Hey!
In this article I wanna mention shortly each main build in WOW and attach a very short balance idea to them. If a build is weak, I will try to mention 1-2 points for improvement, if too strong, 1-2 points of potential nerf.
Mostly focusing on PVE raiding. The ideal outcome would be a case where each main build would be a valid pick for the raiding scene - arms warriors fighting alongside melee hunters against the old God Qtoon (Ktewn?). My idea is not a perfect uniformization, there would of course still be difference in power level between builds but ideally it would become smaller. Guys trying to catch a PUG with a demonology hunter wouldn't automatically be sent to the nearest psychiatry.
The list does not include melee priests, caster DPS paladins and mace-using rogues.
Compulsory things for a role ->
Healer - healing abilities, out of combat rez, some kind of build-specific utility, not being very bad with mana or healing output
RDPS/melee - either a bunch of damage or decent damage + some very good utility
Tank - decent threat, decent survivability, either a rush in or a range pull option, a high CD high damage mitigation ability against big boss bursts
Shaman
Resto
* Looks mostly good. Maybe some 5% mana regen item at earlier levels to combat bad mana management while leveling.
* Would move some more important talents below talent 20 though so BL resto really sacrifices something for that BL.
Ele
* Threat reduction.
* Some kind of unique utility (optional).
* Way to consistently damage high nat rez mobs.
* 5% mana regen item drops during leveling.
* A class having a 'nature warlock curse' - not necessarily them (I gave this to moonkin, but a rogue poison also works).
Enh - DPS
* Higher damage.
* An added melee-ability - now they are the kings of auto-attack.
* Added hit chance, which is not in the middle of the resto tree - those auto attacks are very ugly glancing blows way too often.
Enh - Tank
* New earth shock level giving taunt.
* Fire totems threat linked to shaman.
* Better earthclaw totem.
* Better mitigation, probably through shields.
* A high CD damage reduction button against big bursts.
Paladin
As a note: would change the strikes added by TWOW to grant physical damage not holy since holy rez doesn't exist in the game.
Would also consider making the pala buffs last longer even during leveling as a QoL improvement.
Holy
* Adding some more spell crit item or 5% mana regen item while leveling (holy gets broken way later in the game).
* Considering adding another useful heal or damage prevention for them - f.ex. a bubble castable on others.
Ret
* If PVE damage is greatly affected by the change of the strikes, I'd consider a slight DPS buff.
Prot
* A bit of survavibility against crits and crushing blows.
* Turning ardent defender into something useful.
* A high CD damage reduction button against big bursts.
* A way to range-pull or to rush in - that hammer ability from later expansions is usually very well-liked.
Hunter
Marksmanship
* In a good spot.
Beastmaster
* Making pets more viable (goal is to have the BMs a pet on their side in each raid fight).
* Scaling of pets based on the player's current item stats.
* Pets having some more consequentual utility.
Survival
* More melee attacks.
* Higher damage output.
* Some kind of survival-only utility (f.ex. in-combat traps).
Warrior
Arms
* Weapon spec talent giving weapon skill alongside with crit chance increase.
* Utility - their damage doesn't really scale compared to fury, in exchange they could give out an important debuff on hit.
Fury
* Slightly nerfing the scaling of some of their abilities. With gear they are Gods.
Fury-Prot:
* Nerfing it by buffing Prot. Fury-Prot still would be slightly better with rage generation and threat, though.
Prot:
* Adding better rage regen, specially during leveling.
* Adding +threat for each shield attacks, including shield bash to incentivize shield usage.
Warlocks
DS-Ruin, SM-Ruin:
* Both are perfect. SM-Ruin has slightly less damage but can be a valuable tank team utility with the imp.
SM-DS:
* They'd need a buff regarding curses. Debuff limit is increased in TWOW. This spec went 2x into + shadow damage, allowing them a shadow bolt cast time reduction breaks balance. However, adding a new shadow decurse at affliction tree which greatly benefits from the 2x shadow damage increase would be interesting.
Affliction:
* Dark Pact feels bad for a class which can life tap. Something related to curses has to be at the bottom of the tree. An ability good enough to convince some warlocks to get it while it is bad enough that many warlocks feel justified not taking it.
Demonology:
* I always felt that this build is incoherent. Some talents buff you if you kill your pet, some others buff you if you keep it alive. If you go this deep into the demonology tree, you give up ruin for something. I'd take DS as a reference point and would change most bottom abilities to give further buffs if a demon is sacrificed. Maybe also allowing the summoning of f.ex. an infernal while DS is active.
