Blizzard adds furries.

[Rasix]

The moment blizzard let's go of their hubris and actually lets the other classes start at 55 when making a new character, I promise that representation will shift away from being so heavily dominated by death knights.

I hope they one day do this, although I'm already at 5 characters past that threshhold.  Leveling pre-BC is total shit, no matter how fast it is.  They're cutting back on the insane-o travel times by lowering mount levels, but that doesn't address the horrible loot and the low level talents that really don't mean anything unless you have gear with actual stats that mean something.  There's a reason my next clump of characters all stalled out at around 20. It's just a horrible experience unless you're playing with 2-3 others, so you can at least break the tedium with some instances (having someone power you through instances is also a welcome relief).

The reason I liked my DK so much was the different mechanics and how well they all worked together.  I stopped playing through once I saw that I was the new Blood Elf paladin.

[Selby]

People just hate DK's, the end.

Actually, we don't have too much hate for them in raids or even in heroics\instances.  They can be pretty useful in most situations, most of the hate I experience with them from others (and my own personal hate) is just how retarded or dickheaded most of the people who play them are.  Definitely the 'tard class de jour (Rogues were at once, warlocks were once, etc).

Edit:

Finding a tank for a PUG (which is how most casuals operate) was a huge dagger for years.

Yes.  No longer do we have to suffer through finding 1 warrior who was actually spec'd protection AND wasn't a complete idiot.

[Ratman_tf]

As someone astutely observed, C'thun is basically an eye, and Yogg Saron is more or less all mouth. So the next two Old Gods are probably going to be an ear and a nose respectively.

Ew. Snot and earwax attacks. 

[Ratman_tf]

People just hate DK's, the end.

Actually, we don't have too much hate for them in raids or even in heroics\instances.  They can be pretty useful in most situations, most of the hate I experience with them from others (and my own personal hate) is just how retarded or dickheaded most of the people who play them are.  Definitely the 'tard class de jour Rogues were at once, warlocks were once, etc).

I hated them because they really didn't add anything new to the group/raid game. They're just DPS/Tanks with a different skin. We already have issues with "Me too!" classes. Why add another?

Oh yeah. So people can get their Linkin Park on. 

[Selby]

They're just DPS/Tanks with a different skin. We already have issues with "Me too!" classes. Why add another?

So we've got another tank class, no big deal.  We've already got 4 people who can heal well depending on the different situations, why not have more than one tank?  Shaman don't count as valid tanks, so that leaves druids (who weren't great tanks until somewhat recently), warriors, and paladins (which Horde didn't have for 2 years).  One thing I hate is having a certain class be mandatory for an instance or raid - especially if it isn't a fun class to play.  Having another class being able to take on one of the 3 major roles is never a bad thing in my opinion.

[Lakov_Sanite]

CRAWWWWWWWLING IN MY SKIIIIIIIN!

[Ashamanchill]

People just hate DK's, the end.

Actually, we don't have too much hate for them in raids or even in heroics\instances.  They can be pretty useful in most situations, most of the hate I experience with them from others (and my own personal hate) is just how retarded or dickheaded most of the people who play them are.  Definitely the 'tard class de jour Rogues were at once, warlocks were once, etc).

I hated them because they really didn't add anything new to the group/raid game. They're just DPS/Tanks with a different skin. We already have issues with "Me too!" classes. Why add another?

Oh yeah. So people can get their Linkin Park on. 

Lol.

[Modern Angel]

Did you ever stop to think that the mere fact Blizzard funneled the DARK PALADIN players to something that started at a high level and could tank was a coup of design? It's Psychology 101 and they are the only ones doing it. It's the exact same line of thought that got Horde belfs in order to even the populations.

[WindupAtheist]

Uh, who are the 'dark paladin players'?

[Oban]

Retribution, I guess.

[WindupAtheist]

I kinda guessed the same thing, but the era that spawned a billion death knights was also the golden age of ret pallies. Your average retnoob was a lot more likely to think "MY POWER LEVEL! IT'S OVER 9000!" and run off to PVP than reroll to play through Outland again. I know I sure did.

People were rerolling/respeccing TO ret at the time, not away from it. If I had to guess where most of the DK rerolls came from, I'd guess rogues and locks.

[Musashi]

Prot Warriors.

