degarr
02-11-2007, 01:10 PM
Actually this is a crosspost from the European forum:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=1468647238&sid=1
If anyone likes the general idea, please post it in american forum also - i dont have an account there (better chances some developers notice it).
I propose making a new hero class named something like “mechstrider” or similar.
The essence: a class that makes emphasis on tech part in magic+tech world of Warcraft.
Class philosophy: it should resemble a hunter in some way, being different at the same time (much like mage and warlock). They are the “artillery” while hunters are the “snipers”. So more AOE abilities, less accurate fire and so on. Also, they are not keen on living nature (no pets taming), but are on tech and magic. Focus of the class is dd with limited tanking and support.
Races: probably gnomes and blood elves (2 races only for both sides similar to druid class). Both are now using constructs of some kind (gnomes – more mechanical, BE – more magical, this may be de-veloped in art and design). Currently I don’t think there should be much difference in class mechanics for Gnomes and BE (at least not larger than between blood knights and paladins), but styling and graphical differences should be.
Itemization: leather before lvl 40 + mail after (like hunts and shams, using the same gear). Specialize on ranged attacks with ability to choose guns and maybe wands (?).
Certain professions (engineering primarily) may have cool items for this class just like tailoring now has for mages and priests
Talent trees (and abilities):
Power suits (“Mechanical”) – emphasis on wearing (or riding) power armors with functionalities of present WoW classes (idea similar to druid feral abilities and talents).
Pets (“Constructs”) - Allows to summon and control mechanical pets to aid in combat (similar to BM-hunt and demo-lock).
Magical (“Fire” or “Firepower”) - upgrades of char’s own melee and especially ranged attaks, stats/abilities of pets and power armors, some raid buffs (the closer analogy would be elemental shaman).
Ideas for talents and abilities
Mechanical tree
- Hunters gear will be primarily used by mech specced
- There should be a suit that provides tanking abilities (taunt, agro multiplier, armor multiplier and so on). Perhaps tanking suit should be in some low-lvl abilities (available for all specs), but may be greatly improved by talents in that tree
- Because the nature of the class must be “tech+magic”, tanking mechanics should not be warrior-like, but instead paladin-like (mana regen from healing instead of rage and so on)
- A power armor that greatly improves ranged attack may be gained through talents later in this tree
- So tanking/dps talents (paladin-like) will be in the beginning and the middle of the tree, and dps talents (hunter-like) will be at the end of the tree
- Talents that buffs survivability of power suits also may buff those of pets (pets damage-buffing talents should be in Firepower tree to create alternatives in speccing)
- Guns (and/or wands) dual-wielding as an ultimate talent (?).Unfortunately, this will require redoing of ragdoll slots (so might be not a very good idea. But a similar talent may be introduced for hunters? Alternatively, an item like a “secondary gun” may be done for quiver slot??).
- Some non-combat power suits (“travel form”, “flying form”?).
- As for graphics – there should be possibility to see the power armor driver while he is wearing it (same appearance of bear or cat for all lvls already makes people sick). Size of a char in the armor may be like that of a male Tauren
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should be able to tank occasionally, and do great amount of damage to a single target (probably best raiding dps spec)
Constructs tree
- may allow to summon a pack of pets (I think 3 is OK) with different functionalities (like healer/regenner+melee/tank+ranged) for different occasions
- Number of pets may be increasing with talents (1 pet by default, 2 with points in the middle of the tree, 3 with points in the end)
- may wear elem-sham or hunter’s gear with different outcomes for pet’s bonuses
- Different kinds/specializations of pets may be brought into action not only by dismissing/summoning, but mainly by transforming one into another (see “Transformers”) – e.g. ranged unit goes into “siege mode”, “assault mode” and so on (maybe consider this opportunity for power suits also).
- The idea of having differently specced pets at same time is not very good (3 pets bars at the same time is not very convenient to manage). So its better to allow only one pet spec at a given time, compensated by ability of fast transformation to another mode. Then the pets squad will actually act as a singular pet with one pet bar and maybe one health bar. This does not mean the pets of one spec in the squad should be same graphically – better for them to be different. They may even be different in way of damage – for example, in the ranged squad 1st units (here by default) is armed with a rifle, 2nd (that requires talent points in the middle of construct tree) fires rockets, 3rd (gained at the end of that tree) provides shielding from AOE for the 1st and 2nd (hello, raiding) and buffs them.
