Class identity for Druid, already fine?

[Thraenduil]

Do you see yourself only as a feral druid when playing as a cat, or guardian when playing as a bear?

Or do you feel as just a druid?

Your answer might give some insight to class' situation it faces in the future when changes are made.

Druid is in a strange place when talking about class identity. Based on what Ion talked about last week
all classes are gonna share some of their spec-specific skills to unified movepool.
For druids this could be tricky, since all specs have already access to more base skills than any other class
in game right now. Adding even more tools for each spec doesn't really feel necessary.

But, if changes were to be made, Affinity-row could be the first and easiest place to start.
All the skills would be easy to embed to baseline with some restrictions, like Ironfur needing bearform.
How the passives are dealt with would be trickier though. Simply giving each spec the corresponding
passive might feel dismissive, since other specs will feel loss of varying degree.

Other than that, there are only some singular talents like Cenarion Ward that are easily shareable.
This goes to show just how much druid has retained it's class identity over the years. Each spec can do much
of the same things but also has their own speciality.

What do you think? Does druid suffer from identity crisis like some other classes and should something be done to it?


(P.S. Treeform should be made a baseline form like owl, bear and cat to enchance healing tech for resto. Give it
a new model while you're at it.) (writer's own agenda)

[huth]

Druids have always been one of the classes with the strongest class identity. I think you're misreading their intentions.

[Arawrabearialis]

Druid is probably one of the classes that has lost the most "identity" over the years. You're focusing on the craptastic excuse for a talent tree currently in the game, but the problems go well beyond that. Up until just a few years ago, you literally could use almost ALL your class's abilities regardless of spec. Sure a tank had to shift into caster form to use spells and a healer had to go cat to use feral abilities, but the fact is you COULD do those things. Now they've gone and taken away the hybridity of the class, and essentially created 4 unique specs under the label "Druid". Prior to spec-splitting, a good Druid could do so much more than fill a single role in a group. The feral could shift out of cat form, go bear and tank a loose add. The one spec'd for tanking might shift out of bear and cast tranquility to help patch the raid while his co-tank tanks the boss. The boomkin could also aid with a respectable amount of off-healing when it was required.

Now when you choose a spec, you lose access to a large portion of your class's abilities and only regain a few through a chosen "Affinity" talent. It's not just about having access to forms, it's what you can do with them. Blizzard tells us Deathknights were the first hero class, but many a raid has been saved over the years by well-played Druids who knew how to switch between forms and use ALL of their class abilities. That was the Druid class identity.

[Nfinitii]

Feel like Druids lost the most tbh, u used to have all the skills from the affinity talent row.

As a feral back in the day I used to cast rejuv, regrowth and lifebloom constantly. Cyclone was awesome cc. Used to go bear form to go defensive. Had amazing utility like faerie fire and leader of the pack. Berserk used to break fears. Basically u didn’t use the boomkin abilities unless u needed to pull something at range.

Now there is zero reason to use bear form, feel like I’ve lost half my class tbh.

[Wirzy]

I belive druid have lost a lot during the years, we used to change forms a lot for many things; now I can't even innervate myself as a moonkin.

[Tehterokkar]

Vanilla Druids feel the most "Druid". Especially in PvP. There is no "Feral Druid" PvP or "Balance Druid" PvP, there is just Druid, which uses the same spec though(resto up-until Nature's Swiftness for insta heal, then either more Resto or Feral for Feral Charge). It utilizes DoTs to do damage and animal forms to get distance and do various things like Bash, Bear Charge.

[Wildmoon]

The class identity is still solid but we have lost one of the most defining characterisitcs of druids that is the ability to be a jack of all trades. Druids used to be able to able to a access most of all forms's important abilities. Now if you choose one spec then you are cut off from the rest which is shitty.

Really the new spec system feel like it cuts you off from the rest rather than specializing and this is not exclusive to druids but the impact is the most apparent in druids.

[huth]

The class identity is still solid but we have lost one of the most defining characterisitcs of druids that is the ability to be a jack of all trades. Druids used to be able to able to a access most of all forms's important abilities. Now if you choose one spec then you are cut off from the rest which is shitty.

Really the new spec system feel like it cuts you off from the rest rather than specializing and this is not exclusive to druids but the impact is the most apparent in druids.

Because that ability is useless when you can take specialists instead. It works in formats where you're stuck with a party-makeup for a long time, but not when you can just adapt your party to the challenge.

[shade3891]

The affinity talents really make the druid feel as one. You can easily switch into what you need. Imo all classes need this.

[FAILoZOFF]

Do you see yourself only as a feral druid when playing as a cat, or guardian when playing as a bear?

Or do you feel as just a druid?

What do you think? Does druid suffer from identity crisis like some other classes and should something be done to it?

What druids?! For me druids died after MoP pre-patch...

I think they instead of 4 spec class, should be a 2 spec one and 2 combat form for combat ... a caster and melee, caster (called balance after all) being able to shift between moonkin for dps and treant for healing; feral being what it used to be- a cat AND a bear- depending on needs. for balance purposes, instead of affinities "enabling" or rather "re-enabling" cross-spec utilities, it would be be a pick between going hard towards either one of forms (making you a pure dps/tank/healer, in terms of "scaling" rather than utility) or a "middle" pick for hybrid gameplay (for things that you outgear and you'd like to help out with healing/tanking when needed and dps otherwise)

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The affinity talents really make the druid feel as one. You can easily switch into what you need. Imo all classes need this.

