Originally Posted by
Jakkresh
So, a friend of mine at Blizzard shared a feature that I’m super excited about, and I figure it’s close enough to Blizzcon to share, especially since this thread is over 1000 pages long! LoL
The major new feature of the next expansion that they're excited about is “Class Alignments”. This gives your class the choice to “align” with different sources of power, doing two things: (1) changing the visuals of class spells and abilities, (2) granting a choice of usable world bonuses, none of which are available in raid or PvP (unlike Shadowlands' borrowed power systems).
It is similar to the oft requested “class skins”. The re-branding as “alignments” emphasizes that it’s an intentional choice and fleshes out class fantasy purposefully. It is intended to be a permanent feature that they will build upon as we meet new ways of wielding the cosmic forces.
The expansion will begin with quests to embrace an alignment given a handful of starter choices. It’s reminiscent of the Legion choice to pursue an artifact weapon. You can pursue multiple alignments, have a chosen alignment affixed to each of your specs, and switch alignments when you'd like.
Paladins, for example, can pursue alignment with Holy Light, Astral Light, or Sun’s Light. Aligning with the Holy Light maintains Paladin spell effects as they are now. Astral Light renames spells with “Holy” in them to “Astral” and grants spell effects a silvery blue glow reminiscent of Elune’s light. Sun’s Light adds orange embers and flame effects into existing holy effects... might rename it Solar or Sun's, I forget. After you've made a choice, you can change it at the Sunwell, a Moonwell, or with a Nuuru (for cool RP scenes) or with class trainers in capital cities and major hubs.
Some specs have been renamed to accomodate alignments. As priests can align with Holy, Astral, or Void, Shadow has been renamed “Inquisition” when Holy or Astral-aligned. Holy is renamed "Clericism" when Astral-aligned. Some of the spell effects aren't just recolored, but completely changed... for example Holy Fire becomes Starfall. You cannot align your Holy spec to the void. Some specs have limited choices as such.
The Shadowlands spells (for example, Faeline Stomp) have been recolored to match existing class spells (chi green), so most shadowlands tie-ins are gone from the core classes. Monks can start by aligning with the different Celestials, coloring all chi spells green, light blue, red or yellow. Their new “Chi-line Stomp” is colored after those alignments.
Demon Hunters have had their Shadowlands spells recolored as fel, but they have a choice to become zealots for the Light, for the Void, or for the Arcane. Void Elves and Nightborne, predictably, can now be Demonhunters. The quests to align your DH to Void and Arcane explain this new generation of DH's.
Warlocks can align with Maldraxxus to give them the green & black anima colored spells and undead instead of demons. Although Shadowlands spells are gone and Shadowlands alignments for most classes aren’t coming until MUCH later, classes with an affinity for the Shadowlands do have some starter options with them.
Hunters can align with the Unseen Path for regular spell effects, another power that gives Azerite effects (Mechagon maybe??), or the Loa to give them an array of spells that will supposedly foreshadow both Emerald Dream and Shadowlands involvement in the story. Moving forward, the Loa are intended to be shown as "polyvalent" entities with an emphasis on the idea of trinities being one, so yeah, cool tie-ins with ED and SL. As other classes get alignments with individual Loa entities (like, are we gonna get different kinds of Loa Paladin's, Blizz???), they'll continue to flesh out the SL/ED and Azeroth connection.
I think future planned alignments include the Dragonflights (arcane + elemental magic), the Shadowlands (anima magic), and possibly the Keepers or the Titans themselves. They also plan to introduce a concept for nature magic called “orenda”, produced much like anima but expended to keep the Emerald Dream functioning just like anima keeps the Shadowlands functioning. Not sure if its role will be clear right away, just like anima was kind of a mystery back in MoP. I imagine this has implications for the World Tree well on down the line, or possibly the loa or nature alignments, but we will see what 10.2 and 11.0 offer in terms of fleshing out those ideas.
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