I’m ready for a new Hero class in WoW. Last night, having finished all my dailies, having fought in Wintergrasp, and having nothing else to do, I created a Blood Elf Death Knight and played him through the starter zone. It doesn’t take long–maybe two hours at most–to go from 55 to 58, and to finish all the starter Death Knight quests.
But it’s fun. Man, is it fun. I created an Orc DK back when the expansion first priemered, but I lost interest at about level 62, as he was questing in Zangarmarsh.
Once past the new DK-specific content, I can’t bring myself to level anymore. For one thing, I don’t really have any goals for a DK attractive enough to propel me onward. I don’t plan on raiding with a DK, so that eliminates a significant reason for continuing to level, right there. That leaves PvP, and/or just playing for the sake of playing, neither of which are interesting enough to hold me for long.
That brings me to today’s topic: I’m ready for a new Hero class, one that I can see myself playing at end game. One that might even become my new main.
It’s asking a lot, I know, since it’s been only a few months since Wrath was introduced. But you have to wonder, if Blizzard really does have plans for new hero classes, how are they going to introduce them in a timely manner? This game is getting old, and while certainly there will be new players coming aboard all the time (although perhaps in fewer and fewer numbers), there are people leaving all the time as well, perhaps in greater numbers. There is going to be a need for quicker release of content in order to satisfy demand before people move on to something else.
If Blizzard sticks to the Wrath model of having a new starter zone for each Hero class, it’s possible they could introduce a new class with one of the major content patches between expansions. That could create it’s own problems, since the game (and particularly raiding guilds) have to balance around any new additions to class type. One of the things that made the DK successful is that there was an interlude between the release and the beginning of raiding, during which people could level their DK’s, gear them, and get them ready to raid.
If, say, the new Hero Healer was introduced with Ulduar, it would be more difficult for people who wanted to play the class to level and gear up as quickly. So Blizzard faces a daunting task in introducing these new classes in a timely manner, and in a way that does not disrupt the game, or pose more daunting challenges to those who want to play the class.
Still, I’m ready. Now. A friend of mine hopes the next Hero is a healer. Specifically he is hoping for a monk-type, who can heal and dish out melee DPS–truly a unique combination, that. I’d play that class, possibly even beyond the starter zone (Gilneas maybe?). Right now, I’m just feeling a little bored, and it may be that Ulduar will take away some of that boredom.
But I for one was disappointed that there were no new races, and only one new class, in Wrath. When we’re between major content upgrades, that’s when I like to start something new. The Death Knight doesn’t do it for me, once I’m out in the larger world beyond the Ebon hold.
