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Human Female Model Feedback
The new Human Female model was released on Thursday, and Bashiok took the opportunity to comment on some feedback and questions about system requirement changes.


Originally Posted by Bashiok (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
As we've said, we're looking to in essence update the original models, even though in actuality making them completely from scratch. Out goal is to keep the "spirit" of the originals, but increase poly count, texture resolution, and animation (to a pretty amazing effect, we think. What we're not looking to do is change what these characters are and what they've been. We already face a huge hurdle in that we're messing with what is the most iconic and personal part of the game - a person's character. A digital representation of themselves in the game world, even if if that representation is a giant cow-man. Way above and beyond anything else in the game, changing how someone looks is a monumentally delicate task. We want to keep the proportions as similar to the original models as possible, we're going to keep posture and silhouette close to the originals, but all just with a much higher level of detail. When you see your character it should still be your character, and these should still be representative of the player character models we've all been playing as for the past 9+ years.

It's really tempting to want to make major revisions, but someone chose to play a character largely because of the way they looked, and it has come to represent their in-game identity.

That's all well and good! But making her skinnier and more waifish, especially in WARcraft, seems like the wrong direction in which to have deviated.
I would have to respectfully disagree that she deviates to any great degree from the original model when compared side-by-side, except that the proportions are slightly more full.

Here are the two shown in the preview without any alteration. - http://i.imgur.com/VaIphPC.gif

Ok well this is taking all sorts of weird turns, so I'll just close this thread by saying there's no commentary here on anything outside of the game, nor should there be. This is the original model launched with the game with more polygons, higher resolution textures, and better animations. That's our goal, and we think we're creating faithful reproductions of the originals.

My question is, do you have any idea at this time what that demand is going to be? I have signed up for Beta and my computer specs are listed there, but I also know that I get lag in raids and high graphic environments, like flying through heavily colored areas.
We don't, and we tend not to have updated system requirements/recommendations until most content is in, most big changes and engineering are done, and we're looking like there isn't going to be anything else that would greatly affect performance. So we won't really know absolutely until some point through the beta. We're keenly aware of the system requirements the new character models may require, and how that could impact client performance. No further details yet on how they'll be supported on lower end systems, if at all.

Fun fact, the game still supports processors and graphics cards that were released over 8 years ago. To put that in other terms, modern day systems are in some cases 50x more powerful than the lowest end systems the game still supports. Moving us forward graphically in such a dramatic way with the new models is going to require a lot of testing, tweaking, optimizing, and determination of what we can realistically support going forward, but we just don't know what that will look like yet.

Would it be possible to include the old models as a option so that users with older computers can opt out if the new models do cause some frame-rate lag.
That's of course something we've considered as a fail-safe, but again just don't know quite yet.

Season 15 PvP Gear
Patch 5.4.7 updated the Season 15 gear to be item level 550, as well as switching the colors that the Horde and Alliance get.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
It probably goes without saying, but just in case: we'll be increasing Base Resilience and Battle Fatigue to keep things in line.

So what's next? 80%? 90%? 100%?Are just going to stand there and blink at each other?
We totally agree that having Base Resilience and Battle Fatigue numbers so high is not an ideal experience. We don't like it either. We want to significantly lower, or possibly even remove them in Warlords.

Thing is, doing that requires a lot more underlying work to be done first. Health pools, ability scaling, mana regen... all of those need some pretty substantial adjustments. That's not something we'd consider doing mid-expansion, but in 6.0 (where we're already shrinking numbers down via the item squish), we can.

In the meantime, we want to be able to offer PvP'ers some new gear for the new season, and in order to do that, we need to tone damage and healing back a bit. We have to work within what we have currently available, and that means increasing Base Resilience and Battle Fatigue.

Are you going to tone down scaling with some classes? WW and rogues scale ridiculously well with agility and damage is insane right now. I know with the increase of resil it should help, but I feel like it's not going to be enough.
We're definitely looking out for any balance changes that will be necessary. I don't have any specifics to share at the moment (we'll know more after we can get some testing in) but there will likely be some. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

I'm 50/50. I'm concerned that PvP gear will be much easier to get than equivalent PvE gear. But yet is indeed harder to acquire than timeless or LFR and should as such be better. I would vote for 540, which is flex level.
It's important to remember that Flex gear can be upgraded to item level 548, and has extra advantages through things like sockets and set bonuses. We don't feel that the extra 2 item levels on Prideful pieces are going to make them more desirable for Flex raiders.

