What's happening with those new race/class combos, anyway?
by Michael Sacco 
May 14th 2010 at 9:00PM
The weird part is that we haven't heard anything else about the subject for ... quite a while now, actually. Kisirani hasn't made any posts about the new combos since her comment about Sunwalkers, and we haven't seen any new quests or in-game events that acted as introductions, either. This makes me a little worried. Was this plan abandoned?
I'm trying not to be too hasty. We won't be able to play them before Cataclysm anyway, so some of the new combos may be introduced over time via the long pre-Cataclysm world event. especially those that require explanation no matter what. Case in point: I couldn't see them adding dwarf shaman without tying in the Wildhammer clan somehow (Zarhym just popped up today saying that the Alliance would be supporting the Wildhammers in one of Cataclysm's new battlegrounds, so that must mean something).
But what about the other poor slobs, the combinations that just "kind of make sense" at first glance? Are they doomed to just show up and act as if they were always there? No, Archdruid Tuj'uku, you were not always a member of the Cenarion Circle. And you, Archmage Skullmaul over there. Are you digging through my trash? I'm calling the cops.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
pancakes May 14th 2010 9:04PM
It wouldn't surprise me if we see a quite a bit of lorebuilding on the new gnome/troll combos in the retaking of Gnomer/Echo Isles.
Kanuris May 14th 2010 9:38PM
Am most interested to see how the Gnome Priest lore works out. It's one of the only class combos i have yet to see any good ingame reason for (Gnomes are very logical and scientific, they have no need for religions and dietys) and only seems to have been added to give Gnomes another class.
On the subject, Night Elf Priests (But no Paladins) make sense due to Elune worship granting them power, but ingame effects show it as gold light. They canonically don't have a Paladin-type classes because the Sentinels are there to do the front line battle work, the Priestess' tend to favour range combat and healing.
Dwarves/Humans/Draenei/Blood Elves, practioners of the Light, all use Priests as healing support and Paladins as more frontline defenders of the people. Tauren Sunwalkers will mostly likely function much the same ingame, but canonically are just using reverse Night Elf-style worship (Of the Sun, not the Moon).
Troll Priests ingame use light and shadow, but canonically are probably be tapping into Voodoo or Loa spirits. Forsaken Priests canonically are based around the Forgotten Shadow, making them more offensively shadow priest based, but still able to tap into the Light as other priests tap into the Shadow.
Gnome Priests may get an explaination, but i'm eager to see how they justify Gnome Priests but not Paladins. I'd be willing to ignore the lore implications for Gnome Paladins. Smeagol wantssesss.
Titusx May 14th 2010 10:08PM
Well, the thing is... it wouldn't be too illogical to have some kind of "religious" believe over something thats pretty much THERE and can be seen and even studied. Unlike in this world (hope I don't catch some flame for this) holy entities and powers are something that manifest in very tangible way. Think of how easy it is for a Draenei to "believe" in the Naru... I mean, you can LITERALLY go down a ramp in the Exodar and see, touch, talk and interact with an actual Naru.
So I don't think the idea of a Gnome that studies this holy/unholy powers that are all around their world and that have very palpable uses and effects isn't so far fetched. Logic is a way of thinking in regard to the elements that exists in the world. In a world like the one in warcraft, being a priest could be the most logical thing to do after seeing the great power the Light and the Holy can provide.
Oh, and Gnomes threatened to sue blizzard if they didn't get a healing class.
Mike May 14th 2010 10:22PM
Best explanation: during their retaking of Gnomeragan, they take many casualties, many times being saved by their allies in the Alliance, thus making them realize that they need medics. They adapt the Light to that end, without applying any religious beliefs, much like the Blood Elf Paladins (though with much less malice than the Blood Knights, obviously).
kabshiel May 14th 2010 10:33PM
Troll druids and gnome priests are almost definitely both introduced in the troll/gnome events. Zentabra from the Echo Isles event is a troll druid, while "Doc" Cogspin from the Gnomeregan event is probably a priest.
aleanneld May 14th 2010 11:44PM
Going off of the lore idea that the 'Light' comes from physical beings of nearly pure energy may make it an easier pill for the gnomes to swallow. They could take it from a science view more then a religious one.
