How do you feel about the Monk thematically?

[A dot Ham]

Personally I feel like the Diablo monk... fits into Azeroth and the "world" of warcraft much nicer than what we currently have.

For MoP it was fine, but it doesn't feel like the Monk has found its place or its niche since then. On my monk I feel disjointed, disconnected, out of place.

Take garrisons for example, I felt that every other class could be the leader, or commander. For my monk though, I felt like a fish out of water.

Anyone else feel that way?

[Crruor]

I kinda feel what you mean, every class is represented in the world. You got paladins doing stuff, shamans, warlocks, the mages are super important and so on. And the classes that have a very low representation like rogue or warriors and hunters are so iconic they just fit everywhere. Monks were common in MoP but otherwise there are almost no monks in the world bar maybe the scarlet crusade but they dont really count. It does feel like the monk is just out of place outside of pandaria.


Dks are similar but they are so "cool" from a lore perspective that they fit everywhere. But i dont think the diablo monk would fit any better.



That said, i very much like monks right now.

[Nyrri]

I kinda like it. I've been having a blast on my monk so far this expansion, playing anything else feels... dull. Trying to get into my feral druid and it's just not working, haha!

As far as lore perspective goes, I think they still fit, thematically. Martial artists from a bygone era, mystical healers using the power of the mists, and drunken brawlers (because, let's be honest, if I was going to be the main focus for these baddies, I'd be sloshed too).

The only thing I wasn't too fond of was the class campaign, it was pretty dull and anticlimatic compared to some of the other classes. It felt like it was fine for a panda, but I could see other races feeling disconnected from the class campaign.

[Dirdie]

I kinda like it. I've been having a blast on my monk so far this expansion, playing anything else feels... dull. Trying to get into my feral druid and it's just not working, haha!

As far as lore perspective goes, I think they still fit, thematically. Martial artists from a bygone era, mystical healers using the power of the mists, and drunken brawlers (because, let's be honest, if I was going to be the main focus for these baddies, I'd be sloshed too).

The only thing I wasn't too fond of was the class campaign, it was pretty dull and anticlimatic compared to some of the other classes. It felt like it was fine for a panda, but I could see other races feeling disconnected from the class campaign.

This sums it up to a T for me as well. even the feral druid part, lol. I have my druid sitting at 102 and can't be bothered to continue it. If he wasn't my gatherer i wouldn't of made it to 102.

[Hebb]

I get around this somewhat, by telling myself that my monk *is* the monk representative out in the world. My druid's gets overshadowed by Malfurion, my shaman by Thrall etc. With my monk, he's just there helping these big name guys on equal footing. On my mage? I'm just Khadgar's errand boy.

But yeah. I fo feel the same way. Kinda wish that another class played exactly like my monk.

[Deleted]

I really dislike the classic Monk fantasy (like Diablo or other unarmed fighter examples), but I love being a Pandaren Monk. Not necessarily because of the kung fu aspect, but because I really identify with the personality. The soft-spoken, unseeming Pandaren drinking his tea who suddenly appears behind you thwacking you across the head with a stick to teach you a lesson. The 'Join me for a drink, friend!' mentality instead of the 'Life is Pain' DK approach.

I think it fits into the world just fine, but WoW certainly does cater it's theme a lot more towards a more militaristic or magical side. I actually started WoD as a Paladin because I just didn't connect with my Monk being this military leader in a spiky horde base (after a couple of weeks I went back, but didn't make me feel too much more at home).

But when it comes down to it, I just love it. Aside from having a great order hall and campaign (especially if you're Pandaren), I do feel like this wandering hero.

I must say that I did feel like Pandaren, and Monks, were being woefully unrepresented. We didn't even feature at all at the Broken Shore. The interesting thing I've felt though is that I've gone from wondering who's in charge to realising... I'm the Pandaren in charge. I do feel like the Monk leader now. I'm the one representing at Alliance meetings, I'm the ambassador, I'm leading the last remnants of a shattered order.

Thematically, I think non-Pandaren Monks might feel underlooked and dominated by this heavy alignment with the Pandaren. But as a Pandaren Monk, I feel like I've got a lot to fight for. A land, a home, a people to fight for. The Pandaren order campaign didn't focus on gathering great cosmic power, leading an army or an epic fight over the fate of gods and kingdoms - we were defending the innocent and rescuing our people who were taken.

Monks don't really fit too well into the military commander/warchief type role in my eyes. But leading an elite group of fighters like the Shado-Pan, infiltrating and disrupting enemy war camps, taking on dangerous missions, or just taking on the role of wanderer within the mystical broken isles? I think the class fantasy is being fleshed out a lot this expansion

Edit: That said, there are times where I get pissed that we have a pretty crap collection of leather transmogs available to us, and I do sometimes crave playing a class where I can just have badass armour and a kickass sword. No chi bollocks, just stabbydeath and heroic posing. But then I have a cup of tea and it's k.

