The basic topic of this article is class representation in various parts of WoW (arena, PvP, PvE etc) and how some classes are better represented than others. Why is that?
Ghostcrawler (GC) points out some very important trends in the population of classes on servers one such point is that people play classes based on their idea of the class rather than what has the best output. While this is likely true for most of the casual players on WoW some players really do just role toons for the highest possible output. So the real question is should Blizzard really make an attempt to equal the playing field by balancing all classes? Should there be an equal amount of representation for all classes across all playable areas in WoW? What does balancing really mean in the first place?
I'll start with the last question first "what does balancing really mean"?:
That really is a good question it can have several different interpretations:
- Balancing class representation in the world of WoW (all areas)
- Balancing stats (all melee dps should be equal, all casters should be equal, etc)
- Balancing survivability (in PvP, PvE etc.)
- Balancing a classes talent trees (for basically all of the above)
- Balancing available gear for all classes and talent trees
Should all classes be equally represented?
Well, if you mean the entire playing population, the answer should be - Yes! I believe that is the primary reason Blizzard has setup each class with 3 different talent possibilities. Some trees are better in some situations while not remotely possible in others. I believe that was Blizzards real attempt at equalling the leveling (PvE) field; giving each class a talent tree that allows the player to level independently. This feature allows players to master their classes abilities (under a particular talent tree) while the only limitation is the players ability to fully understand the classes play-style (in PvE). This can dramatically change in other aspects of the game (i.e. PvP and Raids)
When the balancing act really gets jumbled is in the realm of party and pvp play. It's in these roles the classes get a bit unbalanced and the weaknesses/strengths of each class becomes glaringly evident. Should this be the case? In my opinion, absolutely!
The role of a class in PvE (Solo play) can be very different from its role in group play (though this isn't always the case, but more often it is). lets take for example Druids (since my main is a druid). It used to be (before WoLK) the only viable leveling option (PvE) was the feral tree! But, when in a group there were other classes that could tank and dps (on average) much better than the feral talent tree! Hence, a druid was faced with having to respec for restoration to heal (but I'm feral D#$% you!). Things have changed a lot with the arrival of WoLK. While a feral druid is much better now at being a tank and/or dps (based on gear) the real gift was "duel spec" (no more mowing through gold for respec'ing). For classes that have very different talent trees for solo play versus group play the duel spec feature was a serious gift for balancing the presence of certain classes in groups. This allowed players to fill multiple roles based on their class and in my opinion was a huge step in helping classes get more "representation" in more group oriented activities.
When it comes to PvP, arenas and battlegrounds, classes are not meant to be equal - period! PvP content in WoW is cooperative by nature and classes must rely on other classes for the abilities they lack. What I believe gets lost in battlegrounds is cooperative play. Unlike raids where there is usually a point person(s) to help organize, battlegrounds in my opinion lack organization. I have often seen a poor cloth wearer get smacked by a group of rushing plate/mail wearers (painful to watch). If battlegrounds could be more coordinated I believe other classes would be more representative; but organizing a battleground is a whole different topic ("smile").
In summary:
Classes should be equally represented in the PvE world of WoW, but in PvP it will likely never be the case. Some classes by nature lend themselves to be much better at PvP than others and that is just a product of the design (there are exceptions to this, but that's due to player skill). The only way for equal representation of all classes in PvP is more cooperation/coordination. Every class could be represented equally in PvP if the players of those characters: know their class well, know how to group with other classes, know how to utilize the individual class strengths for the survival of your party and how to capitalize on the weaknesses of your opponents. - That's the ideal situation!
