Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What class would you like to see added to the game?
by Adam Parkinson 
Oct 15th 2010 at 8:00AM
Let us ponder upon classes, the very thing that defines one's playstyle the most in World of Warcraft. Whether it be the ever-gorgeous, plate-clad warrior who shouts, "I HAZ TWO ROCKET SWORDZ, UR POINT IZ INVALID," the warlock-hating mage or the mage-hating warlock, or even the druid who thinks that Woodstock was really great, we all have our preferences on what we think is the best class of them all.
Yet if Blizzard has taught us anything, it is to plan for upsets or twists in class selection. Remember the great death knight massacre of 2008? Everyone and his great-grandmother's mailman had a death knight. They were easy to acquire, incredibly powerful and just a blast to play. Yet modern death knights are shells of what they once were. They play like the polar opposite of paladins now, but upon their initial release, they felt more like a battle mage class. Now, thanks to a complete revamp of the death knight class, the closest thing to a battle mage is long gone, leaving those who enjoyed the class idea from different roleplaying games feeling rather empty and disappointed, much the same way as when we discovered that the delicious cake we were promised was actually a lie.
It leaves us with a curious idea, though. Considering that the idea of a battle mage in WoW is doable, could it be brought in as its own class? Or would Blizzard dare to put in a totally different class?
I personally would love the idea of a monk class being brought into WoW. A class that specializes in staffs, polearms, fist weapons or just good ol' fashioned, unarmed, beat-down-style fighting would be a blast. Maybe even have a healing class that uses chants (much like a priest) but has a completely different resource known as meditative power as its ability fuel. They could switch into different trances to gain certain abilities, much how a hunter's aspects work.
If you could have any new class (whether it be from a roleplaying game of old or maybe a class you enjoyed from another MMO), what would it be? How would the class work? How would the class fit in lore-wise?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 17)
MusedMoose Oct 15th 2010 8:18AM
Definitely agreed on the monk class, though perhaps Blizzard could take it a step farther and make the monk a Runemaster. They could use a system similar to the DK's runes and runic power, tapping runes for more powerful martial arts strikes as well as to heal the party. A leather-armored physical DPS and healing class could be interesting.
Also love the demon hunter and bard classes that others have suggested, though I'm with Swifteye in not being sure how the bard would work. I suppose the Groove system from April Fool's a while back is too much to ask for. *grin*
Finally, on the official boards a while back, I saw someone suggest a Bronze Dragonflight-based class that dealt damage and healed through time manipulation. It was an interesting idea, and if it's set up right, could be very interesting. My only problem with the idea is that all of them would take Engineering in hopes of getting a [Sonic Screwdriver] relic someday.
...excuse me while I duck.
Deathknighty Oct 15th 2010 10:51AM
I did once have an idea for a hero class that involved dragons (Red, Bronze and Green) that got permanently stuck in mortal form and ended up joining the alliance and horde. Red would be the tanking tree, Green would be for healing, and Bronze could be dps (a little like taking the oculus drakes and turning them into specs). You would have dragon-y abilities, and maybe cooldown that turns you into the dragon of the appropriate flight and gives you some cool stuff for a little while.
I dunno. That's just what I'd had mind.
Lur Oct 15th 2010 8:19AM
Personally, I'd like to see another ranged physical damage dealer. Perhaps a hybrid melee-ranged dps class that doesn't use pets. Trees should be Utility, ranged specialization or melee specialization. Melee specialization would have ranged tools on long cooldowns and abilities to close the gap. Ranged specialization would still have good melee abilities, but on long cooldowns with strong ranged damage and tools to open the gap.
bui Oct 15th 2010 8:20AM
Brewmaster, and not cause that might include Pandarians (well not entirely). I find the idea intriguing because it offers so many possibilities. You could make them somewhere between melee and ranged, having them use abilities that are awesome like fire breath thats got 10 yards and shoots out a cone of fire in front of the caster for 10 seconds or until you move, or drunken swing which would hit multiple targets for a set amount of damage but the way the damage is spread between the targets greatly varies. And for the talent trees I could see something along the lines of Brawler that would focus on the melee aspect (perhaps even having the ability to tank with using high dodge and the like), Taster that concentrates on making that perfect brew and uses magic to combine drinks, (i.e. various elemental talents that are a result of him drinking so many kinds of brew that weren't really meant for consumption), Meditative would be the other tree I can think of where after drinking the Brewmaster goes into deep thoughts allowing him access to a unique style of healing his team mates while being able to deliver crippling melee attacks (a healer who could heal while running about the enemy dealing out de-buffs and the like with his fist o' drunken fury). That was just a rough idea of what I think would make for an entertaining class that would use drinking to accomplish more than just drunken revelry with friends .
underground_slacker Oct 15th 2010 8:20AM
PIRATE. A THOUSAND TIMES PIRATE.