Destro
* Needs a way to consistently deal fire damage without threat issues from searing pain
* Would change conflag in a way that having this talent turns your last tick of immolation into conflag automatically. Slight nerf for PVP (you can't time the conflag); overall raid DPS increase for destro.
Mage
Fire:
* Very good lategame, overshadowed by frost during leveling. Would give them early game utility while considering a very slight nerf for the damage at high raid levels (probably some kind of slight ignite nerf).
Frost:
* Very good for leveling, gets switched to fire somewhere in AQ40 to never to be seen again. Would nerf the mobility CCs they have while would buff their damage scaling for lategame.
Arcane:
* It is in a perfect state after TWOW buffs. Believe me. Our healer groups for raids look like druid+arcane mage+3 healers. Arcane mage in a spirit set is an incredible mana battery. Main innervate target, refilling everyone's mana in a long fight. Very unique utility DPS class while DPS is decent.
Priest
Discipline:
* Very good at later levels, barely used until then. Would consider bubbles having a buff (not affecting rage generation) and adding some additional bubble buffs on the tree instead of things like improved mana burn.
Discipline-Smite:
* The tree doesn't have a smite buff, only a geenric attacking spell buff. Would add an improved smite talent to the tree and would buff inner fire in the discipline tree, adding you spell damage besides melee damage, if you take the talent.
Holy:
* Good but falls short in the very late game to power infusion. Would change holy champion, removing armor and resistances but in exchange giving some options of real utility to choose from. Lategame priests could decide if they want to PI or they want to have a set of individually weaker but situationally very good buffs.
Shadow:
* Generally in a good shape after the buffs. Party-healing role is done perfectly by them. Their party-mana regen is existing but is not very strong. Would increase their damage but only slightly, they have good utility - I'd do it by adding one more shadow spell, giving them a more interesting rotation. I just feel that spriest would need some spice in their rotation.
Druid
Bear:
* In a very good shape. A high CD damage reduction spell is needed and they can mostly tank Naxx. They will never parry or block but still, a very solid tanking choice in TWOW.
Cat:
* Added damage output.
* Just an idea but since they are a hunting beast, bleed debuff adding them melee haste would feel nice.
Owlbearchicken:
* Higher damage output.
* Would give the 'nature warlock curse' to them.
* Improved roots should enable using it wherever.
Tree:
* Needs an out of battle rez.
* During leveling needs some help with mana (5% mana regen gears from earlier dungeons).
* In raids, at a perfect spot. You want as many trees as many healing groups you have.
* Would allow them the usage of healing touch while being a tree. I strongly think that tree is not a healer variation for druids, tree is the base healer form. Just like bear is not a tanking variation of druids - if a druid wants to tank, he shapeshifts into a bear.
Rogue
Daggery:
* Would give some better endgame daggers.
* Would add them a temporary movement boost for easier repositioning for a backstab. Like sprint, but much lower buff uptime and in exchange much lower CD. Goal is not to chase or to run away using it, it is to get behind someone really quick.
* I heard rogues complaining about their damage output in TWOW. Would consider a slight buff to their sustained damage-dealing (both sword spec and this) but NOT buffing their burst potential. One option would be to allow poisons even in a windfury group since everyone has access to shamans on this server.
Swordery:
* I heard rogues complaining about their damage output in TWOW. Would consider a slight buff to their sustained damage-dealing (both sword spec and this) but NOT buffing their burst potential. One option would be to allow poisons even in a windfury group since everyone has access to shamans on this server.
Assassination:
* So you want to give up on many weapon talents and on blade flurry to get the mighty vigor. Make vigor a talent which makes rogues think if they want to skip the deep end of combat tree for vigor. Something which combos with the added crit chances of the talent tree pretty well.
* Improved poisons should also buff the poisons you have, not only the chance to apply them on a target.
Subtlety:
* It is hard, it is clearly a PVP build. Would change some of their abilities into party-wide abilities so they aren't further buffed at PVP but would be considered a utility build at raiding ->
* Heightened senses giving party-wide stealth detection and dodge against spells and ranged attacks.
* Sleight of hand giving party-wide crit chance reduction buff.
* Improved sap giving a hit chance debuff on the target after breaking out of the stun (if it doesn't break PVP).