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  1. #1

    Druid forms need an update

    If the races got new models, new animations, and new customization options, i think the druid forms should get the same treatment, as we spend most of our time in them. I am aware that they recently got updated combat, walking and running animations, but i still think it could be improved.

    Cat Form

    Standing


    Notice how it's not crouching, it's not moving erratically like a mortal kombat character, the tail is curved at the end, the claws are retracted, the mouth is sometimes open sometimes closed, the face is not constantly snarling, it has whiskers, the ears are mostly pointing forward, and they have a black outliner around their mouth.

    Walking


    Notice how it's not stalking, but instead walking calmly upright.

    Trotting


    There is a middle ground between walking and running, and that is trotting. there should be a middle option for cat form, which is neither walking nor running.

    Running (& sprinting)


    Running can not be in slow motion, as it devalues the feel of the animation. therefore, running should start out slowly and then speed up untill it reaches maximum speed.

    Balance


    When they chase their prey, they use their tail to maintain balance. therefore, it should be animated accordingly in-game.

    Stealthing


    Notice how it is now crouching, and not while standing or walking. the shoulders create a hump, and the movement is very slowly, unlike the silly fast tracking we had untill recently. now, blizzard decided to give the stealth animation a normal running animation, and while out of stealth you are still crouching. i don't get their logic.

    Cowering


    Although not really present in big cats, it would be nice to have a cowering animation while being feared. Notice the arched back, tail between the legs, eyes wide open, ears back and legs stretched.

    Stretching


    They mostly got it right, except for the extraction of the claws, the tongue sticking out and the eyes being shut.

    Jumping


    I think they used it as an inspiration for the first WoW cinematic, when the druid transforms into a panther and jumps down the waterfall. even so, the intricacies of the limbs and the tail in action are not so visible in the in-game model.

    Attacking


    Much more expressive and fearsome than the in-game model. Notice the snarl, the ears go back, the head is lower, the body is puffed to give an impression of being bigger, the mouth is wide open, baring the teeth, the eyes are squinted a little bit, the tail moving erratically, and the muscles are very accentuated.

    Pouncing


    Never seen a better example. Look at how the jaw is wide open, the claws are extracted, the ears go back, the tail is moving, and the limbs are stretched.

    Clawing


    Notice the rapid swings, instead of trying to grab your leg, like the in-game model does.

    Eating


    Notice how it's chewing (while laying down) sideways, and that is because cats can't move their jaws from side to side, like us.

    Drinking


    same as the kneel animation, but instead of moving the head and mouth, animate a tongue.

    Digging


    Using both his arms most of the time, at a much faster rate, his back is arched and the tail is curved.

    Roaring


    The tiger roars (or hisses) by snarling, baring his teeth, squinting the eyes and flattening his ears.



    The lion roars by clenching his mouth and emiting a long distance sound.

    Swimming (above water & underwater)


    Pretty much as in-game, except the eyes are a bit shut.



    Notice the snarl and the ears are flattened.

    Sleeping


    The eyes are shut for god sake. and the only thing visible is the breathing. animate the eyes so they can be shut closed. same goes for combat - when the cat dodges, for example, the eyes should blink.

    Defensive Posture


    They lay on their back, baring their teeth and clawing at everything near them in order to protect their vital organs. this animation should be associated with a defensive cooldown, which reduces physical damage taken for the duration.

    Climbing


    Should be an animation in-game, as it is an integral part of what it means being a cat. let us climb trees in-game.

    Ears



    An ear twitch or ear movement should be added to increase the immersion of playing a big cat.

    Tail


    A tail swing should be added from time to time, to increase the feel of playing a big cat. and i don't mean the movement from side to side like we have now, but a more elaborate twisting of the tail. and make it curve at the end, for god sake.

    Licking


    It would be nice to have your character lick their lips from time to time, to increase immersion.

    Blinking


    Same goes for blinking.

    Claws


    Claws should remain retracted, untill you get into combat or other activities (or unless you are in cheetah form).