And yet non-arena gear remains the same. So my days of PVP for a bit are over. I have no desire to "Arena" or RBG. Yet I get screwed more and more for PVP
If you're referring to Honor gear, as in previous seasons, we'll be making the last season's (Grievous) gear available for Honor. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Karazhan Crypt
Oh yeah, I remember that! Haven't seen a screenshot in quite a while. Not sure I know the story on it but knowing our development processes back then there tended to be a lot more stuff made that we just didn't use. I can't imagine the game rating rumor is accurate, because if it was content we wanted to use we'd just take out the upside-down sinners or whatever the issue was and use it for whatever it was we wanted to do with that space. It's not like they're permanent fixtures. Fun rumor though! More likely we just changed our minds. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Tyrael's Charger as a Store Mount
The regions are separate ecosystems, and availability of items within one region vs. another aren't usually particularly noteworthy because you're never going to see that player in Taiwan on your server with that rare item you got for logging in during some event, or got through that limited time promotion. We think it kind of sucks that a pet collector in Europe could never hope to get that China-exclusive Golden Pig pet from back in 2007, or that just because you live in a region with a different business model where the Annual Pass didn't make any sense, that you never had a chance to get a Tyrael's Charger. We definitely do not want to undermine the exclusivity of someone's mount or pet between them and their friends, or guild, or server, or region, but we think it makes a lot of sense to have equality of items ... not even their availability necessarily, but just their existing, throughout all regions. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Art
Speaking of holiday event rewards...any chance of a corgi vanity pet like the one in the Greench cave sometime in the future?
Always a chance! Seems to be lots of enthusiasm for more dog breeds w/ both players & designers. (Dave_Maldo)

Warlords of Draenor Stats
Will STR still add parry in WOD or not? Cause both AGI and INT increase crit right now.
Currently, the plan is that yes, Str still gives Parry for Str-users. And Agi still gives Dodge for Agi-users. (Celestalon)

PvP
But to clarify that statement, I think fiddling with DR's is like fiddling with core of arena. I'm afraid of results.
You and me both, but we think it's the right move to make the game better. There will be challenges to overcome. (Source)

dampening imo was a bad fix, you can't tell me that there isn't a better fix that doesn't gimp a specific roll!
One role prolongs a fight. One role ends it. We have to address one of them to avoid a stalemate. (holinka)
a dmg buff would be recieved better then a massive FU healers debuff. It would let the healer contribute more offensively also
I'm not sure about that. I think we'd just see a lot more "what hit me?!" complaints (holinka)

Any plan for a PvP version of Proving Grounds ? Something like arenas vs NPCs to learn the ropes ?
I would love to do something like this. Not sure when/if we'll get to. (holinka)

Is necrotic strike affected by BF the same way heals are? If not what's the reasoning?
Oh no, not this again. Necrotic strike is affected by Resilience because it is damage. It is not affected by Battle Fatigue. (holinka)
I get damage being mitigated by res, but surely the heal absorb should be affected by BF? It has become OP as BF has increased
No it should not be reduced by BF because it is not a heal. It is a damage spell. (holinka)

Please use the item squish to get rid of base res.Balance PvE numbers after PvP.Priorities are different but that would help alot!
We dislike how large base resil and battle fatigue numbers have gotten too. Out goal is to reduce or eliminate both in Warlords. (holinka)

could we ever see a solo queue RBG group finder? i feel like it could use the in-game voice chat that never gets love
You'll be able to use the Group Finder to find RBG groups. Like the idea of someone forming/running groups instead of queueing. (holinka)

World
Have you tried making the world feel more alive? Dynamic instead of static? NPCs pacing around feels robotic and artificial.
Yes. In fact, there might even be engineers experimenting w/ tech for that right now. Experimenting, mind you. Maybe. (Dave_Maldo)

EU Connected Realms Update - 23/01
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
The following realms are due to be connected next:

English Realms
  • (PvP) Xavius and Skullcrusher
  • (PvP) Auchindoun and Jaedenar

The following realms are scheduled to be connected after the realms above:

English Realms
  • (PvP) Dragonmaw and Haomarush
  • (PvP) Zenedar and Bladefist
  • (PvP) Deathwing and Karazhan/Lightning’s Blade

French Realms
  • (PvE) Krasus and Eitrigg

German Realms
  • (PvP) Blutkessel and Arthas/Vek’lor

US Connected Realms Update 1/23
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
As previously announced, we’ve been working toward connecting realms to increase the number of players on low-population realms, and since then have completed several connections. As a part of our ongoing communication, we wanted to provide you with an update that contains a list of completed realm connections, currently planned connections, and any additional future plans in one convenient location.

