WoD Alpha Zone Screenshots Removed, Artcraft - Female Draenei, WoWDB Updated

Oh, the spine will be curved again in the final version?

Thank GOD. The curved spine is one of the defining traits of the race. Always annoys me when people look a creative bit of anatomy and call it "wrong" for not being like a real human (particularly since it's a woman; I have my suspicions that people just want her to look like a normal woman so they can fap to it).

But yeah, hope it's true that it's staying how it is now! Sounds like they are committing to the fiction/art side.

Beatiful as always.

The only thing I really noticed is the feet, the old model shows a tiny bit of fur texturing to create a shaggy effect going from flesh to hoof, whereas the new model just kindof... cuts off with a straight line that looks unnatural.

I'm glad I saw all the screenshots before they were taken down. Not too surprised they asked, there were a LOT and many were clearly very incomplete areas. Most people would know they were unfinished, but I'm guessing Blizz wanted something more representative of their final product.

Originally Posted by jammmo

Oh, the spine will be curved again in the final version?

Thank GOD. The curved spine is one of the defining traits of the race. Always annoys me when people look a creative bit of anatomy and call it "wrong" for not being like a real human (particularly since it's a woman; I have my suspicions that people just want her to look like a normal woman so they can fap to it).

You think that the people that fap to Draenei want to change how they look?

Ah. Haha. Ahahaha.

Originally Posted by jammmo

Oh, the spine will be curved again in the final version?

Thank GOD. The curved spine is one of the defining traits of the race. Always annoys me when people look a creative bit of anatomy and call it "wrong" for not being like a real human (particularly since it's a woman; I have my suspicions that people just want her to look like a normal woman so they can fap to it).

But yeah, hope it's true that it's staying how it is now! Sounds like they are committing to the fiction/art side.

Er, trust me, I do not 'fap' to any of this (I'm a girl, and not into girls so yeah), but it's not saying it's wrong, it's saying that looking at the way the spine should be designed, it just looks...painfully weird.

I mean that spinal curve is actually to further push out the chest and the butt, (if you notice, the original has her breasts pushed out further and perkier, while the 'natural' style spine actually looks like a normal chest).

I'm not against creative anatomy, I mean, I play a tauren, a worgen, and a panda (and a troll), but that curve really looks like she shouldn't be able to walk properly. I grant you they're aliens, but seriously, it doesn't look like they should be able to properly walk.

In a human, such a spine would be akinned to Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Distrophy or Lumbar Lordosis (or sway back. You can also find the 'Lordosis Pose' which is considered the "The seductive female gesture in which the Lumbar Lordosis is exaggerated to accentuate the buttocks, and the head is turned invitingly back toward the viewer, has been called the “Lordosis Pose”." )

Trust me, the spine looks ODD in such a hard curve. Look up those two spinal issues.

What's up with the smaller, saggier boobs? Is that a draenei grandmother?

The model looks definitely a little higher poly, but I think I'll like the old one more. Hopefully the rigged final result will look better.
I also hope they'll remake the female Worgen model. That thing was an abomination since day 1. A severe disappointment after the initial drafts looked quite promising.

Originally Posted by Lil

What's up with the smaller, saggier boobs? Is that a draenei grandmother?

The model looks definitely a little higher poly, but I think I'll like the old one more. Hopefully the rigged final result will look better.
I also hope they'll remake the female Worgen model. That thing was an abomination since day 1. A severe disappointment after the initial drafts looked quite promising.

I would LOVE if they fixed the worgen female's face, unfortunately, doubt they will. With as many other models they have to do, they're gonna shove her at the backburner.

Seriously, she needs a facelift though, were-chihuahua... T_T

Originally Posted by 13thmaiden

Oh Goodness, seriously? Yeah, I create models and animate too myself, seriously, don't get why they have to do that considering how they've made worgens and taurens. I know they want to say that the tails are for balance, but really, at it's length, and with that curve of the spine, it's a wonder that the females don't go falling forward when they try to walk. They look like they have a stretched chicken skeleton.

There's a reason our spines are shaped like they are, it allows us to stay bipedal. Seriously, she looks like a bird, or a girl wearing way too tall high heels and throwing her hips back to stay level. I know they're aliens but c'mon...that back has always been terrifying.

