One thing to remember about allied races.

[Gamevizier]

I keep seeing people making this mistake aboutallied races when they make suggestions about potential allied races.

Guys and girls, allied races are not supposed to be completely new races. They are actually offshoots of a race that is currently playable (they're actually just sub-races) meaning that while some of the races in the game are using the same animation skeleton, like the vulpera using goblin skeletons, they are not exactly a subrace for a race that is currently playable.

So i dont think that vrykuls, naga, ethereals, etc are gonna be possible future allied races. Instead we should be talking about potential candidates which are part of a currently playable race. Like wildhammer dwarves, taunka, felwood worgen, the broken draenei, etc etc.

[shade3891]

Why would you say that?! Wasn't the whole reason for blizzard going with allied races so they would not be locked into sub races only...

[Steampunkette]

Ion Hazzikostas made it explicitly clear at Blizzcon that Allied Races are not Subraces.

As to Vulpera being a new Allied Race: I would rate the chances in the high 90th percentile and I'll tell you why.

Goblins need facial rigging. That's it. That's the whole reason I rate Vulpera so highly.

Because Goblins need facial rigging to bring their model quality up to equal with the other player models, the developers have got to set aside time to create that rigging. By doing the rigging for the Vulpera as an Allied Race, the Developers get double the bang for their buck. They make the facial rigging for Vulpera, reshape the bones slightly for the Goblin, and voila! Now they've got the Goblin Facial Rigging in place for the new model.

So yeah... We're probably going to see Vulpera as an allied race by 8.1 if they're not in at launch, which I kind of expect, to be honest.

[Deleted]

I keep seeing people making this mistake aboutallied races when they make suggestions about potential allied races.

Guys and girls, allied races are not supposed to be completely new races. They are actually offshoots of a race that is currently playable (they're actually just sub-races) meaning that while some of the races in the game are using the same animation skeleton, like the vulpera using goblin skeletons, they are not exactly a subrace for a race that is currently playable.

So i dont think that vrykuls, naga, ethereals, etc are gonna be possible future allied races. Instead we should be talking about potential candidates which are part of a currently playable race. Like wildhammer dwarves, taunka, felwood worgen, the broken draenei, etc etc.

I totally agree with you (and I have been saying the same thing for a while).
Allied races are de facto sub races, Blizzard just didn't like the term because they wanted the freedom to do what they had already planned in advance, and that is to give the (slightly modified) NE skeleton to Horde and the BE skeleton to Alliance.
People who expect Naga, Vrykul or Ethereals as allied races are just deluding themselves. Blizzard will never make Naga playable simply because they have no fucking legs. And even if they decided to rework all the existing amor model for them (no, not gonna happen) or for Vrykul or Ethereals they would definitely market them as entirely new races, and build another expansions around them.
Allied races are just a clever marketing strategy to sell some extra customisation options for existing races. At best, we're going to get straight-backed trolls (with a modified NE skeleton), fat or thin humans, and goblins with fur and tails.

[Deleted]

One of the reasons we're getting Allied Races is also the lore. Imagine, if we were getting 4 Horde races or 4 Alliance races in span of a year. That's 8 new leaders that need to be involved in a way. This way we get a hell of a lot new races without any side stuff really, just new playable character customization.

[Deleted]

One of the reasons we're getting Allied Races is also the lore. Imagine, if we were getting 4 Horde races or 4 Alliance races in span of a year. That's 8 new leaders that need to be involved in a way. This way we get a hell of a lot new races without any side stuff really, just new playable character customization.

Correct. And with no dedicated starting area either (no, the introductory scenario doesn't count as one, don't be silly, people).

[gushDH]

Allied races make players pay for more race changes, thus making blizzard more money.

They will make more allied races and there doesn't have to be any connection (like same skeletons). There will be nagas and ethereals etc if blizzard sees the development of them as playable races as a profitable project.