*Please note this list does not encompass all potential future connections. Please check back for further updates.

Future Connections
We will be connecting the realms listed below on Thursday, January 30th during a scheduled maintenance beginning at 5 a.m. PST through approximately 1:00 p.m. PST. Once maintenance is finished, these realm connections will be complete.

  • Alleria and Khadgar
  • Anvilmar and Undermine
  • Archimonde and Agamaggan/Jaedenar/The Underbog
  • Cho'gall and Auchindoun/Laughing Skull
  • Eitrigg and Shu'halo
  • Mok'Nathal and Silvermoon

We will be connecting the realms listed below on Thursday, February 6th during a scheduled maintenance beginning at 5 a.m. PST through approximately 1:00 p.m. PST. Once maintenance is finished, these realm connections will be complete.

  • Hydraxis and Terenas
  • Kirin Tor and Steamwheedle Cartel
  • Shattered Halls and Executus/ Kalecgos
  • Thunderlord and Azgalor/Azshara/Destromath
  • Uther and Runetotem

We do not have a date for the following realm connections, but will update this post when we do.

  • Alterac Mountains and Balnazzar/Gorgonash/The Forgotten Coast/ Warsong
  • Azjol-Nerub and Khaz Modan
  • Eldre’Thalas and Korialstrasz
  • Farstriders and Silverhand
  • Spinebreaker and Wildhammer

*Plans for these connections may change at any time, but we’ll provide additional updates on specific dates for future connections here as we can. Please note that as a part of the connection process realm times may change to match each other.

Blizzard Art Update
Blizzard has added more pieces to the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Art gallery.


This article was originally published in forum thread: Human Female Model Feedback, Season 15 PvP gear, Blue Posts, Connected Realms, Art started by chaud View original post
Comments 90 Comments
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Laylriana View Post
    But you do sound exactly like an elitist snob. I suspect you are the one in LFR wanting to kick anyone doing less than 100K dps who is there to gear up because you already geared up and forgot what it was like to be the lowbie. Surely you weren't the one wanting to kick my discipline priest for only doing 65K dps while I was healing? Blizzard is a business and doesn't want to alienate any customers by becoming a niche game for elitist snobs like you.
    Are you kidding me?

    So now having some form of expectation rather than almost none is elitism? If you refuse to update your system, despite being ancient, then either you can't afford to be gaming OR you're not being very smart with managing your finances. Again, you don't have to buy a better PC over night. It can be done over the course of a year or years. Many people playing WoW have had such time to consider and save for such a day.

    Again, if none of you want to put aside money for it and make that happen, then you SHOULD be left behind.

    Comparatively? That'd be me expecting you to at least do half the DPS of your teammates rather than standing there with your finger up your nose. You've got it all wrong sister.
  1. Djheffer's Avatar
    Khaz Modan and Azjol-Nerub

    Yayyyy!!!! We need all the Horde we can get! ...Even if they come with a lot of Alliance baggage...
  1. mmoc275ad24627's Avatar
    Show us the human males next! Maybe trolls...
  1. mmocbac58b0eac's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Laylriana View Post
    But you do sound exactly like an elitist snob. I suspect you are the one in LFR wanting to kick anyone doing less than 100K dps who is there to gear up because you already geared up and forgot what it was like to be the lowbie. Surely you weren't the one wanting to kick my discipline priest for only doing 65K dps while I was healing? Blizzard is a business and doesn't want to alienate any customers by becoming a niche game for elitist snobs like you.
    I don't think he sounds like an elitist snob. My pc is 4 years old, and it wasn't even high-end back then; yet it can play WoW at a quite satisfying level of graphics without a single problem. The 10-year-old PC at my parents' house, on the other hand (that was low-end even then), can play WoW at the absolute lowest graphics settings.

