Another option for new content: factional class flipping?
by Eric Vice 
Oct 10th 2007 at 6:00PM
Last week I talked about mid-level content and as expected, many of you expressed an opinion. One comment in particular from autumnbear got me thinking. Autumnbear writes:"How about updating the overall lore for the game, and allowing more class choices for the current playable races. Still waiting for the Night Elves to teach my Human how to be a Druid, especially since he's Exalted with both Darnassus AND the Cenarion Circle."
Now that's something I can chew on. What about quests that will allow you to make race/class combinations that are not otherwise available in the game? I think this is a tremendous idea if the process is sufficiently difficult to prevent everybody and their uncle's cat from doing it. The original Everquest had epic quests that took some players months to complete. Everquest 2 had the betrayal quests which allowed you to change factions which took a really long time to complete.
Why shouldn't a human, in Autumnbear's case, who has earned significant faction with Darnassus not be able to learn the finer points of being a druid? Gnomes have no healing classes. Why not create a very difficult quest line for those gnomes who are exalted with Stormwind that would allow them to become a paladin or priest?
I know I'm going to get a billion comments about game balance. Admittedly this would likely not count as "mid-level" either, but I think that if it was properly implemented it could be a valid source of that new content that everybody is craving.
Filed under: Druid, Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Benor Oct 10th 2007 6:15PM
Well, they could handle it much like the upcoming Death Knight. If you have the requisite reputation and complete the necessary quests, your account (on one server, not all of them) will have expanded class options for certain races. However, Blizzard should be careful about this idea if they did implement it-a human druid, for example, probably wouldn't be allowed thanks to Staghelm's prejudice.
Lucen Oct 10th 2007 6:18PM
I see absolutely no reason why every race shouldn't be able to pick every class from the beginning.
It made sense back when there was only paladin on Alliance and shaman on Horde but now...
Perhaps I'm just biased. I love being Horde but have had an itch to level a gnome priest since I started playing.
kentiam Oct 10th 2007 6:23PM
I see some great potential in this idea for those who need to change classes but don't want to re-level. I'm sure everyone's met a warrior who should be a rogue, a pally who should be a warrior, etc. Where they didn't know what their end game role would be when they rolled their toon.
This way that Retardin you know can finally learn to be a true dps class!
PS I do recognize in rare cases the off spec players can be very useful and effective, but for the most part they are less effective then other class in the off spec role.
PS I do reconize in rare cases the off spec players can be very useful and effective, but for the most part they are less effective then other class in the off spec role.
Freehugz Oct 10th 2007 6:30PM
Yes plz. My druid would like Perception + Diplomacy.
Nati Oct 10th 2007 6:37PM
Lore has no place in the game anyway, right?
Delroy Oct 10th 2007 6:41PM
I really like the story elements of WoW. I feel by changing this you change the lore of the game. I know that it's a game and this would make the game more fun for some people, but I like how the current way fits into the "roll playing" part of the game--you play as someone in the Warcraft world. It would detract from the game, in my opinion, to change the race/class relationships.
One of the most interesting (and saddest) stories of the game, in my opinion, is how Blood Elves are able to be paladins. I think by actually having a reason for them to be able to be pallies is a big addition to the story and lore of the game. Sure, you could add story lines for all the other class/race additions, but that detracts from it, I think.
RogueJedi86 Oct 10th 2007 6:41PM
aw now kentiam, no need to turn this into a flamewar, with your blatant use of "Retardin", that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
Having certain classes for certain races still makes them feel unique. I love each race being unique. A human druid? Ew, just wouldn't fit.
haiduk Oct 10th 2007 6:50PM
Tauren rogue ftw
mizatt Oct 10th 2007 6:50PM
I agree with Delroy.
Erron Kelly Oct 10th 2007 6:51PM
Maybe I'm a little jaded, but it seems to me that adding something like this would require real work on the part of Blizzard.
Why mess with a good thing? They have a game that is simple enough for anyone to learn, but in depth enough to keep people playing.
It has "one player mode" in PvE, and for those who like to complete it has PvP.
WoW makes Blizzard tons of cash, so why try and make it better when they can still milk it? Wait until the 9 million players worldwide becomes 5 million, or 2 million.
THEN we'll see a great game come forward in order to bring players back.
