Class Fantasy Revisited

[Skytotem]

Legion had a lot of talk about "Class Fantasy" But some folks felt frustrated when the Class Halls and Artifacts focused on one particular "Type" of Fantasy (The heavy Vrykul feel for the Warrior Hall without much for Trolls or Tauren and such, and the Paladin feel not having much room for Belfs or Tauren in its aesthetic)


How would you like to see the factions differences in how they handle classes in the future? Like between a Troll Warlock and a Belf Warlock? A Draenei Priest and a Night Elf Priest? Or a Forsaken Mage and a Mag'har Mage?


Different Rep Factions? Class Skins / Cosmetics? Lore Updates?

[Razion]

I care more about spec fantasy than class fantasy. It makes a lot more sence to me to see races focus on one spec of a class to give that clearer picture on what they're about. But maybe that's just me.

[Maljinwo]

How would you like to see the factions differences in how they handle classes in the future? Like between a Troll Warlock and a Belf Warlock? A Draenei Priest and a Night Elf Priest? Or a Forsaken Mage and a Mag'har Mage?

I'd keep everything cosmetic
Either through specialized racial class sets or even the spell effects or names

For example, a Zandalari Paladin is actually a prelate. Instead of summoning angelic wings when using Avenging Wrath, give them Pterrordax wings
Night Elf priests could use a different color on their spells instead of generic gold light

And so on and on

[Shelly]

I'd keep everything cosmetic
Either through specialized racial class sets or even the spell effects or names

For example, a Zandalari Paladin is actually a prelate. Instead of summoning angelic wings when using Avenging Wrath, give them Pterrordax wings
Night Elf priests could use a different color on their spells instead of generic gold light

And so on and on

You'd really go with Pterrodax wings over just putting a giant gold Rezan over them?

Anyway, I agree.

Racial animations need to make a return. Meanwhile they need to make different spell effects for each race - like a flaming sun for Tauren Paladins instead of wings. These effects if you wanted though can be glyphed over to restore default effects.

Also if they decide to do class halls again in some fashion or another they could add in wings to the hubs to make them more over-arching, but honestly I think what they did with each hall in Legion was pretty agnostic.

Paladins got Silver Hand because it was a call back to the "original" order.

Warriors had Vrykul because we'd already established the Vrykul death cult for Odyn in Northrend that had been corrupted by the LK, so they showed the original death cult.

Priests got an order hall that reflected their duality that is shared with the Naaru and the balance of light and shadow.

Mages got the Order of Tirsfal which was comprised of elf and human mages but now with elves split into the horde and humans in the alliance they'd broadened their net.

Druids were always a night elf thing, so they get a night elf inspired dreamscape.

And so it keeps going from there.

That said it might have been cool if in BfA they'd still gone the class fantasy route - specifically with Warfronts in some manner where you dive deep into what it means to be a member of a class for your faction. So stuff like warriors and paladins would push up the barracks and gain boosts from it, but priests and shaman might need to build up the spirit walkers lodge or temple and druids build an ancient of lore.

[Doffen]

I care more about spec fantasy than class fantasy. It makes a lot more sence to me to see races focus on one spec of a class to give that clearer picture on what they're about. But maybe that's just me.

No, we are at least two. I really liked Legion's version of spec fantasy, because that's how I like "class" design to be. It felt more unique, so when I logged another character, it felt like I was playing something else. Compared to now and I feel the same no matter what character I log on.

That's why I like Covenants too. Because it's purpose is to make stuff different for players, even within the same class. It's like a "Covenant Fantasy". Not really the same as spec fantasy, but at least it got a theme that varies a bit.

Okay, maybe I went off topic here. But for me giving Blood Elf Paladins something unique would be cool. The lore is there for them already, but maybe something that differs them from Human Paladins, like making an upgrade of their Blood Knight set to collect, maybe put some Arcane, or better yet some sunfire(I guess that would reflect them more because of the Sunwell) visuals on some of their paladin abilities. Though when thinking about it, many paladin visual do look like sunfire visuals. Sunfire as in the enchant visual, not druid sunfire.

[Maljinwo]

You'd really go with Pterrodax wings over just putting a giant gold Rezan over them?

Spells should still share some characteristics to be recognizable between races

While a giant golden rezan showing up for 20 seconds behind the prelate would be great, I don't think it'd be equal to some puny wings on humans
That'd allow for a giant golden flagon of beer for Dwarves tho

[ohiostate124]

Let my warrior dps with sword and board.

[Djaye]

Let my warrior dps with sword and board.

Always felt a variant of shields that were more attack based than defense would have been awesome for warriors. Or the infamous gladiator spec people have pined for for years.

[FossilFree]

Let my warrior dps with sword and board.

Arms is getting shield abilities. You can make a 1h and shield dps with them now.

[Lyvefire]

I think Class Halls focussing on their most iconic aesthetic is the best way to do it. If the most iconic one happens to lean more towards one race thats not necessarily a problem as long as its toned down so the others don't feel completely alien. Of the Legion ones the only ones I feel missed the mark were Paladins, Warriors and (personal opinion here) Monks.

Paladin: Lights Hope is definitively Human Paladin territory only and its filled with Human iconography. Paladins are a lot more than just a bastion against the Undead now. Suggested improvement: Amusingly, I think the Halls of Valour would have been a much better fit for Pallies than Warriors. Its got an exceptionally light based theme, its primary occupants are golden angels and honour and glory are almost always big themes for Paladins where else Warriors are actually a lot more diverse in terms of their practices and plenty do not follow that code.