    Night Time Vision


    Their eyes glow in the dark.

    Shaking


    It would be nice to have a shaking off animation that will get rid of water, snow or sand accumulated on the character from rain, snowstorm or sandstorm in-game.

    Scratching


    Cats scratch trees to mark their territory.
    Blizzard couls potentially associate it with a buff: "Sharpen your claws, increasing your damage by X for Y min.

    Twisting


    Most cats land on their feet due to their flexible spines.
    Blizzard could associate such an animation with a knock off effect, like how our characters get up.

    Now, as for customization options, i think they should let us have more species available for us as options instead of associating a race to a single species (and giving them different fur colors). for example:

    Leopard

    Black Panther

    Clouded Leopard

    Tiger

    Snow Leopard

    Lion (Male & Female variants)

    Jaguar

    Caracal

    Lynx

    Cheetah (Travel Form - Glyph of the cheetah)

    Cougar


    Bear Form

    Standing


    The bear is not crouching, like it is in-game, where the head and belly are almost touching the ground, and the legs are bent. Moreover, the in-game model is missing the iconic hump of a bear. their face is not permanently snarled, and their mouth is sometimes open sometimes closed. their eyes are also very small in comparison with their face.

    Walking


    Not so much stylized, but rather calm and smooth.

    Slow Run


    The middle ground between walking and running.

    Running


    Notice how you can feel the weight of his body, because of the muscles and fat rippling through the fur.

    Roaring


    Bears roar by opening their mouth, baring their teeth and curling their lips. they sometimes do it while standing upright on two legs.

    Fighting


    Bears mostly wrestle and bite, with some pushing and roaring.

    Attacking


    Again, using the mouth to toss around their victim.



    Using their claws as well to tear at the enemy.

    scratching


    Bears usually scratch their backs on trees.

    Pouncing


    They use this to drive prey out of its hiding.

    Digging


    Jumping


    Notice how their ass is not prominent (if you get what i mean).

    Swimming (and diving)



    Sleeping


    The eyes are shut.

    Signs of aggression


    Before they fight, they lower their heads, and tap with their mouths, usually staring at the opponent.

    Charge


    Should be slightly different than the running animation.

    Standing upright


    To combine with a roar or an attack.

    Sniffing


    Bears sniff a lot. and they also blink from time to time.

    Mouth


    The mouth of the bear, especially the lips, are very flexible and should be animated accordingly.

    Shaking


    It would be nice to have a shaking off animation that would get rid of water, snow or sand accumulated on the character from rain, snowstorm or sandstorm in-game.

    As with the cat form, i think Blizzard should add more diversity, rather than just fur color:

    Brown Bear

    Polar Bear

    American Black Bear

    Asian Black bear

    Sun bear

    Sloth Bear

    Spectacled Bear

    Panda Bear


    With Dragonflight introducing Dragonriding, i've decided to add a Flight Form section, alongside Travel and Aquatic forms, in the hopes that it would one day be like that. Since there are many types of birds, i decided to go with Birds of Prey for the Druid Flight Form.

    Flight Form

    Flying


    The feet are retracted, the tail is used for steering and the head moves to scan the surroundings.

    Taking off


    Not just a simple take off, but one that takes effort.

    Diving


    Just like how Dragonriding allows you to dive, i think it should be added to flight form to increase immersion.

    Landing


    Upon reaching the ground, there should be a landing animation.

    Hovering


    Much faster flapping of the wings to stay in the air, with the feet retracted and the body horizontal instead of vertical.

    Soaring



    Much more tilted than what we have now, like Dragonriding.

    Walking


    They should add a walking animation, as birds have feet.

    Running


    Same as with walking, birds can run. Looks very similar to Protodragons.

    Blinking


    Birds blink from time to time.

    Headbobbing


    Most birds usually bob their head around to scan their environment.

    Calling


    Some birds can emit a calling from their mouths.

    Attacking



    Birds of Prey use their beaks and claws to fight each other or tear at their prey.

