I'm just gonna get right down to it
Its bad that we are injecting so much power creep into the game in order to get people to pure class and not engage with subclassing. That is just bad game design no offense to anyone. It puts Zos in a really tough spot like trying to balance on a tight rope when they don't need to be. I want to help. I personally hate subclassing in its current form. It seems that roughly half the player base hates it, and the other half loves it. And zos can't just remove it at this point. I propose we meet in the middle and if we do that I think EVERYONE would LOVE subclassing AND pureclassing rather than having to be incentivized not to use subclassing
Here is what I propose:
I think limiting subclassing to one skill line only would be a much better and healthier thing to do rather than 2 skill lines. I also think that in order to retain class identity it is absolutely paramount for Zos to release colored or themed skill styles for each and every ability to retain and add your own class flair to your subclassed skill line. It has to feel like you are effecting the skill line and making it your own and building your own DNA into it rather than just being some generic meta subclassed NB/warden/sorc or something in order for subclassing to be a success. How cool would it be to have grim focus make your weapons glow blue on your necro? or to have overload glow red on your nb? What I'm saying is there should have been a way to make each subclassed ability feel like it belonged and was effected by your original class - which would be very easy to do with a simple RGB change. Like making a subclassed skill line from say templar glow green on a arcanist. I think it would help alot with class identity and subclassing and make it feel better if these skill styles were unlockable while leveling that subclassed line on whatever class you are originally. so there should be a nightblade red skill style for every ability, a necro blue for every ability, a arcanist green for every ability, and so on. Additionally, in order to retain this flair, I would make it so NB red could only be used on a original NB. And Arcanist green only allowed to be used on an original arcanist and so on.
I think this would feel off with 2 subclasses skill lines as well not to mention the balance and buildcrafting implications which is why subclassing HAS to be limited to just one skill line.
I think this would really enhance subclassing and make it much better to engage with and perhaps we could dial back some of the monstrous buffs that are being injected into the game with the refreshes and some of the class masteries. And don't get me wrong, I love the class masteries and want them to stay, but there has been some wildly broken things added lately and I think it is bad that they are being added purely to get people to NOT engage with a previously added system. I think we should just address the issues with that system and then also keep the class masteries but not go so hog wild on them and the refreshes and with how much power we are giving them. Looking at sorc's class masteries for example or the DK refresh
I also think these changes would be very doable as it would just be coloring the existing abilities and then limiting subclassing to one skill line which seems to me to be extremely doable.
Edit: I also wondered if since we are nerfing subclassing down to only one skill line it would be good to allow for 1 class mastery on a subclassed build. And then of course 2 class masteries on pure class. I feel like this could enhance class identity further
But what do you guys think?
Edited by XVestigeXx on 21 August 2026 10:18