If transmog is that important to you, you already know what to do: get the items for transmog above everything else. Most of your quest items you'll replace with dungeon/vendor/raid items ... once you pass over a quest reward transmog item you will never be able to get it again.

@Spellotape
But with this system, some quest rewards won't be available to me at all, like caster mail on my hunter. It is possible that all the leveling set graphics will be available on a vendor, but I see no guarantee of that.

This system just seems overly restrictive.

It shouldn't be too big of a problem for off-spec. Generally a single quest doesn't contain the same type of armor for different specs. For example, a single quest usually won't reward both Intellect leather and Agility Leather. It will be one or the other.

@George

Yes, but there are ones with a piece of armor, then a neck or weapon that overlap. My rogue has had to make that choice 4 or 5 times just in Hyjal.

so, just change specs then hand in the quest? it wont solve the hunter/caster mail problem, but it should be fine if you're not a hunter.

if you are a hunter (like me), then... sucks for us?

Instead of restricting it, they should put a big, shiny border around the spec-appropriate reward, but allow the others to be selectable.

@emberdione

Good point. I remember that happening to my druid as well. Not sure how you can really get around that. Maybe they could arrange quest rewards such that only 1 item would be useful to any given spec. Or maybe allow players to toggle this feature off and choose their reward. I don't really understand why level 85+ players need this kind of "bad player proofing." By that point you should know what primary stat you need. Maybe if you used scroll of resurrection to auto-level.

Welcome to WoW, where restrictions choke hold the player without resistance.

Solution is simple.

Upon completing a quest, offer the spec-specific item under "recommended."

Underneath, offer the rest as optional.

Of course, you would have to factor in the idiots who click on something optional, then try to say they didn't realize what "recommended" meant.

Questing 1-60, you might find a set design that comes in blue (agi), white (int), or brown(str). Variety!

As far as I can tell, there is no difference between quest sets in Mists. You get an int chest piece that will look the same as your str chest piece with no color variety.

it's a pretty safe bet that, going forward, there aren't going to be any unique looks on levelling gear that aren't available to a different spec, perhaps through the aforementioned zone vendors.

I agree with Coco. There were several time I can think of before level 50 (when you have no armor bonus) where I picked a cloth quest reward for my druid because I preferred the look, or leather for my hunter, or etc. Or a time when no reward was really an upgrade (ie, heirloom slots) so I picked whichever one sold for the most gold. Or when I just picked a robe that looked nice for futzing around town.

Removing choice isn't a good thing, imho. Make the "class appropriate" choice obvious but still let us choose.

Also, hybrids will be forced to either Wowhead everything before they complete a quest to see all the rewards or sit there and swap specs back and forth. Neither choice is very newbie friendly nor intuitive. I see one reward, I assume that's all there is.

Mop: Rise of the identi-toon.
Same specs
Same "talents"
Same gear
Embrace your conformity of how Bliz thinks your character should be.

As more and more choice (not matter how illusionary) is taken out, and I am increasingly handed a character made by Bliz, I just cease to care about it.

And does anyone else think it sounds like "active tanking" is going to be a damp squib? If I can tank hihg level instances in dps gear...then whats the point?

Oh well, I had hopes for MoP, but the more i see the less hope I have. Roll on GW:2.

Am I the only one who (mostly) picks quest rewards based on how much they vendor for?

If the only piece of gear that I could use is inferior to or just a minor upgrade over what I'm using, I always just take the one with the highest vendor value. This gear is going to be replaced if it's used at all.

Drakkenfyre's solution is obviously much better. Restricting our options is never a good idea. Also, I really cannot imagine a character being at level 85 and not knowing that their hunter does not need to use intellect/spirit gear...

This is an issue when you have an alt. I will level my tailor before my mage or warlock, so they are likely to have very nice crafted items and won't get to choose the high vendor priced items any more? That blows. Pretty much any character after my first 4 is going to have multiple pieces that are hand-me-downs from drops or crafting. I use them to make money from vendored quest items while leveling.

Not just offset or transmog either. I often pick up novelty items that my character would never reasonably use for questing or dungeons because they have an interesting appearance or they do something amusing. The first things that come to mind are my rogue's collection of caster offhands that look like potion vials, lanterns, torches, etc. and a strength trinket my warlock has because it summons a male goblin nurse, but there are loads of other examples too.

I would hate to be locked out of quest rewards like the Unidentified Cooking Utensil, Gus' First Aid Kit, Ruumbo's Arm, the Chainlink Towel, or Sandrene's Invisible Vest just because there were other options that suited my class better.

(I could mention things like the Rainbow Generator and Shovel of Mercy too, but those are actually rewarded to everyone who does the relevent quest.)