    Eating\Drinking



    Birds of Prey rip chunks of meat off of their prey and swallow them whole. When drinking, they sip and move it down their throats.

    Flapping


    Birds will sometimes flap their wings to stretch before flying.

    Grooming & shaking off


    Birds often clean themselves and their wings.
    Iike other animals, they do this to dry up their feathers.

    Swimming\Diving




    Not the most elegant, but they can still proper themselves to move across bodies of water.
    The diving can be inspired by aquatic birds.

    Digging


    Birds can use their feet to dig.

    The customizations available should be:
    Eagle

    Hawk

    Falcon

    Owl

    Vulture


    Travel Form
    For the Travel Form, i decided to go with the Deer, as the Icon for the ability is a hoof. For those wanting to stick with Cheetas, you've got the Cat From section for reference.

    Walking


    A bit stiff, but you get the general idea.

    Running


    Sort of a gallop.

    Hopping


    The unique trait of deers is their ability to hop.

    Jumping


    Different than hopping.

    Sleeping


    Sleeping. With eyes shut.

    Attacking



    Deer attack either by using their antlers or their legs.

    Calling


    Some deer, like the Elk, are able to use a unique call.

    Grazing\Drinking



    A grazing animation would be natural for such a form, as well as drinking.

    Tail


    Deer can wag their tail.

    Grooming



    Deer sometimes use their antlers to scratch themselves, and their tongue to clean themselves.

    Ears



    An ear movement from time to time would be a welcome addition.

    Shaking off


    A shaking off animation, removing accumulated water or snow, would be great as well.

    Swimming


    A swimming animation. Though, i don't know how deer look when they dive underwater (if they ever do).

    Digging


    A digging animation, for when you collect things.

    Example of Deer species for customization options:
    Tufted Deer

    Fallow Deer

    Elk

    Reindeer

    White-tailed Deer

    Moose


    Aquatic Form

    I decided to go with the whale family, despite the iconic seal form, since the icon is that of a whale fin. Just like Dragonriding, i want it to have an assortment of fluid and rapid movements to best represent the feel of playing one.

    Swimming



    They mostly move their fin to propel themselves forward. Some can use their other fins.

    Blowhole


    They release a stream of water from their blowhole once they surface since they do not breath underwater.

    Bubbles


    Under water it looks like that, i guess.

    Skipping



    Although reserved to the smaller and more agile of the species, i think it should be represented.

    Diving


    When diving, i want a splash of water coming from the water surface due to your fin.

    Movements


    Jumping out of water. Most likely to stun fish.




    Rolling underwater. Either sideways or forward\backward.

    Tricks





    Some of the species can perform amazing tricks.

    The various Aquatic Forms should be:
    Humpback Whale

    Sperm Whale

    Dolphin

    Killer Whale

    Beluga

    Narwhal
    Last edited by username993720; 2024-03-15 at 05:46 PM.

  2. #2
    Tbf, I'd love for them to show cat form some love, especially with male and female variants where it makes sense. I'd also love being able to adopt other cat forms from the game such as MoP tigers and such. I hoped that with the updated feral form animations, they'd add a proper big cat stealth as well, but alas...

    But sadly, they haven't even bothered updating 90% of the old mob cat models, and when they do I very much doubt they'll go down the GW2 route of actually making each species look different from the other. I hope they will, but I doubt it.

    Not to mention the fact that it's 15 years later and they still can't accurately animate a horse's canter/gallop...


    PS. I'm pretty sure that Trotting comes before canter and then gallop, the cheetah is trotting.
    Last edited by Queen of Hamsters; 2020-04-17 at 04:42 PM.

  3. #3
    This is a very tall order Blizz probably wouldn't want to put this much effort into a single class, updated forms maybe, but a complete overhaul is unlikely

  4. #4
    Druid forms can definitely use more customization and general dev love. I still find it atrociously annoying that druids can only use their Legion class "mount" if they're in a fly zone. Why not just make it it's own button so we don't have to wait a year into an expansion to use it in current content...