    Are you saying that someone who can't bother to buy a couple of upgrades every few years can still claim as much right to play the game as anyone? Especially a game that's supposedly always evolving to stay fresh? Would you demand the same from games like Skyrim? If my PC was a Pentium II I bought in 1998, should I have also demanded from Blizzard to have a super-ultra-low graphics version of the game just for me?

    I understand that Blizzard doesn't want to alienate people with low-end systems, and I agree with that stance. But there needs to be a threshold on what is acceptable as low-end and what is definitively obsolete.
  1. Laylriana's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelliak View Post
    Are you kidding me?

    So now having some form of expectation rather than almost none is elitism? If you refuse to update your system, despite being ancient, then either you can't afford to be gaming OR you're not being very smart with managing your finances. Again, you don't have to buy a better PC over night. It can be done over the course of a year or years. Many people playing WoW have had such time to consider and save for such a day.

    Again, if none of you want to put aside money for it and make that happen, then you SHOULD be left behind.

    Comparatively? That'd be me expecting you to at least do half the DPS of your teammates rather than standing there with your finger up your nose. You've got it all wrong sister.
    What do you think the lower end should be? Where does Blizzard draw the line?
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Laylriana View Post
    Barking up the wrong tree here fella. My discipline priest is a healer who does dps as a sideline. Both my priest and my main hunter have the legendary cloak. The priest is tops in heals and the hunter is tops in dps. And I have an up to date computer. However, I do have more patience with my fellow players of WOW. The point is that your expectations are not "having some form of expectation" but expecting everyone to play up to what you think your abilities are. And no, no one need be left behind just to please your inflated opinion of yourself.
    What are you talking about? I seriously got lost in all that babbling and I'm not trying to be cheeky or cute here. Again, all I expect out of anyone is some kind of effort. That was my whole point.

    That includes trying to update their rig from time to time so that Blizzard doesn't stick with models that looked like crap even for when they were first released almost a damn decade out of fear of alienating a chunk of their player-base. My argument, again, is you don't need a powerhouse machine to do this and you don't need to have great income either.

    Just a little money here and there, save up, buy smart. There is a lot of folks out there that'll even help with the build. If people cannot manage that, they do NOT belong in gaming. It's really as simple as that. You cannot, and should not, indefinitely cater to individuals that clearly have no interest in trying to stay somewhat relevant with the times. That's unfair to everyone else.
  1. Balir's Avatar
    Waifish? Gees. Looks like she hit the gym, lost 20 pounds of baby fat and then gained 15 pounds of sexy lean muscle.

    Question is - the Human male model - Do we want him lean and athletic, or More Muscular and a little more defined? The animation will sell either look really....
  1. mmocef366ff7e8's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Laylriana View Post
    What do you think the lower end should be? Where does Blizzard draw the line?
    Basically if you're not running double Titans, six cores and 32GB RAM at the very least, you should not be able to play the game or even attempt to do so. You'd only be slowing the higher ups. By the way, you also shouldn't be able to connect with less than 20/20 Mbps D/U @ 20ms ping max. You'd just be hindering others in LFRs and BGs etc.
  1. CaptainArlong's Avatar
    People seriously need to learn to stop complaining about the models and their looks. Male Draenei walk around with Shoulder Armor the size of their torso, ON EACH SHOULDER. That isn't possible! Stop complaining about boob size or waist size in a game like WoW. Do the complainers just ignore the fact their Shoulder Armor clips thru their character's head or even worse, into their torso when their characters cast spells/attack/emote?
  1. Woakerio's Avatar
    If someone can run MoP areas with Pandaren everywhere on their older PC, wouldn't they be able to handle the new race models?
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Woakerio View Post
    If someone can run MoP areas with Pandaren everywhere on their older PC, wouldn't they be able to handle the new race models?
    Not necessarily. You didn't have hundreds of pandas doing world raids did you? With the updates 90% of the models will be up to that detail and quality.

    I don't think it's going to be as bad as people think and if it is... again, you need to just upgrade, you've fallen way too behind.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by gorocz View Post
    Basically if you're not running double Titans, six cores and 32GB RAM at the very least, you should not be able to play the game or even attempt to do so. You'd only be slowing the higher ups. By the way, you also shouldn't be able to connect with less than 20/20 Mbps D/U @ 20ms ping max. You'd just be hindering others in LFRs and BGs etc.

    Yeah because that's totally what we're thinking when we say that you need to upgrade.

