Why are the new Gryphons so dirty?

[Uennie]

Compare it with the picture of a real bald eagle and tell me what head looks more realistic...

Yes compare the digital rendering with the real life photograph and tell us which is more realistic!

[Airwaves]

Got to say the alliance ones are no where near as cool looking as the new horde ones. Yes I have both.

[Deleted]

Also the trolls in WoW don't look like real trolls.

Have a moment to think about what you just typed..........

[Airwaves]

Have a moment to think about what you just typed..........

I think he means an overweight 16 year old thinking his funny behind a keyboard.

[Yizelin]

Instead of focusing on a departure from what you are used to, have you stopped to consider that the gryphon is a reward from a war based campaign? To me, it looks like that Gryphon (and the Horde's Wyvern) have been war ravaged and survived encounters with the Sha energies.

As for the beak, it's far more likely that this Gryphon (and Wyvern with extra long horns and fangs) are simply a sub-species found on Pandaria (or one considered to be heartier and thus fit for this brutal battlefield). Differing sub-species often have differences in feathering, bone structure, or beak shape (to adapt to types of food). Comparing two different sub-species of a fantasy model to a singular sub-species of a real life source does it a disservice.

[breadisfunny]

maybe they decided to take a dirt bath? not seeing that much a difference. i mean after all those years of carrying us to and fro its only right they pick up a little dirt.

[Fearless]

There's no time to clean the varmints, somebody's always using them lol.

Blizz is finally catching onto reality.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Someone will ALWAYS find a way to complain about an improvement I guess.

[Deleted]

Something can be regal and war battered at the same time. I think the new gryphon looks plenty regal, but it also looks like its been to war and is still war ready. And demonic eyes? Slightly glowing blue eyes are demonic? *scratches head* If anything, they are more regal/angelic, while red/yellow would be demonic.

Also on the glowing eyes, more things with glowing eyes! Night elfs, worgen, draenaieiae, etc.

except the eyes are not glowing, as already mentioned, they just look dead and do not look like eyes at all >.<

[grisset]

I agree the eyes look bland, but the rest is fine. Making mountains out of molehills here...

[Kevyne-Shandris]

I guess thats true. My mistake. But my point still stands. Plenty of beings in Warcraft have slightly to full glowing eyes. Why should gryphons be the exception?

Also, many animals have eyes that seem to glow(See reptiles) due to bright color or light refracting.

Because changing lore isn't a good thing (it becomes problematic, especially in defining what is or isn't an object). Which is why it's so good that these publishers/devs refer to D&D examples as some base idea of this type of lore. They are the origin of what we refer to as RPG.

Have to have references or it'll be a chaotic soup, not so much for variety/vanity, but of definitions itself. Why in the English language we have dictionaries be it from Merriam-Webster's to OED as authorities. Same goes for other specialties, from Chilton for mechanics; Wheeler for Orthopedics and onwards.

[Renley]

except the eyes are not glowing, as already mentioned, they just look dead and do not look like eyes at all >.<

I was only calling them glowing because the OP wanted to call them glowing. Just was stating that even if they were, they aren't the only thing in WoW to have glowy eyes and whatnot.

I don't mean to side with this guy but I think his point is the old version doesn't have glowing eyes and since the new one has I guess it lacks consistency. Assuming of curse that 1) it doesn't matter since it's a cartoony fantasy game and 2) they are two different kinds of gryphons aren't valid points.

Yeah I get that. I'm just assuming that they are a different gryphon since they are a separate mount, not one that is replacing the older version. If it was replacing it, then I'd get the anger and confusion and inconsistency. But alas, it's not a replacement so it doesn't have to follow the same formula, much like the dozens of other creatures that have gotten upgraded models(wolves, tigers, NPCs, etc).

---------- Post added 2012-12-24 at 12:47 AM ----------

Because changing lore isn't a good thing (it becomes problematic, especially in defining what is or isn't an object). Which is why it's so good that these publishers/devs refer to D&D examples as some base idea of this type of lore. They are the origin of what we refer to as RPG.

Have to have references or it'll be a chaotic soup, not so much for variety/vanity, but of definitions itself. Why in the English language we have dictionaries be it from Merriam-Webster's to OED as authorities. Same goes for other specialties, from Chilton for mechanics; Wheeler for Orthopedics and onwards.

But lore is like history. It's stuff we know about the past and present. Lore is changed and added onto as new things are discovered or old things change. Such as evolution, or a new species of gryphon.