    But yeah, unfortunately druids always get the short end of the stick with appearance things.
    The proper waifu is a wholesome supplement for one's intrinsic need for belonging and purpose.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by username993720 View Post
    Great. Didn't want to sleep tonight anyway.

    Some good ideas, but stuff like retractable claws are way too complex for WoW's model system, for something that barely anyone would notice.

    You also misinterpret many of the scenes shown in your GIFs, I think.
    Clawing: no claws involved in that scene, else the lion would react quite differently. It's playful/annoyed batting.
    Defensive: again, more like a slight squabble. In a real fight, the female lion would try to get up again.
    But your duty to Azeroth is not yet complete. More is demanded of you... a price the living cannot pay.

  6. #6
    That's a lot of cat pictures. But what you ask for ain't gonna happen. Cats, bears and moonkins were updated in Legion. The update mostly involved more polygons and higher resolution textures. I wouldn't count any major updates beside maybe some animation changes, they did change bear standing animation in BfA. But new customization or new models aren't gonna happen. Maybe they could give some more color vaiants but I doubt even that will happen.

  7. #7
    And here I was thinking this would just be another shitpost with little effort put into it. I never really cared much about how the models looked despite maining a druid, but now I will forever be questioning why I'm trying to kneecap my foes as a feral.

    Also while GW2 might have had more fleshed out models the one in the big picture just screams "oh god kill me know" in my eyes.

    EDIT:

    Quote Originally Posted by Nathanyel View Post
    Great. Didn't want to sleep tonight anyway.
    Guess someone beat me to it.

  8. #8
    LOL at Gw2 pets looking good.

    Also the cat form is in "stalking mode" because a druid should be in that form on a mission not fucking around at the AH. You really wanna be the druid that forgot it was a humanoid and has been running around fucking cats?

    Also WoW has cartoon style graphics and is set in a completely different universe with magic. Or should we remove stealth from druids so you can get a more accurate stalking mode?

  9. #9
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    You don't wanna play WoW, you wanna play Cat Simulator with mods.

  10. #10
    Could you at least choose whether you'd like them to base it on big cats(i.e. tigers, lions etc.) or small cats(house cats, cheetahs, pumas...)?

  11. #11
    Sorry dude, no idea why would you believe that it would be smart to put this much effort into one classes spec form. What you are asking for requires shit ton of development time. I mean, claws sticking out on /yawn animation? Seriously??

    Sure, some updates to IMPORTANT animations would be neat, but what you are asking for is so unrealistic that I see no point even discussing it.

  12. #12
    Added the Bear Form section.

  13. #13
    I was going to complain about how much love Blizzard has already given us in regards to druid forms, but your post was pretty entertaining.

  14. #14
    I'm laughing going through these, but sadly it won't happen, for various reasons, the first is the engine they currently use is..OLD and heavily modified to heck

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by melzas View Post
    Sorry dude, no idea why would you believe that it would be smart to put this much effort into one classes spec form. What you are asking for requires shit ton of development time. I mean, claws sticking out on /yawn animation? Seriously??

    Sure, some updates to IMPORTANT animations would be neat, but what you are asking for is so unrealistic that I see no point even discussing it.
    Blizzard set the bar themselves:



  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by username993720 View Post
    Blizzard set the bar themselves:
    Because a cinematic is such a good benchmark for actual gameplay.

    You have completely different requirements and goals there that allow for different animation quality.

  17. #17
    I'm not really expecting them to implement all of it, but i do hope they take notes.

  18. #18
    Instead of turning you into a savage looking beast (Hello Grizlemaw). Let us (developers) turn you into Ashanvale or Zuldazar, shallow looking NPC.

    Current bear forms are obnoxious and it needs some love, (this includes fixing slow walking animations).

    Once again Grizlemaw wins the day.

  19. #19
    Amazing thread, OP!

  20. #20
    As we've seen with the races, animations are much more expressive in a cartoonish-style game like WoW, than in a realistic-looking game.

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