Prestige Classes (Class Skins)

[Okacz]

I agree with the idea, but it's a functionality easier to implement via glyphs. Hey, remember those, cool bits of customization Blizzard pretty much threw away?

Instead of having, for instance, a whole Necrolord skin for a Warlock, via some content you could be able to unlock Glyphs that help you achieve that effect. Glyphs that replace Imps with Skeletal Archers, Hand of Gul'Dan with Corpse Explosion, Demonic Tyrant with Lich. Windwalker? Change Rising Sun Kick into Haymaker, Fists of Fury into Mad Flailing, Earth/Wind/Fire into Call Backup. There we go, some glyphs and you've got yourself a Brawler instead of a Monk.

Also, something to do for those sad Scribes, damn, profession created for Glyph could use some Glyphs to make.

[Hitei]

I agree with the idea, but it's a functionality easier to implement via glyphs. Hey, remember those, cool bits of customization Blizzard pretty much threw away?

Instead of having, for instance, a whole Necrolord skin for a Warlock, via some content you could be able to unlock Glyphs that help you achieve that effect. Glyphs that replace Imps with Skeletal Archers, Hand of Gul'Dan with Corpse Explosion, Demonic Tyrant with Lich. Windwalker? Change Rising Sun Kick into Haymaker, Fists of Fury into Mad Flailing, Earth/Wind/Fire into Call Backup. There we go, some glyphs and you've got yourself a Brawler instead of a Monk.

Also, something to do for those sad Scribes, damn, profession created for Glyph could use some Glyphs to make.

That sounds fucking awful. Why would you piecemeal in glyphs allowing a class to use spells that have nothing to do with the class? So that we have warlocks summoning imps and dreadstalkers and then they hit a cooldown and a random Lich that has nothing to do with their class or toolkit shows up?

[Okacz]

That sounds fucking awful. Why would you piecemeal in glyphs allowing a class to use spells that have nothing to do with the class? So that we have warlocks summoning imps and dreadstalkers and then they hit a cooldown and a random Lich that has nothing to do with their class or toolkit shows up?

I was rather thinking those would work like Ensembles, so you would be always working towards/buying/whatever the whole set, not its parts. So you'd be able to immediately equip all glyphs for a whole "subclass".

But if you want to, sure, pick whatever you like. Those are skins for your abilities, it's up to Blizzard to make them fit your class so mixing them shouldn't feel "unimmersive". Maybe Necrolord Warlock was stretching it, but Monk using 1 or 2 abilities from Brawler set shouldn't feel too off.

[Hitei]

I was rather thinking those would work like Ensembles, so you would be always working towards/buying/whatever the whole set, not its parts. So you'd be able to immediately equip all glyphs for a whole "subclass".

But if you want to, sure, pick whatever you like. Those are skins for your abilities, it's up to Blizzard to make them fit your class so mixing them shouldn't feel "unimmersive". Maybe Necrolord Warlock was stretching it, but Monk using 1 or 2 abilities from Brawler set shouldn't feel too off.

Yes. I am glad you now also realize that implementing something completely outside the scope of glyphs using glyphs makes no sense. Glyphs are for minor cosmetic alterations like "this demon is now some other similar demon" or "your fists of fury now seem less magical" not reskinning a class.

[Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang]

How would dark ranger work... Dark rangers are undead no? Would only work with NE, BE , Human and forsaken but they would all be dead?

Same with Death Knights I suppose.

[Unholyground]

Dark Ranger would be it's own class first of all contrary to everyone shitting on that idea. There are already tons of toys that change appearance so technically that already exists anyways.

[Cosmic Janitor]

That sounds fucking awful. Why would you piecemeal in glyphs allowing a class to use spells that have nothing to do with the class? So that we have warlocks summoning imps and dreadstalkers and then they hit a cooldown and a random Lich that has nothing to do with their class or toolkit shows up?

I think it depends on the kind of class skin you are doing. The base idea (if we go with the necro, dark shaman, dragonsworn one) is already heavily flawed, since one of these 3 sticks out like a sore thumb. A dark shaman is just a shaman with a different alignment. The same would be true for moonpriest, hex priest or what ever other racial flavored variant of base classes are out there.

For this idea to be worthwhile at all I think there need to be 2 major changes to the idea:
1. Flavor theming of the class within the same class background and the same mechanics should be relegated to glyphs. That is the most important part.
2. Unrealted classes that only share a mechanical similarity but have otherwise it's own visual and lore theme go with the proposed idea of class-skins.

Optional 3rd change, since 2. cuts down the viability of the idea by being only applicable to very few classes:
3. Adjust the idea to work on a spec by spec basis to create meta-classes that have different spec combinations.

With the 3rd adjustment you no longer need to provide a forced excuse if you only want to create a class that would only utilize 1 or 2 specs of another class as a mechanical template, and instead you can create classes with less specs like demon hunter or mix and match as needed. Looking back at my elementalist idea (doesn't really work in wow as a class imho because of lore, but mechanically it would) for example, this way you could repaint frost <-> earth, fire <-> lightning and you could either leave out arcane <-> <some forced rubbish> or go with another classes' template like warlock's destruction <-> water (think of soul shards as accumulated water, pets as different elementals). Not saying that the example was stellar, but I didn't put much effort into it and that way you could actually make use of all the specs out there while still creating new classes as needed for the game while keeping balancing down. You could also still add niche classes and specs that way if you have something new that would otherwise not warrant a new class, since you could take 1-2 old specs and add in 1 new one and call it a different class.

