Famelic lizards form is final, DF release date announced

[Cynical Asshole]

I just wish there was more player choice where visage form is concerned, why is everybody shoe-horned into a Human/Elf hybrid?

Because deadlines.

The fact that Dracthyr can only be Evokers in order to save Blizzard time and resources implementing all off the classes' animations, should have been your first clue.

[NatePsy]

Because deadlines.

The fact that Dracthyr can only be Evokers in order to save Blizzard time and resources implementing all off the classes' animations, should have been your first clue.

If I remember right, Visage form works a lot like Human form for Worgen, you shift into your actual form when entering combat so if it works like that, they wouldn't have to design much, if any of the animations for the other races. Just sucks that we can't be like actual dragons and pick our own race visages.

[Khaza-R]

While I dislike the lack of transmog, I would also question what is your opinion on druids? Guardian, Feral and Moonkin? Moonkins at least can get that transparent blue form, but there are not that many bear and cat forms available.

Therefore, I'm trying to look dracthyr/evoker from same point of view as druids.

As a druid main:

Transforming into an animal is part of the class fantasy. Boomkin was always kind of stupid but becoming savage and feral is thematic to druids. I don't get how wearing pseudo-armor is part of the Evoker/Dracythr fantasy.

[Varanus]

Because deadlines.

The fact that Dracthyr can only be Evokers in order to save Blizzard time and resources implementing all off the classes' animations, should have been your first clue.

Well, all the animations are there. Its quite apparent if you use something like Ai-Lis skymirror on a drachtyr. Or if you look on wowhead. You can see them all perfectly functional.

[Nightshade711]

Blizzard making it so Dracthyr NPCs can wear hats but still won’t let us

[Nymrohd]

Well, all the animations are there. Its quite apparent if you use something like Ai-Lis skymirror on a drachtyr. Or if you look on wowhead. You can see them all perfectly functional.

Plus we are expressly told that Evokers are the elite among the Dracthyr and we see Dracthyr with melee weapons all over the place. I mean the ships we get to Dragon Isles with are guarded by Dracthyr warriors with 2h swords.

[Colingreen]

Anyone know if that one is for sale on Zatu?

[Auburst]

I've been playing a druid since the game launched, and sure, the Dracthyr could be seen from the same point of view, but I honestly don't understand why you would create a new race in 2022 and not allow it to wear armor, if it was some parts of the armor like the mechagnomes then sure, especially because those are basically gnomes but with robot arms and legs, they are not really a completely new race/model whatever.

There are so many bad choices around the Dracthyr, like...objective bad choices, I'll try to list some of them:

• They create a new race without allowing it to show your armor, arguably the most important visual customization the game has, you can only show your shoulders and belt, which is basically like nothing given that nowadays the new sets have a ton of 3D pieces all over your body.
• They choose to have only one model with a shit-ton of customization options, and this is the perfect example of ''having a lot of options doesn't necessarily make it better'' because most of the options you can't even notice, things like small spikes in your chin and stuff like that, oh! and you can't even customize your fucking wings, which is insane if you think about it, given that you will see them most of the time while you play, and they are supposed to be a big part of how the race works (dragonflight, hover abilities, etc)
• For some reason Blizzard thought that the design of the race was in line with the universe and the art style, it's like...if you don't know about the Dracthyr, and someone told you that in the next expansion they are going to implement a dragon playable race, and that on top of that they are supposed to be Neltharion's elite soldiers, infused with the power of all the dragonflights, if you have been playing the game for years and you have seen how dragons look in this game...there is no way you would imagine something that looks like the Dracthyr model, no fucking way.
• Then we have the Visage form, absolutely no one asked or was expecting the visage form to be like this, I guarantee you that every single person on the planet thought that you would be able to choose whatever mortal race to have as your visage form, why? because that's what every other freaking dragon does in this universe. Instead, for some reason the art team choose to lock you with an edited male blood elf body and an edited female human body, adding more customization options and giving them new textures, and this is an example of ''work better, not harder'' because all those customizations are irrelevant the moment you only allow people to be one mortal race, they did more work than what was expected, at the expense of not doing what everyone thought they were going to do, it's insane. They just needed to let you choose whatever race you want without giving them extra customizations like every other dragon does in the game, and the funniest thing is that the visage form is supposed to be something that the dragons have to blend with the mortals...well, you can't hide the scales on their faces, only with some hairstyles that cover the forehead, and that is inexcusable, so good job I guess.