    Y'know, as if there is no in between hardware from the utter-crap to the several-thousand dollar ridiculousness you're speaking of.
  1. Laylriana's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by gorocz View Post
    Basically if you're not running double Titans, six cores and 32GB RAM at the very least, you should not be able to play the game or even attempt to do so. You'd only be slowing the higher ups. By the way, you also shouldn't be able to connect with less than 20/20 Mbps D/U @ 20ms ping max. You'd just be hindering others in LFRs and BGs etc.
    Hmmmm. It would be interesting to find out how many of the player base would be cut out with those minimums. Especially with your recommended minimum of 20/20Mbps D/U @ 20ms ping since most of us are at the mercy of our IPs in that regard.
  1. Nitrax's Avatar
    My wifes PC was struggling in raids, the core parts was from 2006! With a slightly upgraded $80 gfx card some years ago. Bought a new one this year at around $900 and its doing 60-100 fps on high/ultra in stormwind =) Thats $122 per year, pretty cheap if you ask me! (And she can do word processing too!)
  1. Woakerio's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelliak View Post
    Not necessarily. You didn't have hundreds of pandas doing world raids did you? With the updates 90% of the models will be up to that detail and quality.

    I don't think it's going to be as bad as people think and if it is... again, you need to just upgrade, you've fallen way too behind.

    - - - Updated - - -




    Yeah because that's totally what we're thinking when we say that you need to upgrade.

    Y'know, as if there is no in between hardware from the utter-crap to the several-thousand dollar ridiculousness you're speaking of.
    People can get tablets these days that will run WoW at 60+ fps, I recently got the Surface Pro for like $600 and it runs WoW perfectly. Only time it takes a dip in frames is in raids; comparable laptops would probably cost the same or less depending. Intel HD 4000+ graphics can handle WoW pretty damn well if the CPU is good.

    Perhaps that's why people get so defensive when told they oughta upgrade, they assume you mean a $2k rig...
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nitrax View Post
    My wifes PC was struggling in raids, the core parts was from 2006! With a slightly upgraded $80 gfx card some years ago. Bought a new one this year at around $900 and its doing 60-100 fps on high/ultra in stormwind =) Thats $122 per year, pretty cheap if you ask me! (And she can do word processing too!)
    Damn you purchased a hardcore video card.

    A 580GTX or even something of the 600 series would do you great for WoW.

    I'm about to upgrade to the 780 Ti (700-800 USD) to replace my 680. However, not really for WoW but rather Wildstar and The Division when it comes out. I play at 1080p though and freak out any time my frames drop below 60fps, even during PvP and raids.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Woakerio View Post
    People can get tablets these days that will run WoW at 60+ fps, I recently got the Surface Pro for like $600 and it runs WoW perfectly. Only time it takes a dip in frames is in raids; comparable laptops would probably cost the same or less depending. Intel HD 4000+ graphics can handle WoW pretty damn well if the CPU is good.

    Perhaps that's why people get so defensive when told they oughta upgrade, they assume you mean a $2k rig...
    With shadows off and weak to no AA, it takes very little to run WoW great. Hell, most of these people aren't even running on a 1080p capable monitor so that makes it all the more easier!

    That's why there is no excuse not to upgrade. With tax returns for US citizens, now is a good time to do so if WoW is really your game.
  1. Alexander Krizak's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelliak View Post
    Just a little money here and there, save up, buy smart. There is a lot of folks out there that'll even help with the build. If people cannot manage that, they do NOT belong in gaming. It's really as simple as that. You cannot, and should not, indefinitely cater to individuals that clearly have no interest in trying to stay somewhat relevant with the times. That's unfair to everyone else.
    Let's talk about a theoretical person named Bob. Bob works a crappy 9-to-5 job to support his family; at least, it's supposed to be 9-to-5, but he ends up having to put in a lot of unpaid overtime to make deadlines. Between rent, utility bills, food, school expenses for his two kids, he doesn't have much money at all for entertainment. He could save up for a few months and buy a new PC game, but all the games released today have requirements far beyond the PC he still has from college. Console games would require investing in, well, a console. But his old rig still runs WoW, and $15 a month? That he can manage. It's actually a lot of entertainment for his money, with new raids coming out periodically, PvPing, questing, all sorts of things to do. It's just a great way to unwind after a grueling day at the office.