Hailing from the south seas the starting zone is a fleet of pirate ships under attack by the kvaldir. you fight using two flintlock pistols or a sword and a dagger. wears cloth and upgrades to leathers.
Specs: buccaneer specialising in melee and close up dps. think jack sparrow.
adventurer: travelled the oceans and versed in vodoo curses, warlock spells and mage arcana in equal measure, like a red mage stands back with his spell cannon flinging weaker versions of spells like shadow bolt, hex, arcane brilliance or chain lightning with more piratey themed names and slightly altered effects. a standing back support pirate, like the ships navigators, which in the world of warcraft would involve navigation by magics and not just bye eye and compass.
Bard: when not rousing his or her shipmates in the taverns with filthy tales about a virle belf male and a rich trade princes daughter they use a variety of buffs and debuffs as a true support class. not viable for soloing, but when offspec doesnt cost much any more its a desirable and dedicated raid and pvp support character.
search your hearts, you know you want to be a pirate.
YAR HAR FIDDLE DE DEE.
Maymer Oct 15th 2010 12:38PM
you are a pirate!
Matt Oct 15th 2010 1:28PM
Combat Rogues are pretty similar to the buccaneer spec you mentioned. You could probably play as a pirate in that sense. Until you get tier armor and start looking like a stealth assassin.
I really wish we had more armor visualization options. Everybody looks the same these days. Different looking gear with similar stats sure would be nice.
razion Oct 15th 2010 8:21AM
Priests : Paladins :: Necromancers : Death-Knights
I'd like to see a Lich/Necromancer class come into the game. After all, who can honestly say they hate Kel'Thuzad?
Aside from a Necromancer, I'd definately have to go with Runemaster, as its the closest to Monk we're probably going to get in the Warcraft universe without altering Priests or Paladins too much (and three classes that work with the Light just seems overkill--at that point they each may as well be a tree in one Light class).
Additionally, I can see most of our Professions in the form of a playable class--Alchemists and Engineers, particularly.
sanjay Oct 15th 2010 8:22AM
I would love to be able to multi-class and be able to play both specs simultaneously. Ret/DK would be kind of cool to play.
Ithrandil Oct 15th 2010 8:24AM
English 101
KaonNemesis Oct 15th 2010 8:26AM
Rune Master
We saw them somewhat implemented as a NPC class in WotLK, but I think if it was fully fleshed out that it could be something new and interesting to play. The use of runes to cast spells or heal would be pretty cool and an interesting twist.
Let them wear caster leather too so we have more than one class that uses it.
Christopher Oct 15th 2010 8:27AM
Again, the Bard class as a hero class would be the most interesting to me. And having Brewmaster as one of the talent trees would be even more win. Play centered around providing group buffs and healing. Like the other poster, I'm not entirely sure how to approach solo play with this class as there would need to be a way to viably kill things to complete quests. Singing a song that stuns the enemy mob and provides a dps dot would be sort of interesting at least.
dick Oct 15th 2010 8:27AM
Still think (for 4 years now) that a Bard Class would be awesome. Leather wearing. Not only using their 'Axe' to inflict melee damage, but also playing riffs to buff party members, have mobs bleeding from the ears for dischords, So many cool things I could think off for this class.
thegatherer Oct 15th 2010 8:29AM
you played EQ didnt you?
Eyhk Oct 15th 2010 3:27PM
Dirty plate wearers stealing our leather and now that Blizz sent you back to your cowardly plate wearing self you want a whole new class to steal it from us? No thanks! hehe
thegatherer Oct 15th 2010 8:28AM
Bard. Who doesn't love singing healers/bufferes/dps/jack-of-all-trades?
Honestly though, I cannot see any lore related reason why they would be included, except for some of the races that don't keep written historical records (Tauren, maybe troll, orc, ....gnome?.....)Basically, it would be a horde race for lore reasons, which makes me sad :(
pr1me Oct 15th 2010 10:05AM
I'm not sure you'd have to necessarily justify it like that. Plenty of civilizations with written histories also include oral storytellers, musicians, and entertainers.
Mike Oct 15th 2010 8:28AM
As far as the battle mage is concerned, I don't think it needs to be its own class. I WOULD like to see mages be able to get "battle mage training" at a certain level, though, allowing them to use shields. As it stands, ONE spec out of the thirty in the game is a DPS spec that uses shields (I'm looking at you, elemental shaman). It's like SP plate, except with actual ways (this, for example =P) to alleviate the problem.
Henry Oct 15th 2010 10:57PM
Yes, only one DPS spec uses those shields, but there are three specs total that use them, Holy Paladins and Resto Shamans.
The real gear issue is spell plate.
Chaudalar Oct 15th 2010 8:32AM
I'd like to see a ranger class in WoW. Think about it. Basicaly a hunter crossed with a rogue. Stealthy like a rogue, with an equil melee abilities to ranged.