- Perhaps direct healing pets will be too imbalanced, so instead in the middle of the tree may be points for creation/improvement of pets with health and/or mana regaining for the master and the group – “walking batteries” (a-la shadow priests).
- The other 2 trees should have buffing talents for pets (e.g. mech is buffing stats and survivability, fire is buffing damage) – these talents should be to more or less extent accessible with full points in construct tree.
- a possibility to directly control the squad in combat for a limited time and with a cooldown, completely abstaining from fighting in person, but greatly buffing pets damage and maybe firing some “mega-nuke” (so pets for a Constructor may be even >>> then for BM hunt)
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should do good amount of damage with pets (like or even better then BM hunt), while being able to switch to support (“battery”) role with proper pets.
Firepower tree
- Actually is not necessarily be fire - magic may be limited to 1-2 existing schools (fire is just what I think about first, as it fits to technology)
- Elem-shams gear will be primarily used by fire specced mechstriders
- Spells and talents buffing damage (of char itself, power suits and pets) by adding some fire dmg to physical attacks
- Magical AOE and direct damage talents in this tree
- Spell that buffs ranged weapons and talents to improve it (similar to shaman’s weapon buffs, but for guns) – maybe consider possibility of putting this buff on other’s weapons too (hunters will love mechstriders then:)
- 1 major group buff in tree’s end - like shamans bloodlust (major in power, not in nature of the buff)
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should be able to AOE on mage/warlock level, also buffing group/raid (probably will be auxiliary three anyway, but counting scorch debuff from mages may compete with others also)
The options for how to limit the class imba-ness:
- While wearing/riding a power suit, not all spells and abilities from other schools should be available
- A “garage” similar to hunter’s stables may be used, so not every suit and/or pet may be carried at the same time (maybe, number of pets carried will increase with appropriate talents)
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=1468647238&sid=1
If anyone likes the general idea, please post it in american forum also - i dont have an account there (better chances some developers notice it).
I propose making a new hero class named something like “mechstrider” or similar.
The essence: a class that makes emphasis on tech part in magic+tech world of Warcraft.
Class philosophy: it should resemble a hunter in some way, being different at the same time (much like mage and warlock). They are the “artillery” while hunters are the “snipers”. So more AOE abilities, less accurate fire and so on. Also, they are not keen on living nature (no pets taming), but are on tech and magic. Focus of the class is dd with limited tanking and support.
Races: probably gnomes and blood elves (2 races only for both sides similar to druid class). Both are now using constructs of some kind (gnomes – more mechanical, BE – more magical, this may be de-veloped in art and design). Currently I don’t think there should be much difference in class mechanics for Gnomes and BE (at least not larger than between blood knights and paladins), but styling and graphical differences should be.
Itemization: leather before lvl 40 + mail after (like hunts and shams, using the same gear). Specialize on ranged attacks with ability to choose guns and maybe wands (?).
Certain professions (engineering primarily) may have cool items for this class just like tailoring now has for mages and priests
Talent trees (and abilities):
Power suits (“Mechanical”) – emphasis on wearing (or riding) power armors with functionalities of present WoW classes (idea similar to druid feral abilities and talents).
Pets (“Constructs”) - Allows to summon and control mechanical pets to aid in combat (similar to BM-hunt and demo-lock).
Magical (“Fire” or “Firepower”) - upgrades of char’s own melee and especially ranged attaks, stats/abilities of pets and power armors, some raid buffs (the closer analogy would be elemental shaman).
