A Third Main Profession

[Korval1]

Two ideas:

1. Adding a third primary profession...

(or)

2. Add an item similar to the multi-spec device for professions. Allow training of additional primary professions, with a limit of two active at a time and a 24-hour cooldown.

The catalyst for the request came from wanting to train engineering for PVP, but I didn't want to drop herbalism and alchemy.

[Sylveria]

Engineering is indeed a problematic profession, especially for PvP and for minmaxing, So i can see why people would want a 3rd profession. but on a personal note i wouldn't like to see this, since EVERYONE would have engineering as their 3rd profession.

[Korval1]

If everyone is special, then nobody is special. It naturally balances itself out.

Edit: The suggestion's main purpose is to provide access to a third primary profession, not limited to engineering. While I would like to acquire engineering for my reasons, others might desire an additional gathering profession or a profession that better complements their gear type, such as blacksmithing or tailoring.

[Sylveria]

it wouldn't neccessarily balance out as you might imagine. Since some will have even more stuns than others, so giving some classes just one additional stun might also be a drop of water on a hot stone.(since i'm not in pvp anyway, i have another look at the whole thing anyway. so in my opinion not everything should be about balancing. Since PvP is only one part of the game. And balancing affects everything, not just one part of the game. Too much balancing might make the game feel "artifical", "constructed" so the authenticity dwindles at some point. That's also my personal problem with retail. it feels so constructed that it ain't fun to me anymore.)

Another idea could be giving other professions similar items that can be used for combat: like throwable concoctions with different effects, Nets for tailors to root enemys, a horseshoe for blacksmiths he can throw at the enemys head to stun 'em.. something like that may balance out engineering.

[Sylveria]

While I would like to acquire engineering for my reasons, others might desire an additional gathering profession or a profession that better complements their gear type, such as blacksmithing or tailoring.

That would give farm characters too much power in my opinion. Mining, Herbalism and Engineering on top of that to stun, root, whatever enemys to get the herb, node. that would give gathering chars a big edge.

[Korval1]

You mistakenly thought this request applied to all servers, but it's only for PVE realms.

[Atreidon]

If the goal is for everyone to have access to engineering, why not just remove the profession restriction on engineering consumables instead?

If its not for engineering, its a hard no from me. Its a mmo, you are supposed to trade for things you need.

[Tekamthi]

I don't understand why so many engineering items are locked for use by engineers only. Seems the easy fix to the underlying cause of the concern would be to just open up the engineering gadgets for others to use. Why can't non-engineers light and throw a stick of dynamite, for example?

Just unlock the engineer-produced items for use by non-engineers, maybe with 50% cast time penalty, or limited stack sizes, longer cool downs etc.

[Chudman123]

If the goal is for everyone to have access to engineering, why not just remove the profession restriction on engineering consumables instead?

If its not for engineering, its a hard no from me. Its a mmo, you are supposed to trade for things you need.

This seems like a better solution imo.

[Jc473]

If the goal is for everyone to have access to engineering, why not just remove the profession restriction on engineering consumables instead?

100% agree.

I've suggested this in similar discussions because I think it's the 'easiest' solution to implement. It would also turn engineering into a good source of income because people would readily (and indefinitely) buy the consumables (e.g. explosivies). This increased trading behaviour would be a good thing for the game.

The other ideas I've seen are things like adding profession traits like in Wotlk but, personally, I'm really not a fan of this design. You should be taking the profession because you actually want to use it, not because of the passive bonus it gives you. Effectively, it turns the profession choice into another 'racial bonus' one where people feel compelled to take one for the passive bonus alone.

As for the third profession suggestion, I think it's just cop-out and avoids addressing the problem which is that Engineering provides too much power.

[Scelus12]

What about this: every class gets a free gathering profession based on class:

Mining: plate/mail classes
Herbs: cloth/leather

Or whatever. A free gathering prof. THEN you get your two professions on top of that. You could then take the other gathering prof too of course.

I think would especially help out Telabim as the low pop puts a strain on herb/ore availability.

[Scelus12]

As for the third profession suggestion, I think it's just cop-out and avoids addressing the problem which is that Engineering provides too much power.

I don’t disagree. One idea is to un-link JUST bombs from Eng. Bombs are by far the most used and most powerful item imo, relative to cooldown, cost, slot usage etc.

Leave all the other goodies linked to Eng.

[Scelus12]

Oh even better idea:

1 hour cooldown: craft 5 mediocre bombs that are unbound to eng.

Solves a few problems. Gives Eng a little gold, rewards people who main Eng and play a lot, gives a bomb to non Eng.

[Xudo]

I have Mining and Herbalism on my high level char. So I would pick skinning as third profession if it will be possible.

[Tekamthi]

I don’t disagree. One idea is to un-link JUST bombs from Eng. Bombs are by far the most used and most powerful item imo, relative to cooldown, cost, slot usage etc.

Leave all the other goodies linked to Eng.

I'd also like to use the targeting dummies, and a few others. Unlocking the engineering stuff seems like the priority, but there's room to give a few profession-only consumables to the others. There are at least a few useful items that, afaik, are 1-time quest reward only: bag of marbles, glowing wax stick, etc. Marbles could be smelted, candles made by skinners or leatherworkers etc.

[Drubarrymooer]

What happens to all the engineering recipes I spent hours and hours obtaining?

I don't mind unlocking the engineering stuff. But I don't like the idea of my time being wasted, if that makes sense. It would be super cool for every class to be able to use sappers though.

[Jc473]

What happens to all the engineering recipes I spent hours and hours obtaining?

I don't mind unlocking the engineering stuff. But I don't like the idea of my time being wasted, if that makes sense. It would be super cool for every class to be able to use sappers though.

There will always be changes made to these 'live service' games which upset an existing subset of the playerbase. But, typically, these changes are made for the greater good of the game. Otherwise, a lot of really good/healthy changes would've never seen the light of day.

[Atreidon]

What happens to all the engineering recipes I spent hours and hours obtaining?

I don't mind unlocking the engineering stuff. But I don't like the idea of my time being wasted, if that makes sense. It would be super cool for every class to be able to use sappers though.

Either you can sell the finished product at the auction house to people who didn't bother farming the recepy, or its a BoP item like the net-o-matic. So that is the only way to obtain it in the first place

[Bandyc]

but theres no one to buy anything, its either china farmers dragging up the price on pve or dead pop on pvp meaning no one buys shit so its worthless to farm.
like who even cares at this point? turtle is shitted and they deserve to see it go to shit because they never managed to actually create a community beyond 300 pop without china and russki.