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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsA new class, why not a new race?
by Amanda Rivera 
Nov 9th 2007 at 6:15PM
My concern is not that we aren't getting new races. I am worried that adding only one class will toss things out of whack. When TBC was announced, they let us know that the Horde would be able to play paladins, and so for balance they added shaman to the Alliance side. Balance is the key word here. When we have Death Knights added to the game, there will be only one Hero Class, albeit available to both factions. I get the feeling that this will throw off the balance more than they realize. Not so much because there will be another tanking class, but more because Blizzard cannot anticipate how players will actually play the character. Sure it's a tanking class, but if players start using it as a DPS class despite the best intentions of the devs, things could go badly.
Considering the magic-centric storylines in Northrend, I would feel more comfortable if they added the Archmage along with the Death Knight. Adding the Archmage would allow players to play a mage of any race, opening up a whole new world of role play possibilities. Or how about the Demon Hunter? With so much going on in Outland, couldn't we use an anti-Illidan to clean house, so-to-speak? What do you think? Is Blizzard making a mistake by adding only one class into the game?
Filed under: Classes, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King, Forums
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Mike Nov 9th 2007 10:11PM
A new race deosnt have to mean a new starting area! Have the new race start in an existing one and throw in the racial city in a new mid-level zone, solves both the problems, you got your new race, and new mid-level content. I'd go for goblins in silvermoon and open up their capital to provide some competition for STV.
Jack Kelly Nov 10th 2007 10:26PM
I was REALLY looking forward to playing a new class or two that starts at LEVEL 1.
Maybe it's the alt-a-holic in me but I have little desire to play a DK.
I was hoping for two totally new classes. It seems lately that they're adding tons of bells and whistles but not much guts.
Mounts and mini-pets are fun and all but WotLK had better be really good or they're going to bleed accounts.
TotalBiscuit Nov 9th 2007 11:42PM
@12 What on earth are you jabbering about cretin? Woe betide that people play the game as intended and develop their character's to the best of their ability rather than get to 70, reroll something else, and never truly experience what the class has to offer, nor gain the necessary skills to actually play it properly.
Just the kind of attitude I'd expect from a scrub though. Your generalizations (everyone wants this! everyone wants that!) are despicable.
Jack Nov 10th 2007 12:43AM
I'd really like to see new races too: and cool races, not more elves or random blue humans with horns and hooves. Like furbolgs, or worgen, or sporelings, or pandaren, or... I dunno! Something cool!
Jack Nov 10th 2007 12:47AM
And as for alt-lovers versus single-character players, both have valid desires and neither should be exclusively catered to.
Umgawa Nov 10th 2007 12:52AM
@21 - You are a shining, perfect example of why it is that people roll alts instead of grinding instances night after night, because it's not any fun playing with people who have this idea of how to play "properly." It's a game, and I find it to be a terribly fun game when I'm out doing solo PvE. However, instances tend to bring out the worst in a lot of people, generally hardcore level 70's who think they're the only ones entitled to new content.
As such, I don't much care whether they go with just the one hero class, or whether they go with multiple hero classes, because the first people to play them aren't going to be laid-back casual players, who I find make the game palatable to my tastes. No, instead, it's going to be the instance-junkies, and so I know that for several months, I'll be able to count on every death knight I see calling me 'noob' and telling me to learn to play my class properly.
Satryghen Nov 10th 2007 1:32AM
When I heard about hero classes for the first time I though of one thing: Pandaren Brewmaster. I'll let others figure out the details of what the class is but I think it could work as a hero class for a number of reasons.
1. no need for a starter zone if the class starts at level 60, plus their homeland is supposed to be hidden anyway. Could make it a Pandaren only zone or not include it at all.
2. they're supposed to be rare, as a hero class they would be (especially if you made it hard to unlock it).
3. no inherent allegiance to the Horde or Alliance (although probably closer to the alliance) so they could work for both factions.
Levy Jan 13th 2008 2:01PM
i think they should add a new starting class for humans actually and then make an equivilant for horde i think for the humans they should add a class calles orc slayer that starts out with dual wield and but cant use 2handed weapons and cant use shields but uses mail and later uses plate/ i think the horde equivalent should be a berserker that is the exact same thing as the human orc slayer which starts with dual wield and mail and later progresses to plate yet they cant use shields or 2handed weapons. and best thing of all the lore is there to back it up.
Solex Nov 10th 2007 4:15AM
I'm a rogue for life I love my melee and dps and the risk of dodge vs death. While I think I might roll a DK, I get this sinking feeling that there will be 8 million dps dk's and 5 tank dk's. I'd love to see a demon hunter, which are a little more flexible in terms of race. I'd also like to see new races, I like diversity and I think the horde has more options than the alliance. Imagine you make an ogre caster and you get to pick what the two heads look like or whether to make it's skin red blue or black or the tuskar walrus guys, both races have so much character to them. The alliance I could see maybe having some good/decent vrykul, but yeah it's all just a little dream.
Haaku Nov 10th 2007 10:44AM
I think this Death Knight thing being a new class isnt bad but they should have made so that a class that alrdy exsisted could convert into DK. Like for instance a paly that at lv 70 could do a quest to get new abilities and an altered look. Instead of starting at 60 with a new char without any relation to your previous main.
Bloodelf/Dwarf/Human paly --> undead lookish Bloodelf/Dwarf/human DK
And the rest of the classes well, bad luck and wait for next hero class.
Think it would be far better then granting every1 the possibily to get a DK, too bad if it is fair or not.