Plus, is there even lore on the exact description of a World of Warcraft style gryphon? I know there is the concept art, but as far as I'm concerned, thats not lore, thats just a concept.

Edit: As for the helping to define what is and isn't an object.. think of it like this. Old gryphon=American Crocodile, new gryphon=Nile Crocodile. Both are crocodiles, but that have variances. They both follow the same basic structure(how DNA defines them). Same goes for the gryphons. They are both gryphons, they both have their differences, and at their core, they follow the same lore(as far as I know, again, if you have direct information on their looks, Id love to read it).

[Deleted]

I think the new gryphons look great.

But what is wow without complaints?

Also, no one is forcing you to use them. Stick to the old gryphon if you dislike this one so much. It really is that fucking simple.

[JayJay09]

I liked the old model better. The shape of the head and the feet of the new one look odd.

[BlackwingHecate]

Because a gryphon is a mix between an eagle head/wings and a lion body. That's the definition of a gryphon and Blizzard is calling them gryphons and they looked like that since Warcraft 1. Now they changed it without good reason.

Wyvern:

Wyvern
You were saying?

[Renley]

Wyvern:

Wyvern
You were saying?

And to add on to what you're saying, the new gryphon is still a gryphon. Eagle head, front arms, and wings. Lion backside. Also, most original arts and descriptions of gryphons have them with ears. So they already broke that mold. But the new mold they have they still followed. And if changing eye color is such a drastic change to the mold, changing the feather/skin color of the gryphon is too(Snowy/Ebon gryphons?).

[Mormolyce]

New model is fine, though I'm fond of the old one too. It's not dirty it just has a more muted colour palette.

I mean, look at the old Horde wind rider model! Count your lucky stars! The new one is pretty cool... bit long and skinny though.

Hey, you alliance wanted your faction to be more dark and dirty and doing bad stuff, you got it, so don't try handing it back now.

I thought you were an orc not a troll!

---------- Post added 2012-12-24 at 01:58 AM ----------

Wyvern:

Wyvern
You were saying?

IKR... it's a Manticore!

Why not call them Manticores? Manticore is an awesome word. Manticore.

Compare it with the picture of a real bald eagle and tell me what head looks more realistic...

Gryphons are a mythological beast which feature in Ancient Egyptian and Persian art as far back as like 3,000 BC. Bald eagles were discovered by European explorers in 1766. So I don't think they have the heads of bald eagles.

Also, IT'S A CARTOON GRYPHON how much real biology do you want to invoke here?

Because a gryphon is a mix between an eagle head/wings and a lion body. That's the definition of a gryphon and Blizzard is calling them gryphons and they looked like that since Warcraft 1. Now they changed it without good reason.

Gryphons were introduced in Warcraft II! Damn kids geddof ma lawn!

They looked like this:

[Kevyne-Shandris]

And to add on to what you're saying, the new gryphon is still a gryphon. Eagle head, front arms, and wings. Lion backside. Also, most original arts and descriptions of gryphons have them with ears. So they already broke that mold. But the new mold they have they still followed. And if changing eye color is such a drastic change to the mold, changing the feather/skin color of the gryphon is too(Snowy/Ebon gryphons?).

That is true about the ears, but not true about plummage (that's like saying different color hair/eyes/skin = different species).

OP, how about this as a "dirty bird" gryphon...

http://etckitty2006.deviantart.com/a...phon-192256433

It's gorgeous.

The eyes have it too!

[Renley]

That is true about the ears, but not true about plummage (that's like saying different color hair/eyes/skin = different species).

OP, how about this as a "dirty bird" gryphon...

http://etckitty2006.deviantart.com/a...phon-192256433

It's gorgeous.

The eyes have it too!

Oh, not trying to say different eye/plummage color means different species(though color[in a sense] can be enough to seperate them into different species since its highly likely that the color of whatever creature is due to the environment they live in[white for snowy region, etc]. Many lizards and snakes are extremely similar is size and shape, but differ in color/pattern due to their environment). I was just saying they're already changed the mold, so saying they have to stick to the "classic griffin" mold is a poor reason.

[Deleted]

The old problem of every 3d model in every game, shadows (depth) are painted in to the textures (models seem dirtier), since game engine can't handle them efficienty enough, Hopefully in the future textures are just 'natural colors', and graphics engines/cards can handle all the shadows in every feather, armour feature, skin wrinkle etc. like in the real world. MoP models in general seem to have more polygons(triangles) in the models in general, thus adding extra 'edges' in models, can't wait for updated player race models.