Prestige Classes (Class Skins)

[Marro]

Following on from the supposed leak talking about prestige classes for Necromancer, Dragonsworn and Dark Shaman, I thought it might be fun to think of what other class skins we could get if such a feature were ever implemented.

I quite like the idea that they are their own class and not just a slap on skin to your current toon, as this means they can have totally different race combos than the class they have the same abilities as, which is quite important when you look at the options I put for Paladin as an example. So far I came up with...

Warrior - Battlemage
Rouge - Warden
Priest - Cultist
Mage - Technomage
Paladin - Night Warrior (NE) Spellbreaker (BE)
Hunter - Dark Ranger
Druid - Dragonsworn
Warlock - Necromancer
Shaman - Dark Shaman
Monk - Bard
Death Knight -???
Demon Hunter -???
Tinker - Alchemist

Couldn't think of one for DK, DH... any suggestions?

[ManiaCCC]

I don't understand how horrible idea like class skins got so much traction.

[Marro]

I actually love the idea, I think a lot of people like it because they get so used to playing their mains, but would like a visual or thematic change without changing how they play

[ManiaCCC]

I actually love the idea, I think a lot of people like it because they get so used to playing their mains, but would like a visual or thematic change without changing how they play

I think we already had few "class skins" in the game which made much more sense.

For example as shamans, you had these glyphs you could change all you wolves to raptors. This is "class skin" i love. It still make sense with lore and offer players different looks and feels for their class. Also green fire locks is "class skin" idea executed well. I would expand on this.

However making shadow priest looks like holy priest? Warrior as some cloth battle-mage/monk? I believe this is horrible.

[Goundin]

I don't understand how horrible idea like class skins got so much traction.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rTcoK4OXKTw

Not a bad idea, but not enough to save wow unless there are major spell rework.

[ManiaCCC]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rTcoK4OXKTw

Not a bad idea, but not enough to save wow unless there are major spell rework.

I see. Yea, just don't like idea we are changing spec fantasy into something different. As I said, I believe there is space to explore but this direction is the worst they could choose IMO. We already have some of these good ideas in the game, blizzard should really use these and massively expand on it.

Not saying it would save the game, but would be actually interesting to me.

[TigTone]

Monk and bard? Wtf no. If anything it should be Crane spells damage range class.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Still not sure how dragonsworn relates to druids. Warlock <-> Necromancer is a no-brainer, since necromancer was always a scourge unit and therefore not aligned with player factions and warlocks were introduced as shadow damage/dot/evl minion class to make up for that. Dark Shaman is kinda cheap and doesn't give much in regard to new aesthetics tbh, it's just a shaman that demands instead of asking. Giving them an evil look is all I could think about here, but at least it somewhat relates to the class.

Dragonsworn though? How does that relate to druid gameplay? Actually shifting into dragons or drakes is a no go, way too big and whelps are super lame bullshit. As someone else pointed out, just switching out lunar strike with frost moves also have a huge clash with the usual property of frost spells because they are supposed to slow. So far that leaves us with only one good option really.

As for other classes, I guess it would be easy to turn a rogue into some ninja weaboo bullshit. Warden.. might work, but frankly warden are not really alot like rogues, they have stealth, but not sure how you would wring out 3 specs here to cover sub/ass/trolololyarrmatey. Also first genderlocked wow class? Yikes.

You could turn mage into an elementalist (let's ignore the 70% shaman overlap for a second), frost could become earth, as you could associate mud with the slow and the icelances with earth spikes, fire could be turned into lightning (probably the only one where we could somehow explain dots from) and arcane wind or something..? Here is the issue with the overall concept imho. It's easy to substitute some specs, I could totally see it happening with trading arcane for lightning or wind magic, earth, by chance also works for frost. But switching out fire with it's mechanics? Eh, now we are already struggling. Though it might still actually work all things considered, metor could a thundercloud with an electrified ground and such stuff.

Same with classes like warrior, i don't know. We'd still need to keep the weapon choices, I don't excatly see a battle mage using titan's grip..

Deathknight and Demonhunter are already highly specialized elite units, somehow turning them into something else would be difficult, though I could see the DK gameplay alot easier as a basis for dragon sworn than druid.. Monk would need something that also uses martial arts, so a dancer type class would probably be even better than bard. I can't for the life of me think something that fits the little flavor the DH class has. What class would usually zap around, can fly/glide and has a frontal AoE in a short cooldown that changes your form? oO

Paladin as spellbreaker works for ret and prot, but how would you consolidate it with a healing spec? Also please.. no cringe-warriors.