Cmon its just silly to run with a troll hunter -> do a quest and ge a death knight. Just as silly as it would be if ya ran with a human paly -> do a quest and get a (pff dunno) a troll hunter a la heroclass (demon hunter or whatever)
makabak Nov 10th 2007 12:03PM
Two thoughts - I'm almost thinking that Blizzard actually needs to STOP trying to balance classes so much. ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that some classes are, by their nature, slightly OP. And if you want to win PvP all the time, reroll. For the love of God, stop homogenizing classes and races!!!
Also, I would like to see Blizzard limit players to having ONE hero class character per server. I think this would cut back the altaholism, and would reduce the number of DK running around in the future, when other hero classes are reduced.
Rasnarok Nov 10th 2007 4:10PM
I'd rather a new healing class (next Hero class maybe?) over new races any day. Remember when they first announced that in BC there would be two new races but no new classes? You were all angry and said new races wasn't new content but now look at what you're saying when they try to introduce a new class into the game. You're all a bunch of hypocrites.
Richie Nov 12th 2007 6:00AM
@25
"no inherent allegiance to the Horde or Alliance (although probably closer to the alliance) so they could work for both factions."
Probably closer to the horde more like. He helped out ReXXar and Vor'jin.
Vestras Nov 12th 2007 12:03PM
I nominate Arkroka for new race status. They are clearly intelegant and have a lore of their own and lend themselves nicely to certain classes: Warlock, Warrior, Shaman, Mage, Hunter and Druid I would hazzard. Who's side they fall on is another story. They are halfway there in renders just like the High Elves were in the pre-BC days. They even have a dance animation. Starting area could be near Skethis on an isolated island which one factions expedition into the nether has found.
Goblins really should have been a Horde race from the word go. Making them neutral just doesn't sit with me.
As for classes. Demon Hunters for both Elf races, and ONLY those two. If druids have to suffer and be so limited, so too should be other race/class combos. Ability wise, they would be a hybrid of rogue and shadow priest, with drain based heals and massive melee dodge. Alternativly, Dark Hunter to fit WotLK. This would add a 2nd non-caster ranged DPS, mixing Hunter and Warlock like abilities. Trees for Ranged DPS, Magic Arrows, and possibly a pet tree. Rather than combat pets, there's would offer support roles, healing, mitigation/shields, or sacrifical aggro wipes.
Folks at endgame need to remember that the game needs fresh blood to keep things going and intresting, and that new classes/races are the main way to do that. For those who choose to start a new character, the new mid level content helps them stick with it and get back to the endgame sooner.
For those at the start to mid game complaining about the lack of mid-level and width expansion, Endgame raiding/PVP is what drives some players, and when they run out of content to conquer, they get bored and quit, whittleing down the player population.
In the end, Both sides need growth to keep the game fresh and exciting for EVERYONE, not just you in your niche.
Aremnas Nov 13th 2007 2:54PM
While many of the Heroes in WC3 already have some sort of incarnation sans the title in WoW, there are a few other classes which may be viable for future hero classes. The Spell Breaker is a good example, while certain classes are arguable pretty good against casters, a specifically anti-magic class doesnt really exist. Something else I see alot is people drawing only from existing lore, treating WoW as though it was based off the Warcraft universe instead of being the latest chapter. Much of the existing lore has been covered in one way or another, a few more expansions may see a resolution to all the past lore. WC3 brought alot of added richness to the universe, and I have no doubt, WoW could do the same should more lore be written.
I-R-PALADIN? Nov 15th 2007 7:56PM
I was wondering what would happen if u did the quest for the dk and decided not to go to the darkside like if u were a pally and u progressed through the quests that u encounter the lich king trying to get u to convert but resist what do u get outa that? the satisfaction of being better than arthas? i want some reword for staying true to who u are. also if u become a dk wouldnt that arouse animosity from your faction? u gave into the lich king so doesnt that make u the enimy to the hord/allience? well i don't really care too much but well i had to say it.
Hunterguy Nov 16th 2007 5:57PM
I don't really understand what everyones freaking out about. I've been playing for some time know, and I like the fact that they created new races for bc, and the idea of more new races and classes sounds great! I hope blizzard is reading this and gets the idea. I think it will increase replay value. That's why I play wow, because it has replay value, when most games don't.
So I say let them bring on all the new races and classes they can think of. Just as long as they don't do something stupid like let noobs run level 70 characters or something.
And what's the big deal with having alts? I thought everyone had them. I mean if weren't for alts how could you brag about how many lvl 70's you have.
I also don't see what the big deal is with new starting areas (again with the replay value)? I think they should have a bunch of new starting areas middle level areas and high level areas too.
its World of Warcraft, make it HUGE!
Saw Nov 26th 2007 10:57AM
I don't care if they put in new classes or new talents through faction or trainer, just as long as they put a FP next to the new instances. Going from Shat to Gadget for COT sux.
KIKI Dec 6th 2007 8:01AM
Blizzard is slow at releasing content, everybody knows this. Secondly I believe the Deathknight is being released to combat Warhammer Online. I'm in the WAR beta, and that's all I can tell you. I quit WoW as a gladiator and I was never going to go back , but when I seen the death knight everything changed. Blizzard likes releasing content slowly, because that's the way you make the most money. You don't wanna release all the content your dev team has thought of and created within the span of 2 years, because after those 2 years when your customers are bored and want something new you won't have anything to give them and they'll quit. It's a simple concept really, it's all about business. They release just enough content to keep you mumbling, but still paying your WoW subscription.
I'm really interested in seeing both WAR and WOTLK clash it out when they're released.