There are bad artistic choices everywhere, because they are not conveying what they want to convey, the Dracthyr don't look like super soldiers (sometimes they don't even look like dragons) and the visage form doesn't look like something you would have to blend with society because you don't look completely like any other mortal race and you can't hide 100% of the dragon features on your model.
I'll play one to try it, but even if they add every class to them in the future I honestly have no interest in playing one of them the way they are done right now, and the saddest part is that I don't think they will ever change them or add more options, so I guess proper playable dragons is something will never happen in wow...

If these things are meant to be Dragonkin, they should at least have bulkier options. And the fact that their build fits their class is kind of a part of the perception problem here, due to the fact that our Dragonkin is designed to be completly useless in melee. Doesn't fit Dragon-like race at all for me.

Some fucking hard truths bout em shitty salamanders.

Blizzard should wake up and announce more options. They prolly won't do that before 10.1 though cause they have secured sales for launch.

[Toppy]

Been noticing a weird thing with blizzard fans acting like Drakthyr's design choice was somehow out of blizzards hands. They decided to give them an NPC model rather than a PC model. They decided to only allow the elf and human visage while at the same time saying its canon that they can choose any race for their visage.

They are the most highly funded MMO team in the business.

I dont get why this can be defended. It was such a clearly bad decision that was immediately called out as nonsense yet here we are, such a terrible choice being defended.

[Teriz]

Been noticing a weird thing with blizzard fans acting like Drakthyr's design choice was somehow out of blizzards hands. They decided to give them an NPC model rather than a PC model. They decided to only allow the elf and human visage while at the same time saying its canon that they can choose any race for their visage.

They are the most highly funded MMO team in the business.

I dont get why this can be defended. It was such a clearly bad decision that was immediately called out as nonsense yet here we are, such a terrible choice being defended.

Lore is running into the restrictions of game design. Blizzard would never allow a playable race to take on the appearance of every other race in the game. That would give said race an insane advantage to the point where no one would choose any other race except for maybe racials.

So to compensate, Blizzard gave Dracthyr a visage form that is a mixture of two of the most popular races in the game, and gave it unique qualities to show that it is still draconic.

[Toppy]

Lore is running into the restrictions of game design. Blizzard would never allow a playable race to take on the appearance of every other race in the game. That would give said race an insane advantage to the point where no one would choose any other race except for maybe racials.

So to compensate, Blizzard gave Dracthyr a visage form that is a mixture of two of the most popular races in the game, and gave it unique qualities to show that it is still draconic.

That argument is complete none-sense when Drac can only be one class and said form doesn't work in combat. Likewise adding the horns to other races would not be a difficult thing to do. Scales yes, horns no.

[Teriz]

That argument is complete none-sense when Drac can only be one class and said form doesn't work in combat. Likewise adding the horns to other races would not be a difficult thing to do. Scales yes, horns no.

Except Blizzard could potentially allow Dracthyr to be other classes in the future, so no it isn't a nonsense argument. You would make Dracthyr the most played race in the game to the point that all other races would be completely obsolete.

[Rageonit]

Been noticing a weird thing with blizzard fans acting like Drakthyr's design choice was somehow out of blizzards hands. They decided to give them an NPC model rather than a PC model. They decided to only allow the elf and human visage while at the same time saying its canon that they can choose any race for their visage.

They are the most highly funded MMO team in the business.

I dont get why this can be defended. It was such a clearly bad decision that was immediately called out as nonsense yet here we are, such a terrible choice being defended.