    But then one day, Mike Morhaime suddenly gets hit by a bus, and a man named Kelliak learns that he was somehow related to the dearly departed Mr. Morhaime, and he has inherited a controlling interest in Blizzard Entertainment. Kelliak wastes no time installing himself at the top of Blizzard's command structure, and he has a new direction for WoW, a brighter, more ELITE future for the game. Graphics artists are hired by the truckload to produce the new, high-resolution graphics that'll cover every inch of the game world, and soon, WoW is indistinguishable from any game produced in the year 2014.

    Of course, sacrifices have to be made, and unfortunately, the new WoW just won't run on Bob's old computer. Separated from both his source entertainment and the social groups WoW let him interact with, Bob seeks out a new thrill to spend his meager entertainment budget on, and he finds it in cheap beer. Bob soon becomes a drunkard. He loses his job. His family leaves him.

    But hey! At least WoW is pretty again, right?
  1. Nitrax's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelliak View Post
    Damn you purchased a hardcore video card.
    Lol... the ENTIRE PC was $900
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nitrax View Post
    Lol... the ENTIRE PC was $900
    Lmao, well then, well done.
  1. mmoc7c67ce86bc's Avatar
    I want to see night elves! *Argh* But it's looking good though- can't wait!
  1. Rudol Von Stroheim's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Alexander Krizak View Post
    Let's talk about a theoretical person named Bob. Bob works a crappy 9-to-5 job to support his family; at least, it's supposed to be 9-to-5, but he ends up having to put in a lot of unpaid overtime to make deadlines. Between rent, utility bills, food, school expenses for his two kids, he doesn't have much money at all for entertainment. He could save up for a few months and buy a new PC game, but all the games released today have requirements far beyond the PC he still has from college. Console games would require investing in, well, a console. But his old rig still runs WoW, and $15 a month? That he can manage. It's actually a lot of entertainment for his money, with new raids coming out periodically, PvPing, questing, all sorts of things to do. It's just a great way to unwind after a grueling day at the office.

    But then one day, Mike Morhaime suddenly gets hit by a bus, and a man named Kelliak learns that he was somehow related to the dearly departed Mr. Morhaime, and he has inherited a controlling interest in Blizzard Entertainment. Kelliak wastes no time installing himself at the top of Blizzard's command structure, and he has a new direction for WoW, a brighter, more ELITE future for the game. Graphics artists are hired by the truckload to produce the new, high-resolution graphics that'll cover every inch of the game world, and soon, WoW is indistinguishable from any game produced in the year 2014.

    Of course, sacrifices have to be made, and unfortunately, the new WoW just won't run on Bob's old computer. Separated from both his source entertainment and the social groups WoW let him interact with, Bob seeks out a new thrill to spend his meager entertainment budget on, and he finds it in cheap beer. Bob soon becomes a drunkard. He loses his job. His family leaves him.

    But hey! At least WoW is pretty again, right?
    Oh my god, dude, you need to be a script writer for a comedy show. All that leading build-up to the last bit concerning alcoholism was epic. Seriously, that could have been a SNL skit.

    If I inherited WoW, I'd do what it's doing now. I might have done the model updates a bit sooner but all-in-all, I wouldn't change that much. Spells need more flare and visual force behind them, yes, but again... I'd do it the way WoW is doing it. Make the increase in visual fidelity to the individuals spells and draw down spells from other players.

    Models? I wouldn't give you a choice to go back to the old ones. My artists worked too hard for that to happen and having people operate on two completely different looks of the game is not ideal. Instead I'd give sliders and tweaks to on-screen character displays for NPCs and PCs. This would range from lower texture resolutions on other characters, animation reductions, etc. That way it by and large looks the same but the cost on the hardware is reduced significantly according to player preference.

    That all said, Bob could still upgrade his machine for 800-1000 USD and play WoW with the new character models very well with some research and forethought put into it. He doesn't need to buy it all at once, he can take bits and pieces at a given time, and eventually create a machine that puts him leaps over what he was previously playing on. That's why it is wise, if this is something you love, you invest small amounts over time to keep somewhat relevant in the hardware department.

    And trust me, as rough as Bob's situation is... he can still do it. Just isn't going to happen all at once because of his financial situation. Not to mention how the hell is Bob playing anyway if he's doing all this overtime and has his hands otherwise full with his family? I'm single and typically work a solid forty hours a week and I find myself at times too busy to really invest in WoW.

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