Cataclysm Class Previews

I haven't been paying close attention to all the Cataclysm news of late, but one thing I did notice is that blizzard has started previewing class changes they'll be making. here are the previews they've released so far:

Shaman
Warlocks
Priests
Warriors
Death Knights
Rogues
Hunters

nothing here is set in stone, of course, but it's still interesting to get a glimpse of their vision for how they want each class to play in the next expansion. overall, most of the changes to each class look pretty cool. I really like the idea of thinning out the talent trees and replacing all those passive bonus talent point sinks with the mastery system.

there are a few things I'm on the fence about, such as the change to the rune system for Death Knights. I haven't quite wrapped my head around the new system, so I'll have to wait and see how it plays. there are a couple head-scratchers, too, like the new Leap of Faith (aka, 'Life Grip') Priest spell. when a friend first told me about it, I thought for sure they were joking. I say let 'em burn if dps can't move their butts out of the fire! of course, this attitude has a lot to do with why I don't play healers very often...

what has me the most excited so far is the Hunter preview. I played a hunter through most of The Burning Crusade and they still have a special place in my heart, especially beast masters. letting hunters keep more pets and more easily and frequently swap their active pet to adapt to different fights is going to be awesome. I'm kinda neutral on the removal of ammo from the game, although it's certainly a plus in the expenses department. I'm pretty happy with the idea of trading in my mana bar for a focus bar, too; having a resource system more inline with rogues rather than mages feels more appropriate to me.

I'm looking forward to seeing how all the new stuff plays :)