Draelan May 15th 2010 1:25AM
Actually, the Gnomes have had priests ever since vanilla. They're just in Gnomeregan: ( http://www.wowhead.com/npc=6392 ) If you're alliance, they'll even buff you with Fort, cast renew, and some small heals if you're in combat near them.
I suppose it doesn't really explain the lore aspect... but it does explain where they've been this whole time. hah.
Rai May 15th 2010 7:28AM
I personally believe that the light is the most effective weapon against radiation.
This would make sense and give them a good reason to take it up, logically.
madcobolstudent May 15th 2010 10:01AM
Gnomes don't really lend themselves to deity worship, but the Light isn't about that. The Light is more of a philosophy; it's about believe, faith, and moral rightness that leads to righteousness (justified conduct). As seen with the Scarlets, your moral view don't even have to be congruent with those of the majority, so long as your truly believe in it.
Gnomes already find themselves in a decent moral position: they trend away from deceit; as it's not an efficient means of conveying ideas, the don't covet property or power; only seeking social recognition for their accomplishments, and they tend to gladly devote themselves when asked for assistance in something that falls into their specialty.
So what do Gnomes believe in? What do they have faith in? Their inventions, their discoveries! These are things that they count on, things that keep them grounded and directed; things that give them inner strength. Other races of Priests might run into battle singing hymns or reciting prayers; Gnomes should shout formula, hum postulates, and chant mathematical constants. These things are the lenses through which they experience the world, and as such they are the foundation for faith and moral growth. What's more is this opens the way for the veneration of ancestors as past inventors whose theories made your inventions possible.
Just my thoughts.
"For Pythago Pistongrit and the sanctity of the triangle! For Gnomeregan!"
Thorzon May 14th 2010 9:06PM
Actually, on the Alpha Cataclysm Clients, Dwarves and Trolls are able to become Warlocks. Ask anyone one that has Alpha and they will say so. It may be just a glitch, but when you think about it, it's not too far off.
Sithril May 14th 2010 9:27PM
Its a glitch.
Drakkenfyre May 14th 2010 10:59PM
If it's a glitch, how come they have their own starter outfit?
dodgeballer2005 May 15th 2010 12:06AM
All starter outfits are the same, as far as I can see class-wise.
Salty Schro May 15th 2010 6:31AM
=) actually its not, the alpha forums where easily accessed yesterday where GC said that they are adding warlocks to both trolls and drawfs.
Drakkenfyre May 15th 2010 8:08AM
Dodgeballer, Worgen and Goblin starter outfits are all unique. In fact, some of them have been changed. Shaman start with a different outfit now.
brian May 14th 2010 9:08PM
Wait, we're getting new class/race combos? Shock and awe!
Seriously, though, they've gotten better at both telling and showing lore, so I dearly hope they explain the new additions. I mean, some of them already make sense, but showing why they got added *now* would be nice.
Explaining/showing why some classes weren't added would probably appease those players, as well.
Iirdan May 14th 2010 9:17PM
Unconfirmed rumors have stated that their addition now, in Cataclysm, is less about "they just appeared in lore" and more about the expansion of racial design to accommodate more than six class options and to encourage players to level new characters through the old world.
That said, I do want to see some explanation, but if we don't, there's our fallback.
loop_not_defined May 14th 2010 11:17PM
Is there a chance the race/class combos won't all be available at the launch of Cataclysm? And instead be released over it's entire duration? This would give Blizzard plenty of time to tie in major lore events, instead of just dropping them all in at the same time.
Ricohardt May 15th 2010 6:24AM
And yet gnomes are only now getting up to 6 classes. Come on Blizzard, give us those paladins and even things out.
RedMosquito May 14th 2010 9:14PM
I was thinking about this just a few days ago as well. I don't think all the combinations will get quests - I don't see them doing quests for Orc Mages or Blood Elf Warriors, for example. But some do need some explanation (like the aforementioned Dwarf Shaman and Troll Druids, or Gnome Priests). Here's hoping we get at least a few more quests.
And also, here's hoping that the previously unanounced Troll and Dwarf Warlocks are not just a bug, and will go live. Troll and Dwarf are the two least played races in the game, and they deserve some love. (If the two got locks, they would become the only two races able to become 9 of the 10 classes, which could work well to increase the number of people playing them).