Possible new Night Elf models question

[Raiju]

Based on what, confirmation bias over the precedent of pvp seasons?

The pvp dev stated the season length they're going for, so yeah.

We also have no beta yet, so anything before june is realistically off the table regardless.

[F1reheart]

Not sure if this forum or the WoD forum was proper to post this in but I'll just ask anyway. With each of the races character models being updated, I was curious, do you think that the new Night Elf models (at least for females anyway..) will be the same as Ysera, Alexstraza, Sylvanas? Or will they just be more updated like the Dwarf. Gnome and Orc models they've shown so far?

Pretty sure it's been said already, but those are based off of blood elf models.

[Deleted]

Based on what, confirmation bias over the precedent of pvp seasons?

They said they wanted PvP seasons to be around 20 weeks or something. Which means it's still far off.

[Yig]

Which gives them more time to do the original and TBC races.

We really have no idea what's been going on, and they like to play with their cards close to their chest. It's been 2 years since this project was greenlit. Over a year and a half since Dwarves were almost finished, barring a total re approach we never got to see, and over a year now since Humans and Orcs were said to have been started in the same month, which was the release of MOP.

We really have nothing but our optimism or our pessimism to go on here. They could have barely been getting around to things until the last moment, or they could have way more than we're expecting.

[Raiju]

To add on, X conquest achievement requires 15 weeks. It takes 2 weeks minimum to close a season + 1 week repreive. If next season somehow starts at beginning of february it will still take absolute minimum 15 weeks for the achievement. Which puts you last week of may?

You than need at *very* least a week 6.0 to implement systems, this is usually 2-4 though.

So yeah, late june is optimistic

[Yig]

They said they wanted PvP seasons to be around 20 weeks or something. Which means it's still far off.

The issue is a little more complicated it seems to me, but it's possible, yes. I just think a room for error should be more than a token effort.
On one hand PVP seasons have average lifetimes, on the other hand it's not too healthy for MOP to last another 6 months.
I need to know if Blizzard claimed this latest PVP season is expected to be around 20 weeks or if this is just inference.
I'd like to have accurate information if possible.

- - - Updated - - -

To add on, X conquest achievement requires 15 weeks. It takes 2 weeks minimum to close a season + 1 week repreive. If next season somehow starts at beginning of february it will still take absolute minimum 15 weeks for the achievement. Which puts you last week of may?

You than need at *very* least a week 6.0 to implement systems, this is usually 2-4 though.

So yeah, late june is optimistic

That makes sense. As I'm not too into PVP since rated arenas came around beyond random BGs, I'm pretty ignorant.
What is stopping Blizzard from breaking precedent and carrying over a PVP season into a new expansion rather than waiting for the preestablished examples, where a season always ends and then begins with a new expansion?

Issues with new stat and ability changes I see causing conflicts, but as Devil's Advocate, are there creative solutions around that?
I have no clue when to expect WOD and no invested bias other than of course wanting it ASAP, but I'm fine with waiting until things happen in a way that is best for the game.

[Raiju]

Yeah the issue with carrying a season through major class changes is that people will feel that the glads who got their rating early then sit there after the nerfs "cheated" their way, when it may not be anywhere near as doable to get there with the same comp.

I was really thinking WoD would launch may-june at latest before the new season announcement but I feel that just isn't going to happen now.

[Lynneiah]

People need to know there's a difference between skins and models. Models are the basic structure and shape of a character, and dictates which parts move and how. The skin is pretty much a coat of paint on top of the model. As an example, Moonkins and Ogres share the same model, but what makes them look completely different are their skins.

As said before, Alex, Sylvanas, and Ysera have Blood Elf models. They just have prettier skins that make them look newer.

Night Elves will have entirely new models. Using old ones, even the 'newer' old ones will make them feel instantly outdated otherwise, compared to all the other races. What we've seen so far from the models we're shown is so much more advanced than any Night Elf currently in the game, including updated Tyrande, Illidan, and Aszhara (if those even use new models at all...)

[Thimagryn]

People need to know there's a difference between skins and models. Models are the basic structure and shape of a character, and dictates which parts move and how. The skin is pretty much a coat of paint on top of the model. As an example, Moonkins and Ogres share the same model, but what makes them look completely different are their skins.

As said before, Alex, Sylvanas, and Ysera have Blood Elf models. They just have prettier skins that make them look newer.

That's not correct either. They do have new models, as indicated by the fact they have horns, modelled armor to fit their bodies and more shapely curves and proportions than the basic Blood Elf. You could say they retain the animations, but those are definitely new models.

[shoc]

All the evidence so far points towards a late May - mid June release date, based on the wall of text release date analysis, including the next arena season.


I'm curious as to how far they are going to deviate from the old animations when it comes to the Night Elves, from what I understand they have the most unpopular animations, everything from running to casting to their melee swings, yet they are one of the most played classes so making changes that are too drastic are going to have some unsavoury side effects on the community.

[Yig]

That's not correct either. They do have new models, as indicated by the fact they have horns, modelled armor to fit their bodies and more shapely curves and proportions than the basic Blood Elf. You could say they retain the animations, but those are definitely new models.

Well the mistake is in claiming it's a blood elf model. It's a blood elf skeleton rig with Sylvanas custom model then edited with additional model details.

But to break it down simpler than the car analogy, models are 3d rendered objects, textures and skins are just 2 dimensional image files like a .JPG that is projected on the rendered model like paint or decals. And even brand new models often share the same basic rigging, which is the skeleton or strings the animators use to puppeteer and and animated the model.

The new player models will have brand new rigging and skeletons based on the basic shapes of the originals with many more bones or strings for the animators to make more fluid and complex animations.

[Ratyrel]

I'm curious as to how far they are going to deviate from the old animations when it comes to the Night Elves, from what I understand they have the most unpopular animations, everything from running to casting to their melee swings, yet they are one of the most played classes so making changes that are too drastic are going to have some unsavoury side effects on the community.

I agree and I seem to remember that the devs did say something about Nightelf animations getting looked at; I think the female idle wibble animation was mentioned specifically - but then this was Blizzcon, so potentially inaccurate.

[Duridi]

Why would they make it look like a more bloodelven alike crowd, rather than more similar to actual nightelves that's already been updated? (Tyrande, Ashara)