Future Classes

Blog Azeroth – Shared Topic for the week of May 9th, 2011
Shared Topic Idea: New Class Ideas

What do You are your ideas for the next class in an upcoming expansion? My theory is the demon hunter i discuss why on my blog. I am interested to know other peoples ideas for a new class also and what you might think of my theory.

– Shadowfox

Way back near the beginning, I wrote a post about a new class idea which I rather liked. Instead of hashing old ground again, I will simply encourage you to go back and take a look at the old post. However, I do want to point out a few things here that I neglected there.

First off, I know a lot of folks have been tossing around the idea that the next expansion will probably have a new class to add to the game. I tend to lean toward the side that the game is already becoming exceedingly complex to maintain and balance as far as class interaction. Yes, the Death Knight was added in Wrath, but the experiment wasn’t all roses. Maintaining power parity with other classes was difficult, managing the new resource mechanics was a chore, and attempting to have a class that could tank in any tree was, ultimately, unsuccessful.

I know that Blizzard has learned a great deal about class management from the addition of the Death Knight, but I do not see them attempting to toss another iron in the fire any time soon.

Second, I don’t think the game needs a new class anyway. We have four healing classes, four tanking classes, six melee dps classes, and six ranged dps classes. The balance across these is pretty good, although some armor types are a bit underutilized. But really, that isn’t much of an issue. Raiding and pvp work, are enjoyable and challenging, and don’t need anything new to ‘complete’ them.

I don’t see a new class on the horizon. Instead, I see Blizzard spending this expansion ‘resting’ as far as those sorts of improvements go. No new classes, no new races, just new places, probably some sort of new environment mechanic (space?) that will get us all excited to play after Deathwing falls.

~ by Aliera on May 10, 2011.