Blizzard’s “hybridization” leaves specialists out in the cold

We’ve looked over threads and threads of balance and spec complaints and it seems there will be no end to the waves of complaints. Why? It’s because Blizzard opted to create hybrids in every class, such that Paladins who can stand their ground on their own can also heal.

One such case, the Retribution Paladin, revealed that some specs for other classes do better in certain party duties. Players in a community-based game want to belong somewhere somehow, but with some classes out-speccing their own best spec build, no one is eyeing them for a helping hand in their PvP or PvE grind.

They’re already spending points in the Holy tree, which isn’t their Retribution tree, just to be useful for many of the groups out there.

Eventually, these Retadins look more like half-Holy Paladins in a sense that they spec on both trees. But because Retadins have to also prepare for their own advancement in the Retribution tree, they aren’t especially good in Holy nor Retribution – spending points in two and not just one tree.

In order for people to belong, they must have a use. But that’s not all: all players lean on what’s been tried, tested, and works the best. So if your build also doesn’t cut the spec right, no one needs you. No one will ever need you, until another class gets nerfed and you appeared to be the next-best viable option. When you get nerfed, the same old story goes.

Starting to get the big picture? If Blizzard wanted everyone to be useful, then everyone has more than one use. Multi-purpose adds a lot of value to a character, but players are demanding outright specialization. But no: every slot available to specialists get filled by characters who just specced better than you.

It’s not fair, yes, but then it’s how Blizzard created the classes, and so you can begin to see a clear image of what could happen when the World of Warcraft breaks 60 million users and saturates realms with too many people who simply outspec you: some of the really poor classes are bound to get doomed.

The list never ends: Enhancement Shamans, Holy Paladins, Protection Paladins, Druids…they all have problems in belonging somewhere. They’ve already made their point to Blizzard: “We want to be this, because they need this. So make us this!” What part of that does Blizzard not understand?

Via WoW Forums

We’ve looked over threads and threads of balance and spec complaints and it seems there will be no end to the waves of complaints. Why? It’s because Blizzard opted to create hybrids in every class, such that Paladins who can stand their ground on their own can also heal.

One such case, the Retribution Paladin, revealed that some specs for other classes do better in certain party duties. Players in a community-based game want to belong somewhere somehow, but with some classes out-speccing their own best spec build, no one is eyeing them for a helping hand in their PvP or PvE grind.

They’re already spending points in the Holy tree, which isn’t their Retribution tree, just to be useful for many of the groups out there.

Eventually, these Retadins look more like half-Holy Paladins in a sense that they spec on both trees. But because Retadins have to also prepare for their own advancement in the Retribution tree, they aren’t especially good in Holy nor Retribution – spending points in two and not just one tree.

In order for people to belong, they must have a use. But that’s not all: all players lean on what’s been tried, tested, and works the best. So if your build also doesn’t cut the spec right, no one needs you. No one will ever need you, until another class gets nerfed and you appeared to be the next-best viable option. When you get nerfed, the same old story goes.

Starting to get the big picture? If Blizzard wanted everyone to be useful, then everyone has more than one use. Multi-purpose adds a lot of value to a character, but players are demanding outright specialization. But no: every slot available to specialists get filled by characters who just specced better than you.

It’s not fair, yes, but then it’s how Blizzard created the classes, and so you can begin to see a clear image of what could happen when the World of Warcraft breaks 60 million users and saturates realms with too many people who simply outspec you: some of the really poor classes are bound to get doomed.

The list never ends: Enhancement Shamans, Holy Paladins, Protection Paladins, Druids…they all have problems in belonging somewhere. They’ve already made their point to Blizzard: “We want to be this, because they need this. So make us this!” What part of that does Blizzard not understand?

Via WoW Forums