Yeah, because the Pandaren concept in of itself is based on China, Chinese folklore, and Chinese history. So obviously when you expand the Pandaren theme, you're going to start absorbing more of the base influence. However that still doesn't change the fact that when Blizzard created the Monk class, they used the Pandaren theme and concept to base the class on.
Then by all means, find me a Monk class in a RPG game where they're using an assortment of brews to empower themselves.I would say the only truly unqiue or non-derivitive element of the Monk class is that the Mistweavers use the eponymous Mists of Pandaria the expansion is named after, other than that it's relatively standard fantasy monk flair. I'd honestly say the Diablo 3 Monk is a more original take on a Monk class since it combines holy/divine powers with eastern martial arts and the character eurasian/eastern european style instead of just a chinese/east asian style
The Iron Juggernaut and the Iron Star were both invented by Helix Blackfuse, and we have two cutscenes where Blackfuse appears before a fight bragging about his inventions and getting pissed when you destroy them, especially the Iron Juggernaut which was clearly his pride and joy. So you never had any doubt who was behind both inventions, even when the Iron Horde started using Iron Stars as engines for their war machines in WoD. You also have Mekkatorque's mech which isn't whacky or silly, but when he appears as a boss character in Battle of Drazelor (sp?) he has whimsical abilities like P.L.O.T. Armor and Exploding sheep.And notice when it comes to the forefrought it usually drops the overly comedic stylings that Gnome/Goblin tech is used for in every other circumstances, the Iron Juggernaut and Iron Stars weren't even mainly used by Goblins it was used by the True/Iron Horde. So yeah i think if the technological elements of WoW get their own class I don't think it would be represented in a comedic fashion, and if it isn't treated in a comic relief way it really has no business being exclusive to comic relief races like Gnomes and Goblins and should be available to a wider set of races especially other races who have shown a openess to technology either by inventing their own or being open to using others like Dwarves, Draenei, Nightborne and Orcs/Mag'har and Forsaken (if alchemy is a part of it)
As I said before, there's nothing inherently wrong with that, and honestly there's probably a sizable population of WoW players who would welcome a class like that over another dark and edgy class.
Well you have to think about it in terms of class mechanics; Is there a legitimate purpose for a class ability that shrinks a target? Absolutely. Is there a legitimate purpose for a class ability that drops a factory that mass produces clockwork gnomes or goblins? Again, absolutely. Is there a legitimate purpose for a mechanical backpack that acts as a weapons platform that can launch missiles, deploy pocket factories, drop turrets, and has the ability of its arms to transform from claws/hands to cannons? Again, absolutely.I don't have issue with it using the surface level aesthetics (for the races that use that style i think Draenei/Nightborne should use their respective magi-tech style of technology) of since thats the established look of that what technology is in Warcraft but i don't think it needs to also be entirely about Chicken bombs, shrink rays, clockwork midgets, clawpacks and other overly comedic or wacky forms of it, especially since that doesn't fit non-goblin/gnome races.
In the end, every class isn't meant to appeal to every person. We also shouldn't dismiss a concept because it doesn't resemble the aesthetic of other games. Yeah, the Monk class in WoW threw me for a loop when it was first introduced, but when I think back to RPG Monk classes I've played, I realized that I played WoW's monk the most because the brewing aspect was always interesting to me. Which is why I hope Blizzard brings out a technology class, because given their track record, they could make a unique and interesting one.