Warrior: Should have just gotten an arena or gladiator pit or similiar (Fray Island?) with different sections for the different groups. They're a very down to earth class with a shit tonne of different cultures, world views and even fighting styles where the only thing all of them really have in common is valuing personal prowess with a weapon above all else. Trying to hit them with the "honourable combatant" angle with Halls of Valour was always clunky when plenty of the greatest warriors ever are practically rogues idealogically that just faced their opponents head on.

Monk: The Wandering Isle isn't neccasarily a problem but Blizzard still treats Pandaren as the "default" Monk race and thats disappointing when there are so many Monk archetypes completely ignored with that even in Universe (The Draenei Monks on Argus, The Scarlet Monk boss etc). I don't believe that the Scarlet Crusade or Zandalari would be willing to use Pandaren arts. If something as specific as paladins and Druids can have multiple identities then beating people with your fists should not be something we are expected to believe only one culture ever thought of.

[Shelly]

Spells should still share some characteristics to be recognizable between races

While a giant golden rezan showing up for 20 seconds behind the prelate would be great, I don't think it'd be equal to some puny wings on humans
That'd allow for a giant golden flagon of beer for Dwarves tho

You have no idea now how much I'd like a giant keg around a dwarf. Although I think some hammers might be as equally iconic or think Avatar for warriors only in gold.

[Razion]

Arms is getting shield abilities. You can make a 1h and shield dps with them now.

If Defensive Stance didn't reduce damage dealt and was a base talent for Arms and Fury... that would kind of give the people who want to dps with a shield the option for the existing dps specs, wouldn't it? Seems like a pretty easy way to give people the gladius style of being able to dps with shields without exactly having to pivot too hard with prot.

[PenguinChan]

Given Blizzard has started to basically say 'fuck it' and give customization options to both sides, and blurring the lines even worse between faction visuals - I honestly don't think there is anything wrong with them making classes feel more unique with your race. I really enjoyed how priests had unique abilities in Classic, and while that may be something people don't like - we could at least see them give these visuals back to each respective race + class combo.

It's something Blizzard should look into. It'd visually make playing a Forsaken priest completely different than a Night Elf one - or let alone different kinds of paladins, warriors, etc.

[leggomydairy]

Class skins are the way to go imo. There’s two good ways to go about it with the same idea behind them - leave player choice to keep the current visuals or use the racial / class skin visual.

I see them introducing them via some sort of quest line that shows the role your class plays in your race’s society. Nothing crazy - like the heritage armor quest lines for standard races - just a 30 minute or less quest line to learn more about your race / class combo. Then allow us to choose visuals through a class trainer.

Eg night elf priest learn about the sisterhood of Elune. Afterwards they’re able to channel the power of Elune, replacing their golden spells with a silvery moonlight.

The other way they could go about it is making racial attacks / class skins the default and have us use trainers to learn the “base” forms that we use now.

Eg I could be that night elf priest and from level 1 silvery moonlight is my default healing color. I go to a priest trainer and the option to use the golden spell visuals other races may have by default (humans / Draenei / dwarves)

[LemonDemonGirl]

I'd keep everything cosmetic
Either through specialized racial class sets or even the spell effects or names

For example, a Zandalari Paladin is actually a prelate. Instead of summoning angelic wings when using Avenging Wrath, give them Pterrordax wings
Night Elf priests could use a different color on their spells instead of generic gold light

And so on and on

If Class Skins were a thing, I think it'd cover a lot of this

Also, Zandalari DKs would be Bwonsamdi-themed, and their pets would be either spirits/troll skeletons I guess

[Elise the Seeker]

Wish warlocks had some type of blood or anima visual added to it if they chose to. Class visuals that are unique to the player/race would make WoW great tbh. It's a shame that it took this long for WoW to get extra customization features.

[Tyze]

MoP and WoD has the best fantasy.

But they removed it

[Cosmic Janitor]

The whole racial fantasy is something that just doesn't work. All the excuses for certain races to learn new classes are extremely forced at the best of times. In that regard I would just say screw it, acknowlege that a paladin is something the humans came up with first and embrace that by having your teacher be a traitor to them or someone who learned from such a person.

Stuff like nelf priests were followed up by huge retcons in the first place when they made them fit into wow. While I can see that some want that particular fantasy, everything around nelf druids and priests is a big hodge podge as moonpriests are practically closer to balance druids on the offensive side wheres their light magic has really no connection to the tools a typical priest uses, which are clearly based on humans as well.

The warrior hall was just a failure because warriors have practically no class identy other than being dumb brutes to begin with. They were never going to win any awards, no matter what they had gone with. The closest to a universal theme would have probably been a bunch of gladiators in some backwater arena, but that was never going to be much of a heroic theme to go against the legion. The only thing they could have done better is boot Odyn out of the hall. It was extremely shitty that you weren't even the leader of your own order hall as warrior.

The issue with racial themes is that there is simply no end to it. Frankly, I'd rather Blizzard uses that output for more important things than make 20 themes for every class so they can shoehorn it into the game.

[matrix123mko]

Class skins, of course.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/DxoNeR

[melzas]

The problem with class skin/cosmetic visuals added to spells is reflected in warlock's green fire visual. It started off nicely, but with every update to the game, new skills and class reworks, less and less skills use same spell animations as they did in MoP.

What you guys ask for is awesome but the work load around class skins would be much bigger than you imagine. Every time they update/rework the class, they would have to look at those skins too.