New character models..

[Imnick]

Why not? Do people still play nintendo 64 games?

Yes.
The reason most people don't isn't because of the graphics, it's because they've already played them or because they don't have the console and the games are no longer in production :U

[Skorpionss]

I don't really see what this craze with new models is all about... I mean the only time I looked at my chars model was when I created it... after that it was all covered with armor and I didn't see the model at all... sure a new Skeleton would be nice for more animations... but models I don't really give a rat's ass...

[Daverid]

Why not? Do people still play nintendo 64 games?

Mario Kart 64 is still the best racing game ever made. Just because the Wii version is 'prettier' doesn't mean it's a better game. 4 of my top 5 favourite games of all time are games that were made Pre-2005.

However on that note, I DO want the new Models and the new Troll models made me drool, but I understand that it'll be done when it's done. No need to rush it, if it takes them a year and we get the same epic quality for every model as the Troll models, It'll be well worth the wait.

[Luko]

I don't really see what this craze with new models is all about... I mean the only time I looked at my chars model was when I created it... after that it was all covered with armor and I didn't see the model at all... sure a new Skeleton would be nice for more animations... but models I don't really give a rat's ass...

When I log into my warrior, I see WoW 2012 armor with what appears to be a WoW 2004 photoshopped dwarven head that looks like he's vomiting out his own beard. Each of the original races look just as hideous. That disgusts me and that's completely justifiable.

There's plenty of places in the game where goblins and gnomes hang out. When you look at these areas, it almost looks like someone photoshopped the goblins in. They look like they're from an entirely different game.

It goes beyond that as well. The magnotaurs in Dragonblight (etc) for random example. Ever taken the time to look at them when they're in combat? This is WoTLK we're talking about. Half a decade+ ago. They're mouths move smooth and show actual emotion when they attack. Their eyebrows raise and lower when they swing their weapon. Their stumpy little legs actually bend and move when they stomp around, giving you the impression of actual force. Our BC and prior character models do none of this. It's pretty over due for a change.

[Kaleredar]

Mario Kart 64 is still the best racing game ever made. Just because the Wii version is 'prettier' doesn't mean it's a better game. 4 of my top 5 favourite games of all time are games that were made Pre-2005.

DS was better.

Dry bones all the way.

When I log into my warrior, I see WoW 2012 armor with what appears to be a WoW 2004 photoshopped dwarven head that looks like he's vomiting out his own beard. Each of the original races look just as hideous. That disgusts me and that's completely justifiable.

I can only think of a handful of times in the past... well, quite a long time, where I flipped the camera around to stare at my characters face.

90% of the time my character occupies either 1/16th of my screen, or I'm looking at where I'm going/what I'm doing/who I'm fighting, or both.

New models are fine and dandy, but honestly... pretending that they're some sort of requirement, when the old ones have sufficed for the past 8 years, is laughable.

If they both were to take the same amount of time, I'd rather they redo the entire world again than character models; that's what I spend all of MY time looking at.

[Synstir]

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=120007H
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=120007A
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=1000088
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=1200059
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=120009D
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...tml?id=12000EB

Know anyone with 3-5 years of game development experience as a 2D or 3D artist?

If so, tell them to apply for one of the open positions that Blizzard is always hiring for.

If not, shut up about it.

You really don't have a clue, do you?

The company I work for, for 12 years now, ALWAYS has adds up for hiring.. even in times we're laying off 100's of employees.
So..... think again before posting these links. about what they could mean; because you know, they don't always mean that the company is really hiring.

Business strategies are very divers nowadays... maybe you should read up on 'm or shut up about it.

[Deleted]

I still find it amazing to see how many people care about character models.
I tend to look at other things than how my human mage's left eyebrow isn't completely lifelike.

Gameplay > graphic crap any day.

[Kaleredar]

You really don't have a clue, do you?

The company I work for, for 12 years now, ALWAYS has adds up for hiring.. even in times we're laying off 100's of employees.
So..... think again before posting these links. about what they could mean; because you know, they don't always mean that the company is really hiring.

Business strategies are very divers nowadays... maybe you should read up on 'm or shut up about it.

So you have anecdotal evidence with no real evidence to show that blizzard is not hiring skilled labor (not temp positions) when in fact they actually say they are.

Mkay.

[Deleted]

To be honest, you stop playing a game because of older models, you are no true gamer and should stay out

[Deleted]

I still find it amazing to see how many people care about character models.
I tend to look at other things than how my human mage's left eyebrow isn't completely lifelike.

Gameplay > graphic crap any day.

Same was said about transmog.Yet here we are,one the most popular features in the game.

[Deleted]

It could be stick men drawn by a 3 year old for all I care - give me a gameplay that keep me comming back and I'm good.

Graphics is the least important feature of a game. It's nice to have good graphics but it's really nothing to care about.





Bonus info: I'm a 3D Artist and later 3D Instuctor and freelance 2D Artist.

[Alfryd]

I remember making my very first WoW toon back in 2006, and honestly, I didn't care about the visuals at all. It looked unique, bright and cartoonish, and suited the game perfectly fine. I loved how smooth and elaborate the animations were and I've spent hours on my character, trying to discover them all. I loved the graphics, but I stayed for the gameplay and friends. However... over the years the game has changed, evolved, being constantly updated with new content, mechanics, bringing something new to it with every new patch. And so have the visuals. Maybe it wasn't that obvious throughout The Burning Crusade and The Wrath, but then Cataclysm happened and we saw what our toons could really do - I'm talking about goblins and worgen of course. It might be hard to realize at first, but most of the character models are nearing ten years old...

