Meissa wrote:
Shamans definitely don't need to be more independent. They're one of the best classes in the game, hands down.
Technically speaking, yes, I agree. Shamans are one of the best classes.
The problem is, shamans are not useful to the rest of the game, at all, outside of SA vials.
There is literally not a situation where you'd ever go "wish we had a shaman now, instead of a priest". Or if you want to go the 'tank shaman' route, you'd prefer a mercenary. The one exception is maybe a Fist Shaman, because they can basically fill in as melee damage.
Shaman is an AMAZING class. My second favorite. But with the reduced playerbase, you're basically screwing over everybody else on the game if you make one instead of a priest.
I feel like Shamans should have gotten locate when Paladins/Hellions/Necromancers got enchant/consecrate. It doesn't really change the "power level" of the class, it just increases their utility and value to the other people on the game.