I doubt necromancer will ever happen with Death Knights being a class that resurrects and controls the dead already.
Some ranged options are: Tinker, Bard, and Shadow Hunters/Warden (they use magic and ranged weapons, not just melee) that I can think of off the top of my head.
None of those abilities have level requirements.
That’s the difference
Tinkers i doubt are going to be full-time ranged, especially when battle-suits are now a thing in the lore.
Bard is a weird class because while it can work in a typical rpg setting, how are the specs going to work? Heavy metal tank? Folk healing?
See, it’s not easy to think up decent ranged options without retreading familiar grounds. We already got regular hunters and demon hunters, i feel like having shadow hunters would just feel redundant.
Wardens are a melee class and at best would have a ranged spec.
Goblins, Gnomes, and MechaGnomes for sure, but could also see Draenei getting them and maybe Blood Elves.
On the one hand, I get what you’re saying with this analogy.
On the other, I would say “no, it doesn’t make them Rogues. But just making/applying Poisons isn’t what makes you a Rogue, either.” (as we were to find out, all too well)
A better example, because I love the idea of a Necromancer too. If we compare a Necromancer to a Warlock, I’m sure there’s the initial question of “what’s the difference?”
I would answer that a Warlock is like a Mage, except that it works in conjunction with a SINGLE demon at a time for a SPECIFIC purpose: the blueberry for tanking, Imp for DPS, Succubus for PvP, etc. The spells have a “warlock feel” to them, but it really could be a Mage… it’s the interaction with their Demon that makes them truly unique.
A Necro isn’t like that.
A Necromancer wouldn’t have combat spells at all. ALL of their damage and abilities are from the minions they command. It is an obvious and DISTINCT difference to every caster currently in WoW.
I have yet to read such a description for this “tinker” class. EVERYTHING about it sounds like taking the square Engineering peg and desperately trying to mash it in the round Tinkering hole.
So you take a plain Gnome, but he’s not a Warrior! No! He’s a TINKER! He makes a “combat suit” … that allows him to hit his enemy with a “spanner arm”, and deflect incoming damage with a cog wheel!!
You just described a Warrior-- with different adjectives. That’s still all I’m reading about this “class.” Sorry, I still don’t get it.
Tinker seems so lame to me don’t see the appeal.
We have engineering as a profession pretty much a “tinker”
and If ranged…causes issues. Mnay would like either hunter fixed up better. I’d be among them. I want MM hunter to not take backseat to the annual favorite BM…I tire of being punished for not wanting a pet lol.
Or…tbh I’d rather see dark rangers. Would not have to elves only. Nathanos is human that opens doors.
if melee…yeah we have options here. Some not as good to the top meta’s…so like the hunters many would just like this fixed on current classes.
And what would a steampunk/cyberpunk hero class would get would probably be balance pita. Like DK was/is. Waiting for the kid at one of his appointments I hit up some old wow vids. One funny one had nice summaries of class stereotypes.
DK’s summary…look at me I am a dou…. bag. I don’t know how to play my class and still get 20k dps.
Like all jests some truth lays in the joke lol. We don’t need another class like this. DK started it, as a DH I will admit yeah…we can put out some pain with nowhere near the finesse other classes require Rolling s. priest showed me the need to actually know how to work a rotation or suffer.
And I’m not seeing how your hyperbolic comparison would be any different if applied to other classes, like a Death Knight, which is more like a warrior than a Tinker would ever be. Same weapons, same armor type.
This is you:
Death Knight, a warrior that fights alongside a corpse. No problem.
Paladin, a warrior that uses Light. No problem.
Demon Hunter, a warrior that uses a magic slightly different from Warlocks. No problem.
Survival Hunter, a warrior that fights next to an animal. No problem.
Monk, a warrior that uses martial arts and chi more than weapons. No problem.
A Tinker that might or might not tank by using a mechanical suit for a spec but is otherwise ranged. That’s ridiculous! We already have Warriors and Engineers!
This is the easiest example to refute. And all you have to do is compare the opener.
A Paladin can do pretty much anything they want because they start with full mana. There are a couple of things they have to build up Runic Power for, but all of their mana abilities can be used RIGHT AWAY.
Warriors have to build rage. The only things they can do on the opener… are non/trivial damage things that BUILD rage, so you can spend that rage on actual dmg abilities.
They just… play… COMPLETELY different.
And even after I left that question of “How does a Tinker play?” You still haven’t answered it. So please, walk me through it. Walk me through any basic fight as a “tinker.” Be as specific as possible, pretend I’m a Blizz-dev and you’re trying to sell me on this idea. Because, look, if it’s a good idea, it’s good for the GAME. That’s all I want: A better Warcraft.
I’m just not reading anything like that yet.
