Random Mists of Pandaria Discussion

[Meresgi]

I understand why they are hesitant to do it, and it's not because of the bullshit "some people love the old art" answer. It would just take a ton of work for very little perceived output. They would basically have to redesign all of the gear in the game, and unlike FFXI most of the models themselves are unique instead of recolors or reworks.

Thats not a bash on FFXI, a lot of FFXI's gear is amazing (for the most part I think FFXI's gear looks better because it doesn't look as ridiculous).

FFXI's gear looks better as well just due to the fact that that armor actually sites on the player model and overlaps and looks like real clothing, while WoW armor the pants are just painted on textures for the most part, the boots are all the same across armor variety basically with new textures and the same for gloves and chest pieces. The only armor parts that change and are interesting in my eyes are always the helms+shoulders.

What I hate about the helms though is that they don't look right on 1/2 the races usually and that helms delete the hair off your character model when displayed, which is beyond annoying depending on the helm.

[fantasticdan]

They would basically have to redesign all of the gear in the game

Maybe that's what they told you, but no. The only thing they have to change in that sense is the skeleton the gear meshes to. Could they go through all the gear in the game to assure there's no clipping issues and bugs? Sure, but there are plenty of problems like this with existing gear/races, and blizzard has never fixed any of it. Hell, there are massive issues with some races basic animations/weapon position that have been there since launch, which they could probably fix in a couple of minutes but don't bother. Eg: male blood elves don't sit properly on most mounts, and like 95% of 2h weapons clip straight through their back.

[Kaylia]

FFXI's gear looks better as well just due to the fact that that armor actually sites on the player model and overlaps and looks like real clothing, while WoW armor the pants are just painted on textures for the most part, the boots are all the same across armor variety basically with new textures and the same for gloves and chest pieces. The only armor parts that change and are interesting in my eyes are always the helms+shoulders.

What I hate about the helms though is that they don't look right on 1/2 the races usually and that helms delete the hair off your character model when displayed, which is beyond annoying depending on the helm.

But in ffxi, it takes years to load every model (and only a few will load) while in wow, you can see 10 times more and faster.



WoW is obviously not the best "role playing" game if immersion is what you're looking for, but is that really why you play this game?

[Galkaeater]

When they added goblins as a race what happened to all the old goblin NPCs did they stay as they were or did they all get replaced with the new goblin models ?

[Kaylia]

I rarely zoom on npc models, but I think so. Havent seen any old goblin model

[Skeeterxi]

I probably wouldn't have bought the next expansion anyway considering how boring I have found Cataclysm but I can't help but laugh at how bad MoP looks. I got quite a few messages from friends asking "wtf?".

[fantasticdan]

They replaced all of them from what I've seen, even worgen mobs in duskwood use the new player model.

[Galkaeater]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/to...4612?page=5#86

Art Director Chris Robinson spoke on this just moments ago at the BlizzCon Open Q&A panel. It was in reply to an attendee who brought up that, in the art panel, it was explained that the pandaren model has 10 times the bone structures of the classic races, allowing for many more facial animations.

To paraphrase his statement -- which isn't too different from what I've said here on the forums before -- we absolutely plan on updating the existing models. As Chris mentioned, we want to make sure we preserve the look and feel of the original models players have come to know and love, while vastly improving their model and animation quality to be more in-line with the newer races.

We're not going to hide behind the statement that too many players will get mad if we tamper with their models, but it's a concern -- not a concern that's going to stop us from doing it, however. I want to stress as well that it's a massive undertaking to go back and do this. And to a lot of people it's something that won't be considered shiny new content. But not only do we hear the masses of players calling for this update, we really feel it's time to bring them up to par with newer models as well.

The game continues to age, but as we have no plans of slowing down on development any time in the near future, we want to keep updating and polishing it to stand the test of time (again, without sacrificing the look and feel which has brought players in over the years).