Do you remember literally thousands of people race-changing to goblins and worgen at the beginning of Cataclysm? You might remember the same thing happened last year, when pandaren were introduced. I don't think that all those people have spent their money just so they could 'have the edge in PvP' because some of the racial abilities looked more desirable. As for me, I've become rather attached to my character and I wouldn't want to race change her at all. In fact, I don't have any goblin, worgen or pandaren toons and I don't really want to make one. I like other races of Azeroth more and it makes me sad seeing the difference between the old and the new models and the people who are getting sold by this.

I'm glad that they have finally acknowledged the need of updating such an important part of the game as our very characters that we log in to play every day. I understand why they are so cautious about this and taking plenty of time to do this right. If they change them too much, people will complain about 'ruining their beloved toons', if they play safe and just update the polygon count and , people will still complain about 'doing a half-arsed job'. And either way, everyone and their mother will complain about how they'd better spend the resources on new content and such. What a tricky subject this is.

But frankly, it's not the time they are taking in order to do this, that bothers me. It's... the lack of developers' feedback on the subject. Admittedly, such a big and important change would potentially have a really large impact on the game's playerbase. Why isn't there any official inqueries on the subject over there on the official forums? Why don't they share any concept artwork or, at the very least, just their ideas about this? Why aren't they asking our opinion? They don't have to take -ALL- of it into account, but surely they could at least get the feeling of what the community prefers and maybe pick up some ideas for themselves?

This. You everything I wanted too and more.

I don't understand the silence that the developers continually cling on too. I mean, the last I heard from any official sources was that they've completed dwarves and now working on Humans and Orcs. And that was stated what, quite a while ago?

[Tucci]

They are ALWAYS working on class balance. Just because you got pwned in a battleground doesn't mean this isn't one of the most balanced MMOs on the market, which it is, and which is remarkable considering how many abilities each class has and how many classes there are.

And plenty of people have cared, this issue has been asked about since TBC and it's only been increasing. This has been the single most important issue in this game to me since before WOTLK when I saw how much better Blizzard was getting with visuals.

And you act as if class balance and the art team in any way are related, and that's nonsensical.

Uh, yes I got pwned in battlegrounds and that's why class balance is an issue. Right on. Also, lol.

You obviously don't pvp. But my point was class balance should be first before anything, always and should be constantly looked at and worked on. If you think they're doing a bang up job and always have been in that department, you're mistaken.

This is not a real issue. You're not going to suffer from playing with the same character models you always have. This might be more of an issue for new players who expect up to date graphics but it's still not a real issue with the game. They constantly make new armor and weapons that cover you up, your camera shouldn't be up your character's ass and you shouldn't be staring at him 95% of the time anyways.

Once they do update the models, there will be tons of crying over it and lots of people will beg for their old models back. If say for example Undead movement is too different, people will either quit or race change over it.

[starlord]

i think people will notice the new animations the most.

[anabolicz]

Hey look at us we have 9999999999999999999999$ lets not spend any of it on the game but use it on cars and ladies!

[Yig]

Uh, yes I got pwned in battlegrounds and that's why class balance is an issue. Right on. Also, lol.

You obviously don't pvp. But my point was class balance should be first before anything, always and should be constantly looked at and worked on. If you think they're doing a bang up job and always have been in that department, you're mistaken.

Bro, do you even lift?
They will never have it perfectly balanced, it's a continually changing. Claiming it's not perfect doesn't mean it's bad. You obviously base all of your opinions on your own anecdotes which is why you think "I would know if I pvp'd obviously".

When you learn how to actually think, try to debate a point. And try to make a more nonsensical remark while you're at it. You may as well say WOW should devote it's time to curing cancer and world hunger instead of new character models because you don't want them and you just want what you want worked on because it's more important.

What the fuck does the art team have to do with balancing pvp?

It's a rhetorical question. don't strain anything.

---------- Post added 2013-01-14 at 04:23 AM ----------

To be honest, you stop playing a game because of older models, you are no true gamer and should stay out

Maybe, but you are no true scotsman, sir.

[Keristrasza]

Dreading the day more than anticipating it. The new trolls look atrocious and I don't really want them fucking around with all the other races like that.

At least they were thinking of a way for people to keep their old model if they prefer too, I can't remember of it was CG or Zarhym Maybe nether and Im way off on the name) but they said that this particular task is a little harder because not everyone will like these new models and they won't want players to feel they lost something when it comes to characters they may have become attached too.

As to the OP: Im in no hurry, yes I would love to have them but as blizzard has said before and many others as well. You can't simply throw money at something to make it appear, these things do take time. Games seem to come out fairly fast but you don't have any idea how long said game was in pre development before even being slightly announced to the public.

[Zhira]

The problem is not as much creating the new models as it's HOW they will interact in the environment. To clarify - HOW will this model look on this mount, HOW will Warglaives look on this model (will there be graphical clipping etc etc).

Make no mistake, this is a MASSIVE undertaking in an already big game. I think new model design has been demoted because Blizzard tries to keep up with other MMOs more frequent content patches.

Personally gameplay is more important to me than graphical changes. Having written that, I definitely wouldn't mind new models

Z.

[bklutz]

with how fast they're putting out GREAT content....im okay with waiting on player models.
..and they're 8 years old not a decade..

[Deleted]

Even they add new character models. Your old characters still stay the same, like they are atm ..right??
So there is no need to stop playing WoW till the new models come out.