6 new "Allied" races, and more...

**Razion** · 2017-11-23, 03:37 AM

From what was said it was implied as I took it to mean that more were planned for future patches *and* future expansions *and* future expansion patches. It seems like a system they want to utilize a lot in the future so new races are a regular feature - even when we get new classes down the line. Kind of like a "whenever we encounter a new race in the future, there's a chance they might join one of the factions" kind of deal.

**Wildmoon** · 2017-11-23, 04:05 AM

Originally Posted by Steampunkette

All Allied Race means, so far is "New player race that doesn't get a starting zone, but is instead unlocked at high end and starts in the capital city at 20"

Naga could be an Allied Race alongside Amani Trolls.

That's not comprehensive enough of a definition though. The allied races shown also use the existing skeletions.

**Hitei** · 2017-11-23, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by Razion

From what was said it was implied as I took it to mean that more were planned for future patches *and* future expansions *and* future expansion patches. It seems like a system they want to utilize a lot in the future so new races are a regular feature - even when we get new classes down the line. Kind of like a "whenever we encounter a new race in the future, there's a chance they might join one of the factions" kind of deal.

That fact that the words "at launch" were specifically used in regards to the known 6 very nearly confirms that they at least intend to have more in later patches of BfA.

I expect that the reason that they haven't been brought up is that they are spoilery.

I think Argus was a test in a lot of different ways--not just the whole ship moving around system, but the exploration of questing zone implementation post launch. Given that Azshara is showing up in the expansion, I wouldn't be surprised if an entire underwater region was raised as a new 2-3 zones during a patch, complete with its own allied races (be they Naga or something else).

That Wrathion is in the embassy for Alliance suggests to me that those early leaks mentioning blessed "wyrmskin" races have been slightly accurate--a large portion of Gilneans were already influenced by Black Dragon blood. If Wrathion is there, he's almost certainly not hanging around just to watch, and Dragonmen share the Worgen skeleton.

I don't know that "Allied Race" really means "based on existing race, or using an existing race's assets".

I think that it was a term created to introduce this idea of a race that can be implemented not in direct connection to a launch patch, and that doesn't have an extensive starting zone and start at level 1. It frees up a lot of story room. Look at Naga for example (I'm not saying these are coming, just an easy example)--A group of Naga just jumping over to the Alliance/Horde isn't unthinkable but it's a bit handwavy and it requires a sort of specific betrayal/redemption starting area narrative... but with the Allied Races framework, Blizzard could instead (during a patch) add in a whole Suramar-like campaign wherein your faction befriends and assists Naga and gives those Naga a real reason to turn, and then the Naga become playable as an allied race.

By freeing races up from being tied to an expansion launch, they are given a lot more elbow room to bring races in and are given the ability to do so in a not so uniform way. Some races need more explanation (Nightborne, Void Elves, Zandalari) some need little (Dark Iron, Lightforged) they don't have to worry about giving a ton of quests and rep stuff to one allied race and a simple quest line to another because they aren't that very structured "EXPANSION RACE" concept.

**Directionalk9** · 2017-11-23, 04:27 AM

They way I’m seeing it is: unlocks, has no starting zone, starts at level 20, the model is a modified pre-existing player race model. I think we assume it has to be related to an existing race, but I feel that’s more just coincidence right now and future Allied Races could be in-related, #vulpera.

**Razion** · 2017-11-23, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by Hitei

That fact that the words "at launch" were specifically used in regards to the known 6 very nearly confirms that they at least intend to have more in later patches of BfA.

I expect that the reason that they haven't been brought up is that they are spoilery.

I think Argus was a test in a lot of different ways--not just the whole ship moving around system, but the exploration of questing zone implementation post launch. Given that Azshara is showing up in the expansion, I wouldn't be surprised if an entire underwater region was raised as a new 2-3 zones during a patch, complete with its own allied races (be they Naga or something else).

That Wrathion is in the embassy for Alliance suggests to me that those early leaks mentioning blessed "wyrmskin" races have been slightly accurate--a large portion of Gilneans were already influenced by Black Dragon blood. If Wrathion is there, he's almost certainly not hanging around just to watch, and Dragonmen share the Worgen skeleton.

I thought all new skeletons when built start with the Worgen as a base (to share animations such as 2H Special, etc.) and are built up and iterated on for racial flavor from there? Thought I heard that forever ago... but maybe they'll start new models with Pandaren skeletons now? It's kind of too bad we didn't get "brand new race skeletons" this expac so they could do Allied Races after to take advantage of new skeleton tech. I wonder if they'll regret not making new base skeletons before making allied races - if they'll feel like the skeletal work/quality is too old... Like, how old is the Worgen skeleton - seven years? And Pandaren - five? Like, ouch.

**Steampunkette** · 2017-11-23, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by Wildmoon

That's not comprehensive enough of a definition though. The allied races shown also use the existing skeletions.

No. They shouldn't. Because they don't.

