"A strange visual doesn't look as out of place on the single class out of 13, whose identity has always been using a wide mix of things"
Putting aside that your argument here misses the mark because varied visuals is consistent for Hunter, not looking out of place on hunters doesn't change how completely off some of the other effects are. It makes no sense for mages to be using starry blue plant magic (which warlocks and rogues also use), or shamans to be using weird dark necromantic energy that has nothing to do with the elements. Warriors having a singular angelic magic spear attack is totally out of place, as is priests singular blood magic ability, even if the mental aspect is in line with their kit theme.
"Priests singular blood magic ability" Vampyric Embrace & San'layn
Besides that I like the magic types they introduced in shadowlands, this "class kit" argument has always been ridiculous coming from wow: The latest raid is full of Priestesses in combo cloth/leather uniforms carrying bows. The Player classes have always been pretty detached from actual lore character classes.
San'layn is a passive talent sourced from shadow magic (necromantic). Vampiric embrace is a shadow ability:
That is the point, to do what mindgames did:
To turn stuff that makes no sense with the visual kit (shadow priests using one blood magic spell for seemingly no reason) into something that does. Because it makes more sense for Primordial Wave to be a swirling, multi-elemental spell similar to Elemental Blast and Adaptive Swarm to be a cloud of healing moths than both to be Maldraxxi death magic.
I also like the anima magic types. They just make no sense at all on most of the classes outside of the context of being lent power from the covenant you joined.
Now make the Shadow Priest Power Word: Shield purple.
JFC, Ersula, why is it so hard to accept that they SHOULD make it possible to have different spell types via glyph but that the default should be more thematically consistent?
With MAYBE one example contrary to it?
No one is against variety.
It does make me happy to see that at least they are populating the tree.
Formerly known as Arafal
In most media, schools of magic vary by color. As soon as you see green fire in a game, movie or comic, you immediately know that you're probably no longer dealing with just regular fire and fire magic. It's now some sort of evil fire magic, or enchanted fire, or some other combination of schools, or there's necromancy going on.
Blood spells are blood spells.
Really not that hard to understand. None of priest's kit involves doing blood magic. They had a purple shadow spell that is named 'vampiric', and they had a talent related to stealing health that references vampiric undead elves. So when they moved forward from SL, the bright red Venthyr blood magic ability that only made sense for that time and place was changed to purply shadow magic to better fit with the class, because it had nothing to do with the class and everything to do with Venthyr.
They are just doing the same to other spells that are distinctly SL covenant rather than anything to do with a class.
Woo, will always be happy at them getting rid of shaodwlands trash.
All I ever wanted was the truth. Remember those words as you read the ones that follow. I never set out to topple my father's kingdom of lies from a sense of misplaced pride. I never wanted to bleed the species to its marrow, reaving half the galaxy clean of human life in this bitter crusade. I never desired any of this, though I know the reasons for which it must be done. But all I ever wanted was the truth.
I would love a more vampiric aproach for priest. Glyphs would be just fine. Options.
I don't think Amirdrassil as the new home for the Night Elves will ever feel right for me.
The least they should do is have a portal to Kalimdor, and then a bunch of NPCs spread out across the forests of Kalimdor.
Scouts, watchers, elite sentinels keeping the ancient forests in check and making sure nobody else claims them.
You know, just a small thing to set the stage for future content that's way off. Not ongoing story updates or anything, just to not close the door on Kalimdor.
Maybe Shandris or somebody else remains super committed, leading the "Shadowleaves" in their campaign in Kalimdor.
Part of me wonders if Midnight will also include a revamp to Night Elven zones in Kalimdor alongside Quel'thalas. Though Metzen mentioned only Quel'thalas by name, he did specifically say that a focus of that expansion was to unite all elven tribes. Certainly that means Night Elves will play a major role, but will their lands also have a major presence?