Shapeshifters - My views on Druids and Tree of Life

No class is more associated with its core mechanic than the druids and shapeshifting. Druids are defined by: bears tank, cats melee, moonkin cast, trees heal. However with the recent class previews there is a new debate amongst the druids ranks. Blizzard intends to convert the "beloved"/"detested" Tree of Life form into a cooldown. As stated earlier druids are identified by their forms Resto Druids who strongly identify with the Tree of Life as their hallmark are up in arms about the loss. However there is little other than aesthetic and sentimental value, all of which could be maintained simple with a something like this

Glyph of The Ancient Oak - Minor Glyph - Level 60 - (While in combat,) You maintain the appearance of your Tree of Life spell regardless of whether the spell is active or not.

From a Technical standpoint, druid forms present a unique opportunity for blizzard using the druid class. Utilizing the shapeshifting forms blizzard is able to completely change the classes mechanics to something completely different. Druids are normally casters, however when they shift into bear form, they share most of their mechanics with warriors, including resources and role. When they shift into cat form it rogues. However with both Moonkin and Tree of Life form they only serve to buff their stats. In fact they tack much more away from the classes utility in order to increase DPS or healing, respectively. Unlike an elemental shaman a Moonkin must shift out of form to heal, unlike a priest a Tree must shift out of form to damage when healing isn't needed. However in the case of Moonkin they simple become more mage like, which does nothing to gimp their DPS. However when a Tree cannot cast Balance spell because she is in Tree form she losses much of the classes utility and versatility. Furthermore the coming changes to Balance druids look to moved to move them more towards the Cat and Bear end of the argument. The implementation of the new Eclipse system as a core mechanic adds a new functionality to the Moonkin form, one which as no implications for the other specs, including Resto. This means that tying it to Moonkin form makes the most sense, since the only ones using it will be them. Now if some new mechanic was implemented for Healing druids tying it to Tree of Life would warrant the keeping of the spell in its current state, this of course means the death of the druid's caster form which leads to our next argument.

Druids are not shapeshifters. That is according to the lore of Warcraft shapeshifting is only a small portion of the druidic arts. In fact, Feral druids (ie druids of the talon, and the claw, etc) are the only druids who use shapeshifting abilities. Even then they are used limitedly as prolonged time in animal form leads to the druid losing herself and becoming nothing more than the wild animal they appear to be. However, in game, in order to help balance them against other classes, moonkin and tree of life forms where added in order to buff their performances in their respective roles. Adding new forms made sense since the concept of shapeshifting was already established for the class, this however resulted in the druid class becoming the shapeshifting class, as opposed to feral being the shapeshifting spec. Shapeshifting is very much a secondary ability in much of the lore, as powers over nature tend to jump to the forefront. The Warcraft Comics and Stormrage novel had a much needed does of shapeshifting to the lore, with Broll Bearmantle and Malfurion Stormrage shapeshifting extensively, but feat of nature control and communing with nature are formed entirely in caster form. Moonkin and Tree of Life seem to exist only in game, and have little or no representation in the extended universe.

This is not to say that I have any personal grievance against Trees. I will admit my personal foray into druidism is on hold until Cata and troll druids. This isn't meant to be Tree bashing, or anything like it. My intent here is to show that with in the context of current state and the coming state (ie Cataclysm) of world of warcraft, the transformation of Tree of Life into a cooldown makes much more sense, without the new Eclipse the same would be true of Moonkin. However as much as players may dislike it the change is going to be a massive buff to resto druids, allowing them to keep up with other healers but keep access to all of their caster spell be they balance or restoration. And in my personal opinion there should also be a glyph of this sort

Glyph of Student of The Wild - Minor Glyph - Level 60 - While Moonkin form is active you maintain all of of its affects (including polymorph immunity), however you retain the appearance of your caster form, has no affect in arenas.

Furthermore racails should be usable in all forms. It is unfair that Bear are denied access to Warstomp, while Death Knights, Warriors, (and soon) Paladins are, (Why can't a bear stomp?) if you're going to do that then it shouldn't be usable with Righteous Fury, Defensive Stance, or Frost Presence either, to be fair.