Actually, Draenei females do make sense with the spine bent like that.
Incoming wall of text, feel free to skip it if you don't feel like reading boring theory nonsense.

You seem to forget that Humans aren't the only bipeds, and while our straight legs make a mostly straight spine the most effective design choice for our own biology, Draenei don't have straight legs, they have digitigrade (Much like a lot of walking bird species do, that you ironically compared them to)

In fact, one of the FASTEST bipeds on the planet, the Ostrich, has more in common with a Draenei female's specific leg and spine set-up than we do, and they seem to have no problems keeping balance.

Plus, they're aliens.
You seem to be of the "They're aliens, but if something on their body defies human biology, that means it's impossible to work" crowd, yet fail to look at other aspects of nature where such biological forms (Or those similar) DO work. Hell, if EVERYTHING followed human logic with it's biology, mammals wouldn't be able to lay eggs. And for the longest time that was widely accepted. But sure enough, here come a big "Fuck your science, you feeble minded humans aren't as smart as you think you are" from nature in the form of a platypus.

If an Ostrich, with it's highly bent spine, body that on the surface looks like it's too big for it's legs, and overall hilarious form can run at speeds up to 43 miles per hour...AND taste good, it's not unbelievable to think Draenei females can move comfortably with a similar, however less drastic, set-up, and even thicker legs that look like they make up most of her weight and thrust back shoulders to act as ballast, something your typical ostrich lacks.

At the end of the day Draenei women are more like an ostrich than a human from a locomotion perspective.
Sexy, goat horned ostriches.

And before anyone says "But the Tauren stand more upright! Why can't they!'
Short answer: Tauren are also a lot heavier and have much, much larger hooves and considerably thicker and more muscular legs to keep balance on. Male Draenei walk upright just fine due to their hooves and legs being larger than females as well, and the fact that their tails are a lot larger and more appropriate for keeping balance, especially considering they can actually control how the thing moves, where as the females typically can't. Sexual dimorphism probably split the male and female Draenei up at some point in their evolutionary history when it deemed the lighter framed females wouldn't benefit from the big muscular tail as much as the considerably larger and heavy refrigerator men would, hence the much shorter, thinner, limp tail that Blizzard says is for balance, but too small and insignificant to do so.
And that's why Draenei ladies more than likely have a cute little tail where as the males have a big plated thing.

Granted, that's all theory on my end, but to just say "It shouldn't be possible for them to look like this in my fantasy setting because humans don't look like this" is silly.

Originally Posted by 13thmaiden

Er, trust me, I do not 'fap' to any of this (I'm a girl, and not into girls so yeah), but it's not saying it's wrong, it's saying that looking at the way the spine should be designed, it just looks...painfully weird.

I mean that spinal curve is actually to further push out the chest and the butt, (if you notice, the original has her breasts pushed out further and perkier, while the 'natural' style spine actually looks like a normal chest).

I'm not against creative anatomy, I mean, I play a tauren, a worgen, and a panda (and a troll), but that curve really looks like she shouldn't be able to walk properly. I grant you they're aliens, but seriously, it doesn't look like they should be able to properly walk.

In a human, such a spine would be akinned to Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Distrophy or Lumbar Lordosis (or sway back. You can also find the 'Lordosis Pose' which is considered the "The seductive female gesture in which the Lumbar Lordosis is exaggerated to accentuate the buttocks, and the head is turned invitingly back toward the viewer, has been called the “Lordosis Pose”." )

Trust me, the spine looks ODD in such a hard curve. Look up those two spinal issues.

Try walking like them (use your tip toes as hind legs) without curving your back. They aren't humans, so it's not incorrect or a "spinal disorder" for them not to have human anatomy. I've done Draenei cosplay, and it is very difficult to walk like them without curving your back; it helps you keep balance.

Originally Posted by Kilperch

I felt the same way. It took me a few seconds to notice the difference, as opposed to the other models which were massive changes.

Looks nice, but underwhelming.

(a) It's a TBC model so it requires less work.
(b) The idea of the revamp is to improve and not to change unless the old model was just unworkable.
(c) It's not finished, rigged or animated yet. Hold judgement.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by Redbat

Actually, Draenei females do make sense with the spine bent like that.
Incoming wall of text, feel free to skip it if you don't feel like reading boring theory nonsense.

