You can start here:
There are absolutely too many melee in the game, that’s why it’s so difficult for melee DPS to find spots in guild teams. For raiding, you want a general ratio of 2 ranged DPS for every melee DPS, on most fights. But there are far more melee playing the game, so most of them are not wanted.
(It’s even worse for tanks.)
Maybe its only worse if you’re the people who are racing for Mythics but it doesn’t make any sense otherwise. People Just want a easier time and only take advantage of classes that can bother with everything without supposedly being in the way. If it becomes a problem somehow, then its more on Blizzard for designing it poorly.
It’s not a Blizzard design issue, it’s simple geometry.
A ranged DPS can do their job from anywhere. Right on top of the boss, 10 yards away, 25 yards away, 40 yards away.
A melee DPS cannot.
Then explain the Sire Denathrius. Not only is it a pain. Though the only solution for a all-melee composition is to DPS the crap out of the boss until you’re brought to the middle and then take them down. On top of that, some ranged CAN’T optimally DPS those Cabalists off the platform, especially those that rely on their pets. Its honestly a example of poor Raid design.
Sure, it is a easier time for Ranged to be positioned ANYWHERE but here’s the issue, some healers require and have a easier time with grouped Melee than spread ranged. Especially when they utilize their planted AOE abilities. Ranged who don’t pay attention won’t be benefiting for the rest of the raid in that sense. They have to run still, stop what they’re doing in order to do mechanics. Melee have it easier in that sense because they can do these on the move until out of range, or in examples like the anima worm in Sepulcher of the First Ones, they often don’t need to really move much at all to be cleared of debuffs, Range have to drop what they’re doing for the same result, especially if they don’t pay attention.
That’s an interesting post, but all I’m seeing is that you’ve discussed why druid guardian seems lacking. Tanking mechanics switching from building resources for attacks to building resources for damage mitigation is by no means exhaustive. Nor is it different from dps having to build up certain powers like maelstrom, energy & combo points for rogues, focus for hunters, arcane charges for mage, runic power DKs, chaos/shadow for s priests, soul shards for locks to expend their damage.
In all honesty they’ve just cleaned up the tank formula so that it runs a stable rotation path, like everyone else. I’m sure you’re onto something here with your theory. I’m just not seeing what dots of logic you’re trying to connect. Mitigation = we shouldn’t have more tanks doesn’t make sense as a train of thought.
I don’t want the 7th tank spec because I think the current tank specs need better balancing. Yes they can all run a +24 but the perception skews to 3 tanks, not 5/6. The affixes should make the 5th ranked tank #1.
We need a new ranged and healer spec. Focus on that. Make it good.
i don’t think they need one.
it affects me because it takes some of their finite development power to create and balance yet another tank spec.
They still haven’t done a design pass on Druid tanks, fiddling while Rome burns is idiotic. They need to finish the classes already in the game before they make more.
What about him?
Every MMO with tank roles seems to be short of players to assume them. WoW’s issue is certainly worse (certainly worse), but I think people find DPS specs and classes more interesting, less stressful, and more fun to play. Speaking generally.
The latter part of your reply is not exactly incorrect, but I would not chalk it up to that as a lone cause.
Hey now. No need to get cruel about the lack of attention they’ve given DF druid tree. Some of us are painfully aware.
I guess I sorta get what you’re saying, but if they have the developer already dedicated and working out the new evoker class, that means they did actually have the man power to make another tank build. And yes, it would be fiddling while Rome’s burning for -druids specifically- but for the community as a whole who are interested in tanking, it’s another path to utilize. I’d actually gladly give up my bear tanking to a dragon. Their scales look like they could take far more damage than my floof.
I’m not talking about Dragonflight, I’m talking since they did the AM rework a decade ago.
No, it means they’re focusing on marketing over gameplay, like they usually do.
No, Dracs shouldn’t be tanks. We have enough classes that can tank, and if you think there’s a tank shortage, it is because people, like myself, got tired of being treated like crap and quit tanking. Be respectful, not just to the tanks, but to everyone and more people will tank. Besides, do you really want this talentless dev team to make another broken class/spec?
Semper Fi!
Fair enough. I’ve tanked and healed as guardian/resto for the last 10 years and never found it difficult or lacking. But I agree with you, it hasn’t changed all that much. I can’t say it’s any more or less exciting than tanking with my pally or monk or DK, (which also haven’t changed much). Maybe what you’ve been trying to say by they have exhausted their pools, is that every class seems to go by the formula build resources/expend resources and that it’s grown wearisome. I honestly wouldn’t expect anything different from any new class getting put in, as it’s a formula they’ve adopted across the board. I doubt it’s going to be any different for the dps/heals caster on the Evokers from what I’ve seen in the videos so far. I’d still rather see the formula go to tank spec, but I get heal borfs, so I’m content.
The marketing is a whole different rabbit hole in itself. A couple of my Discord peeps got Beta keys and keep telling me wonderful things, but in the end I fear it’ll all be sweet lies that die in the wind.
Here’s a key question to ask: What is there to DO?
It feels like another Warlords of Draenor, where there’s very little to do except for dungeons/raids/pvp.
Yes/No/Maybe later
-Why Yes - it would fit the class lore fantasy of an earthwarder (sorry shamans). Also I’d love another tank alt.
-Why no -existing tank paradigm overlap and balance. Monk was the last tank class to bring its own unique active mitigation model, seeing how DH cribbed existing tank specs (it has its own heroic leap, a crappier version of shield block, a button that rolls up death strike and gift of the ox into one, if you spec into it you can have your own blood bubble/guard/ignore pain, spirit bomb is a better demo shout; the only unique aspect of DH was permaborrowed/taken back from Demolocks) so my concern is, how would an evoker tank mitigate damage in a way that didn’t take away from existing specs? I don’t think they can (prove me wrong, Blizz) and I already don’t love DH in part because it feels like an amalgam or a best hits of all other tanks.
-Maybe later - and at this point it would be impossible to deliver a new spec this expansion. Maybe for 11.0, wouldn’t be the first time they’ve added a spec.
Needs 2 more specs.
DPS with 40 yard range.
Healer with 40 yard range.
Will gladly trade all mobility.
could have been a dragon knight to include a tank spec.
But seeing his appearance, I think that this race and class is a reason to demonstrate his woke agenda of the company, of course a thin reptilian lizard expression is nothing left to the concept seen of the dragons that we knew from Warcraft 2.
Unfortunately, I’ve no more info to answer that question than what we’ve seen in the streams and videos already release. Warlords had all kinds of things to do - just running the quests for leveling up your Garrison plots. Jezuz it took me forever to get my mage tower, auction house and fishing shack up to snuff. The stables was an interesting hunt for the different mounts for my hunter. Then you had the missives and Garrison assaults you could run with a pack of your friends for the satchels. I think the downside of WoD is that you didn’t have to work too hard to grind out professions, which was a blessing and a bane in its own way.
The end content drought did drag. But I’d come into the expansion a bit late, so it didn’t feel as horrible for me as some others who’d endured the entire span.