Machinery is all throughout Azeroth, it IS Azeroth. No more “they wouldn’t fit”. If Evoker can exist after being pulled out of thin air, the class with over 2 decades of established lore absolutely can exist. Currently, it exists as an NPC-only class, in which they display prowess far beyond the capabilities of the very mundane Engineering profession.
They fit from a gnome/mechagnome/goblin perspective. (Goblin/Gnome/MG Tinkers)
They fit from a Dwarf/Dark Iron perspective (Engineers)
They fit from an Orc, Mag’har perspective (Iron Horde mechanics)
They fit from an Undead perspective (Apothecaries)
They fit from a Draenei perspective (Artificiers)
They fit from a Blood/High Elf perspective (Arcane Tech)
and now, they fit from an Earthen perspective (Machinespeakers)
To say that the ‘Tinker’ class couldn’t exist because Engineering already does, would be to say Mage shouldn’t exist because Enchanting already does, that Monks shouldn’t exist because Inscription already does, Shaman shouldn’t exist because Alchemy already does, or that Demon Hunter shouldn’t exist because there are already Warlocks in the game.
There isn’t any other class as broadly spoken for in WoW that isn’t also playable at this point. That is an anomaly in and of itself. We’ve gotten an entire spec mid-expansion before, as well as a plethora of new races an entire year after launch.
Blizzard- now is the time: After the Iron Horde, after BfA’s delving into World Soul & Titan machinery, and now these new engines of the planet itself- the Earthen mark yet another race in the game with extremely evident & justifiable connections to machinery, and by proxy, a Machine-based player class. The time to finally introduce the Tinker; a class that dabbles with machinery, turrets, gizmos, gadgets, exo-suits, and more.
The Tinker class- whether it’s called that, or “Machinespeaker”, “Mechanic”, “Artificier”, “Engineer”, “Technician”, or anything else- many have said that the class wouldn’t work unless the expansion involved heavy themes about machinery. Well the first time Machinery was blatantly plot-centric was when the forces of Alternate-Universe Draenor launched an assault upon us- with immense and overwhelming technology. When the Mag’har finally joined the Horde as an allied race, it is absolutely possible that many of those were ex-Iron Horde mechanics & technicians, who would likely collaborate with the Orcs to share ideas and blueprints.
The second time was when we discovered the Isle of Mechagon, an entire civilization of machine-like beings so deeply rooted in Tinkering, that their technologies threatened the entire planet itself and required the combined forces of the Alliance and Horde to fight back. The real absurdity is that when the Mechagnomes finally were playable as an Allied Race, the only class they couldn’t be was the one class they should’ve been the most.
And now? We delve to new regions, discover a new NEUTRAL RACE, who are heavily ingrained with machinery to a level on par with the Mechagnomes themselves- where it is their lifeblood and culture. But for the Earthen? It is of a religious extent that their kinship with machinery exists.
And just like how we learned the ways of the Monk from the Neutral Pandaren race;
& the ways of the Evoker through the Neutral Dractyhr race;
Story, logic, player demand, and all other signs point to the ways of Tinker-hood to be taught by none better than through the Neutral EARTHEN Race.
As mentioned before, the many denizens of Azeroth that are already proficient with machines, but the Earthen offer a very unique and central angle to the Tinker class; which is by a more hollistic means- by teaching the races of Azeroth that machinery is not just a matter of ingenuity and craft- but also the very core of the planet itself.
Many people (myself included) have their own ideas and spins on how to do a class like this (mine is just below), but all ideas and concepts share a constant theme of Exo-suits, Guns and turrets, Bombs and Minis, and lots of gunpowder, explosions, fire, and electricity. Depending on the angle Blizzard could take? The class’ resource bar might be Azerite, which we’ve seen can power machinery extremely well to immacculate results. If not? Fuel, Charge, Electricity, or it could be the first resource-less class, instead leaning into the fantasy of really resourceful and ingenious as a compensation for the lack of magical prowess.
All that matters is, the Tinker as it currently stands is a cake waiting to be baked, of which it would be one that is, no matter how it’s sliced, rich with substance, full of goodness, enjoyment for everyone, and ignorable if it’s not your preferred flavour. This is not a matter of if, but when?
Obligatory “Blizz, Pls”. Give us the Tinker class we’ve been wanting since the dawn of this game.
(I know you can see this Metzen and Ybarra!)