[Merusk]

Most Dk's I've run into have been former Rogues and Hunters.  Rogues because they were sick of being the squishy melee class, hunters because... well, look at the history of hunters in the game.   Funnily enough since Hunters are on an uptick as DKs get nerf after nerf I've seen a number begin to switch back.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Many people just want an easy class to farm/play with.  DK right now is an ultimate casual class since you can roll one on any server with a high level.  They're also superb gatherers and often used as such so your main can do double regular professions.

[apocrypha]

Awesome bank alts too.

[Azaroth]

Furries and short orcs wouldn't make me come back, but a class that isn't boring as shit might. I always liked the CONCEPT of the healer/mage class in Warhammer, and it probably makes sense for WoW's next class to be something along those lines. I'd consider coming back to play something like that. But only if both things were done at the same time and to some reasonable level of effectiveness.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Next class will be a shadow hunter,  think of a sort of healer/hunter hybrid.  Blizzard has already said they want to make the next class a healer to offset the need for them but arch druid just would be redundant.  Shadow hunter would make perfect sense, give them a resto tree, a ranged melee tree and a misc tree.

[Jayce]

healer/mage

Like them or not, wouldn't this be redundant with shadow priests?

[K9]

Next class will be a shadow hunter,  think of a sort of healer/hunter hybrid.  Blizzard has already said they want to make the next class a healer to offset the need for them but arch druid just would be redundant.  Shadow hunter would make perfect sense, give them a resto tree, a ranged melee tree and a misc tree.

Similar to a monk class perhaps? I don't see blizzard adding another pet class.

[Zetor]

healer/mage

Like them or not, wouldn't this be redundant with shadow priests?

I was actually thinking elemental shaman.. they don't even need to 'come out of shadowform' to heal. Boomkin are flexible too, I remember in BC in our hMGT runs we had a boomkin who'd stay in casterform and stack HOTs for the second boss, it made it MUCH easier (healer was a shaman, and back then they didn't have riptide).

[Merusk]

I heard Mage/ Priest hybrid and I was thinking more like the Blood Priest as described by those who played Vanguard.   You stack your dots on an enemy and it life drains to a friendly target you've chosen.  Yeah, it's similar to Shadow Priests, but you can make it more efficient and give them multi-target heals and such.  Talents would decide which got better buffs, the healing or the damage end. 

[Azaroth]

A little more like the above.

From what I understood of the Warhammer class though, it was a Yin/Yang thing. You heal and build up points on the other side of the yin/yang, which allows you to drop a more and more powerful offensive spell. Etc. Or the other way around.

I would enjoy that.

[March]

I heard Mage/ Priest hybrid and I was thinking more like the Blood Priest as described by those who played Vanguard.   You stack your dots on an enemy and it life drains to a friendly target you've chosen.  Yeah, it's similar to Shadow Priests, but you can make it more efficient and give them multi-target heals and such.  Talents would decide which got better buffs, the healing or the damage end. 

Agree... BP was a neat class, but doesn't it really require dual targeting to make it as cool a Vanguard?  Without dual targeting Blood Priest would not work.  I suppose you could use Focus as the second target, but the game would not flow as well.

My vote is for a Warden class: Healer/Ranged Bow with a hint of Melee.

[Sjofn]

I'm not sure not letting people start any ol' class at 55 is just a matter of "eh, fuck 'em!" I get the feeling Blizzard realises hopping into a class like the druid at 55 cold would be overwhelming if you've never played a druid very high before (and you've presumably not done that if you're making one). I don't think they really want to spend time making DK-like starter zones for every class in order to teach someone how to play their class a little before unleashing them on the unsuspecting rest of the world when they have a hard enough time putting out an expansion in a reasonable amount of time. Hell, they have trouble putting out a CONTENT PATCH in a reasonable amount of time.

[Kail]

I get the feeling Blizzard realises hopping into a class like the druid at 55 cold would be overwhelming if you've never played a druid very high before (and you've presumably not done that if you're making one).

For new players, yeah, sure.  However, I don't know that vets would have the same problem.  Is anyone here really mystified about how, say, Rogues play?  Aside from a huge blinking "this one is important" indicator around Sinister Strike, everything else should be pretty easy to figure out.  I can see how newbies might be overwhelmed, but I've already got a fair handle on most of the classes, even the ones I haven't run to max, and I don't think that's unusual.  Most raiders have a pretty good working knowledge of what the other classes can do, in my experience.