You seem to forget that Humans aren't the only bipeds, and while our straight legs make a mostly straight spine the most effective design choice for our own biology, Draenei don't have straight legs, they have digitigrade (Much like a lot of walking bird species do, that you ironically compared them to)

In fact, one of the FASTEST bipeds on the planet, the Ostrich, has more in common with a Draenei female's specific leg and spine set-up than we do, and they seem to have no problems keeping balance.

I think they balance with their long neck and tail.

But hey, it's fantasy.

She has the face of a tranny. I guess this wasn't the reveal of the Draenei woman model but of the Draenei manwoman.

I have to say I really can't wait for the new expansion <3

Originally Posted by 13thmaiden

Oh Goodness, seriously? Yeah, I create models and animate too myself, seriously, don't get why they have to do that considering how they've made worgens and taurens. I know they want to say that the tails are for balance, but really, at it's length, and with that curve of the spine, it's a wonder that the females don't go falling forward when they try to walk. They look like they have a stretched chicken skeleton.

There's a reason our spines are shaped like they are, it allows us to stay bipedal. Seriously, she looks like a bird, or a girl wearing way too tall high heels and throwing her hips back to stay level. I know they're aliens but c'mon...that back has always been terrifying.

Yup, here is the bindpose of the original Draenei model vs the idle pose from the game, straight from my animation table. I call this LoL syndrome.

Originally Posted by Redbat

Actually, Draenei females do make sense with the spine bent like that.
Incoming wall of text, feel free to skip it if you don't feel like reading boring theory nonsense.

You seem to forget that Humans aren't the only bipeds, and while our straight legs make a mostly straight spine the most effective design choice for our own biology, Draenei don't have straight legs, they have digitigrade (Much like a lot of walking bird species do, that you ironically compared them to)

In fact, one of the FASTEST bipeds on the planet, the Ostrich, has more in common with a Draenei female's specific leg and spine set-up than we do, and they seem to have no problems keeping balance.

Plus, they're aliens.

Seriously? You're gonna go with ostriches?...OKaaaaaay

Lets take a look on ostrich skeletons.

Like the bipedal world of birds, their skeletons are mostly perpendicular to the ground to the point of their neck, at their neck, they THEN turn upwards, much like a raptor. With that kind of skeleton, they should be with their torsos bent at the hips, with their tails straight out, and then their heads flipped up, along with a keel bone.

Basically:
0____.___
| /
| \
|
^ Draenei. Since they don't have the long necks of birds.

I agree that yes they are an alien, but let's take another creature that's very similar, Succubi. The succubi of the WoW-universe actually have a very similar look, though she shoves her hips forwards, and I always wonder why she doesn't fall backwards (must be those wings.)

Look, lets take a look at someone who actually has MADE something to act like the 'goat-leg' hooves. Look up the Weta legs. You'll usually find a woman in the cool legs designed to make those same 'faun/saytr/goat' legs. And yet this woman must stand straight to stay properly moving.

Now I grant you, she doesn't have a tail, but this is taking the form of a humanoid and giving them the 'goat legs', disproving the need for the lobrosis pose.

It seems more of a personal choice by the creators to give her that 'pushed out chest and butt' look, rather than actual work of the spine.

Originally Posted by Darkrulerxxx

There's a bug where you hover the mouse over new character models it links to the armor piece Archerus Knight's Girdle

That actually isn't a bug. It's a modelviewer link - you click it, it takes you to that item's page and automatically loads the 3D viewer.

Where are my trolls damn it! D:< Grr updating a newer model before an older one, blah!

lol, my wants aside, they look really good, looking forward to seeing it animated.

Yeah remove those screenshots, can't have any bad publicity about how far behind the ball they are with this thing!

Originally Posted by mystery8

but I'm guessing Blizz wanted something more representative of their final product.

it's in alpha man. come on.

Originally Posted by Lil

What's up with the smaller, saggier boobs? Is that a draenei grandmother?

The model looks definitely a little higher poly, but I think I'll like the old one more. Hopefully the rigged final result will look better.
I also hope they'll remake the female Worgen model. That thing was an abomination since day 1. A severe disappointment after the initial drafts looked quite promising.

The smaller boobs? Are we looking at the same picture? Her boobs look bigger really.
Anyway, on topic. Improvement on the original model, despite what people may say about her posture, she's not human so other laws apply.
I would like to see an actual iris though. Gives way more character.