No new classes?

[Wadrak]

All I would like to see is Demon Hunter as ranged dps using bow.

New classes, Death Knight, Monk, Demon Hunter are melee dps, tank.

And Demon Hunter doesn't have third spec.

[Onikaroshi]

Nah, new classes are better, everything is fresh.

New specs would just be a few new abilities tacked on to the same old class ones.

[Ielenia]

New classes are better, in my opinion, because getting new classes is more than just having one more option in the character selection screen. It comes with its own set of lore, NPCs, factions, and, thanks to the return of class sets, more character customization options.

Getting just more specs is... boring. It's still the same class, just... playing a bit differently? I'm still a mage, I'm still a paladin, etc. I can't speak for everyone else, but when I make an alt, it's not because this alt has a spec type different than my current class (a warrior moving to play a priest, for example) but it's because the class concept and lore interests me.

[cparle87]

Oh it's perfectly doable. I just don't think it would be easier to balance, unless you're suggesting that these hero classes are just reskins, which is a different suggestion entirely. Sharing baseline spells is irrelevant. Different specs have wildly different uses for different spells. Shadowbolt for Demonology Warlocks is a totally different portion of its damage to Affliction Warlocks. Soul Shards are substantially different in their value.

Sounds kinda like SWTOR with having 4 classes but 2 advanced classes. A shadow, for example, will be using the base abilities it got from a consular in different ways than a sage would.

[Teriz]

No thanks. I'll take a new class please. I would like a fresh way to interact with the game, and a new class would do that.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Blizzard will add "Hero Specializations" for existing classes for 10.0 and it will be horribly balanced the entire expansion, it will be just another expansion-only system and will be retired in 11.0.

[Ethule]

Blizzard will add "Hero Specializations" for existing classes for 10.0 and it will be horribly balanced the entire expansion, it will be just another expansion-only system and will be retired in 11.0.

Top comment ������

[Stickiler]

New classes are better, in my opinion, because getting new classes is more than just having one more option in the character selection screen. It comes with its own set of lore, NPCs, factions, and, thanks to the return of class sets, more character customization options.

Getting just more specs is... boring. It's still the same class, just... playing a bit differently? I'm still a mage, I'm still a paladin, etc. I can't speak for everyone else, but when I make an alt, it's not because this alt has a spec type different than my current class (a warrior moving to play a priest, for example) but it's because the class concept and lore interests me.

I'll be your anecdotal opposite then, I don't really care at all about the lore of a class, I only care what the gameplay is like, I play my alts to have a gameplay-break from my main.

[WeWillOnlyBeSlower]

Reasonable boring leak suggests otherwise pastebin. com/TMyXtPMc

[Lochton]

I feel like there are many more wishes to fulfill before stepping into the "Hero" class aspect. As well, there is so many classes to work on and then rework for the content.

[whyabadi]

Runemasters could work here if they go the "Azeroth is awakening" path which seems likely. Runemasters have links to ancient titanic rune magic and have strong connections with the ley lines as they feel connected with the land (Azeroth). They are melee fighters as well as casters who utilize runic patterns. The only issue is the relatively big overlap with Monks and Death Knights but it can work. The lore is there.

[bloodmoth13]

I thought about this too but i think the creative direction of adding in new specs for existing classes is restrictive. There are some specs that need to be added that dont justify a class but dont really fit into existing classes either.
Dark ranger is an obvious one, it doesnt fit into existing hunter class at all, they use death magic which isnt something you just pick up at school and hunters spend their time in nature.

IMO there should be a spec representing a combination of every fighting type with every magic school.
Fighting types being light fighter, heavy fighter, archer, mage.

Holy has heavy fighter and thats it: paladin.

Shadow has mage and thats it. Valeera represents a void archer but thats as close as we get to void representation.

Fel has light fighter, heavy fighter and mage (havoc demon hunter, vengeance demon hunter and 3 warlock specs)

Life has feral as light, guardian as heavy, beast master as archer but no real caster spec (balance druid is far more arcane space energy than life magic, id like to see a caster spec that uses plants, roots and insects or something)

Arcane is pretty weak too, it has arcane mage and balance sort of. Depends on whether elemental magic counts as arcane, id say not.

Death has heavy fighter but could easily get archer (dark ranger) caster (necromancer) which are two highly requested classes but they would be great as just specs.


As it is there is a ton of design space for different specs but there is little justification to add those as classes. Id like to see zealots and inquisitors as a spec, or cultists or basically any additional archer spec that isnt tied to hunter considering at one point archers made up the majority of racial leaders.

The only real class that is left to add that wouldnt take from other classes/specs is tinker. Justification for dragonsworn that has abilities from all dragonflights could be made, but it would be kind of gimicky.

[Ielenia]

I'll be your anecdotal opposite then, I don't really care at all about the lore of a class, I only care what the gameplay is like, I play my alts to have a gameplay-break from my main.

You're not exactly disagreeing with the overall "new classes are better than main specs" point of my post, though.

