New professions: Music, woodworking, or something else?
by David Bowers 
Jul 10th 2007 at 4:30PM
Recently we talked about what kind of quest you would make if Blizzard gave you the opportunity, and since reading Tobold's suggestion yesterday about a new woodworking profession, it got me wondering about what new professions would work well with the existing system. Like jewelcrafting, any new profession should cover items or functions in the game that are not currently craftable. I know many people are just dying to have your current profession improved, but think for a moment if you could start over with a clean slate: what kind of profession would you design?
To give you an example to get you thinking, I did some searching and found this suggestion for a music profession which would let players create their own instruments and play their own music -- something I hear Lord of the Rings Online implements very well. (The clip above features a LotRO player using his keyboard to play "Dust in the Wind.") In addition to this, "song-spells" or enchanted instruments of some kind could give a benefit for anyone in range to hear them played, such as a short-term buff or heal-over-time, or else a debuff for enemies within range, such as a short charm or a lullaby. Some have suggested that a "Bard" class would be able to do this, but to me it seems that the "singing" mechanic suits a secondary skillset better than a full-fledged class and also opens it up for more people to learn and use in different ways. What's your opinion?
To give you an example to get you thinking, I did some searching and found this suggestion for a music profession which would let players create their own instruments and play their own music -- something I hear Lord of the Rings Online implements very well. (The clip above features a LotRO player using his keyboard to play "Dust in the Wind.") In addition to this, "song-spells" or enchanted instruments of some kind could give a benefit for anyone in range to hear them played, such as a short-term buff or heal-over-time, or else a debuff for enemies within range, such as a short charm or a lullaby. Some have suggested that a "Bard" class would be able to do this, but to me it seems that the "singing" mechanic suits a secondary skillset better than a full-fledged class and also opens it up for more people to learn and use in different ways. What's your opinion?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Shaun Dec 4th 2008 8:49AM
What about a 'cobbler' for a new prof? Someone who makes shoes? They could make shoes that allow walking on water, or make shoes which increase running speed, or shoes which allow higher jumping (lol), or plain old buff shoes, that increase magic power or melee etc. I think you could have a few interesting items made. Plus, the gathering skill could be skinning :)
Chris M Jul 10th 2007 4:37PM
Whatever happened to the beverages or drinks being integrated into cooking? Wasn't that planned for a patch way back? To my knowledge, hasn't been implemented yet..
That's a big one for me. You can make food to restore health; but as a priest-I have no problem in that department; I need mana!
Chris
Dracula Jones Jul 10th 2007 4:48PM
Oh my god, I would love a music skill. I played a bard as my main in EQ for years. In WoW, it just wouldn't work as a class, but it would be awesome to be able to equip some drums and sing some Selo's Song of Acceleration (Crusader Aura) or pull out your lute for a group heal aura.
Grunbard Jul 10th 2007 5:08PM
@1 New Profession: Brewmaster. A cross between alchemy and engineering, crafting trinkets and consumables with effects like haste (espresso), slow (drunken haze), and flame breath (similar to
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=12217 )
And of course, make some homebrew!
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=23586
Avogadro Jul 10th 2007 5:08PM
Leatherworkers already have drums to play.
I've heard this somewhere else before, but a Scribe that makes scrolls could be a good place to start from.
juan.sipag123 Jul 23rd 2010 6:30PM
i agree with your observation.
host a gold party
Baluki Jul 10th 2007 5:12PM
It would be really cool if players could play music (like in the vid) in WoW, but I don't think it would be good for a profession. Bard-like auras are already a huge part of Paladins and especially Shamans.
And some of the other professions have aura-producing items as well. Leatherworkers can make several different kinds of drums that give a buff, and Jewelcrafters can make buffing necklaces.
I do think that a Woodworking profession could be cool. We need a profession that can make Bows, Staffs, Arrows, Totem Poles, and so on.
But the current professions still need a lot of work.
Engineering is still kinda lousy. They need to make a craftable "Upgrade Kit" that'll allow your old items (like the Mind-Control Cap) to work on 60+ targets.
Jewelcrafting needs more Fist Weapon recipes. So far, it has ONE, and it's a lowbie item. Personally, I'd love to see them add a craftable customizable fist weapon that only Jewelcrafters can use, with like 12 gem slots.
I could go on, but I won't. They still have a lot of work to do on existing professions before they add new ones. Not that that's stopped them before.
Baluki Jul 10th 2007 5:13PM
@4: We already have Alchemists. What would a Scribe do that an Alchemist can't already do?
Chadwick Jul 10th 2007 5:16PM
Wood Working is a given.
Lumberjacking (or Wood Cutting, or Forestry)would be the gathering complement.
Now that they have nerfed Alchemy, they can now include a Scribe. They would make scrolls (town portals anyone?) and have other "glyph"-like abilities, such as Circles of Power, Healing, etc.
I think music and brewmastery would be excellent secondary skills. Music could be a main profession I guess, but I'd like it as another complement to the Well Fed buff.
I'd also like to see a Camping(Tents, more fires), Art(Tattoos), and Farming professions.