And even if you don't want to make a level 55 starter zone for each class, it should at least be feasible to make one starter zone for all the classes combined, and just map out a "here's the order they'll learn their class skills in" overview for the individual classes.

[Xanthippe]

What I'd like to see is an expansion that chops off the last 20 levels.  Go from 80 back to 60, dialing back the hps/mana/burst.

Maybe it's just the view from my rose-colored glasses.

[Fordel]

I'm not sure not letting people start any ol' class at 55 is just a matter of "eh, fuck 'em!" I get the feeling Blizzard realises hopping into a class like the druid at 55 cold would be overwhelming if you've never played a druid very high before (and you've presumably not done that if you're making one). I don't think they really want to spend time making DK-like starter zones for every class in order to teach someone how to play their class a little before unleashing them on the unsuspecting rest of the world when they have a hard enough time putting out an expansion in a reasonable amount of time. Hell, they have trouble putting out a CONTENT PATCH in a reasonable amount of time.

Maybe that will be the big pull on the new races, their starting zones will be like the DK ones and you'll start at 55 or 65 or whatever.



Xanth: Those are just your glasses. The size of the numbers is fairly irrelevant, just their relation to each other. TBC was by far the most stable in terms of life expectancy in terms of Burst and the like. Both Vanilla and WotLK are just total gib fests.

[dusematic]

Uh, who are the 'dark paladin players'?

There's your average dude who just wanted to fuck around with a DK and try out the new class.  Then there's every misunderstood teen who thinks R.A. Salvatore is the reincarnation of Charles Dickens.  There's possibly a lot of black clothes involved.  Maybe just a sprinkling of dude's wearing nail polish.  Very well could be a dusting of "Taking Back Sunday" and "Saves The Day."  Look for the word "scene" a lot.

[Ashamanchill]

Oh crap!  I actually like Taking Back Sunday.  That brings me one step closer to these tools.  Good thing I would never consider rolling a DK.

[Sjofn]

I get the feeling Blizzard realises hopping into a class like the druid at 55 cold would be overwhelming if you've never played a druid very high before (and you've presumably not done that if you're making one).

For new players, yeah, sure.  However, I don't know that vets would have the same problem.  Is anyone here really mystified about how, say, Rogues play?  Aside from a huge blinking "this one is important" indicator around Sinister Strike, everything else should be pretty easy to figure out.  I can see how newbies might be overwhelmed, but I've already got a fair handle on most of the classes, even the ones I haven't run to max, and I don't think that's unusual.  Most raiders have a pretty good working knowledge of what the other classes can do, in my experience.

And even if you don't want to make a level 55 starter zone for each class, it should at least be feasible to make one starter zone for all the classes combined, and just map out a "here's the order they'll learn their class skills in" overview for the individual classes.

I think you are severely overestimating a lot of players. Shit, some people can't figure out a new SPEC if they didn't level with it.

[ezrast]

Clueless players are clueless. A 79-level-long tutorial is absolutely unnecessary.

[Triforcer]

would blizzard really be able to retain people if they could roll an insta-80, as most of you are implying they are mean for not doing?  Honestly curious is anyone has thought about this for more than the two secrets it takes to say "GIMME NOW!"

[ezrast]

I wasn't actually saying that 1-79 should be removed - just that they aren't necessary to learn a character.

Also, hate to be a pedant, but nobody implied that. 55 is not 80.

[kildorn]

The priest "here's how you play" starter zone would be a hilarious multiple hour series of quests where you join amazingly stupid NPCs and try to heal them through raid encounters.

That said, the lowbie mounts Help, and they seem to be patching up content gaps relatively quickly. I got my lock from 1-36 this weekend, without just sitting down and grinding out the whole damned time. You know, actually getting a bit of sun while being sick as a dog.

30-40 is still kinda shitty due to having to travel so much, but I'm thinking 50-60 is still "blink and you're in outlands"

[Ratama]

would blizzard really be able to retain people if they could roll an insta-80, as most of you are implying they are mean for not doing?

Addicts would take the needle out of their arm because new players and rerollers could skip vanilla content?  Or even BC as well?  Bullshit.

The only MMO-playing friends I have that aren't playing WoW atm are a couple that burnt out on the grind (trying to level up to 70 to play with friends and family, just before WotLK shipped).  People with jobs and families don't want to spend months leveling by themselves to play with capped folks.

Small sample, but yeah, the leveling curve is still way, way too long for some new players.