Hi! I made a post on the World of Warcraft forums for this, and would like feedback and further ideas for this.
If you're interested in reading the thread, or giving it a like after reading it here, it's located here.
Hello, everyone! I want to sit down with you all, and see if you're interested in this idea, and maybe get some traction for it to be implemented by the game developers.
Currently with Mining and Herbalism, you can click on a node and gather the entire thing in one fell swoop. It was a change that was, at the time, a godsend it seemed like. It made farming more efficient for both ores and herbs. I want to bring the same sort of thing, as well as a couple other things, to fishing.
Don't get me wrong, there have been vast improvements over the years. Additional bobbers, baits, new fishing poles, etc. Can't say that I've exactly gotten new visually seen items with herbalism or mining every expansion, at least not ones that are easily noticeable.
Additionally, I liked the idea of getting quests to learn new techniques to gather more items from a node that came with Legion, instead of just finding a mining node that was 'Rich X' ore nodes. It felt like I was involved more with learning about how to gather the new resources. I will say I didn't like how long it took for some people to get Rank 3 of certain professions (ie; it took me until ToS to finally get Rank 3 of Felslate nodes. Not seam, just the more common node). Battle for Azeroth's Rank 3's, on the other hand, felt much better paced. And it continued involving the character with the story of how the Zandalari work their natural resources.
So, what am I proposing here? For the sake of a little bit of vanity, it's this:
New reputation, immediately available in Battle for Azeroth's next major patch, or possibly next expansion, and be a present faction until the End Times. Inspired by The Anglers, which should never have been left behind. Let's call it...
Kaitelynn's Fishing Emporium- Neutral: You hear about this faction, and investigate. There shouldn't be a whole lot quite yet available, just as with most reputations. Basic vendor items available.
- Friendly: At friendly, you unlock new vendor items. A couple new bobber, maybe a slightly-cooler-than-basic-fishing pole, Rank 2 cooking recipe that involves fish, etc.
Key Friendly Unlock: This is the point where you learn the very basics of fishing in the new expansion. If this were to go live with BFA, I would give fishing a chance to pull out 50% more fish per cast. Provide an introductory quest or short questline to get this, as well as a few World Quests in the various zones to gain reputation and fishing related rewards. In the future expansions, this will be Rank 1 Fishing for that expansion as you learn basic knowledge about the new fish. - Revered: At Revered, you unlock more vendor items as usual. More bobbers, other Rank 2 recipes or even Rank 3 recipes of non-feast cooking recipes.
Key Revered unlock: Fishing lures that attract specific types of fish when in open water fishing. (Example, currently you open water fish and get an average of 50% casts being Redtail Loach or Greatsea Catfish; this would change this chance to something like a Redtail Loach lure providing closer to 80% of casts being Redtail Loach, and 20% Greatsea Catfish). In future expansions, this would be Rank 2 for that expansion as you learn about the new fish. - Exalted: At Exalted, every vendor item is available. The tabard, new faction related mount, toys, pets, etc, as well as one of the Rank 3 feasts recipes perhaps.
Key Exalted unlock: You're now able to buy a Cast Net. This is a new item that would allow you to cast over a fishing node, consume the entire node, and provide 10-15 fish from it. In future expansions, this will be the Rank 3 unlock for that expansion as you learn about the new fish.