Mists of Pandaria - Blizzcon 2011 Recap, Monk Abilities Preview

Originally Posted by reve

This seems to be the most interesting quote of that day... Mainly: What's "not high enough" and what would be the "premium model" ?

Here's what it's referencing from the interview:

VB: A lot of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games are experimenting with a “freemium” model and finding varying degrees of success. Obviously, World of Warcraft is not sinking. It doesn’t need to do the DC Universe Online thing where it’s like, “Oh, we’re free to play now, let’s hope this saves us.” But what’s Blizzard’s stance on the freemium pricing model? Do you see it as a viable option for an existing or future game?

PS: It’s a very interesting business model and approach. Whether or not we will end up doing that at some point or not, I don’t really have the information to share. But certainly it’s possible that could happen with an existing product that we have. I think what you tend to see is that happening when games are on a decline or they don’t have a user base that can support itself through subscriptions. So then they’ll introduce the new model in hopes of being able to generate a different type of revenue to support that community and ongoing content. So it certainly is possible, if we find ourselves in that circumstance, or if we come up with a game where we think that’s the right business model, the most appropriate for players to experience it. We don’t have any opposition to the concept, it’s just that at this point we haven’t decided to make a game where that is the model. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t.

They meant to use 'freemium' not 'premium.'

Originally Posted by Tronski

When was the last time you saw a tauren maul someone irl? Happens all the time with these creatures who obviously arent "fighting monsters"

LOL, are you really comparing a fantasy game with reality right now?

Quick, everyone pass final judgement before we know too much!

A gnome female tank is by far more ridiculous.

I will play monk with my gamepad. Street Fighter style!

Yeah, you are pretty much fucked.

Looks good with a panda, but I canot imagine how these moves look on the other races. >_

Pretty cool, I would say.

Urgh... bad animations. The WoW engine isn't made for close combat (like SWTOR is), I fear it's going to look extremely silly on humans for example. Also the spinning kick, make that just a quick "roundhouse" animation with a "cleave arc" instead.

Originally Posted by Baalb

Don't judge something only because you like it a lot or don't like it, judge it by the way it is made. For the moment the pandaren models look extremely funny and ridiculous, the monk's animations look retarded as well and anyone stating the opposite is blind or an extremely biased fanboy. But since it is not even alpha me thinks that in the end they will make the new race the best when it comes to animation and models.

This comment is all over the place and sounds like the faux-philosophical nonsense I see in these forums everyday. What are you trying to say, exactly? That others shouldn't judge a book by it's cover until they've seen it? No, that can't be it because then you go on to make a glaring personal opinion and then follow that up with an attack on those who don't share said opinion. AND THEN you say it'll all work out in the end and they'll be awesome?! Did 3 different people write your comment are do you just have multiple personality disorder?

ANYWAY - I feel bad for the haters bashing on the Pandarians. These obviously didn't see the Animation/Art panel. If they did, they would know that the animations for the Pandarian are 10x more involved than any race before it and actually use -brand spanking new- engine tech for said animations. They can stretch and expand like a physics based object relative to their animation - This is brand new to WoW! They are also the first characters to receive the new "cosmetic" do-dads: their belt has custom physics-based animation. Palladin's will receive librams, Hunters will get an ammo pouch/quiver, Warlocks might get chains, etc.

Personally, I felt like I was watching a Pixar animated character in a WoW setting and, to me, that is just awesome! The expressiveness of the model and the fluidity of the animation involved in it is a huge game changer for WoW and I'm really glad they talked about going back and re-doing the classic models after having added the new tech to the Pandaren.

---------- Post added 2011-10-23 at 08:38 AM ----------

As a follow-up, don't base your Monk animation opinion on the small clip on the front page. They showed the animation in action, in detail, at the Art panel and I personally think they'll look just fine on other races. Now, the models themselves need the work-up and will probably get a rigging job to make sure they animate well in the short term, but long-term, it'll all work out.

I see this little fatty panda bouncing around and I cannot stop myself from seeing an Ogre Monk for the horde °_°

Blizz said they were going to do a total rigging pass on the other races for this class, so, again, I think that while your concerns are warranted, have faith that Blizzard will make them look as good as they can with the limited models available to them. An (I assume you meant Orc) Monk would look strange, but, I thought Tauren Palladins would look strange, too. They're new animations, and a fast hand-to-hand combat animation at that. It'll just take getting used to.

Monk playstyle looks like H&S but I think it will work like warrior + enh shammy and a bit of every class.

pff alot to read. But can't wait till 5.0 and play a panda

Monks are awesum to play, i used to play monk in neverwinter nights, witch wow copied all the classes from i guess and added a few new. So i am looking forward to it, i might even get back to wow! yey awesum expo

OMFG rly it's like streetfighter move's in wow WIN i do hope the can use fistweapons though

Originally Posted by Vallius

An (I assume you meant Orc) Monk would look strange, but, I thought Tauren Palladins would look strange, too.

No I meant Ogre / Oger, you now, the guys like Chogall, who once served the horde ?
I remember neutral Burning Crusade Ogers to be around tauren sized and rather civilized.
They would be a great alternative to double faction pandas.

Originally Posted by Strah

oh my god, this is so crap imo.

In my eyes, wow has totally lost every bit of it's seriousness. Really, there's this cataclysm,thousands dying,thousands suffering, and there's this colourful childish shit that looks like kung-fu panda for 8-year olds.
This video just made me not want MoP anymore, considering i did want to try it out on release.

Are you forgetting about kezan? Goblin starting area? and you're asking where did all the seriousness went? GTFO. You obviously don't have the mental capacity to comprehend anything.

I'm extremely excited Monks are going to be implemented!

The ONLY thing that is bugging me at the moment are the ..well (imo) silly names of some of the abilities. I love the chi aspect, but stance of the drunken ox ..and light/dark force? lol kinda silly on my own part but I think of Jackie Chan in Drunken Master being a character in Star Wars :P

I am wondering, as well, about how other races will look while doing these moves. I am going to roll a femme dwarf monk, but I am eager to see Draenei pump out some kick and roll action!

I personally won't be playing a Pandaren, I will end up making one to feel its playstyle and to check out the starting zones.. but I am eager to play beside one! I am one of those people all for new races, I would be extremely happy if they added two new races every expac(or in this case one)! I'm all up for diversity.. so playing with Panda bears, gnomes, humans, werewolves, spacegoats, purple elves, and other short fatties in a raid situation sounds like loads of fun!I also wonder what everyone would be using as their arguements if "Kung Fu Panda" never came out. Oh, and for the big question! I wonder what color they are going to give the Monk class! (and there is a forum post about it haha)

Left WoW in March and thought I'd take a look to see if the next xpac could tempt me back. Oh dear. The game is hemorrhaging subscribers and I can't see Kung-Fu Panda enticing many back. Off to SWTOR and not looking back.