New Role Forums

With the upcoming release of Wrath of the Lich King and the many changes the expansion brings to classes and mechanics, we have decided to update our forums to make it easier for players to hold constructive discussions. To that end, we have created three role-based forums -- Tanking, Damage Dealing, and Healing. Why?

Common ground for common roles. The new structure provides central places for players of diverse classes and specs to discuss their common roles. Until now, there was no one obvious forum for a holy paladin to discuss Arena healing tactics with a restoration shaman, or for a protection warrior to talk tanking mechanics with a feral druid. This often led to splintered, fractured, and redundant discussions. In addition, the original class forum structure never properly took the impact of talents into account, lumping together a shadow priest and a holy priest (for example) when that didn’t necessarily make sense.

Celebrate diversity! While a tank tanks and a healer heals, the specific ways each class and talent build go about these roles are very distinct -- and the addition of new abilities in Wrath of the Lich King will continue to add even more ways to play. The new forum structure will still be a place for a frost mage (for example) to discuss tricks of the trade with other frost mages, while at the same time facilitating an understanding of the unique tools that rogues or other damage-dealers have to perform similar functions.

Help us help you. The new forums will also allow the community team and developers to follow discussions and gather feedback more effectively as the game continues to evolve -- which, ultimately, translates to a better World of Warcraft for you.

The current individual class forums will remain active for now, but this may change. You will be able to use the new role forums tomorrow via the links below:

Tanking:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287131

Healing:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287130

Damage Dealing:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287129

Q u o t e:
Please keep the class forums, I can see any discussion I want to have about my spec being completely overwhelmed in a generic damage forum simply because of the traffic from so many of us lumped together.

We have deliberately not said we will remove class forums here.

Q u o t e:
It seems that either Wryxian doesn't know what will happen or is avoiding saying what will happen.

I know what will happen -- we will see how things go and evaluate later. This would be based on how the forums evolve and grow, and not the replies to this thread. ;-) We like the class forums and can see valuable reasons to keep them and so we're not keen to remove them, which is why we did not state we'd remove them. We also think the new role forums have potential merit, so that is why we are adding them.

Q u o t e:
Surely this will mean more,not less work for the CMs too?

We don't arrange the forums to match our work load ;-) We want our forums to be useful and helpful. It might be useful to discuss tanking with other tank classes in one Tanking forum, and we believe it is already helpful for say a Druid to talk about which spec they'd like or Druid specific things in the Druid class forum.

I'm unsure of your point on hybrids. We're adding new forums, so surely the places to discuss have now increased! :-) I'm unsure we'd want to open a whole load of new ones for each potential hybrid or just melee or ranged...etc -- that just starts to sound like a bit too much. ;-)

I've re-read your post and see what you mean -- haven't had my morning coffee yet! ;-)

I don't want to prejudge the new forums and how things will evolve before we've given them a chance. I imagine there'll be a period of adjustment, then things will balance out. We'll just have to watch and see if this is a good change or not.

Q u o t e:
Thats in the Shaman forum in the US. If you check the General forum you will find the same post but stating they are keeping the forums. You will also notice that the post was edited. Another thing is that the post with the removal date was posted on websites like MMO Champion. Seems to me that they didn't expect the backlash they recived and changed there mind...

Again, this is not the US forums -- we posted here at the same time, but a slightly different message. Notice we did not post anything in the class forums.

The new Role forums should be accessible now -- please go check them out :-)

Tanking:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287131

Healing:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287130

Damage Dealing:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/board.html?forumId=7287129

Q u o t e:
The point a few people make about moderation on the EU forms however are valid we relay do need better moderation and input on the EU forms, i know that you guys do the best you can as i am sure you have guidelines to follow and would post feedback and moderate the forms far more often if you where able to.

Firstly, thanks for your eloquent response. We are always trying to "do better" with moderation and our forum posts, and we appreciate your understanding.

Let's keep the rest of this thread on the topic of the new role forums, though. ;-)

Q u o t e:
When will there be a Death Knight class forum

Probably around the same time we have Death Knights.