Anyone else find it weird that...

[Tolfor]

The decision to add such and such race to horde or alliance is chosen by Blizz.

Blizzard decides which race is relevant and which isn't. There's no point arguing this. If Blizzard really wanted Taunkas as a playable race, they would take some time to create some story behind the reasons, so everything is up to them.

Wow, the developers of the game decide what goes in the game? I never would have puzzled that one out without your very helpful comments.

[Mirishka]

Source: my ass

Ridiculous as it sounds, Blizzard actually did say that - they wanted a more attractive race for that market. I was surprised the quote didn't blow up more than it did because I found it absurd.

[fikcrim]

Versus Highmountain and their sexy antlers?

Yeah, Highmountain look good. They look really great and I always liked them. It's kinda weird to see people saying they don't look good. For comparison.

Taunka:



Highmountain Tauren:




I mean the best I could say about Taunka is that they look fascinatingly hideous, so I guess at least they are interesting in a way, but if you are in charge of WoW and you have to decide which of these two to make a playable race, you should be fired if you say Taunka.

[Kyphael]

Yeah, Highmountain look good. They look really great and I always liked them. It's kinda weird to see people saying they don't look good. For comparison.

Taunka:



Highmountain Tauren:




I mean the best I could say about Taunka is that they look fascinatingly hideous, so I guess at least they are interesting in a way, but if you are in charge of WoW and you have to decide which of these two to make a playable race, you should be fired if you say Taunka.

Good point, but that has a lot to do with the fact Taunka's graphics are outdated by current standards. Are they pretty to look at? No, but Tauren in general aren't playable because they're aesthetically pleasing, but rather brutishly cool. If Taunka got model updates, they would look a lot better. They have a pretty distinct look, almost like a Tauren mixed in with a Yeti, and one of the main criticisms for the "lazier" allied races has been "oh, they just slapped tattoos on a Draenei or antlers on a Tauren." Taunka faces look entirely unique, though.

[Valakar]

The reason why we didn't get taunka, or even youngol, is because HM tauren were the easiest choice. The model is already there, they just gave it antlers and a few new skins.

Ogres in the Horde sounds great, and way overdue, but the problem with them are the females. People are curious, of course, and they will want to see the female ogres and check out the dance and the flirts, but as soon as part of them dies inside they'll forget all about that model's existence. I think Blizzard are well aware that making female ogres is a complete and total waste.

[fikcrim]

Good point, but that has a lot to do with the fact Taunka's graphics are outdated by current standards.

I honestly don't think so. I think it's just their face that looks fucked up. The weird thing is that their face looks sort of too human, but in a deformed way.

Even in Wrath I thought they looked horrible, which I didn't think about other races, so it wasn't a matter of graphics.

[Sangris]

Ridiculous as it sounds, Blizzard actually did say that - they wanted a more attractive race for that market. I was surprised the quote didn't blow up more than it did because I found it absurd.

They already said this as far back as TBC. They did not hide the fact that Blood Elves were (successfully) introduced to incentivize people to play Horde, as there was a serious faction imbalance in vanilla. It certainly didn't help that every single Horde race was hunched (at least the males). The only thing that wasn't said back then was that it happened mostly because of Asian demand, which was apparently stated in that classic dev's diary that they released some time ago.

[jzhbee]

It's one of those unfounded rumors with no credibility but a lot of logical basis.

Yeah, lots of logical basis considering WoW only officially had 1.5 mil subs based in China during BC, so the western market mattered a lot more.

[fikcrim]

I honestly don't think so. I think it's just their face that looks fucked up. The weird thing is that their face looks sort of too human, but in a deformed way.

Even in Wrath I thought they looked horrible, which I didn't think about other races, so it wasn't a matter of graphics.

To be fair, I found some concept art and fan updated models that actually make them look quite good.



https://www.ownedcore.com/forums/wor...hd-models.html

Now I could see myself playing one.

You know what. I've changed my mind. Now I want them.

