Why are most of the Monk icons (tp/bok/rsk/roll/transcendence/etc) still have Pandarens or Pandaren body parts as the logo even though most races can be Monks?
Was looking through the DF talent tree and all 3 Monk specs have a Pandaren in the background where as literally every other class (except Evokers who have their class connected to their race) feature different races representing each spec.
I get Pandarens are the originators of the class, but that’s all they are. We still see a BELF in the DH tree even though a NELF (Illidan) is the originator, we still see undead race in the DK talent tree even though a Human (Arthas) was the originator, etc.
Please update the Monk abilities and spec to reflect the broader races they encompass.
Its class fantasy and thematically fitting all classes are this way.
Paladin are human draeni
DH’s are Elves
Warriors are Orcs Humans
Shaman are orcs
Druids typically Nefls and druids.
You just have to accept that the monk class has the worst aesthetic and theme in the game, which fits well with the race with the worst aesthetic and theme in the game, Pandarens (although vulperas are also really bad). They fit really well with each other. Monk is such a stain on wow classes. No matter how good the gameplay is I would never touch one with a stick because I want my character to look good and have a class fantasy that that is cool and that fits with the Warcraft aesthetic. God I wish monks never existed. Imagine wanting your Warcraft character to be a kung fu master that also throws beer barrels to enemies. I mean don’t get me wrong, Asian aesthetics can be cool, that’s why you’d play Koreans MMOs and not wow. Complaining about the aesthetics of the monks class is like complaining that sh it smells bad. I mean, yes, but also, what where you expecting?
I agree, but I think the larger issue is that there are no meaningful non-pandaren monks in the story of the game. Of the notable monk characters in the game atm, there’s:
Chen Stormstout
Lili Stormstout
Taran Zhu
Ji Firepaw
Aysa Cloudsinger
The Monkey King (maybe?)
And they haven’t done crap in a while. There are non-pandaren monks, but they either haven’t done crap and just sit in our order hall, or died.
Brother Korloff from Scarlet Monastery got folded. We folded half of the Shado-Pan Monastery. That Kultiran and Draenei monk pair from Dazar’alor got folded, ended up being dread lords and got folded again. And that’s basically all the monk characters of note in WoW.
I feel the same way about warriors. Wish they never existed in wow. They feel so clunky to play as a class, but you dont see me going to their forums saying they shouldn’t exist.
I was on my phone and didn’t know how to do it, the form also added to the troll aesthetic
I’m addicted to the class forums because yes, I am curious
Curious to hear how you would try to justify that opinion other than by the gameplay, which is precisely not what I was talking about.
I really do think the Monk’s aesthetics and theme are repulsive, but expressing my very subjective opinion here and in this hyperbolic way was and attempt at humor, in case you didn’t realize.
So just … throw away the original lore? Sounds like a pretty dumb idea. I think pandas fit well with Warcraft. If you want something more serious … there are other games out there to scratch that itch. Don’t go suggesting they ruin the lore for everyone …
Monk culture and the Pandaren are pretty much the same thing though.
Now I think new monk culture would be cool but until they do that the icons are fine
There is a bit of a flaw with your logic about DHs and DKs…while it is true that BELF are in the tree despite a NELF originating the class, that is a faction differential, not a race one. We see that again with DK, Undead despite Humans originating, again, a faction differential. The problem with Pandaren is they can be either or faction and so there is NOT a differential there.
Regardless, the Monk and Pandaren are synonymous with each other. The only reason monks are any other race was through promotional reasoning to get people to play the class because there was a genuine divide over if Pandas should be in the game or not, so much so that it drove many to stop playing the game.
Your reasoning has less to do with race and more to do with a faction, but in the case of Pandaren faction is not a factor as they can be either. That ultimately will actually lead to stability and uniformity across the class’s icons, otherwise, you are talking about needing specific race icons for all 19 races that can be a monk. We couldn’t even get racial-specific designs in garrisons lol I think the icons should stay as is tbh, spend that time fixing real issues with the class.
Funny you mention how clunky warriors are. The last few days I have decided I want to roll a tank. I tried the Brewmaster first, because I love the fantasy, then DH, then Warrior then the DK. The warrior felt so BAD! I now see why people say to avoid prot warriors. As you said, clunky.
