The Ripten BlizzCon 08 team wrapped up the Class Discussion panel and shot me over the following highlights broken down by class. By far, the most interesting piece of news that came out of the panel would have to be the announcement of duel specs.

Hit the jump for a full list and make sure to check back later for video footage of each class discussed in the panel.

The following notes were taken by Santo Parker:

Deathknights:

• Have different presences for tanking/DPS.
• Are able to tank or DPS in any of the 3 trees.
• Their zone progresses with the player and ties in well with existing and new lore.

Priests:

• Discipline will now have raid heal viability.
• Priests will also have an easier time DPSing (mind sear) racials shouldn’t matter anymore according to blizz devs.

Hunters:

• Freezing shot for faster traps and better CC functionality.

Mage:

• Frostfire bolts, mirror image, a possible new talent tree! (elemental mage anyone?)

Balance Druid:

• Blizzard intends on giving them real cc&DPS abilities.

Resto Druid:

• Nourish is similar to a flash heal, wild growth an AE heal.

Shamans:

• May see some totem consolidation along with lava burst, riptide, and Hex.

Rogues:

• Get an AE called fan of knives, more sap targets, and a return of daggers and poisons.

Prot Warriors:

• Get more toys, fewer mitigation abilities

Arms Warriors:

• Get Bladestorm and Sudden death

Fury Warriors:

• Gets Titans Grip

Warlocks:

• Greater pet diversity (Blizzard apparently doesn’t want guilds threatening to Gkick locks for summoning certain pets :P )
• More interesting spell rotations
• Demonic circle
• Metamorphosis

Paladins:

• Seals and judgements are getting overhauled.
• Prot needs to care about tanking gear.
• Holy needs heals that can be used in fights that require a lot of movement and group heals.
• Ret will get more DPS, mana and replenishment abilities.

Gear:

• Gear consolidation with spell power

Dual specs are coming (yes that means no having to port to IF to respec frost for bloodboil!)