[Kyphael]

I honestly don't think so. I think it's just their face that looks fucked up. The weird thing is that their face looks sort of too human, but in a deformed way.

Even in Wrath I thought they looked horrible, which I didn't think about other races, so it wasn't a matter of graphics.

They weren't introduced in Wrath were they? They were introduced in Mists, which sort of does reinforce your point because they were introduced in the same expansion as Pandaren, who haven't and presumably won't need a model update since they already look pretty damn good and set the standard for all subsequent model updates. That must be a really bad pic, I know the Taunka ain't pretty to look at but those graphics look pretty bad for Mists of Pandaria..

Here's a better one.



Looks like an abominable snowman mixed in with a Tauren model, which looks pretty cool to me. I'd rather have gotten them than Highmountain Tauren.



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To be fair, I found some concept art and fan updated models that actually make them look quite good.



https://www.ownedcore.com/forums/wor...hd-models.html

Now I could see myself playing one.

You know what. I've changed my mind. Now I want them.

There you go! lol

[Loveletters]

Ridiculous as it sounds, Blizzard actually did say that - they wanted a more attractive race for that market. I was surprised the quote didn't blow up more than it did because I found it absurd.

that is quite different from what he was quoting..

[Shadowsgrace]

So were Dark Iron Dwarves but they still made it in. I get OP's point. Why did we get Highmountain instead of Taunka?

And what Rep grind would Blizzard block them off with?

[Valakar]

They weren't introduced in Wrath were they? They were introduced in Mists

Taunka are in Northrend, Youngol are in Pandaria.

[Kyphael]

They weren't introduced in Wrath were they? They were introduced in Mists, which sort of does reinforce your point because they were introduced in the same expansion as Pandaren, who haven't and presumably won't need a model update since they already look pretty damn good and set the standard for all subsequent model updates. That must be a really bad pic, I know the Taunka ain't pretty to look at but those graphics look pretty bad for Mists of Pandaria..

Here's a better one.



Looks like an abominable snowman mixed in with a Tauren model, which looks pretty cool to me. I'd rather have gotten them than Highmountain Tauren.



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There you go! lol

It just hit me what the Taunka remind me of!



Except with hooves instead of paws and claws.

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Taunka are in Northrend, Youngol are in Pandaria.

Oh snap, I got my Tauren cousins all crossed!

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And what Rep grind would Blizzard block them off with?

Didn't they have a rep bar in the expansion they featured in?

[Starscream101]

Because Taunka look like shit.

I like the Bison look wish i could turn my druid into one

[Powerogue]

Still wondering why Ogres aren't part of the Horde. There is no valid reason. And don't say they are too big because their size can be scaled down if needed.

Their sole defining characteristics are "big", "dumb" and "fat." I have never seen the appeal.

Though as similarly dim-witted as they may be, I would not be against hozen. Generally I'd like an allied race to be creative and/or relevant to recent content.

[Gref]

@Kyphael that very firstmale taunka picture you posted, If that male taunka's face doesn't look like Tobin Bell from the jigsaw(john kramer when diognized with a cancer or tumor in the movie. that face. exactly that face.) I don't know what else.
Never realized until now.

[Muajin76]

Life changing comment. I never realize this.

My life has surely changed due to their decisions on races to play. :P

[MrKnubbles]

Their sole defining characteristics are "big", "dumb" and "fat." I have never seen the appeal.

Though as similarly dim-witted as they may be, I would not be against hozen. Generally I'd like an allied race to be creative and/or relevant to recent content.

Many Ogres have two heads as well. That's a pretty big appeal to many. I've never been on board for Hozen. They don't seem intelligent enough to me. I don't mean they're dumb. I mean that they are animals and not human.

[Evaddon]

I play my Mag'har as if he's Mok'Nathal, because the whole alternate draenor thing still bugs me

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But majority of these should be be additional customization, LIKE I said before BFA came out...more customization, better character creation instead of ALLIED RACES