Yeah and so on, so unless we talk about single specs, the only one that really works from a gameplay pov is necromancer, maybe Shadow Hunter since that is also just , everything else is kinda dodgy or just slight flavor that could be solved with transmog and, more importantly, a good selection of glyphs.

[Nathasil]

I think this version of "class skins" where they try and sell you a reskin as something actually "new" that you need to level and waste a character slot on is horrible.

What i would have absolutely LOVED are race specific Prestige Class upgrades that add nothing but a little visual customization, awarded to EXISTING CHARACTERS at the end of a questline. Want to be a Priestess of the Moon? Well, your FEMALE Night Elf Priestess can be one, she just needs to meet some requirements, do a questchain and voila...now she can have a bow transmog and some of her spells will have a adiffernt glow effect.

Same goes for Shadow Hunter for Trolls...or Baldemaster for Orc Warriors...basically, all of the old WC3 Hero Units.

But unlocking "something" new that i then have to play up? What a horrible way to shit on a good idea.

If Lightforged would have not been a new race but instead an "upgrade quest" that existing Draenei Paladins can undertake...i bet more players would have actually been in favor of that.

[NickCageFanatic]

Lets get one thing right here about these Prestige Classes. They are skins, and apparently it doesn't make sense that an original class somehow just becomes this new prestige class. There is nothing that this prestige class does differently than the original class except have different spell animations, and you need to level this thing up from (I presume) level 1...

Who the fuck wants this?

[Th3Scourge]

I don't understand how horrible idea like class skins got so much traction.

Thank you, it's the most garbage fan fiction bullshit ever concocted.

- - - Updated - - -

Lets get one thing right here about these Prestige Classes. They are skins, and apparently it doesn't make sense that an original class somehow just becomes this new prestige class. There is nothing that this prestige class does differently than the original class except have different spell animations, and you need to level this thing up from (I presume) level 1...

Who the fuck wants this?

+1 it's the dumbest shit ever.

[ultima ratio]

(class)skins r not gameplay. cosmetics rnt a substitute for gameplay.

the idea of prestige classes has to be developed deeper than cosmetics, into class/spec enhancing. so a paladin may decide at cap to ultimately choose a path - to become a lightforged or a voidfallen paladin, with some unique abilities unlocking gradually whith prestige XP. every spec gets 2 or 3 subspecs (with some minor dis- and abilities) to level one after cap.

[Chain Chungus]

DKs could get the Void Knights.

[Nyel]

I don't understand how horrible idea like class skins got so much traction.

The same like race skins?

[Dungo]

I think if we were going to get "Prestige Classes", each individual spec in the game should get their own unique skin.
An example for Windwalker could be "Firewalker." Have a questline where you meet with Ordos, the Yaungol Demigod, and he teaches you the ways of Firewalking. Then all your abilities can be fire-themed, make it look similar to Firebending from Avatar or something.

If Monk ended up getting bards as their Prestige Skin, I'd be pretty disappointed.

[erifwodahs]

Lets get one thing right here about these Prestige Classes. They are skins, and apparently it doesn't make sense that an original class somehow just becomes this new prestige class. There is nothing that this prestige class does differently than the original class except have different spell animations, and you need to level this thing up from (I presume) level 1...

Who the fuck wants this?

I would be up for class quest line and mage-tower like challenges to unlock elements of re-skinned class. Could be implemented gradually, because reskinning everything in one go is tremendous job. OR it could be added into ingame shop, which is cool, but would have no Prestige around it. I would prefer mage tower.

[ManiaCCC]

I would be up for class quest line and mage-tower like challenges to unlock elements of re-skinned class. Could be implemented gradually, because reskinning everything in one go is tremendous job. OR it could be added into ingame shop, which is cool, but would have no Prestige around it. I would prefer mage tower.

Like green fire locks. So we already have "prestige class" in the game

[huth]

Wasn't there a thread about this just last week?

I don't really like the implementation suggested in that "leak", though. Making it a fully seperate class just for some cosmetics?

[erifwodahs]

Like green fire locks. So we already have "prestige class" in the game

Kind of, I was a fan of Legion Class Quests and mage-tower, which would nicely add quite a bit of non raid content, tho you wouldn't want gear to make the challenge trivial, so some mechanics which would still require skill instead of gear. Or everyone who enters a challenge gets to wear same "class themed" gear. Obviously this is only my daydreaming and some people might imagine it differently or hate the idea completely.

[SirCowdog]

I don't understand how horrible idea like class skins got so much traction.

It's exactly the same thing as allied races, just for classes.

What I don't understand is why so many people haven't recognized this yet. And quite frankly, I'm surprised Blizzard hasn't already implemented it.