If I had to guess, I'd say they gave Dracthyr limited visage forms, because they decided it's not worth to put even more time and effort into those. Visage forms - along with the Dracthyr form - have hands down the most detailed customization options out of all available races, so allowing more visages would require plenty of work. In what world is it feasible and justified to put so much effort into a race that will be played by less than 5% of the playerbase (that's based on past history of new races & classes)? The answer is simple: in none. Contrary to what people seem to think, giving them more visage forms would have very little effect on the general popularity of the race (esp. considering it can be only one class), so it seems rather sensible to save time and just ignore the whinning. I'd do that.

[Heavionix]

It's the single most punishing spell if you get kicked, CC'd or otherwise interrupt the cast.

Chaos Bolt has entered the chat

[Caiphon]

Chaos Bolt has entered the chat

I mean CB at least lets you keep the shards, Disintegrate gobbles up all 3 essence the moment the channel starts.

There's an argument for CB in terms of kicks as Disintegrate kicks let you cast fire, but for other forms of CC and movement CB is much more forgiving.

[Toppy]

If I had to guess, I'd say they gave Dracthyr limited visage forms, because they decided it's not worth to put even more time and effort into those. Visage forms - along with the Dracthyr form - have hands down the most detailed customization options out of all available races, so allowing more visages would require plenty of work. In what world is it feasible and justified to put so much effort into a race that will be played by less than 5% of the playerbase (that's based on past history of new races & classes)? The answer is simple: in none. Contrary to what people seem to think, giving them more visage forms would have very little effect on the general popularity of the race (esp. considering it can be only one class), so it seems rather sensible to save time and just ignore the whinning. I'd do that.

I mean, we kinda know the why of visage. It was one of their newer artists pet projects, a new race they made up and wanted in game. Doesnt matter that just putting horns on existing races, you know, how dragons had been working, would have been a lot better received.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I mean, we kinda know the why of visage. It was one of their newer artists pet projects, a new race they made up and wanted in game. Doesnt matter that just putting horns on existing races, you know, how dragons had been working, would have been a lot better received.

Do we know which artist was the lead in the race? Is there an art station or something to look at there other work?

[Rageonit]

I mean, we kinda know the why of visage. It was one of their newer artists pet projects, a new race they made up and wanted in game. Doesnt matter that just putting horns on existing races, you know, how dragons had been working, would have been a lot better received.

A lot better received by whom exactly? That's just conjecture and, as much as it might hurt you, something not even worth discussing. The way the race & class work, it would have miniscule influence on the race's general popularity. Truth be told, it doesn't even matter that much how they've been done, so it's mostly a matter of "creative choice", nothing else, nothing more. If you think doing the race the way you'd want it would translate into much greater popularity, you're wrong. No, the whole playerbase wouldn't suddenly switch to be Evokers, no matter how "well" in your eyes the race would be made. At best, inestead of 3% of players being Dracthyrs, we would have 3.1%. Boo freakin hoo.

[ro9ue]

Be honest with yourselves. This is how WoW is now. The dude bros who liked heavy metal and Warhammer who wanted to make their own game with jacked orcs and humans have left the building. Look at the new animations and the creature models and compare them to what you see on Classic, just aesthetically. More polygons but less Warcraft.

Their flagship expansion feature of a race or class isn't something cool old Warcraft fans wanted for years. It's this new deviantart/tumblr furry lizard. This isn't a mistake. They've heard the feedback and complaints. They don't care.

This is what World of Warcraft is now. Accept it or move on.

[VinceVega]

Yeah when I made an Evoker and took a few steps I noticed the terrible run animation right away. It is reeeaaally bad lol

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Looooool this one of the most dramatic and silly things I’ve read on here. Ty for that

Why? Opinions and taste are bit difficult to argue about.
I think they look unfitting.

They land strongly in the uncanny valley for me. Which makes it wierd, that they run around naked. I honestly think that if they even give them a loincloth it would be half as bad for me. Can't change that.

It just looks like... remember Alan Rickmans character in Dogma?

Or just enable the freaking transmog for them...