The only possible class I can think of that wouldn't be a complete overlap is monk, and even that's getting close to a priest or rogue.

Imo they are taking the right step by allowing more race/class combos. Or it could just deflate the tank/healer situation even more. We just have to see.

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Q u o t e:


Couldn't it also be argued then that since classes are already so homogenized, why should new ones be added?

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Exactly. As soon as you add more classes, you get one or both of the following:
1. Some classes blur their lines between each other.
2. Some classes just get forgotten.

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and when this is suggested, its never the poster in question willing to switch. People make their own arguments invalid so often I think they don't realize what they are doing.

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If you are referring to me, I have 2 tanks (pally and druid) and a healer (priest). This warrior is also going prot when it reaches 60. Hate DPS.

It's not really one new class in 5 years.

First off in vanilla you had types of toons.
Priest Heals, Dps, Warriors

So since then they have added
Shaman Healers (existed but very weak back then)
Druid healers (existed so I could have an innervate on my priest)
Paladin Healers (I play horde new to me as of bc)

Moonkins
Feral Tanks / Feral Dps
Ret Dps
Enhancement Shaman (outside of PvP)
Elemental Shaman
Paladin Tanks
Death Knight Tanks / Death Knight Dps.
Shadow Priests (outside of PvP)

So since vanilla they have added subsets that at one point were useless.

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Q u o t e:

Beyond the balance concern, which is a valid one, we don't want to over-saturate World of Warcraft with different classes. We want to make sure each class has a very distinct set of core mechanics from other classes. Continually introducing new classes can tend to bring about a feeling of redundancy if we're not fully comfortable with developing an entirely new set of mechanics distinct from the current classes.

This does not mean that we'll never consider adding new classes to the game as time moves on, but we're pretty happy with the play styles represented by the classes currently available.

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This in interesting statement considering we went from 9 very distinct classes that all had their own intense flavor to something that is a lot more muddled (tank healing dps). Now, I'd say in many ways WoW is in the best place it's ever been. Afterall, in Vanilla only Warriors were serious tanks. However, it seems a major design goal was to blur class lines which is at odds with the statement you just made.

I for one think additionally classes would be cool but not necessary. However, what I really hope for in Cata is to take the classes we have and make them more interesting to build, more strategic to play and spec, as well as more varied in how to play them. In other words, more variety.

That's the one thing I loved about Guild Wars, despite its other numerous shortcomings.

I love ya Blizz, at any rate. Even after all these years and sometimes blatant favoritism towards certain segements of the game population (cough...raiders....cough).

<3

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Q u o t e:
Long story short, a Ranger class would be too much like a Hunter, a Battlemage too similar to a Mage, a WItch Doctor too similar to a Shaman, etc?

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Even a buff class, like a bard, would have issues because of the number of class buffs that don't stack already.

Then theres the other end of the spectrum.

Look at FFXI.

Twice they released expansions that added 3 new classes. And once they released an expansion that added two new classes.

But the result was bad. Most of the new classes introduced were cool concepts but development clearly hadn't figured out what each class was intended to be used for yet. They just gave each a bland set of basic tools and told the playerbase to figure it out.

They didn't even give these classes any class-specific armor on their launch because they didn't know which stats players would focus on and felt it necessary to wait A YEAR before giving them unique equipment.

More doesn't mean better. And if you want to see why then go give FFXI a shot and tell me why nobody plays Puppetmaster.

I can accept that you can't accept it. Blizzard can also accept it, as rushing into new classes would result in even more quitting than will quit from this lack of new classes. If you can't accept it, the polite, acceptable way to express your feelings would be to stop accepting WoW and cancel your subscription, instead of trying to force your feelings onto others so that you don't feel so alone in your desperate crusade of rage.

Well in a way you could look at Cataclysm as the first expansion not to offer a new class to play with. By this I mean that tBC offered shaman to alliance and paladin to horde and then wotlk offered DK.

I understand that shaman and paladin being allowed on both sides isn't the same as an entirely new class, it did change a lot.

Also, keep in mind that 10 classes is a heck of a lot, more than most MMO's and even more than a lot of RPG games IE the Diablo series. I actually can't think of any similar games that had more than 10 classes to choose from, I think warhammer had 12 but that game bombed so fast it can't really count. (maybe Lineage 2?, never played it).

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Q u o t e:
I actually can't think of any similar games that had more than 10 classes to choose from

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FFXI had 20 last I looked. And their balance is a trainwreck.

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Q u o t e:


FFXI had 20 last I looked. And their balance is a trainwreck.

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Ahh yeah, that game does have a crap ton of classes, but as you say balance is a trainwreck. Which I'm guessing means a few classes cover a extremely large percentage of the player base.

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You are correct in noting that some spells and abilities that are viewed as requirements in both PvE and PvP group play have been spread out amongst more classes. The primary goal of this move was to prevent the isolationism some classes were seeing for not having the right abilities for the role they wanted to fill when compared to similar counterparts in similar roles (i.e. damage-dealing, tanking, or healing). With that said, these classes still play quite different. The core mechanics of the classes and the way they're played are still very distinct, whether or not they now may share some more necessary spells and abilities with other classes.

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However that distinction has been fading fairly consistantly. Before you needed a priest, you needed a mage, you needed a rogue. You've blurred that line so much between classes that they're becoming redundant, irrelevant.

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Im sorry for calling you out on this but classes have become increasing similar over the years. Not adding another class due to classes having overlapping playstyles and abilities is just a bad reason imo.

A few examples of classes gaining the same spells:
A mortal strike type debuff
Silences
Spell interrupts
Fear breaks
Dispels, offensive and defensive
Disarms
Snairs/ slows
CC (this may be justified)

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No, you see, you're equating class distinction with mechanics. Different things.

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However that distinction has been fading fairly consistantly. Before you needed a priest, you needed a mage, you needed a rogue. You've blurred that line so much between classes that they're becoming redundant, irrelevant.

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I don't see it this way.

the further development of classes to allow a number of different specs to fill the role of the priest the mage or the rogue in your example has made more classes relevant.

I would think forcing the use of certain classes is very bad for class distinction. Most people arn't going to play their super unique classes that isn't wanted in certain situations just because its unique they will reroll a class that is wanted which will serve to condense the player base and effectively reduce class distiction.

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Q u o t e:

FFXI had 20 last I looked. And their balance is a trainwreck.

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The balance in that game was built around the gear and merits you had more than the class you were, at least after they buffed 2hand weapons to be comparable to dual wield melee classes. Before those changes though, it was everyone sub nin (or be a nin) and dual wield.

There cold be 2 more "Hero" classes before this game ends. One healing. One dps.

But beyond that, this game does not really need anymore classes. Perhaps expanding the classes we already have.

And note to OP, do you know how hard it was for devs to balance DK's? I'm still sure they're not done with them yet. So you can't possible think that they will pull one out in every expansion.

What if they added a new tree for every class...

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Q u o t e:
Years ago warlocks were OP, now Paladins are,

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LOL