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

[Destinas]

It needs to be stressed that the versions on WoWHead are very obviously unfinished, missing several customization options and not having the facial feature geometry fully implemented, just the textures; with the new models, changing face is also supposed to change the geometry.

There is still plenty of time for them to do things like tweak the faces and give them unique idle stances, which I think everyone obviously wants, and which shouldn't be a huge art task by any means.

Also, the tattoos for Nightborne haven't worked properly on Wowhead for me. It applies all of them at once for every option. Tattoos and runes don't work properly for Lightforged, either.

While I love Wowhead's tools, I feel it was premature of them to release the Allied Races in the dressing room before making sure they have all the correct stances and customization. All it served to do was make the community complain that Nightborne "don't look how they should" - when proper info was shown plenty at Blizzcon and on the PTR's NPCs.

[Yarathir]

Also, the tattoos for Nightborne haven't worked properly on Wowhead for me. It applies all of them at once for every option. Tattoos and runes don't work properly for Lightforged, either.

While I love Wowhead's tools, I feel it was premature of them to release the Allied Races in the dressing room before making sure they have all the correct stances and customization. All it served to do was make the community complain that Nightborne "don't look how they should" - when proper info was shown plenty at Blizzcon and on the PTR's NPCs.

True, the stance thing is just a WoWhead thing, but the eye problem is on the PTR, and it was also on the Blizzcon slides and presentations. I'm not too alarmed, though, since they did the same thing with the original WoD models, where they had to tweak the custom expressions after the fact.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

True, the stance thing is just a WoWhead thing, but the eye problem is on the PTR, and it was also on the Blizzcon slides and presentations. I'm not too alarmed, though, since they did the same thing with the original WoD models, where they had to tweak the custom expressions after the fact.

I think the only thing needed to get that true nightborne feel is just try to fix the eyes, that's the main issue.

Sadly, I am not confident. It is evident there are some limitations to what they can do with eyes, and I think it's related to the animation and rigging. Of all the facial features on playable races, eye shape never changes. So whatever eye shape we are stuck with, it's just that one. I'm still hoping we are stuck with a more nightborne eye shape on the finished product.

[Baroclinic]

Now that they are cut from the nightwell, and being influenced by the fruit tree, it's possible they are taking on more of a "fruit elf" appearance.

[Arenchac of Suramar]

The stance is just an issue with WoWhead. You can see in the preview images that they have the same stance as Nightborne NPCs.



As for eyes, females seem to lack eyelids and males have only the lower eyelids rendered, though I may just be being an idiot - so correct me if I am wrong. They may get the NPC eye shape later in development when they render their eyelids.

[Ameonna]

New icons have been added to the PTR for Nightborne





On wowhead they say they are "Allied Race Interface Assets"

What could it be for? Maybe Race Icon in the character creation UI or maybe its for an achieveent? We dont know actually but they look way better than the previous ones the face looks more regal and more Nightborne but the eyes could still be a bit more closed.

Anyway, keep in mind its just an icon and it can be different from the real model.

[Deleted]

Its disappointing, I didn't really want to play night elves cosplaying as Nightborne.

[Driht]

New icons have been added to the PTR for Nightborne

Maybe the character portraits? Nameplate portraits have a few different assets to choose from, with the different skin colors and hair styles etc.

[Baroclinic]

Its disappointing, I didn't really want to play night elves cosplaying as Nightborne.

Nightborn ARE night elves...

[SpookySkeleton]

New icons have been added to the PTR for Nightborne





On wowhead they say they are "Allied Race Interface Assets"

What could it be for? Maybe Race Icon in the character creation UI or maybe its for an achieveent? We dont know actually but they look way better than the previous ones the face looks more regal and more Nightborne but the eyes could still be a bit more closed.

Anyway, keep in mind its just an icon and it can be different from the real model.

That is the player target asset, as in, when you target a group member that is far away and not in your zone, it will display that image as their portrait.
For example, when you target that night elf priest in your raid group who hasn't entered the raid yet, her portrait is a standard pink night elf with purple hair. This is what the out of range portrait assets look like.

It is still possible for the final face to differ from this, but the chances are lowering with each day we progress towards January.

[Deleted]

Sister, I'm glad I have found this thread. You are perfectly right. NPC version has far more delicate lips, charming eyes and cheeks look slender in comparison. Not to mention nose. Player model lacks polish and sophistication.

[Every Pwny]

Nightborne are just night elves with different skins. They aren't going to make and animate new models for sub races, think if they had to do that for every sub race?

[Deleted]

Nightborne are just night elves with different skins. They aren't going to make and animate new models for sub races, think if they had to do that for every sub race?

I don't think that people here asked for new animations. It is mostly face that greatly differs.

[Every Pwny]

I don't think that people here asked for new animations. It is mostly face that greatly differs.

Changing the face would require new facial animations for every animation.

[Deleted]

Changing the face would require new facial animations for every animation.

But it is required. Those faces are far off from the gorgeous original. And it requires nothing more than adjustement. Their new model tools offer greater flexibility.

[Every Pwny]

But it is required. Those faces are far off from the gorgeous original. And it requires nothing more than adjustement. Their new model tools offer greater flexibility.

It's a lot more work than you think to change a model like that and adjust all the facial animations, and they don't want to do that for ever sub race, making new facial animations. Sub races are something they can develop quicker because they use existing models that are fully animated, just drop a new skin onto them.

[Aeula]

The thing that irritates me the most is that they have laugh lines on every single one of their available faces. If we can't have a face that looks like the NPC faces can we at least get one that's around the same age appearance wise? Their faces have always been smooth, why do they suddenly look like old people?

[Alanar]

The thing that irritates me the most is that they have laugh lines on every single one of their available faces. If we can't have a face that looks like the NPC faces can we at least get one that's around the same age appearance wise? Their faces have always been smooth, why do they suddenly look like old people?

That and the eyes, the eyes man! they are way to round!
some off the edits people made, changing the eyes was the dealbreaker.

[Deleted]

Changing the face would require new facial animations for every animation.

Didn't they have a system whereby the devs could change a face and still have it use the race's facial animations? I remember ''same face'' being a big issue in the WoD beta; all the races had one face, but with different textures (like Pandaren have). Blizz solved this with that system and gave all the races unique faces but didn't require redoing animations for each one, iirc

I doubt Blizz will change the faces now, however, so Nightborne just look like nelves with paint and some earrings slapped onto them... not interested

[Deleted]

It's a lot more work than you think to change a model like that and adjust all the facial animations, and they don't want to do that for ever sub race, making new facial animations. Sub races are something they can develop quicker because they use existing models that are fully animated, just drop a new skin onto them.

Not as much as you think, sister. Comment below me touched upon it.

Didn't they have a system whereby the devs could change a face and still have it use the race's facial animations? I remember ''same face'' being a big issue in the WoD beta; all the races had one face, but with different textures (like Pandaren have). Blizz solved this with that system and gave all the races unique faces but didn't require redoing animations for each one, iirc

I doubt Blizz will change the faces now, however, so Nightborne just look like nelves with paint and some earrings slapped onto them... not interested

Yes, it is unfortunate, brother. Nightborne have distinctive appearance, I would love to see it preserved.