Transmogrification Adds the Fog of War

[FlacidGladiator]

A lot of dissent has been expressed regarding the implementation of transmogrification into PVP. The bottom line is, its going to happen. PVP gear will be transmogrifiable into other PVP and PVE appearances. Essentially the biggest impact on PVP is players will no longer have the ability to visually read their opposition and will have to assume at the start of a battle that their opponents are at least as equally geared and skilled as they are and will have to feel out their enemies' strengths by actually engaging them rather than simply seeing what gear they have and venting to your teammates whom to go after first.

This adds a layer of complexity to PVP that had never existed: The fog of war.

For many, this will be simply too much. Conditioned to reading appearances and adjusting, many teams will see their ratings slip while the more intelligent and adaptable teams will excel. As someone that PVPs, I find it a boon when someone underestimates me, thus I will transmogrify my high-end PVP gear to look like crafted starter gear to both lull and distract my opponents. Thinking I'm an easy kill, the weak and cowardly will attack, only to find they're about to be served up with an apple in their mouths. The elite killers may pass me over going after a perceived higher threat, only to find I hit a little harder than they bargained for. Nope, looking forward to the new PVP, its certainly gonna mean you have to think on your feet and adjust mid-combat.

The flip side also means you will see more psychological warfare introduced. The obvious is under-dressing your gears appearance, but also having a team of people wearing what appears to be starter gear or older season gear mixed with people wearing the top end current season gear. Who do you go after? The elite looking one or the one that seems to be making an effort to fall back, is it a feign? Is he really that weak? Or is he a distraction? A trojan horse? You gotta be looking forward to this if you really enjoy PVP that's challenging.

[Stanton Biston]

A.) At high ratings, everyone has the same visually recognizable gear.
B.) Scanning healthpools is faster and more effective than trying to figure out what gloves/boots/pants/helm/chest someone is wearing. Armor visuals are secondary to health pool to distinguish those that might be wearing PvE gear in a random BG.
C.) Making Arena challenging has nothing to do with gear or skills. Right now the MMR system is the biggest issue, provided you play above 1800.

Mogging won't really do much to or for good pvpers in high rated play.

[Blackeyecycle]

A.) At high ratings, everyone has the same visually recognizable gear.
B.) Scanning healthpools is faster and more effective than trying to figure out what gloves/boots/pants/helm/chest someone is wearing. Armor visuals are secondary to health pool to distinguish those that might be wearing PvE gear in a random BG.
C.) Making Arena challenging has nothing to do with gear or skills. Right now the MMR system is the biggest issue, provided you play above 1800.

Mogging won't really do much to or for good pvpers in high rated play.

Even on the high end, if it takes you an extra second to "scan their health pool" to determine their status.. it's that much more of a challenge. It can be viewed as a game breaker by some.

[Deleted]

Even on the high end, if it takes you an extra second to "scan their health pool" to determine their status.. it's that much more of a challenge. It can be viewed as a game breaker by some.

By some that have no clue what they're doing. Really, like Stanton said if you're doing proper, high rated arena you will not care because you will KNOW what a person is using as soon as the gates open - you don't even need to look at their HP pool, there's ONE set you can use, and that's what everyone else WILL use; asides shit like trinkets but you can't visually see that regardless. What does it matter if said set looks like Tier 3? Nothing.

If your definition of PvP is doing random battlegrounds to crush newly dinged bots in green gear I'm pretty sure they won't be transmogrifying anything anyway.

This change should be viewed as a good thing, I can honestly not see why people have a problem with it. Mouthbreathers still suck, good players still win.

[Mauhour]

The only problem I see there is a concern about proc-weapon. There's no proc weapon worth a damn right now but some have been used in the past (2h Axe from ICC). But I'm sure Blizzard will deactivate transmogrification on such items.

[Blackeyecycle]

By some that have no clue what they're doing. Really, like Stanton said if you're doing proper, high rated arena you will not care because you will KNOW what a person is using as soon as the gates open - you don't even need to look at their HP pool, there's ONE set you can use, and that's what everyone else WILL use; asides shit like trinkets but you can't visually see that regardless. What does it matter if said set looks like Tier 3? Nothing.

If your definition of PvP is doing random battlegrounds to crush newly dinged bots in green gear I'm pretty sure they won't be transmogrifying anything anyway.