[Meresgi]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/to...4612?page=5#86

Art Director Chris Robinson spoke on this just moments ago at the BlizzCon Open Q&A panel. It was in reply to an attendee who brought up that, in the art panel, it was explained that the pandaren model has 10 times the bone structures of the classic races, allowing for many more facial animations.

To paraphrase his statement -- which isn't too different from what I've said here on the forums before -- we absolutely plan on updating the existing models. As Chris mentioned, we want to make sure we preserve the look and feel of the original models players have come to know and love, while vastly improving their model and animation quality to be more in-line with the newer races.

We're not going to hide behind the statement that too many players will get mad if we tamper with their models, but it's a concern -- not a concern that's going to stop us from doing it, however. I want to stress as well that it's a massive undertaking to go back and do this. And to a lot of people it's something that won't be considered shiny new content. But not only do we hear the masses of players calling for this update, we really feel it's time to bring them up to par with newer models as well.

The game continues to age, but as we have no plans of slowing down on development any time in the near future, we want to keep updating and polishing it to stand the test of time (again, without sacrificing the look and feel which has brought players in over the years).

lol just came here to post this since I just saw it on MMO-Champ, I'm happy about that..how long it takes them will be seen but it's great they admitted they plan to do it.. now I hope it doesnt go the way of Dance Studio

Edit: DK Tier u giev Blizzard?

[ringthree]

But in ffxi, it takes years to load every model (and only a few will load) while in wow, you can see 10 times more and faster.

Are you playing on an N64? I have never had problems loading gear models.

[ringthree]

Maybe that's what they told you, but no. The only thing they have to change in that sense is the skeleton the gear meshes to. Could they go through all the gear in the game to assure there's no clipping issues and bugs? Sure, but there are plenty of problems like this with existing gear/races, and blizzard has never fixed any of it. Hell, there are massive issues with some races basic animations/weapon position that have been there since launch, which they could probably fix in a couple of minutes but don't bother. Eg: male blood elves don't sit properly on most mounts, and like 95% of 2h weapons clip straight through their back.

Well, it seems that Art Director Chris Robinson seems to disagree with you.

Of course you will just say it's just Blizzard being retarded, but I think he might know a little better than you.

/shrug

[Kaylia]

Are you playing on an N64? I have never had problems loading gear models.

I'm pretty sure that you had to /target someone near the AH because their model wouldn't load when it was crowded...

[fantasticdan]

Well, it seems that Art Director Chris Robinson seems to disagree with you.

Of course you will just say it's just Blizzard being retarded, but I think he might know a little better than you.

/shrug

I can load up model viewer, and equip a vykrul (as one example) with every piece of gear in the game, and from what I've checked, they all look fine. Did blizzard "basically redesign all of the gear in the game" to fit the vykrul? No, vykruls just have a 'skeleton' (or whatever it's called) that gear can scale/fit to like players. If you really think the game was programmed in a way that they had to individually custom design every single gear model for every race/gender, you're even more retarded than I thought.

[aurik]

Not gonna say which one of you is correct, too amusing listening to people talk about animation/modeling when they have no clue wtf.

[BadKarma]

I dont know what the fuck either.

Oh ok.

[Siniroth]

So if monks work off an energy like bar, they're healers that can't run out of mana? Sounds either OP or requiring a lot of skill, probably the former until they tweak it properly

[The Stig]

So if monks work off an energy like bar, they're healers that can't run out of mana? Sounds either OP or requiring a lot of skill, probably the former until they tweak it properly

It uses a stance system, so I assume, like druids, if the healing stance was used, then their bar gets replaced by a mana bar.

[Siniroth]

Oh, that makes sense, I forgot about that, that's actually a little disappointing

[ringthree]

Not gonna say which one of you is correct, too amusing listening to people talk about animation/modeling when they have no clue wtf.

That is kind of my point. I don't know what they have to do to fix it all, but they have said multiple times that it would be a ton of work. I believe them, and not some guy on the internet.

Then again, you don't know either.

[Norellicus]

Yeah they want monk to use that int leather. It's still going to be a melee range healer from what they've been saying though.