If Aug is anything to go by, and its effect on the game, it’ll lead to where all other mmos end up: homogenization.
The concept of support works in specific game types that have limited inputs i. e. HotS, League, etc. when a characters interaction and gameplay is limited by the number of inputs a player can use. In such a design space a support can exist, because you don’t have the ability to give other characters the one or two utility buttons they would need to round out their kit. It also works there because by having such a limited toolkit enforcing hyper focused design it allows developers to put more characters overall in the game to sell appearances and such for.
In games with more complexity capability, the concept of support is an archaic design pattern. If a support is just a dps/healer with one or two more utility abilities then others then how are they truly distinct from a healer/dps/tank? All that utility is pointless if you don’t use it, and if everybody is using their kit like they should then theres no chance to use it more then a standard tank/dps/healer so again, useless.
If a support is a tank/dps/healer that buffs their party, then thats when the real trouble for homogenization occurs. How do you ensure buffing helps everyone the same? How do you make one class buff as good as another without duplicating playstyle? What should you buff? Classes don’t scale off the same things the same way, so who should benefit from what? We’ve already seen how that can affect the game somewhat (fire mage, warlock, unholy dk, shadow priest). On top of that, buffing playstyles are parasitic on other playstyles. If something CAN be helped from buffing, then it MUST be balanced that it COULD be buffed. In order for buffing to exist, all other playstyles must be consumed under the banner that they could be buffed.
The favorite example is “look at bard in FF14, that works out!” But bard has been nerfed to heck and back (all support gameplay has) so other classes don’t need supports to function. Most buffing is in the 1-2% range, with 5% effects occurring very irregularly or under very specific circumstances. They’re still dealing with homogenization repercussions that started with support gameplay. The gameplay is tight but its incredibly predictable. Don’t get me wrong, love FF14, already preordered Dawntrail. But if WoW is just gonna play like FF14 then I’m just gonna play FF14.
I play WoW for the fantasy, for the gameplay. I like being classes that keep their theme but dip their toes into other aspects. If I’m dps and all I’m expected to do is do dps without kicking, or knockbacks, or silences, or anything at all I’m gonna get so bored so fast. Which is what I’m worried about supports getting added. The more supports there are, the more defined the gameplay must be. Outside of ‘buffing’ what does that mean? Utility. More and more utility getting pulled out of classes and specs to get parasitically consumed by support specs to justify their existence. Have already kinda seen this - Augs utility came outta requests people had for things to add to Dev and Pres. Now they don’t get it cause Aug needs a reason to exist.
In summary: I don’t like the design intention the game would go into to justify adding and continuing to have supports. Is just my thoughts on it.