This change should be viewed as a good thing, I can honestly not see why people have a problem with it. Mouthbreathers still suck, good players still win.

Dudebro, not sure if you have noticed.. but the high majority of people don't have a clue what they are doing. The amount of people doing "high end" arena are considered minimal.

[Buu]

B.) Scanning healthpools is faster and more effective than trying to figure out what gloves/boots/pants/helm/chest someone is wearing. Armor visuals are secondary to health pool to distinguish those that might be wearing PvE gear in a random BG.

THAT! OMG, it's so stupid to not realize that. Holy crap, who zoom to ONE PLAYER and analyze their models before engaging combat?
I can't read this anymore. You look class color on health bars and health pools, PERIOD.

[Kathoris]

Transmog doesn't bring the stats or the procs with the item just the looks thats it the proc and stats are from you current tier item that is getting transmogged

[Deleted]

Dudebro, not sure if you have noticed.. but the high majority of people don't have a clue what they are doing. The amount of people doing "high end" arena are considered minimal.

Problem? If what they're doing is battlegrounds they should not care for what gear people are using. If you're a geared player that enjoys BGs get a pocket healer and steamroll, if you're bad and like getting farmed then... Yeah.

Really, I don't get what the issue is with all this.

[Feranor]

It always bugged that me that WoW gives you so much information about your opponent... class, HP/MP pool, level, equipment, buffs/debuffs, cooldowns etc.

It's part of why most WoW players are so bad, the game doesn't require them to be good. Changing that is a step in the right direction, but i doubt transmogrification will have any noticable influence outside of aesthetics.

[Scuravolpe]

Suggest a solution on the official forums: when in a rated battleground or arena match, transmogrification is turned off.

That was hard.

[fishface]

Suggest a solution on the official forums: when in a rated battleground or arena match, transmogrification is turned off.

That was hard.

Uh, the OP is embracing the changes whilst everyone else is saying it's not going to make the blindest bit of difference.

Personally I'm just interested to see what people are gonna be coming up with for their sets.

[Deleted]

The only problem I see there is a concern about proc-weapon. There's no proc weapon worth a damn right now but some have been used in the past (2h Axe from ICC). But I'm sure Blizzard will deactivate transmogrification on such items.

There was no 2h axe in icc that had a proc and could be transmogrified, legendaries can't be transmogrified at all, you can't make something look legendary or make a legendary look like something else.

[ophion1990]

Even on the high end, if it takes you an extra second to "scan their health pool" to determine their status.. it's that much more of a challenge. It can be viewed as a game breaker by some.

Its faster to check healthbars then to look at their gear though? Unless you play really zoomed in and stand next to them or something.

[Deleted]

does anyone remember in vanilla you couldnt see what buffs enemys had on them? unless you was a mage, i guess its kinda like that.

[Deleted]

Just look at the health bars...

[Simca]

Even on the high end, if it takes you an extra second to "scan their health pool" to determine their status.. it's that much more of a challenge. It can be viewed as a game breaker by some.

Are you trying to tell me it is harder to look at the number "140k" (which should be in the middle of your screen, or close) than scanning their gear?

You should look at their health pools the instant the arena gates open (when you're just running forward), and it takes like less than 2 seconds, easily.

---------- Post added 2011-09-20 at 08:45 PM ----------

Suggest a solution on the official forums: when in a rated battleground or arena match, transmogrification is turned off.

That was hard.

If anything, it should be turned off in NORMAL battlegrounds.

It won't make any difference in arena or rateds... ever.

[Veddartha]

well to be honest, if im weaing full pve gear as a shadowpriest - my healthpool will be larger than in my pvpgear due to the ilvl difference.

[Evolixe]

Lol. Complain more, really.

If you don't already assume someone is using BiS gear everytime your doing the whole concept of PvP wrong.

I, for one, just assume anyone that i attack has full ruthless gear and treat them that way. When that is not the case.. i will know after my first landed attack.

[Frazzle.d]

I personally don't mind. Makes things more interesting; isn't that what should appeal to a PvP'er? A bit of spice.

I am also an advocate for never underestimating anything purely on their looks. You only need to watch some videos of naked rogues, green geared DKs, mages and so on over the course of the game's life that the assumption that anything will be easier because of X's hp pool or mana bar is the brother of all muck ups.

Holo's post summed it up well. Basically, if you're not giving it your best shot, then why bother?