Deleted]

What would you rather have gear sets based on:

1 Raid environments and boss models.
2 On class and races.
3 On the new races / species we encounter in the exp pack.
4 a mix between them all.

[Claymore]

In general, Tier-sets should always be based on the Class itself, not the drop-location. The Classes have such rich history anyways, you're more likely to get more unique results that way, as opposed to everyone sharing a "theme", such as Firelands, where none of the sets have any character to them.

That said, I also like to see them branch out with different "looks", that are still consistent with the Class's theme. Judgement, for example, still fits the Paladin's overall motif, even though there has never truly been an "inquisitor" type of Paladin in the Lore.

The one exception to this I would grant is Warriors. While they're generally seen as the "Barbarian-class", they tend to be a little more free-form adventurer, so it makes sense that they would arm themselves in "whatever fits".

[Deleted]

CM sets will again be based on classes, while raid tier sets will heavily borrow from the raid environment/patch environment.
As the raid environments themselves will also be based on the new races we encounter, you can also expect the gear to heavily lean on racial features, e.g. i almost certainly expect a arakkoa based druid set for T18.

And i certainly like it this way. Having raid tier sets that are not based on raid environment does not feel right, since it is basically loot we get from killing mobs inside the raid. Having those mods suddenly drop kirin-tor armor for mages although they have squats to do with any kirin-tor would be highly dubious.

[Claymore]

CM sets will again be based on classes, while raid tier sets will heavily borrow from the raid environment/patch environment.
As the raid environments themselves will also be based on the new races we encounter, you can also expect the gear to heavily lean on racial features, e.g. i almost certainly expect a arakkoa based druid set for T18.

And i certainly like it this way. Having raid tier sets that are not based on raid environment does not feel right, since it is basically loot we get from killing mobs inside the raid. Having those mods suddenly drop kirin-tor armor for mages although they have squats to do with any kirin-tor would be highly dubious.

I highly disagree; having everything be based on drop-location just winds up with all of the Classes blurring together. Now granted, I think TIER-designs should also be exclusive to their respective Class, and use more generic-looking designs for non-Set items. That way, a Mage can don his/her Kirin Tor garb, without Priests and Warlocks suddenly dancing around in the same armor.

[snuzzle]

In general, Tier-sets should always be based on the Class itself, not the drop-location. The Classes have such rich history anyways, you're more likely to get more unique results that way, as opposed to everyone sharing a "theme", such as Firelands, where none of the sets have any character to them.

I think a combination of both is great. I like being able to instantly identify which tier comes from where, but the class identity should trump all. For example, hunters have a great thing going on where their sets almost always refer to the bosses or monsters in the dungeon.

A mage set should look magey, but it should also reference the dungeon it dropped in (since after all, we ARE scavenging the loot from the mobs).

[Lord Pebbleton]

Please... it doesn't matter what it represents, but give me a hunter set that I don't feel ashamed to wear...
I'm transmogrifying a shaman recolor... please... send... help...

[snuzzle]

There are tons of great hunter sets, you crazy.

[Krommm]

Class themed first. Racial secondary. Sometimes raid theme works, but often only for a few classes.

[Boxilot]

Being a semi RPer I like the tiers to be fully based on the class. When I play my paladin I want to have a halo of holy inquisitor power! When I play rogue I want to be sneaky, slick and deadly etc.

Some encounter specific tiers has been really.... trippy.

[Mteq]

raid boss/environment without neglecting the feel/origin of the class.

it just doesn't make sense to get shiny dreanei looking drops from Orc bosses....you can argue you get tokens from the bosses, but it just doesn't feel right.

[Deleted]

Class themed, shamans and priets have been doing ok overall...all others though. :/

[Lord Pebbleton]

There are tons of great hunter sets, you crazy.

What's so great about wearing dead stuff we killed? What are we, hunters or hobos?

[snuzzle]

What's so great about wearing dead stuff we killed? What are we, hunters or hobos?

Giantstalker, Demon Stalker, and Scourgestalker would all like to have words with you.

[Deleted]

Tier should be class design based. I miss the pre-cata sets.

[Tenjen]

it should be what they attempt anyway. Class based with a theme based on the raid. what each class would look like within the realm of that raid.

[Septik]

I like when the tier sets are a mix of the class & the environment (ie, the warr tier & non-tier plate from DS), and i also like when something the boss wears is on its loot-table (ie; garrosh's kick ass shoulders)

What they should do is redo the 'starter' gear for each class to be more like the dk starter (or the gear on the char creation) that you could keep (or re-purchase) and xmog with?

[Kaganfindel]

"Here comes the hero! He's the one who led the charge against the Iron Horde!"
"Why is he dressed up as one of the bad guys?"
"Cause their equipment has thirty more points of strength than the stuff our armorers are making."
". . . and more spikes."
"Right, and more spikes."
"Then why aren't we wearing it?"
"Coz the garrison commander wants us to stay in uniform."
"Oh."
"And, er, who's the garrison commander, again?"
"That guy."
"You mean the one dressed up as the bad guys because they have better equipment?"
"Yeah."
"The guy we've been talking about? Just now? That guy?"
"Yeah."
"And our armorers, the ones who can't keep up with the baddies - who hired them?"
"He did."
"So he hired the armorers whose armor he won't wear because it's poorer stuff than the enemy has, but we have to wear it on his orders?"
". . . "
"I think I'll put in for redeployment."
"Yeah, bugger this for a game of soldiers."

[Mermaid]

I can't stand it when tier pieces resemble the raid they drop from.

I am so sick of cloth / leather armor that looks like it's made from plate and stone.

[Lord Pebbleton]

Giantstalker, Demon Stalker, and Scourgestalker would all like to have words with you.

Demonstalker may be the only of these three that I don't dislike. Seeing it throughout TBC spoiled it a bit though.
I think they yet have to grasp the essence of hunter.

[Blithe]

I'd have to say my favourite overall Tier was definitely Tier 10 followed by Season 8 and Tier 6 armor sets. I'm not too sure of what they're exactly designed around but they look great and Blizzard did an amazing job. I'm not very big on other Tier sets, though maybe Tier 8? I might as well go and say they really had a good time for Tier design in Wrath of the Lich King.