Also, just FYI, I've already pointed out in my original post that I'm not speaking for anyone other than myself, so you feeling the need to be "my anecdotal opposite" was rather unnecessary, and it felt more like you were attempting to devalue my points in a passive-aggressive manner?

[Ethule]

To be fair Balance druid started as life caster because they had insect swarm, hurricane, and wrath as nature dmg. They've been significantly changed almost every xpac. Lol

I get your sentiment though I think in the same respect as allied races these advanced classes could be crossover classes i.e hunters learning death magic from a questline with Sylvanas post shadowlands. Which would be another nice foreshadowing opportunity for a shadow vs light xpac.

Also Warriors having a questline with a monk trainer to learn Blademaster and maybe Mages having a quest with (insert warrior) to become Battle Mages. They made entire story lines for every spec in legion so i don't think this would be a huge undertaking.

[Alkizon]

Seems like this would be the right place to post quote-answer from deleted similar/alike thread :

< Deleted with "4th spec" topic - saved from google cache >

How about they fix, at first, everything they broke, show players, that they understand hierarchy of priorities in design.
- - -
most of ideas presented here aren't constructive in any way, simply because majority continues to think in terms of "specs", not classes, and they don’t understand that in order to add new direction of specialization, it’s necessary to expand functionality of entire class (you want melee hunter+ (interesting threads, with a lot of good points here)? you give melee functionality to all hunters: 3rd slot for distant weapons with leaving first two for close combat, and additional mechanics&abilities), rather than split classes into specializations (otherwise it just doesn't work, see hierarchy), but within framework of their current mechanics vast majority of ideas mentioned here simply can't shove inside; even those in stock, are "castrated"
- - -
Therefore, all this rubbish, is empty shake of information space, and their moving in this direction will only aggravate discord in design with all ensuing consequences... and it’s absolutely not important here what I/you/devs want, main thing is what design should be like for system to fulfill its functional purpose.

Нow this all works? You take lore, clarify all possible classes mechanics, which will be their canonical distinguishing feature within the game (in this case, it can be easily skipped, because class design already had this state in framework of game’s history, suppose that it was somewhere between WotLK and BC, so next), sprinkle this functionality with functionally non-changing, but only complementary, tasty "dessert" mechanics of subsequent expansions (don’t see any reason to discard random good ideas even from “mediocre” former/current team members) - we get formed&working class system !of each of their representatives! What to do next? Now you need to think about talents that will make this or that class mechanics more convenient/preferable to use, while some mechanics can get, in sense, interdependent state thereby forming specialization area. After all this, we look at whether all available mechanics are taken into account in areas of specialization, if not... here already optional action will begin: let it be as it is, add them somewhere, or there could be formed additional specialization on their basis. Moreover! this choice had no dictatorial impact for player’s individual preferences regarding “RP” component, and no matter what mechanics were chosen as preferred, still rogue with any set of talents could be just duelist or pirate, secret agent, ninja and anyone else at player's will. [Axiom] Class' names aren't what "they" are within game system component (just conditional separation), but key mechanics are. They are your class, which means they are mandatory for each of its representatives (and there can be even no talk in framework of this design about "modern way" understanding of specs; build is your spec here). - set of posts in "after pre-SL" talkings - here some of later stuff +

...but not bloodthirsty charge into classes in berserk mode shouting "It's Time To Slice&Dice!"

ps. And then you look at what characteristics can help players in choosing their role, which ones will be mandatory for particular sphere of game content, and which are universal, which will be preferable for one role, and which for another... then it goes issue of itemization... and so on, and so on.

[Baedril]

Only thing that i hope to see, its 4th specs for Monk and Shaman.

1) Earth based Shaman Tank spec, with flying around him stones something like avatar gimmick.

2) Monk has specs to represent 3 out of 4 celestial spirits, Ox-tank, Tiger-melee, Crane-healer, so i would like to have Jade Dragon-ranged monk aka Hadouken caster.

Mistweaver used to cover both with the crane & serpent stances, but sadly most of the crane related stuff has been slowly worked out and MW is now a serpent-healer. I'd love to see way of the crane seperated into it's own spec, disc priest style atonement healing but as a melee could be really cool and unique.

[MuscleBobBuffPants]

We need more classes

[Izzyfurious]

We need more classes

To heck with that as longests you have modern blizz who can't balance every single class all equally since over a decade and still continuing.

You want new classes so bad, then replace the entire class team first!

[cocomen2]

Mistweaver used to cover both with the crane & serpent stances, but sadly most of the crane related stuff has been slowly worked out and MW is now a serpent-healer. I'd love to see way of the crane seperated into it's own spec, disc priest style atonement healing but as a melee could be really cool and unique.

Just remember, Feral druid used to be BEAR+CAT fused theme in one, if they were able to separate these two i see no obstacle to making bonus chi spec. Li Li character from HoTS, i used to play her as dd/healer hybrid that uses all talents for ranged damage - that in their turn throws jade dragon alike spells at enemy target.