I'm not saying I'm overly fond of the idea, since this is something you would usually find in asian MMORPGs (because they don't care if their customers are too dumb to figure it out) and it could probably be seen as some kind of recycling, but it would certainly increase the customization options of classes.

[Sencha]

So... additional skins? We don't already have tons of them?

[wanax]

Following on from the supposed leak talking about prestige classes for Necromancer, Dragonsworn and Dark Shaman, I thought it might be fun to think of what other class skins we could get if such a feature were ever implemented.

I quite like the idea that they are their own class and not just a slap on skin to your current toon, as this means they can have totally different race combos than the class they have the same abilities as, which is quite important when you look at the options I put for Paladin as an example. So far I came up with...

Warrior - Battlemage
Rouge - Warden
Priest - Cultist
Mage - Technomage
Paladin - Night Warrior (NE) Spellbreaker (BE)
Hunter - Dark Ranger
Druid - Dragonsworn
Warlock - Necromancer
Shaman - Dark Shaman
Monk - Bard
Death Knight -???
Demon Hunter -???
Tinker - Alchemist

Couldn't think of one for DK, DH... any suggestions?

I think the last time I posted in one of these I had... but I think it was a 4th spec post
Warrior-gladiator (sword and board dps)
Paladin-inquisitor (spell dps)
DK-Necromancer (caster)
DH- was like the diablo one
Lock- demoniac(tank that becomes a void lord)
Shaman- witch doctor

[Okacz]

Yes. I am glad you now also realize that implementing something completely outside the scope of glyphs using glyphs makes no sense. Glyphs are for minor cosmetic alterations like "this demon is now some other similar demon" or "your fists of fury now seem less magical" not reskinning a class.

Meh, many glyphs used to alter a lot about classes. Warlock demons, druid forms, Shaman ghostwolf. All I'm saying is that this can be taken to another level, to be able to really customize your character. Lock example was bad because mixing Undead and Demons would be off, but mixing various martial arts with Warrior/Monk/Rogue, different spells as a mage, different elements used as Shaman (Lava Lash looking like lightning to complete the "Raiden" motif), why not.

[Teriz]

Prestige Classes/Class skins seems like an excellent way to deal with class concepts that are essentially rehashes of existing classes (Necromancers and Dark Rangers).

[HoodKazekage]

Same with Death Knights I suppose.

Not really. Death knight is its own class, if we're talking about "class skins" then it wouldn't make sense for ANY hunter to be a dark ranger. Maybe the skins could be restricted to race? IDK

[Fyersing]

It seems like these Prestige Classes, as presented in the "leak", would be an enormous headache from start to finish for the developers -- but it certainly wouldn't be impossible for it to function as it's been presented. If we're being hypothetical for a moment, consider the purported Druid-based Prestige Class: Dragonsworn.

The description(s) of Prestige Classes from the "leak" suggests that the Dragonsworn would have four specializations, mirroring the four existing Druid specializations, and that the abilities and talents would be functionally identical -- with the only major distinctions being thematic in nature. An obvious distinction might be noticing that while a Guardian Druid transforms into a bear, the Guardian-equivalent specialization for Dragonsworn might be to shift into some sort of Dragonkin. In terms of their "kit", all abilities would be functionally indistinguishable (i.e. you won't do more damage, or more healing, or even notice a playstyle change, by shifting from Restoration Druid to the equivalent Dragonsworn specialization).

Presuming that this understanding is applied, universally, this is what a Lead Game Designer Fyarsing would probably propose:

• Warriors unlock Scions. Scions are thematically-derived from the Black Dragonflight and their abilities draw from the dragon motif and heavy use of shadowflame.
• Paladins unlock Revenants/Aberrants. Revenants/Aberrants are thematically just Void-infused Paladins and Warriors and so all of their abilities draw from the Void.
• Hunters unlock Rangers. Rangers are thematically intended to be a more magically-inclined iteration of the standard Hunter, and so most of their abilities utilize either Arcane or the gloomy Death-infused magic of Helya.
• Priests unlock Cultists. Cultists are thematically-inspired by the Old Gods, so expect lots of tentacles and teeth.
• Death Knights unlock Keepers. Keepers are thematically-inspired by Bolvar Fordragon, being a new type of soldier that utilizes raw life energies to combat their enemies. Instead of zombies and ghouls, creeper vines and wisps.
• Shaman unlock Spiritcallers. Spiritcallers draw all of their themes from the otherside, replacing elementalist with spiritualism.
• Mages unlock Bloodmages. Bloodmages draw equally from the teachings of the Darkfallen and of Lei Shen's flesh-shapers.
• Warlocks unlock Necromancers. Honestly, Diablo 3's Necromancer thematic is probably the best possible outcome for this concept. So just imagine that.
• Monks unlock Acolytes. Acolytes are inspired by Monks that have intentionally gathered and mastered the remnant energies left behind by the Sha. They continue to utilize Chi-based abilities, though inculcated with the energies of the Sha.
• Druids unlock Dragonsworn. Dragonsworn are inspired by the four protagonist dragonflights (Green, Blue, Red, Yellow).
• Demon Hunters unlock Warblades. Warblades are basically what might've been Illidan's greatest creation if Malfurion hadn't prevented him from re-creating the Well of Eternity -- entirely Arcane-based iterations of the current class, drawing all of the same ferocity from their Aldrachi history.

I've got no idea for Rogue, because they're already all over the place. Sorry, yellow class.