With the exception of a small handful of runs, the following is the case for the rest:
Out of 6 healing specs only 1 is represented
Out of 6 tank specs only 1 is represented
Out of 24 dps specs only 3 are represented
Out of 12 classes only 5 are represented
We saw the same tendency in the Legion MDIs and people seem to shrug it off with "this is just the meta".
I’m not smart enough to know what changes could be made in the class balance to broaden the selection of classes in the MDI and I don’t think the live game should be balanced around how the very best players min/max the game to figure out which specs perform better than others - IMO the class balance should be made around how each spec performs generally and not only in the hands of the top 0.1% players.
In stead, let me suggest changing the MDI format so it forces teams to have a better spec/class representation. And here’s a specific example of how it could look:
Each player has to set two specs for the duration of a cup, so each team is comprised of 2 tank specs, 2 healing specs and 6 dps specs. These 10 specs are public, so the other teams, the commentators and the audience know them in advance. For the first match the teams select their composition themselves, for the second match each team chooses one player on the opposite team to swap spec, and for the 3rd match (if it happens) each team chooses one player on their own team to swap spec. Swapping is mandatory so a team can’t abstain from swapping neither on the opposing team or their own. Whether the spec has to belong to a different class could be discussed.
In addition to providing a broader selection of classes it would also add an extra layer of strategy. This would also force the teams to develop dungeon strats with a more varied selection of spec abilities which would also make for a better spectating experience (in my opinion).
The above is just an example, and I’m sure it has weaknesses, but I really feel that only seeing a small selection of all the specs the game offers during a season is a weakness for the MDI.
rogue and druids are not just gonna be blizz lover boys in pvp, they ofc have to be the standard go-to classes in m+ aswell to balance it out and it will never change.
In competative wow there is less diversity in class comp at top end game. Few specs just out perform all other spec so players gonna use them at all time.
That’s why it’s boring to watch - and that’s why price pool of MDI is too low compare to DotA 2 etc.
Because this is a rogue mage druid game, the favored bois since day 1 of this game.
Druid tranq is a 2m cooldown and it has a double effect inside 5 mans, no other healing cooldown is even close to this.
Prot warriors deserve some love id say since they have been a bottomline for way too long, but this is way too much.
Rogues? Nothing new here, best melee in game since day 1 and that is never going to change. Brings all the kicks, the shourds, the aoe, the ST and ofc the CC’s any team would want combined with extremely strong(if not strongest) survivability cds.
Windwalkers? bottomline for so long now as prot wars but still a problematic spec in raids that shines on M+. Dont know how balanced is this and being the worst in raiding while a good one in M+ doesnt seem so absurd to me.
DH ? Im not gonna even mention the 3 key dps kings. Nuff said.
Edit:
The most important thing that was forgotten to be mentioned is: 99% alliance on MDI. Not even gonna bother talking about this, its an alliance favoring game.
I watched two dungeons yesterday and then decided to to something else. It’s like watching replays for 5 hours straight. I was shocked 26k people were willing to watch it.
Should either have a ban system, so teams can ban 2 classes each, though they might purposely leave the “meta” classes up, so better if all the meta classes were banned and they had to run with what’s not meta.
Or forcing class picks on them, imagine guardian druid, rsham, spriest, arms warrior, hunter. As someone who plays all classes, this would be the best show of who’s good, who can learn everything, rather than being a one trick pony, or two trick.
Or let them use these picks, but add extra affix or two so they can’t pull 3-4 packs all the time, make it hard. This is like 15-20 mins a run, only shrine being interesting as most teams wipe at some point.
I’d rather say that WoW has an MDI problem. Not a big one, fortunately, and it seems to be going away on its own, but I’d hate to think that non-players are getting the impression that the MDI represents WoW.
you cant say these things cause they will nerf rogues, rdruids and warriors to the ground.
This is the outcome of pruning. They have to seriously take a look at classes and do some changes before next expansion. BfA can’t be saved. It can be salvaged and 8.2 will improve things but please focus on the next expansion. level squish, talent trees, more class specific abilities. We need that.
Well. In comp people will take the class which can perform the best/offer the best utility what ever.
Balancing it can be close to impossible since there will never be the case when everyone is performing exactly the same. Even if class A is like 0.00000000000000006% better then in comp environment, I can bet my beer bottle that everyone will give it it prio over other classes.
Well what whould be needed are rather a pull up of other classes to be around that level of Utility and output. They don’t have to homogenize classes to make sure there’s viable at the very least options to pick from other classes.
Perhaps mages could get a mass invisibility which functions similar to a cloak with the draw back you can’t sprint + mount or perhaps this is a utility given to mistweaver monks “conjure up a thick mist who cloaks you and your party”.
I mean there’s options to explore if blizzard wanted to.
I whould suggest a “gimmick/quirk” row of abilities.
Every class have a certain amount of gimmicks/Quirks they can choose from(perhaps five or three) which are all utility based and basicly "tailored" for dungeons or group play.
Then some classes could come with a cloak option within this row, like mass invisibility, shrouding mists etc. Then you could before a dungeon starts just plan ahead and make sure the people in the group bring what’s needed of them.
Perhaps you could also add extra “quirk” slots for professions. Like an Alchemist could learn how to make a "potion well" which functions like healthstones just a bit weaker. While the basic quirk whould be the "double duration on flasks"(Which all alchemists already have) and perhaps as a third option there whould be “Master Alchemist” which extends the duration of the partys buff potions by 5 seconds.
Ofcourse other professions whould have strong options of their own. This whould also allow professions to become a part of your characters Identity both while browsing the AH and out in the world. For min-maxers they could also choose professions which gives them something the class lacks instead of going for the default which currently is; Engineering or Alchemy.
OUTLAW rogues and warriors already received nerfs. If you talk about rogues please say outlaw as Assa is fine and Subtlety is nothing more but a bad joke that has been kept punched even after its lifeless corpse began to rot
MDI is PVE content meaning there are no real counters to be had unlike in a mobda or possible PVP.
Numbers trump everything and at the highest competitive level you take every advantage you can get. There chould be a 0.1% damage difference between two tank classes and the one with more will still see the cast majority of play just because of that.
MDI is just 10 man raiding cranked up to 11 in terms of class stacking and it was never going to be anything else really.
Perfect balance is kind of impossible so there will always be specs that perform slightly better, this MDI was a bit extreme yes, but as long as enemies do not change or adjust what they do depending on classes that are brought it will always be a maths problem as long as you assume top performance from every player, which you should at that level.
This is the correct answer, however unpopular it might be. As usual though people who will never get to the level of the ‘professional’ players insist that their standards should apply to all of us. They just aren’t relevant to most of us.
It’s a competition, not a circus. Doing what you suggest takes out something fundamental about the competitive scene.
MDI is about running dungeons as fast as you can. You are given a problem and you’re gonna need to solve it. Ofc most top level players are gonna get the same answer, but that is the nature of a competitive scene like this.
IMO, all these threads that wanna sacrifice competitive integrity for more fiesta are stupid.
I want to see the best players playing optimal performance, not who can pick so they get least screwed by a forced pick change or who can strategically put their opponent at the biggest disadvantage, instead of how to give yourself the biggest advantage.
That being said, this is a much better suggestion than unique picks and bans, those are utterly horrendous ideas from people who don’t have a clue.
But i still think your idea needs polishing, but there could be something there.