Talent trees have had abilities in them since Vanilla. They did through Cata and then the new talent system as everyone knows maintained having abilities as well.
I actually fully agree with this.
They are replacing more than just the basic talent system with this but also a lot of our base power systems as well!
I want to also add as I have said again and again, that the new talent system covers level 10-cap. So for those coming in about “Why does it have our stuff already?! They are just taking it away and making us re-earn everything”.
Too many misunderstand this talent tree system as a class overhaul for every class and spec. It is NOT an overhaul of the classes and how they work as it is how one attains their class skills and passives. That does give some form of overhaul, but not the kind of “everything must be new!” aspect people seem to have been expecting.