So, the one thing to actually remember about allied races is money, and that blizzard wants it.

[Darththeo]

I keep seeing people making this mistake aboutallied races when they make suggestions about potential allied races.

Guys and girls, allied races are not supposed to be completely new races. They are actually offshoots of a race that is currently playable (they're actually just sub-races) meaning that while some of the races in the game are using the same animation skeleton, like the vulpera using goblin skeletons, they are not exactly a subrace for a race that is currently playable.

So i dont think that vrykuls, naga, ethereals, etc are gonna be possible future allied races. Instead we should be talking about potential candidates which are part of a currently playable race. Like wildhammer dwarves, taunka, felwood worgen, the broken draenei, etc etc.

This isn't support at all.

[Khaza-R]

Allied races make players pay for more race changes, thus making blizzard more money.

They will make more allied races and there doesn't have to be any connection (like same skeletons). There will be nagas and ethereals etc if blizzard sees the development of them as playable races as a profitable project.


So, the one thing to actually remember about allied races is money, and that blizzard wants it.

Not really. Allied races all use recycled assets minus a few tweaks and a new voice over. That’s why we are getting so many of them

Races like Naga and Ethereals require a lot more work due to them having a unique anatomy or being particle heavy. And that’s fine because if they are ever added they should get their own starting zones and play a larger part in the story than allied races ever will

- - - Updated - - -

This isn't support at all.

Explain then

[Darththeo]

Explain then

Literally, no one at Blizzard has stated anything of the sort they must be exclusively subraces.

[StationaryHawk]

To my knowledge, Blizzard has never stated that this bizarre restriction is a thing.

[Deleted]

I keep seeing people making this mistake aboutallied races when they make suggestions about potential allied races.

Guys and girls, allied races are not supposed to be completely new races. They are actually offshoots of a race that is currently playable (they're actually just sub-races) meaning that while some of the races in the game are using the same animation skeleton, like the vulpera using goblin skeletons, they are not exactly a subrace for a race that is currently playable.

So i dont think that vrykuls, naga, ethereals, etc are gonna be possible future allied races. Instead we should be talking about potential candidates which are part of a currently playable race. Like wildhammer dwarves, taunka, felwood worgen, the broken draenei, etc etc.

Allied races are not sub races. They are exactly that, races that have allied with either Horde/Alliance due to us having earned their respect/trust.

[Deleted]

To my knowledge, Blizzard has never stated that this bizarre restriction is a thing.

Its not really a bizarre restriction if allied races are just a renamed version of subraces.

Its definitely what they look like so far :/

[Wolftusk]

Ion Hazzikostas made it explicitly clear at Blizzcon that Allied Races are not Subraces.

As to Vulpera being a new Allied Race: I would rate the chances in the high 90th percentile and I'll tell you why.

Goblins need facial rigging. That's it. That's the whole reason I rate Vulpera so highly.

Because Goblins need facial rigging to bring their model quality up to equal with the other player models, the developers have got to set aside time to create that rigging. By doing the rigging for the Vulpera as an Allied Race, the Developers get double the bang for their buck. They make the facial rigging for Vulpera, reshape the bones slightly for the Goblin, and voila! Now they've got the Goblin Facial Rigging in place for the new model.

So yeah... We're probably going to see Vulpera as an allied race by 8.1 if they're not in at launch, which I kind of expect, to be honest.

You expect too much of blizzard. I'm against vulpera because I think it'll be an excuse for blizzard NOT to update the goblin models, because then they'd have to update the vulpera as well. Notice the complete lack of facial rigs for nightborne and lack of customization options for most (if not all) allied races released so far. Doubt they're gonna put much more work in the newer ones.

[Halyon]

Allied race would mean a race you ally with over common goals and after gaining their trust in some fashion. That's why they're not called subraces.

[Khaza-R]

Literally, no one at Blizzard has stated anything of the sort they must be exclusively subraces.

Agreed. If anything they said the opposite.