Charlie Oct 10th 2007 6:58PM
I think that we should be able to at least train other race's languages! Agreed its more of a RP thing, but it would still be cool. (note im not an RPer for reference). Just epic quests, like 4 or 5, and each time you complete one you get +75 language skill.
I think it would be badass.
locomoco Oct 10th 2007 7:14PM
@9 But the bells around their necks would give their position away and break stealth...
mizatt Oct 10th 2007 7:15PM
#11, how about an extremely difficult 40 man raid to learn languages? It takes 6 hours at minimum, and at the end you get to learn one word and the whole raid has to agree on the word? I think that would be hilarious
Autumnbear Oct 10th 2007 7:17PM
Woot! I made a headline! ^_^
By the way, I don't actually get my Human to Exalted with Darnassus quite yet. In fact, I re-rolled as a Priest instead of the Warlock you see in my screenshot. :P
The real Autumnbear is a Tauren Druid, Emerald Dream, so feel free to come RP anytime!
P.S. Three bars to Exalted with Timbermaw!!!
Sl0th Oct 10th 2007 7:21PM
The language barriers have been one of the things that bug me. Even if Blizzard doesn't think we're mature enough to communicate with the opposing faction outside of emotes that are, in my opinion, far more obnoxious than simply speaking has ever been, we ought to be able to pick up other languages in our own faction. I'd love to know what exactly dwarves are saying in places like Menethil Harbor where one or two randomly say things in the dwarven language.
You could even make it a trainable skill with different levels of proficiency. At 75, you'd be able to barely communicate in said language. It'd be garbled (using the same sort of language garbler that they use now) but some minor aspects of what you're saying comes through. the more you talk, the better you get until you hit 300 and fluently speak the language.
You could even make it part of some epic series of quests with rewards low enough that only die hard linguists will want to do more than basic training. Make it an achievement to have your Night Elf learn Gnomish or your Troll learn Taur-ahe.
But back to the subject at hand. Hell yes, make being exalted in a faction open up new options for classes. More over, make who you train with give you some sort of unique bonus. I mean, the priestly training you gain from a Night Elf should be radically different than that you recieve from a Human or Dwarf. Night Elves get their powers from Elune. One's training should reflect that better. While Humans, dwarves and Draenei gain their powers from the holy light. Forsaken priests ought to emphasize the darker aspects of their class while the Trolls ought to be more like witch doctors in some ways.
Maybe that idea is too complex to implement, but it would add some flavor to the game and make each race have cookie-cutter versions of each available to the race with only minor differences - meaning their racial abilities and cosmetic differences.
makabak Oct 10th 2007 7:29PM
During open beta, I had a dwarf mage, and looking back on it, I would have rerolled him a gnome--and not because of any racial benefit. There's a lot to be said for lore, and beyond that, *appropriateness.*
You could say, then, that there shouldn't be BElf pallies, but that's done already, so :P .
Besides, if you're exalted with any faction, you're probably level 70. Do you REALLY want to learn how to play a new class STARTING at level 70? Pick up all new gear? Yeah right. That's why there are so many character slots per server, not just one or two.
Armath Oct 10th 2007 7:30PM
Re Sloth@15 on different sources for priest power:
I think that's what Blizzard was trying to achieve with Priest racials - because priests of different races get their power from different sources, they shouldn't all have the same abilities. So we kind of do have that, at least until it's changed.
I totally LOVE the idea of learning in-game languages, both in-faction and cross-faction. Let the in-faction training go to 300 with rep and quests, but make cross-faction training much harder, or maybe limit it to the common faction language. After all, there are quest givers from all races, so *they* have to be able to learn the other languages.
Ichigo Oct 10th 2007 7:47PM
I'd rather have faction flipping than class flipping. Class flipping is a good mechanic and is an integral part of character creation and makes the decision of which race to create fun and challenging.
Faction swapping would make sense, as we all know not everyone who starts out on one side of an argument/conflict stays there.
Horde Draenei?
Alliance Blood Elves (most likely then going by the old High Elf moniker)?
wowtard Oct 10th 2007 8:06PM
The thought of a gnome that can make himself invincible and nearly unkillable at will makes me cringe.
Epiny Oct 10th 2007 7:49PM
Priest racials are widely considered a mistake, even by Blizzard. They make certain races more powerful at certain aspects of the game.
The Betrayal Quest in EQ2 was to this day the funniest and lamest quest ever. Killing 500 gnolls to prove your loyalty sucked, but getting to attack Lucan was awsome.