Post by Desblud
This is an explanation of the current controversy with everyone regarding Tauren taking on the two classes of a Paladin and a Priest. Before anyone asks I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of the game and can state an unbiased opinion of each section of game play in question while providing links to the information, meaning I will be covering Player versus Player, Player versus Environment, and Roleplaying/Lore.
If anyone who has done research and/or collected resources pertaining to this topic feel free to comment.
Roleplaying/Lore:"Where is the lore of a Tauren Paladin/Priest, and how is it even closely possible in World of Warcraft?"
This seems to be the largest now issue from what the player base has seen or heard from the Cataclysm trailer, with some claiming that, "Lore is dead, we might as well diminish the gap between which races can be what class", "Tauren Paladins/Priests make absolutely no sense at all, it goes against the lore entirely", and so on. But from what people do not know is that Tauren, actually have many ties and reason to become Paladins/Priests, in no particular order:
*According to Night Elf and Tauren mythology, Elune and Mu'sha are one in the same deity but referred differently among the two races from point of view and religious beliefs, where as Night Elf Priests praise Elune, the Tauren Priests and Paladins praise Mu'sha.
Source--> http://www.wowwiki.com/Mu%27shaTop of article ,First paragraph*In religious practice, it is known that, "the Tauren and the earthen were also known to honor, if not outright worship Elune".
Source--> http://www.wowwiki.com/Mu%27shaMiddle of article under "Religious Practice" ,Second paragraph, First sentence*In terms of the Lore basis itself in World of Warcraft, I took this quote straight from the website for a simple and short explanation that Lore is an ever evolving and ever changing concept, non linear, and can possibly change at any time if Blizzard so wishes.
"Cataclysm will be a major step forward in the
ongoing story of the Warcraft universe."
Source--> http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/features/lore.html*(Non linear, for those who don't know, meaning just because something happened before in the past, doesn't mean it cannot change in the present/future, in this case)--see "retroactive"
PvP-Player versus Player:"Tauren being able to play as Paladins/Priests would be somewhat of an imbalance because of the racials they receive."
Although this hasn't been touched on as heavily as the Lore, players still find this to be an issue, regarding the War Stomp (2 second stun with a .5 second cast, can work up to 5 enemies within 8 yards), and Endurance (a 5% increase of your base health). Though most find the health to be minimal inconvenience, some "hardcore" PvP'ers see this as a hindrance which can be fatal because of Paladins high survivability, and the extra stun seems to be an issue as well for those those who choose to be a Priest or Paladin.
Though in retrospect PvP is and can be a complicated challenge among players, it would be wise to allow the game changes to occur before anymore speculation is to be determined, what with the status changes being almost completely revamped come next expansion, such as the removal of Spell Power and Attack Power as a stat, also along with the new stat called "Mastery", with this many changes to the core of the game it seems views and opinions on the matter could possibly be quite different by then, will have to wait for more information.
Source--> http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/faq/Mid-bottom of the page under the "Will there be any changes to player stats such as Agility, Spell Power, and so on?"
PvE-Player Versus Environment:There hasn't been much of an uproar regarding the PvE statistics of Tauren playing as a Paladin or a Priest, though some have listed it as an unfair advantage (from Alliance players), in terms of Guild Progression, though the changes from Cataclysm are still well far off from happening it can be seen as negligible by most raiders and levelers alike.
Other:Some say that it is an unfairness in class selection, where as from what Blizzard has shown, the Horde receive 1 more class/race availability than the Alliance, and that the balance between Alliance having the most Paladin possibilities and Horde having most Shaman possibilities, are also uneven, making Horde have a higher number as well, as follows but in no particular order:
*Bold text will indicate new class combination from Cataclysm
Orc- Death Knight, Hunter,
Mage, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior=7
Undead- Death Knight,
Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior=7
Tauren- Death Knight, Druid, Hunter,
Paladin,
Priest, Shaman, Warrior=7
Troll- Death Knight,
Druid, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior=8
Blood Elf- Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock,
Warrior=8
Goblin- Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior=8
Horde=45 combinationsHuman- Death Knight,
Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior=8
Dwarf- Death Knight, Hunter,
Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue,
Shaman, Warrior=8
Night Elf- Death Knight, Druid, Hunter,
Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warrior=7
Gnome- Death Knight, Mage,
Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior=6
Draenei- Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Warrior=7
Worgen- Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior=8
Alliance=44 combinationsIf the above information from wowwikki is correct.
Source--> http://wotlkwiki.info/up2/cataclysm/classrace.jpgAlthough this is true, it is looked upon to not be game breaking or an issue, some find it better to help simplify players selection as a whole.
*UPDATE*I've found a Blizzard representative post on this issue on the official World of Warcraft-Paladin forums, just to rest assured my statement on the lore and how things will come together.
Source--> http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=19378794377&sid=1That is it for the information on the Tauren and their upcoming class combinations, I may also explain other combinations in their respective threads to help those understand the reasoning and justification behind Blizzards new expansion concerning classes.
Undead Hunter Explained Source--> http://www.wowhead.com/?forums&topic=117068&p=1351538*Currently working on Troll Druid Explanation thread*
Post by Desblud
Things that in my opinion shouldnt be done bicause are op or dumb looking:
tauren paladins - overpowered
What particular utilities do Tauren possess which would make them overpowered? Please note that racial abilities are getting a complete overhaul when Cataclysm is released.
ne mages - dumb
I can see why this would be found as irrelevant in terms of lore because they made a sworn pledge to not use arcane again from past experiences, can you elaborate why?
dwarf shamans - yeah... i suppose there is no sucha word wich could show how stupid and dumb looking this is. I mean dwarfs are the mountain and stone guys and shamans with all forms of nature... plus it just looks dumb
Dwarf Shaman aren't very far fetched, in fact there are many in Northrend, and with Dwarf being so in tune with the earth it is no wonder they have a new found interest in it when they realize their ancestors still use it today.
Source--> http://www.wowwiki.com/ShamanBottom of page under "Shaman organizations", First bullet pointI hope to receive feedback from you on this matter, as it is always appreciated.