[Jademist]

It's funny when people talk about what "fits" in the Warcraft universe when a lot of things weren't present when the first Warcraft game was realized. We did not get Night Elves and shape-shifting druids and talking cow people and fighting trees until the third Warcraft game which also included, as an easter egg, the Pandaren Brewmaster. I feel like Warcraft is flexible in a sense that things can work very well thematically with the whole, especially considering how we have a dimensional traveling ship carrying a bunch of aliens exiled from their home planet and look nothing remotely close to any of the native species on Azeroth.

As for the Monk, I feel like it fits thematically well with Azeroth in its own niche -- the one where they come from a distant land shrouded away from millennia. While I do slightly agree with your sentiment, OP, that in WoD it felt weird for my monk being a commander of sorts, I think that came more because the class is still relatively young, compared to the other more well-established classes. I mean, take a look at the Demon Hunters. They make sense now that we are fighting the Legion head-on but will they make sense after? They were specifically trained for one task, and one task only, and that is the eradication of the Burning Legion. I feel like Demon Hunters will feel out of place outside of the Legion-themed expansion we have now, just how Monks feel out of place outside of Mists of Pandaria. Or not.

I feel like there is still time for Monks to develop their niche. Sometimes I like that we don't seem to fully fit in the puzzle. Gives us a sense of being unique, in that sense. I agree with Dao Dao, though, that at least our characters don't feel overshadowed by the more powerful lore characters that represent each class. We have Chen Stormstout and Taran Zhu and the Monkey King and Lorewalker Cho, which aren't really practically demi-gods in their own right compared to Jaina or Malfurion or Sylvanas.

[Noocta]

I like the idea that our Monks are representative of an order, and we are THE face of it. You are the Grandmaster of the order of Monks, period. No other great group or figure head, it's you, and it makes sense that it is.
Chen or Taran Zu aren't as powerful as you are, but they're part of the people you lead and share an ideal with.

And while I agree we could use a bit more representation, and a bit more for non pandaren monks (i'd love to have stories ingame showing how the monk ways helped some people from other races ), I think we're doing fine lore fantasy wise. Maybe we aren't as specialized at fighting the legion as Demon Hunters, but we still are a powerful group of warriors the Alliance or the Horde has use for, and we use the opportunity to also spread the monk idealogy around, trying to find balance.

[Deleted]

Personally I really dislike the "Asian Pandaren Monk" theme that Warcraft uses for monks. Would have liked a eropean/middle age monk version a lot more, like the Friar in DAoC for example. I also dislike the "fists"/kung fu aspect of the class and I would like them to use staves throughout all specs and not those crappy fist weapons.

That said, I'm really not a big fan of WoW lore overall. Mixing up too much fantasy ideas and everything is too cartoonish and colorful imo. I do like certain parts of the design, like Gilneas/Worgen, most of the Undead stuff, DKs, Warlocks, Paladins, Dwarves. Everything that is more like "traditional/medieval-like" fantasy. I also hate the "machines" and steam punk influence in Warcraft.

[Darkeon]

I loved the theme back in Pandaria. Now? Not that much. One does feel like an outsider most of the time. Which is kinda their niche anyways, but still..

[Deleted]

I loved the theme back in Pandaria. Now? Not that much. One does feel like an outsider most of the time. Which is kinda their niche anyways, but still..

I reconcile that with the idea that yes, a Pandaren Monk stands out from the ranks of Alliance infantry/etc. - but we're a welcome, comforting sight. I can see Warlocks, Demon Hunters, and the like all being a bit outcast, but we're a bit like the Friar Tuck who joins the band of merry men and sits around the campfire with his beer telling jokes.

[willtron]

Thematically I find them very odd. Especially in raid settings.

Everyone is there with their big swords and flashy spells. The monk turns up and just punches the dragon in the leg and it's a huge turn off for me. If they made it so it looked like the abilites were more infused with magic and the chi was more visible in things like blackout kick then I'd be able to deal with that theme much better.

[dotOrion]

I play a pandaren monk, so I feel like class campaign etc fits me fairly well, and I don't feel out of place even though there may be less monk NPCs out in the world (bar Pandaria).

My only gripe with monk thematics is the celestials, actually. More specifically I wish they would just choose Yu'lon as the prime healing celestial and be done with it, but then there are several healing talent cooldowns that involve Chi-Ji for some reason, yet all artifact names point to Yu'lon again.... Yu'lon was the caster DPS cloak celestial, Chi Ji was the healing cloak celestial... so it seems Blizzard is using them interchangeably and I would prefer if they stuck with one all the way.

[Deleted]

I'm not really sure what the title of this thread means, but Monk fits into WoW pretty well, as you said since MoP, and make sense the class will be there forever since every new class stayed. I don't think that any other class that came to WoW fits any better or worse than Monk will, since every added class' expansion becomes more irrelevant when new expansion comes. I haven't played Diablo Monk but I have a hard time fitting it any better into WoW, mainly because it's from totally different game in the first place.