Ideas for talents and abilities
Mechanical tree
- Hunters gear will be primarily used by mech specced
- There should be a suit that provides tanking abilities (taunt, agro multiplier, armor multiplier and so on). Perhaps tanking suit should be in some low-lvl abilities (available for all specs), but may be greatly improved by talents in that tree
- Because the nature of the class must be “tech+magic”, tanking mechanics should not be warrior-like, but instead paladin-like (mana regen from healing instead of rage and so on)
- A power armor that greatly improves ranged attack may be gained through talents later in this tree
- So tanking/dps talents (paladin-like) will be in the beginning and the middle of the tree, and dps talents (hunter-like) will be at the end of the tree
- Talents that buffs survivability of power suits also may buff those of pets (pets damage-buffing talents should be in Firepower tree to create alternatives in speccing)
- Guns (and/or wands) dual-wielding as an ultimate talent (?).Unfortunately, this will require redoing of ragdoll slots (so might be not a very good idea. But a similar talent may be introduced for hunters? Alternatively, an item like a “secondary gun” may be done for quiver slot??).
- Some non-combat power suits (“travel form”, “flying form”?).
- As for graphics – there should be possibility to see the power armor driver while he is wearing it (same appearance of bear or cat for all lvls already makes people sick). Size of a char in the armor may be like that of a male Tauren
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should be able to tank occasionally, and do great amount of damage to a single target (probably best raiding dps spec)
Constructs tree
- may allow to summon a pack of pets (I think 3 is OK) with different functionalities (like healer/regenner+melee/tank+ranged) for different occasions
- Number of pets may be increasing with talents (1 pet by default, 2 with points in the middle of the tree, 3 with points in the end)
- may wear elem-sham or hunter’s gear with different outcomes for pet’s bonuses
- Different kinds/specializations of pets may be brought into action not only by dismissing/summoning, but mainly by transforming one into another (see “Transformers”) – e.g. ranged unit goes into “siege mode”, “assault mode” and so on (maybe consider this opportunity for power suits also).
- The idea of having differently specced pets at same time is not very good (3 pets bars at the same time is not very convenient to manage). So its better to allow only one pet spec at a given time, compensated by ability of fast transformation to another mode. Then the pets squad will actually act as a singular pet with one pet bar and maybe one health bar. This does not mean the pets of one spec in the squad should be same graphically – better for them to be different. They may even be different in way of damage – for example, in the ranged squad 1st units (here by default) is armed with a rifle, 2nd (that requires talent points in the middle of construct tree) fires rockets, 3rd (gained at the end of that tree) provides shielding from AOE for the 1st and 2nd (hello, raiding) and buffs them.
- Perhaps direct healing pets will be too imbalanced, so instead in the middle of the tree may be points for creation/improvement of pets with health and/or mana regaining for the master and the group – “walking batteries” (a-la shadow priests).
- The other 2 trees should have buffing talents for pets (e.g. mech is buffing stats and survivability, fire is buffing damage) – these talents should be to more or less extent accessible with full points in construct tree.
- a possibility to directly control the squad in combat for a limited time and with a cooldown, completely abstaining from fighting in person, but greatly buffing pets damage and maybe firing some “mega-nuke” (so pets for a Constructor may be even >>> then for BM hunt)
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should do good amount of damage with pets (like or even better then BM hunt), while being able to switch to support (“battery”) role with proper pets.
Firepower tree
- Actually is not necessarily be fire - magic may be limited to 1-2 existing schools (fire is just what I think about first, as it fits to technology)
- Elem-shams gear will be primarily used by fire specced mechstriders
- Spells and talents buffing damage (of char itself, power suits and pets) by adding some fire dmg to physical attacks
- Magical AOE and direct damage talents in this tree
- Spell that buffs ranged weapons and talents to improve it (similar to shaman’s weapon buffs, but for guns) – maybe consider possibility of putting this buff on other’s weapons too (hunters will love mechstriders then:)
- 1 major group buff in tree’s end - like shamans bloodlust (major in power, not in nature of the buff)
- Overall, a char specced deeply in this tree should be able to AOE on mage/warlock level, also buffing group/raid (probably will be auxiliary three anyway, but counting scorch debuff from mages may compete with others also)
The options for how to limit the class imba-ness:
- While wearing/riding a power suit, not all spells and abilities from other schools should be available
- A “garage” similar to hunter’s stables may be used, so not every suit and/or pet may be carried at the same time (maybe, number of pets carried will increase with appropriate talents)