This is objectively not true since Hunters were very explicitly defined as a ranged class since the beginning. The original 2004 WoW manual is pretty clear that Hunters are distinct due to their use of ranged weapons. That’s the very first thing in the description. Melee isn’t even in the description.
You can’t just make up your own definitions of “hunters” and use that in arguments about Hunters of WoW. Yes, it makes sense for hunters in real life to have and sometimes use a melee weapon (although a ranged weapon is almost always preferred in the actual “hunting” part). However the Hunter class of WoW was officially established and defined as a class that uses ranged weapons and that’s the definition that matters when discussing this class.
Weak argument. Most people have tried Survival and other melee specs.
If someone doesn’t like coffee, you don’t start recommending different cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos. They’re probably not going to like some specific type if they do not like coffee in general.
No, it isn’t, actually, because only 2 of the ranged specs use a ranged weapon which is a very different style of combat.
Meanwhile, there are thirteen specs that use a melee weapon. Twelve, if you discount Feral. You’re not really in a position to act like ranged DPS players are being greedy here.
The issue people like me have is twofold.
Firstly, I don’t think ranged weapons are explored enough. BM and MM really don’t cut it on their own. I’m not asking for 13 ranged weapon specs, but I do think there is enough variety in ranged weapon combat to have 3 different specs, especially given one of those is pet-based. That’s what we had before Legion. Whatever your personal definition of Hunter is, the WoW Hunter was the class that encapsulated all forms of ranged weaponry and it was that way since the beginning. Things like adding poisons and explosives to projectiles is very common in RPGs; a staple of ranged combat, if you will. It only makes sense to have a spec that is based on that in WoW. It’s a really good way to explore that fantasy archetype. That’s why we have specs in the first place.
Bundling all of that into a couple of useless Marksmanship talents is a tremendous waste of potential. It’s indicative of a lack of creativity and interest on the developer’s part when all they make is new melee DPS specs yet they struggle to come up with another ranged weapon user even when they already have the foundation.
Secondly, the double standards. Like I said, there are 13 different flavours of “swing a stick” in this game yet apparently there can’t be three different “shoot a bow” specs? It goes further than that, though. Look at Warriors. What is fundamentally different between Arms and Fury? Single-handed v.s. dual-wield? Ultimately they are both rage-based physical DPS. That’s fine, though, because they are both different-enough takes on the Warrior archetype. Look at Rogues. THREE specs that are all some variety of stealth, duel-wielding, and poisons. That’s fine, tohugh, because you have a spec for each of those things. Look at Warlocks. They all use fel magic and demons, but they use them differently so it’s fine. Yet suddenly we look at Hunters, see three different takes on ranged weaponry, and say “nah, that’s not enough”? It doesn’t make sense and it reeks of selective criticism.
The core gameplay difference of Survival and Marksmanship was that Survival was sustained, fast-paced, and focused on DoTs while MM was slower yet burstier. That’s pretty much exactly the same difference between Affliction and Destruction. You even have the pet specs as alternatives (Beast Mastery, Demonology). Yet it’s fine for Warlocks but unacceptable for Hunters. The only argument I’ve heard to excuse this obvious double-standard is that the spell animations of Warlocks makes them easier to distinguish, which I really don’t find to be convincing given that I’m more concerned about how a spec feels and plays rather than whether some other player can tell one different flashy effect from another. Hunters are being arbitrarily singled out, no doubt about it.