Tinkers have an Electricity bar and a Gas bar. The Gas bar is similar to a mana bar in that its fully loaded at the start of combat, but gas will only regerate when you activate your Mining ability to mine more gas and while doing so you are essentially stunned for 3 seconds. Most Gas abilities are used for dealing damage or for moblity. Electricity is something you’ll have to build up while in combat. A lot of abilities that spend Gas will also build up a little bit of Electricity for you. Most Electricity moves will be for defensive purposes.
There you go easy that’s how the Tinker will be unique for you right off the bat and play quite differently.
Thank you. That’s a start, anyway. And it is also different than just “Engineering … called Tinkering.”
I’m not sure it’s enough to warrant a whole new class, but you did more than the previous 129 posts. 
can engineering let me tank the boss in a mech suit? can engineering craft viable ray guns and explosives to dps at range? can engineering allow me to viably heal my raid team?
Well if you think that its a pretty decent start maybe you ought to check out this concept I made for Tinkers a while back
tinker class would be a flop like monks if it’s goblin/gnome only. anyway the next class is dark ranger obv.
CAN? No. Could? Absolutely. We already have a Tank-toy (target dummy, and I’ve used them effectively in clutch situations)
CAN? You already know the semantics of this, which is why you used the word “viable.” Because we ALREADY CAN make ray guns and explosives at range, just their dmg is only marginal to normal dps abilities of the same nature. But it COULD be done.
CAN? EXACT same as above. Engineering already has access to healing items, they just are scaled back to not take away from other classes. But it COULD be done.
This is what 130+ of the posts in this thread read like. They’re all describing the “unique” Tinker class… but nothing about it is unique. It’s all things Engineering COULD do just fine. You just need to accept it COULD be done with just a slight tweak. There’s nothing UNIQUE about it. As described here, the “tinker class” is entirely unjustified.
And compare with what @Thegameisbad posted. His idea is NOTHING like ANYTHING Engineering currently does. It may not be good … but it is unique.
but blizzard is never going to make professions a viable alternatively to actual classes when it comes to doing end game content.
but monk isn’t a flop at all.
Well, I haven’t said how it plays because it would be entirely from my head. We don’t know how Blizzard would make it.
But if you’re okay with my head cannon, I would imagine it would go as follows:
First off, armor would be mail. Mech Spec (Tank) would receive a passive that makes them tanky same way Guardian Druids and Demon Hunters that tank in leather. Maybe have the suit be a toggle and within the suit, armor and health goes up.
Mech Suit (Tank) - Open with ranged RPG that generates Threat and pulls group, drop land mines or turrents (a circular ground effect) to maintain threat generation, autoattacks are mech punching main target, abilities that are main source spenders (I really like that other person’s idea of electricity or gas but not the stun if it’s depleted) could include a Buzzsaw on mech suit’s wrist, deploying miniature gnomish flying machines (throwback to WC II so Goblins would have zeppelins) that attack, positron defense ability for armor and health boost. Weapons would be displayed attached to left arm of suit and would be 2h swords and axes that slash as part of both basic attack and mana/combat source generators (steal from enemy). Maybe a passive leech?
Mad Tinker (ranged dps) - Mana/focus equivalent is Madness, which is staved by spending a continually growing bar. Hitting max Madness results in the Tinker going temporarily insane and randomly lobbing three bombs (health to friendlies, damage to enemies). Main weapon is a gun, maybe duel wield. Possibility of customizable robot pet (both in appearance and builds). Abilities include freeze weapons, lasers, machine guns, turrets, bombs (thrown and laid down), flamethrower, grenades, etc.
Field Medic - Uses mana as well as Electricity. Defibrillator as a Battle Res. Gains Electricity through attacks. Splits time between damage abilities and support for group. Some heals, such as swarms of healing minibots or shooting a syringe to cleanse, but its main niche would be support abilities that temporarily buff – make a person Berserk (temporary increased damage) or protect them with a magnetic field, spread a concoction that temporarily boosts armor or health or haste, ride a robot chicken to another party member’s position and use jet boots to lift off the ground and avoid melee for a little time.
Some perks for being the class: able to summon a submarine/sea turtle (another throwback to WC II) underwater that’s as fast as druid swim form (100% speed in water), teleport to Gnome and Goblin towns via Personal Teleporter, rewind time upon death with Chronometer and return to half your life (capable every 15 minutes), battle res AND lust/hero (hero class after all), robot mounts like paladin and warlock get.
There’s so many ways to incorporate an inventor/scholar class.
Its one of three classes I’ve been waiting for since I first started playing. I hope it actually happens. And yes, it should be limited to a very small number of races.
Next class is most likely going to be the Telemarketer class for the new RAF. Abilities include shortcuts to promote new store items and discounts on a cd for said items.