Nightborn in Legion and Nightborn in Battle for Azeroth, Nightborn identity lost?

[Gurluas]

Yeah, well, here's a Vanilla elf vs a Burning Crusade elf. Models get updated for players. Derp.

That's a vanilla High elf, not Blood elf, and those were the Alpha Belf models, the final ones don't look like that.

[Powerogue]

I can see what you're saying. It's almost certainly because they're using the night elf character rigging as a base, but as we saw with the straight-backed orcs that's not necessarily set in stone. I agree with your noting of the subtle tweaks to posture and slantier eyes.

[zlygork]

Those were the Alpha Belf models, the final ones don't look like that.

Geez, wonder what he could have possibly tried to imply

[Rhlor]

it was obvious that the playable model would not be the same as the NPCs

[therealstegblob]

The NPC model is broken and has fucked up animations, not to mention they look like shit in general.

I do agree that the player models look a little too much like night elves, but I don't care enough to be bothered by it.

[Nayami]

I think they look pretty good. Checked them out on Wowhead's 3D model viewer and they have some nice customisations (as do void elves btw). I really hope existing races will get some cosmetic updates as well.

[Goremonger]

I too think the Nightborne are lacking customization at this point. From the model viewer with the options listed so far it seems like 1/4th done. Hopefully all of the allied races get more customization but I personally think the ship has sailed. We won't get any changes and feedback will be ignored much like worgen.

[MechaCThun]

I love how certain aesthetic shifts is the same as "identity."

"Describe the Nightborne."
"The Nightborne are a race altered by an isolationist decision made out of survival rooted in a rich history that have decided to re-enter the world after---"
"Yeah, yeah, but what's the angle on their nose?"

Not sure why I laughed out loud to this, but I did.

This hits it on the head. Blizzard moving the Nightborne closer to the "playable night elf model" is for purely game play mechanic purposes.

[Ameonna]

They also said if i remember right that allied races are supposed to have 100% new models AND for me it dont make sense to have Nightborne with a different standing or faces as NPC since they already have a model in legion and already have a unique skeleton to use. Ofcourse it would need to be updated with new animations, but it would look much better than just a reused night elf one. Or atleast night elf skeleton could be modified to fit nightborne more.

Also this skeleton seems to be the same as the female zandalari so it should already work well for gameplay

In all case for me it sound wrong to have NPC and players have a different skeleton, like do you imagine Thalyssra with a night elf skeleton? Or do you imagine nightborne players running around in suramar and look different to all NPC it dont make sense for me, how they would suddenly be different.

[Ningjinq]

Playable Nightborne do not use the “Night Elf Skeleton.” There is no “Night Elf Skeleton.” https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...e-One-Skeleton

[gcsmith]

People forget, the Nightborn NPC's are specially crafted, they're clothes are part of the model for example. Meanwhile Nightborn players need to be able to customize their character, that leads to compromises as things that can be done as part of a special model can't be done, or at least easily done, with players.

[Doffen]

I think the npc looks better, more distinct from other elves, but the playable ones looks awesome as well. That blue colored skin with platinum-white long hair.. yumm!

[THEORACLE64]

As you can see NPC look more Nightborne and proud than the playable ones we will have in BfA

And who is it that decides what looks “more” Nightborne? You? No no. No no no.

[Rhlor]

That's a vanilla High elf, not Blood elf, and those were the Alpha Belf models, the final ones don't look like that.

blood elf in vanilla

Bloodmage Lynnore

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Bloodmage_Lynnore

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They also said if i remember right that allied races are supposed to have 100% new models AND for me it dont make sense to have Nightborne with a different standing or faces as NPC since they already have a model in legion and already have a unique skeleton to use. Ofcourse it would need to be updated with new animations, but it would look much better than just a reused night elf one. Or atleast night elf skeleton could be modified to fit nightborne more.

Also this skeleton seems to be the same as the female zandalari so it should already work well for gameplay

In all case for me it sound wrong to have NPC and players have a different skeleton, like do you imagine Thalyssra with a night elf skeleton? Or do you imagine nightborne players running around in suramar and look different to all NPC it dont make sense for me, how they would suddenly be different.

First and foremost the developers said that the only totally new model would be the male zandalari!
Secondly, they are already updating the nightborne NPC models to the new models

[Aeula]

Looks like they had to take the Night Elf model and work up from there rather than doing so with the Nightborne model.

I’d imagine Zandalari Trolls had to be built from the Troll model too rather than their 5.2 one.

I don’t see why they had to age up the female Nightborne faces though...

[Wolftusk]

The idle animation is broken, it should be the original pose the old nightborne have

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

The idle animation is broken, it should be the original pose the old nightborne have

Are you looking at the models in the PTR or the WoWhead dressing room?

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NPC nightborne are low rez with the same face. There is no identity lost, simply identities added. The current rigging in the wowhead model viewer doesn't necessarily reflect their finished stances. That said, they are re-skinned night elves. Just like dark irons are re-skinned dwarves, lightforged are re-skinned draenei, and void elves are re-skinned blood elves. Only the Zandalari seem to have something different in they they too are re-skinned night elves instead of trolls. Not sure what you're expecting. if you don't like night elf models, you won't like nightborne.

I will say that the NPC nightborne did have a lovely face, but yeah, only one face, one face that is not easy to replicate on a model with far more complex rigging and that has to support 4 different faces.

Will miss it tho, specially the eye shape to be honest.

[Coffeexbean]

if anything this is actually a good thing, the "champion" nightborne youre playing as should have its own unique model and not like all the other npc. its subtly done and probably shouldve been the same for other races

[Varolyn]

The male npc Nightborne at least looks terrible and hilarious at the same time. Just got to suramar and use the disguise, and type /whoa, /talk, or /laugh, and prepare to laugh. They don't even have teeth.

[Goremonger]

NPC nightborne are low rez with the same face. There is no identity lost, simply identities added. The current rigging in the wowhead model viewer doesn't necessarily reflect their finished stances. That said, they are re-skinned night elves. Just like dark irons are re-skinned dwarves, lightforged are re-skinned draenei, and void elves are re-skinned blood elves. Only the Zandalari seem to have something different in they they too are re-skinned night elves instead of trolls. Not sure what you're expecting. if you don't like night elf models, you won't like nightborne.

The thing is Horde doesn't want nelves like ally wants belves. Ally is A OK with getting belves as is albeit with blue eyes.
Most Horde from what i've found would like at least the eyes to be not so open, a different idle stance, they can be almost the same as nightelves for sure. but they lose their flavor when they lose their smugness. Atm they kinda looked like shocked nelves with tattoos.

It's best to voice concerns now way before we're in the " it's just alpha/beta/ptr/live/it'lll get hotfixxed" phase. Don't want to be stuck with 3 faces for each character.