Recently, I saw a thread about Dracthyr/Evoker where one of the users made a bold statement that we don’t want to see anymore 4 spec classes in the game.
Immediately I was like that’s not true. I would love more 4 spec classes. I originally saw a post that said Evoker should have had 4 specs, one for each Aspect and bronze to link them together.
I know Shaman and Warlocks have been asking (and memeing) about fourth specs for years. In Legion, Protection Warrior almost had a fourth sword/shield dps spec with gladiator stance. (By the way, I would love a sword/shield dps spec in the game.)
But what do you, my fellow players think? Is four specs too many? Is three? Are you ok with the new 2 spec trend of the modern WoW?
might as well be they don’t have the manpower to finish classes anymore. Takes to long and they need to get content out before the holidays so their profits look good for investors.
Druid only has 4 specs because they didn’t want a tank who could double as dps because that was hard to balance. They haven’t managed to balance the class as 4 specs either.
I’d kill for shaman tank. It would be a pretty urging factor in me putting more effort to get good at tanking. I don’t think they should give every class 4 specs, though. I think versatility should be a pro for some classes, not a standard, if that makes sense.
I would love for them to add an extra spec to a class from time to time. It would be a bit less work than building a new class from scratch and we’d still get something new out of it without having to level from scratch!
in fact it has to be depending on the nature of the class and specialization in the role environment, although there is the case of only dps that has 3 such as rogues, warlocks and mages that gives the method to different methods of use of your class Like being only daggers with assassination, or being only fire in fire mage.
But there is a case that if it was reasonable in a Demon hunter who can be a tank or dps, I don’t think that the healer in a chaotic class that only dedicates himself to killing would give to heal, just as the hunter would have wanted his survival to be more tanky than another dps spec.
But the Drachtyr, really is getting much further and different not only from the Azeroth environment, but from any RPG where the dragons were masterful, such as being a dps and a healer does not suit him, he should be a spec tank as his appearance indicates Dragons are ferocious, but also tough which would cause an attention to the enemies you want to kill a dragon.
Thing that Blizzard just wants to demonstrate an original concept of a new environment that the company has unlike an old known Blizzard (not to mention the disgusting scandals that is from Activision) where it shows that this expansion even if we return to Azeroth, no It’ll have that nostalgic vibe that barely gave us anything in BfA, but it’s not the Azeroth you want to feel.
Inherently nothing, but having four specs makes it more difficult to balance between themselves and then balance across the spectrum of classes as a whole. Especially since druids can shapeshift to other forms, though that’s druid-specific rather than as a result of 4 specs.
I don’t think I want classes to have 4 specializations, because we already have the case of every class having a “third wheel”-esque class and… adding more classes to create a fourth wheel … doesn’t seem good
The best way to describe this is by looking at Monks and Paladins, classes that have 3 specializations that are each broken down to tank, healer, and dps
What do you add to that, an even mistier mistweaver, a more drunken brewmaster, or a windier windwalker?
Same question applies to Paladins, you have the tenant of protection, healing, and retribution that’s core to the way you’d phrase a holy warrior
Are we adding ranged specializations to classes that are melee, or do we add a fourth wheel specialization to create a second version of a tank, healer, or dps specialization
Adding another specialization to a pure dps class is relatively easy … but you are always forced to make it either a tank or a healer and sure, a warlock tank is a neat idea … and it didn’t work out very well when we had that in the game during Wrath of the Lich King
If classes were given a fourth, or even a third specialization, they’d have to fit that within’ the context of the class itself and… it sounds like it would be a nightmare, and not very fun, especially if you consider this:
How many druids play all 4 of their specializations? I’m inclined to believe that for most people, you play either Balance or Feral as your dps specialization, not both
I believe that the whole “third wheel” perception of classes is derived from individual player experience. I don’t feel like Druid has a third wheel. I think with classes like Paladin and monk adding say a ranged dps style can expand the class to other player types. (Again balance is always going to be an issue regardless of how many classes. I believe blizzard is going to have a balance issue if there is only 2 classes lol)
But I also don’t think every class needs a fourth spec. If there is a place where we have a gap… like Mage getting a melee or shaman getting a tank etc…
P.S. I would’t look to Wotlk WoW as an example of what can be done… WoW hasn’t been that game for 10 years.
I wouldn’t want specs to be added out of some obligation to fulfill some quota. As I see it, some classes simply have no room for any new specializations that wouldn’t be derivative of what’s already available. If new specs are going to be added, I’d want them to be thematically and mechanically distinct; preferably without stealing things wholesale from previous classes.
Oftentimes I’d also make a statement about balancing what we already have, but I’ve since lost faith in that ever happening so beyond this explanation, I see little reason to even consider it anymore.
I do think that adding new specs to some classes is something that I have wanted since Prot warriors in WoD had a talent called Gladiator stance which acted as a suto new spec for Warriors and ever since this then, I have wanted to see some new specs added to existing classes like Shamans having a tank spec that uses the earth magic to increase the shaman’s defense and to protect his/her allies and or the return of the gladiator stance warrior as a spec.
Adding specs to existing classes comes down to two problems…
For starters, it may depend on how many they are added but this puts more on the table on how many specs that Blizzard has to balance. I don’t know how big their balancing team is for WoW but that’s all I’m saying.
Second of all, a new spec in some essence has to fit within the identity of the class. Some classes it is possible to add a new spec for them. however there are some classes where their fantasy, identity and or their lore is limited, like monk specs are mainly based around the celestials in Pandaria with Brewmaster using Niuzao, Windwalker using Xuen and Mistweaver being mostly Yu’lon with a mix of Chi-ji so where would you fit in a fourth spec in monk?