There is so much more that can be done.
Jamus Jul 10th 2007 5:29PM
Brewmaster sounds awesome!
Of course, that might also give a good lead-in to Pandaran showing up too...
Michel Jul 10th 2007 5:32PM
I would love music in wow
kato Jul 11th 2007 12:19PM
There should be some profession that provides the ability to craft staves.
Joyd Jul 10th 2007 5:49PM
Brewing and Scribing have been singled out as unlikely profession ideas because of the similarity to alchemy and/or cooking.
Woodworking is a common suggestion because it seems like a reasonable way to be able to craft all of the major categories of equipment that aren't currently craftable - arrows, bows, staves, shields, and possibly relics. The associated gathering profession could reasonably be built in, (which would likely require spawning yet another kind of node to gather from) or the profession could use a mix of leather, herbs, purchased wood and the standard mob drops. To give the profession a bit of a spike, it'd probably help if practitioners were able to do something or other that's unique.
I'd almost rather see the existing professions given a little more functionality, rather than having new ideas fragmented across even more professions. I'm not an engineer, but it's well-known that the profession is in a world of hurt, and most any idea can be translated into an engineering thing. Things like the Tailoring nets and the Leatherworking drums are cool ideas that give their professions a bit of flair, and I'd rather see new ideas added to existing professions (or even classes) than clumped into new ones. (Unless a very large 'hole' is created by new game elements, as was arguably the case with jewelcrafting.)
braydn Jul 10th 2007 6:05PM
i agree with #10, woodworking and forestry should be added, could also throw in wands to #10's list as well. music is stupid and only would serve to make a band like in SWG which basically is a waste of time. tents could be cool though, like to increase group recovery time or as a group rez device, just throw one down before you take on a boss and if you all wipe, you can all rez into the tent.
Brandon Jul 10th 2007 6:32PM
Woodworking: Able to craft arrows, bows, staves, and shields.
Brewmaster: Secondary profession able to make water/mana return items much like the cooking profession.
Urthona Jul 10th 2007 7:15PM
As Lumbering would function mechanically as "Herbalism" and "Skinning" with a Find Timber application and allow for players to obtain wood from trees... Woodworking would be its "Smelting", the crafting follow-up.
I think Woodworking would first have to render the procured wood into board, dowels, and pulp.
Pulp could be used to make imbued papers, which once combined with materials by Enchanters, can be used to make Scrolls. Leatherworkers could use papers to make Offhand Tomes for casters and Librams for paladins.
Dowels would be manufactured in vast quantity, as they would be transformed into quantities of arrows using Light Feathers. Dowels would be combined with essences, shards or dusts to make bows, staves and wands. Processed dowels would be used by Engineers to make crossbows, or polearms by Blacksmiths.
Boards would be used to make Shields, either by combining enchanting mats to make shaman or paladin shields or metals for warriors. Boards could also be used to make 1H and 2H maces, carving trinkets for all classes and Totems and Idols for druids and shamans.
Boards come into their own at post-70 zones and +400 skills. The production of vast amounts of boards allow Woodworkers to create boats to cross the High Seas of the Maelstrom(NOT launching from ports like Menethil Harbor or Ratchet, but ports in the expansion post-70 zones, like Stormreaver Bay, Biljwater Port, and Zaldazar.).
Lastly, a byproduct of some lumbering would result in Kindling - a consumable used by mages, shamans, and warlocks to enhance their fire spell damage.
bill gates Jul 10th 2007 9:48PM
are you allowed to play music thats not gay or would that be out of character?
B Lee Jul 10th 2007 10:51PM
I'd also like to add to #10's list (and support the addition of woodworking as a profession) with the construction of lifeboats that save you when you're crossing continents and your ship disappears before you do, leaving you stranded in the ocean to die a horrible fatigued death! And yes, bows, staves, wands, arrows, relics, shields, etc: all excellent ideas.
Actually they should have shield recipes for blacksmiths while we're at it ...
uncaringbear Jul 10th 2007 11:21PM
I'm with #10 in that I think the current professions could easily be boosted to fulfill most of the requests mentioned. It doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch for a skilled engineer to build a bow. I bet my money against Blizz rolling out woodworking professions for gathering and crafting. I just think it's not profession that would be perceived by the average player as 'sexy' or useful. On the other hand, I absolutely love the idea of a musician skill. It wouldn't be a profession, but perhaps the instruments are rare drops? I could see it be soooo cool to whip out your lute (or harp, or drums, etc) and play a tune in the middle of Shatt. Yeh, it could be annoying, too :)
Sirg Jul 11th 2007 2:35AM
Woodworking/foresting would be a waste of time. There are enough bows wooden stuff in the game, and I don't need more standard stuff (typical crafted items that almost everyone has).
As a new addition I would like each class to have a specific profession, like the rogues have lockpicking. Casters could craft runes to cast a specific spell (one charge or more), hunters could make traps and nets, warriors could make weapon auguments, rogues could make smokebombs and lockpicks... etc..
And I would love to see town portal runes/scrolls for the lesser towns in Azeroth (maybe made available by a quest and soulbound).