Logistically however, I think what the OP said is correct. They seem to want to create as little new assets as possible for the allied races. So that would make some choices more unlikely but not impossible

[The BrewCity Monk]

I keep seeing people making this mistake aboutallied races when they make suggestions about potential allied races.

Guys and girls, allied races are not supposed to be completely new races. They are actually offshoots of a race that is currently playable (they're actually just sub-races) meaning that while some of the races in the game are using the same animation skeleton, like the vulpera using goblin skeletons, they are not exactly a subrace for a race that is currently playable.

So i dont think that vrykuls, naga, ethereals, etc are gonna be possible future allied races. Instead we should be talking about potential candidates which are part of a currently playable race. Like wildhammer dwarves, taunka, felwood worgen, the broken draenei, etc etc.

So you think Blizz will give use more dwarfs, taurans, and draenais then give use Vrykuls, Vulperas, and other unique allies races that's not a 3rd version of a main race?

They already said "that any races with two feet can be a ally race." Datamining already proved that Vulpera are Horde and Kul'Trian are Alliance. So why would Blizz go through all this just for NPC creation? It would be a huge mistake to keep adding more of the same races just because a bunch of babies didn't get their High Elves or Wildhammer dwarfs.

[Steampunkette]

You expect too much of blizzard. I'm against vulpera because I think it'll be an excuse for blizzard NOT to update the goblin models, because then they'd have to update the vulpera as well. Notice the complete lack of facial rigs for nightborne and lack of customization options for most (if not all) allied races released so far. Doubt they're gonna put much more work in the newer ones.

... methinks you've mistaken where the cart goes relative to the Horse.

The Goblin Rig, animations and all, is what the Vulpera are using. They've got new Face Geometry that requires facial rigging. The Goblin Rig does not have facial rigging, currently. By adding facial rigging to the Vulpera model (And thus the underlying Goblin Rig) they now have Facial Rigging for a new Goblin Model to mount -on- the Rig.

Once the Goblin model is created it can then be put onto the Goblin Rig (Now with new facial rigging!) and be updated. Full stop. No need to change the Vulpera after that point.

And the Nightborne HAVE a facial rig. For both male and female nightborne.

Also have you SEEN the customization options for Draenor orcs, yet? Woof. Also the Velves who have just -scads- of new hairdos on either gender.

Any work on Vulpera helps them update Goblins. That's double-dipping work to productivity. That's faith in the power of laziness, Wolftusk.

[Hawkknight97]

So you think Blizz will give use more dwarfs, taurans, and draenais then give use Vrykuls, Vulperas, and other unique allies races that's not a 3rd version of a main race?

They already said "that any races with two feet can be a ally race." Datamining already proved that Vulpera are Horde and Kul'Trian are Alliance. So why would Blizz go through all this just for NPC creation? It would be a huge mistake to keep adding more of the same races just because a bunch of babies didn't get their High Elves or Wildhammer dwarfs.

Perhaps you miss the whole point of why people wanted subraces to begin with. You can't force people to play something that they don't want and have requesting subraces/races to play as for years like Wildhammer Dwarves, High Elves, Taunka Taurens, Broken Draenei, Dragonmaw Orcs, Vrykul Humans, and so much more.

Why would I want to play as a Void Elf? They have no interesting background other than they are just bunch of blood elves who went crazy with void research. Don't even get me started on the lack of customization with Hair colors, Hairstyles, and skin. Also the lack of no playable classes like Death Knights and Paladins for Void Elves. Same with Dark Iron Dwarves. I mean atleast Horde got something better in turn unlike the alliance that has uninteresting sub/allied races to choose from like Dark Iron Dwarves, Void Elves, and soon Stupid Vulpera race.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Lore wise they are new races. They aren't allied because they're easy. Heck, they're harder to recruit than the old new races, even if they're offshoots.

Design wise, well, take one look at Kul'tians and say they're offshoots.