Furthermore, I don't even like Monk in WoW because of its design theme makes me feel like I'm playing like a Kunfu Druid because of the the kicks etc and link to nature, and I dislike Druid even more so I basically have no interest in at all

After all, I believe Monk fits into the game and think it's a great addition.

[Beckers]

I think the current in game monks stick like sore thumbs... I loved mists so this isn't a case of "lolpandas" I just honestly think they are the most irrelevant thing in the WoW universe.

[Deleted]

I kinda feel what you mean, every class is represented in the world. You got paladins doing stuff, shamans, warlocks, the mages are super important and so on. And the classes that have a very low representation like rogue or warriors and hunters are so iconic they just fit everywhere. Monks were common in MoP but otherwise there are almost no monks in the world bar maybe the scarlet crusade but they dont really count. It does feel like the monk is just out of place outside of pandaria.

I do agree, but i love it.
My monk is a female blood elf, which makes even less sense than a pandaren, but because of that i get that outcast and weird feeling from my char that i really like about her.
Also because of that misrepresentation compared to say pallies or mages, i do feel like the typical adventurer that comes out of nobody knows where, to help the leading characters and ends up being that char in stories that everyone remembers in the end, and i quite like that feeling a lot.

[Heaterz 88]

I get around this somewhat, by telling myself that my monk *is* the monk representative out in the world. My druid's gets overshadowed by Malfurion, my shaman by Thrall etc. With my monk, he's just there helping these big name guys on equal footing. On my mage? I'm just Khadgar's errand boy.

But yeah. I fo feel the same way. Kinda wish that another class played exactly like my monk.

im with you on this. i feel like my character is the one representing monks

[Tenant]

One of the best things about WoW's Monk is the personality. They have a style all their own compared to the other classes, and to me, they feel inherently humble and jovial; this isn't just a Pandaren-thing either, since "jovial" would describe them well too, but the idea of a class is that it's a lifestyle your character takes. For the Monk, their kit perfectly illustrates the friendly, calm, disciplined zen they dedicate their life to. The Brewmaster is hearty and conjures up images of a jolly someone who doesn't take things too seriously, the Mistweaver is a wise, calm soothsayer who heals the body with an art more "mystical" than the other healers, and the Windwalker serves as a reminder that Monks are all trained, martial artists who've honed their bodies as their weapons.

Thematically, no other class is like the Monk, so I'd call that a success. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing that the Monk feels disconnected; that may be the point. I just like that they stand out for the simple fact of being a Monk.

Thematically I find them very odd. Especially in raid settings.

Everyone is there with their big swords and flashy spells. The monk turns up and just punches the dragon in the leg and it's a huge turn off for me. If they made it so it looked like the abilites were more infused with magic and the chi was more visible in things like blackout kick then I'd be able to deal with that theme much better.

The fist-fighting is why I got into the class in the first place. Personally I wouldn't want spell effects to muddle up the physical-aspect of the class more than they need to; that contrast of being the martial artist fighter amongst the sea of swords and spells is part of the appeal. If anything, if I could, I'd try to make the actual animations/movements of the characters more exaggerated than they already are to make those hits feel a lot more physical: Blackout Kick sometimes doesn't feel like is thrown out fast enough.

[parkerlewis]

Yeah, switching to (Pandaren) Monk for Legion meant coming to terms with playing a character that feels like an outsider to the Warcraft universe after coming from classes like Paladin and DK which were pretty core to the RTS Warcraft games I was playing 15-20 years ago.

It does still feel weird at times that we are so closely linked to the MoP expansion which is now 2 xpacs in the past, but I've just tried to embrace the wanderer/mercenary mindset to explain why my character joined the Horde and is fighting against the Legion. I agree that things like being a Panda Monk in charge of a spike-filled Horde garrison in Frostfire Ridg didn't seem right at all and I'm happy that Class Halls came along to turn that concept into something that makes more sense thematically for each class.

Personally, I identify more with the calm/zen/friendly theme of Pandas/Monks more than I did with the DK I played for most of the past 4 years so that's been an added benefit too.

I do wish in retrospect that I'd gotten on board with Monk back when they were current in Pandaria but I admit to being kind of turned off by "Pandas in my Warcraft game??" at the time because it was so different from what I was used to in WoW. Time has been kind to Pandaria though and I think most people now appreciate it for what it was and it is remembered fondly, at least in comparison to Draenor.

[Deleted]

Personally, I like the style and feel of the monk. I really enjoy how i feel in the world and lore at the moment. I do not, however, like how soo much of our class order campaign is set around the panda's I kind of felt that it was... a panda campaign not a monk one. I know there were a few non panda's around but so much of our lore is tied to panda. I'm a cow monk + I did feel out of place doing the campaign.
It is a good story and I like how we are and feel. i hope they start to move away from only panda npc's.