As of WoD, there are no "Existing Skeletons" for Player Races.

There is Skeleton. Singular.

Orcs, Trolls, Dwarves, Humans, Elves of every stripe, even gnomes. They all use the exact same skeleton. It's limbs are lengthened or shortened, it's spine bent or straightened. Etc. This is why every PC race has the same combat animation for the Charge ability of the Warrior class. This is why we're getting new "Warlock" animations and such instead of each race getting it's own spellcasting animations for the different spells. Because they can now make one animation and have it apply to all models using the same skeleton.

Ain't it grand? Each race still has some unique animations, of course, like their Emotes or their Auto-Attacks, to emphasize that each race is it's own thing. But that's why the Sethrak are using Male Pandaren Combat and Casting animations and Female Worgen Walking and Standing animations as well as the Saurok Run animation.

By using a unified humanoid skeleton they can now mix and match different animation types without needing to set up an entirely new set of animations covering each possible action. It's also why Worgen and Goblins both have Monk animations even though neither class can be monks: The Worgen/Goblins were the first races to use the Unified Skeleton all the way back in Cataclysm, which is why the other races got their model updates in WoD to complete the full animation migration.

Now when the devs wanna make a new attack animation, they'll just make it and have it apply to all characters using that particular attack through the unified skeleton.

Any new character race will, however, need to be migrated to the new skeleton, with appropriate parameters added for tails, legs, and how they're individually meant to be used. So Naga would be a pain in the ass to migrate (more or less) since all the basic animations (Walk/Run/Fall/Jump/Land/Die/Swim/Etc) would need to be re-created on the new core skeleton, along with an override on leg animations put in place to allow them to slither for something like Charge, rather than running.

**Hitei** · 2017-11-23, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by Steampunkette

Any new character race will, however, need to be migrated to the new skeleton, with appropriate parameters added for tails, legs, and how they're individually meant to be used. So Naga would be a pain in the ass to migrate (more or less) since all the basic animations (Walk/Run/Fall/Jump/Land/Die/Swim/Etc) would need to be re-created on the new core skeleton, along with an override on leg animations put in place to allow them to slither for something like Charge, rather than running.

Pretty sure you have me on ignore, but no, this is pretty wrong.

Naga would not be any different than any other race, because the vast majority of "leg animations" are not universal for the humanoid skeleton. Each race already has it's own walk/run/fall/jump/land/die/swim/attack-stance/etc animation that has to be created anew for that race. The universal animations still have to be manually adjusted on various races, they don't just apply the animation and jobs done. The way a dwarf's or gnome's legs move when charging is not the same way a worgen or draenei's legs move.

It is a pretty minor adjustment to lock the legs together for a Naga model and include additional skeletal segments for the tail, as in the video of the Sethrak here.

**Justin-Sane** · 2017-11-23, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by WolfRider

- Morgestans from Broken Isles

Originally Posted by Bjoramier of Lordaeron

Googling "morgestan wow" comes up with a french wowhead link, "le destin des Mörgestran" the english equivalent of this quest is Fate of the Tideskorn, so I'm assuming that they meant Vrykul.

**Rhlor** · 2017-11-23, 12:01 PM

I would like to see sand gnome as an allied race and to look like this

**FelPlague** · 2017-11-23, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by WolfRider

They said allied races won't be themed on classic races.
It won't be extra customization for dwarves or orcs, but more a recruited race based on history that a classic race from the faction had with the allied race.

For example, Nightbornes and Blood Elves were already talking about a possible alliance in Legion. In BfA, Lady Liadrin will be asked by the Hord to offer them a place into the faction, not necessarily into Blood Elves.
Each allied race will join a faction banner instead of staying neutral.

Dark Iron dwarves were "accepted" in Ironforge since Cataclysm because Moira, their new leader, is Magni's daughter. But they never had a real commitment into the Alliance. BfA will give them the opportunity to show their full loyalty to the other Dwarf houses and for the Alliance.

The 6 allied races introduced during Blizzcon were already present in game for most of them and both factions had interaction with them. In BfA they will have to pick a side.

So we might consider that allied races are new playable races already existing in game, just like Goblins and Worgens when Cataclysm was released.

So what neutral races have we already met, whatever the planet/timeline, that could join one of the factions?

- Ogres from Outland
- Arrakoas from Outland
- Brokens from Outland
- Ethereals from Outland
- Tuskarrs from Northrend
- Frost Dwarves from Northrend
- drogbars from Broken Isles
- Morgestans from Broken Isles

Beside that, we have factions related clans, like Frostwolves, wildhammers, Kultirassians, Taunkas that never really joined a faction to fight the opposite.

ogre, arrakoa, ethereal, drogbar, and... Morgestans? wtf are those? would have to be new races, they are far to odiffernt then what we have now to just be a sub race.

**3DTyrant** · 2017-11-23, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Edlarel

Horde
Dragonmaw orcs