[Speculation] 9.0 Class revamps, skins, updates

[ro9ue]

This we'll probably have to wait until the WoW 'What's next?' panel on Saturday to know more about, but for now I want to see what everyone thinks we'll see. Here's my speculation / wishlist.


New Progression Model:

I'm a player would like to see a return to the old talent trees. Upgrading abilities. They can leave the 1% increase talent point stuff behind and make them more like the modern talent choices or HotS talents. I thought the artifact UI was pretty great, though I'd rather more choice and trade-offs instead of everyone arrives at the same point with the same tree filled out.

Focus on 12 classes vs 36 specs. So for example, a Paladin is like a melee knight that uses holy magic, has essentially the same base rotation, you have attacks that build up holy power and finishers.

But if you want to be a tank or healer, you start selecting items in a tree that lead you down the path of a tank or healer. You can choose to be more hybridy if you want. A tank might pick Righteous Fury (for old times sake) that gives the standard tank buff with passive +armor, stam, crit reduction and threat bonus. Picking that unlocks a path for more tank options.


Cosmetic Unlock Ideas:

On top of that, especially with the release of WC3 Reforged, I'd like to see them fill out a lot of old WC3 unit class fantasies, even if just via cosmetic unlocks, but preferably some tied to race where ideal. Maybe there's some overlap like a Forsaken Hunter or Rogue can BOTH unlock a Dark Ranger skin.

Warlock - Necromancer for all races
- Destro --> Fire becomes frost, very KT in HotSesque
- Demo --> Demons become undead
- Affliction --> can stay relatively the same, get an undead minion, maybe your spells look more like the Drustvar witchery

Hunter (Changes based on race)
- Shadow Hunter --> Troll, maybe Tauren and Draenei?
- Tinker --> Gnome, Goblin, Vulpera, Mechagnome, Orc, Dwarf?
- Dark Ranger --> Forsaken, Blood Elf?
- Priestess of the Moon --> Night Elf

Rogue (Changes based on race)
- Warden --> Elves
- Others no clue

Monk - Bard. Chi'ji red magic fire/dance/song spec, maybe has custom song and instrument design for each race

Warrior - Blademaster?

Death Knight - Dragon Knight?

Priest - Priestess of the Moon for nelf? Acolyte for Undead?

Druid - Dragonkin forms? More form customization options?

Shaman - Witch Doctor for Troll, Earthwarden for Tauren

Paladin - Shirvallah / Sunwalker for Troll / Tauren, Spellbreaker for Elves?

Mage - More Phoenix shit for Belf, maybe some kind of time mage?

Demon Hunter - Potentially the Souleater spec we've seen from the scythe-wielding DH follower. Maybe even Warden?


I dunno for me like. I like what we've seen thematically but it ALL rides on how the classes and progression systems are redesigned and how we're able to customize them to our liking.

[nonameelf]

For normal draenei:

Priest, this one needs to be broken down by spec:
Holy/Discipline- Anchorite. Spells are blue in color like the Gift of the Naaru racial symbol and as was depicted in Rise of the Horde.
Shadow- Soulpriest. Soul oriented spells instead of void.

Paladin- Vindicator. Blue spells again for same reason as priest.

Mage- Artificer. Uses draenei technology in addition to spells. Like maybe Arcane Missiles animation would be summoning one of the crystal turrets draenei have instead.

Those are the big ones for draenei imo. Could do Rangari for hunter, but I don't think they're that different from normal hunter.

[deviantcultist]

I don't find it a bad idea, but a rather cheap cop-out if that happens instead of a new class. Most of the fantasies you described won't be satisfied with reskinning an existing class.

[Grimbold21]

While I'm appreciative of the cosmetic concept, I'm suspicious as well, as it may run the risk of having an expac partially focused on looks.