Where Tyler is correct that shapeshifting is the spice and not the pudding of Druid lore, I have to agree with Turtle. Shapeshifting is the unique mechanic given to Druids and for the most part I believe it's what draws players to the class. Without it we'd pretty much be Shamans without totems.

What I'd like to see for both Balance and Restoration is more shapeshifting forms. In fact blizzard could go far with this idea and really make playing Druids even more interesting.

What if, for Balance, activating an Eclipse state could proc a Solar or Lunar form that lasts for a few seconds and increases burst damage for one form and DoTs for the other? Similarly, Restoration could have two forms to choose from. One that increases direct healing, and one that increases HoTs. My main issue with Restoration is, in addition to crappy damage, the fact that our direct healing is awkward or useless because the spec focuses on HoTs.

Hell maybe even some type of mechanic on a cooldown that allows Balance to switch to greatly improved healing for a short duration and Restoration could have a similar cooldown that improves burst damage for a short duration. I think I like this idea even better. And it would solve problems for both of those specs. The improved survivability that everyone seems to be wanting for Balance, (again I don't share this opinion as I've stated before but that's just me), and improved burst for Restoration which I DO think it needs.

This would mirror what we have as Feral Druids, and add a nice balance to the class that's missing at the moment. Get it? Balance... heh.

and yet here we are, druids asking.. nay begging.. to get rid of that tired mechanic.

I guess its really not part of our identity if we only want to get rid of it.

My question is why people want to force others into stupid fat owlfreak form in order to enjoy all the specs their class hs to offer?

I have to disagree with Mr. Caraway's statement that Druids are not "about" shapeshifting. I will heartily agree that our affinity with nature is our most defining characteristic, but I think it is a fallacy to insinuate that a particular class is only "about" one thing. The most defining characteristic of the WoW hunter to me is the use of a ranged weapon to deal damage, but I think that having a combat pet is also essential to their identity. For druids of WoW I think shapeshifting to fulfill the various roles is a defining characteristic at this point. Even a visit to the WoW community site's Druid class page makes me feel as if Blizzard supports this view:

"Druids’ changing forms let them assume different roles..."

"As master shapeshifters, druids can take on the forms of a variety of beasts..."

I will admit that I am biased, I want the class to be about shapeshifting as that is what fascinated me about it so much and drew me to it. And I know that balance did not initially have its own form early in Vanilla and that kind of goes against my argument, so maybe this view of mine is also partly a result of me being a BC-baby. It is insulting for people to tell druids that don't want to shapeshift to go roll a mage, seeing as even without shapeshifting a balance druid is pretty much nothing like a mage. But at the same time I don't think people are justified in picking one characteristic of a class they like and asking for the other ones to be done away with, even for just one spec. How many people have I known that have wanted survival to be a melee hunter tree?

I know that Blizzard choosing to pull resot's form is a hole in my argument, and I feel like it was a poor choice for the game. I don't even like the idea of people glyphing away moonkin form. At that point moonkin form means nothing, lorewise. So some of these students of nature known as the druid class just randomly choose to look like a moonkin when they cast harmful spells? It has nothing to do with the power with which assuming that form imbues them? Or they can cheat the magic by using this little rune and not actually have to look like a big fat owlbear as they command the form's power? Yeah I know that's nerd-think, but the more gameplay dictates things over lore, the less immersive I think the game is. The first word in the title of the game is "World" and it just loses so much for me when it loses that immersive quality.

P.S. Mr. Caraway, I love your column and all the insight you bring to the druid community. I can tell you are much more Druid than Warlock. ;)