I get back SOME skills I used to have for non-spec form... woah, so good- except I still don't have any talents, set bonuses, or even mechanics for these skills, nothing just bare skills

Let me imagine what affinity row would do for a fire mage that would want frost as his affinity
Frostbolt: deals, half damage of fire bolt, has longer cast time, does't proc anything fire-specific passives... AND doesn't slow XD
That's about how good affinities are for druids

EMEIZING

[Talrath]

I started playing during the start of tbc as a night elf druid and started raiding in WotlK. I truly loved it because even though we werent a meta dps class we still had a very good use in a raid environment.

Many people wanted a druid because of their toolkit. As a feral i kept getting whispers to innervate them or use tranquillity to help the healers. That and the 5% crit aura helped the raid alot.

Now every class looks almost the same, every class doesnt look special. Blizzard shouldnt think that all dps should be highest on the dps meters, but instead they should give some a true support role, some a semi support semi dps/healer role and so on.

[shade3891]

What druids?! For me druids died after MoP pre-patch...

I think they instead of 4 spec class, should be a 2 spec one and 2 combat form for combat ... a caster and melee, caster (called balance after all) being able to shift between moonkin for dps and treant for healing; feral being what it used to be- a cat AND a bear- depending on needs. for balance purposes, instead of affinities "enabling" or rather "re-enabling" cross-spec utilities, it would be be a pick between going hard towards either one of forms (making you a pure dps/tank/healer, in terms of "scaling" rather than utility) or a "middle" pick for hybrid gameplay (for things that you outgear and you'd like to help out with healing/tanking when needed and dps otherwise)

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I get back SOME skills I used to have for non-spec form... woah, so good- except I still don't have any talents, set bonuses, or even mechanics for these skills, nothing just bare skills

Let me imagine what affinity row would do for a fire mage that would want frost as his affinity
Frostbolt: deals, half damage of fire bolt, has longer cast time, does't proc anything fire-specific passives... AND doesn't slow XD
That's about how good affinities are for druids

EMEIZING

You forget the passive parts, being able to off-heal for a bit can be helpful if used correctly.

Fire mage
Frost affinity: access to Frost bolt to kite. As passive a chance to fire a frostfire bolt that always crits.
Arcane affinity: access to slow and arcane barrage. Passive chance to make your next pyroblast empowered dealing more damage.

[sejii]

Affinities could be so much cooler, like as feral you can spend your combo points in a big starsurge aplies also moonfire and sunfire(moonkinaffinity) or big heal(restoration). For feralaffinity starsurges/ casted heals generate combopoints.

I like the idea of the Affinity talent but you should have all the spells no matter what affinity you choose.
Affinities should increase the strength of spells and change the playstyle.

[Nathasil]

The only problem druids have is that Cat is only ever taken for anything if it is really, really overpowered. Which is the same fate all specs share where the class offers more than one for the same role....which all classes do except Paladin, Monk and Demon Hunter. Notice something? Those are also the three classes with the best and most intact "class identity".

[schwank05]

With the removal of Tree form I have a hard time even playing my Druid now since it was my Identity for 2 expansions then they killed it and my will to play Druid in CATA.

[FAILoZOFF]

Affinities could be so much cooler, like as feral you can spend your combo points in a big starsurge aplies also moonfire and sunfire(moonkinaffinity) or big heal(restoration). For feralaffinity starsurges/ casted heals generate combopoints.

I like the idea of the Affinity talent but you should have all the spells no matter what affinity you choose.
Affinities should increase the strength of spells and change the playstyle.

sounds even more convoluted than blood talons are... meanwhile DHs spam 3-4 buttons for the same results XD so fun

[sejii]

sounds even more convoluted than blood talons are... meanwhile DHs spam 3-4 buttons for the same results XD so fun

i mean if 3-4 buttons spam is fun for you just play a DH, i like challenging specs.

[huth]

What druids?! For me druids died after MoP pre-patch...

I think they instead of 4 spec class, should be a 2 spec one and 2 combat form for combat ... a caster and melee, caster (called balance after all) being able to shift between moonkin for dps and treant for healing; feral being what it used to be- a cat AND a bear- depending on needs. for balance purposes, instead of affinities "enabling" or rather "re-enabling" cross-spec utilities, it would be be a pick between going hard towards either one of forms (making you a pure dps/tank/healer, in terms of "scaling" rather than utility) or a "middle" pick for hybrid gameplay (for things that you outgear and you'd like to help out with healing/tanking when needed and dps otherwise)

In other words, precisely the situation they split Feral to avoid. Yeah, that's gonna be a tough sell.

[FAILoZOFF]

In other words, precisely the situation they split Feral to avoid. Yeah, that's gonna be a tough sell.

what words? it's completely different situation, you didn't even read what I wrote nor understood

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i mean if 3-4 buttons spam is fun for you just play a DH, i like challenging specs.

perhaps you do, but vast majority will go for easier option

[Wangming]

For me Druid is or was about switching forms to fit your needs. Not having one form for every spec that has no downsides besides being a neutered version of other classes *cough* feral *cough*