Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Emet-Selch]

You are suggesting that, in a serious time of need for Blizzard's reputation, they would introduce a race reusing an entire animation set as a mainline expansion box addition?

... you know what company you are talking about, yes?

Also. Again. not sure how you can tell they share the same animations as the female dreadlords. Last I checked still images don't move.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Your proof consists of "this highly pixelated and artifacted image looks pixelated and artifacted. Also some weird clipping that could be explained away by it being in development"

And serious design issues. And animation reuse. And the inexplicable behavior of the posters. And the incongruities between the human and dragon models.

[cone of cold]

Here's my whole analysis that makes me think it's fake and probably from a Scalie server. My sister, who is an artist (though not a 3d artist) also helped with her eye for design.

Firstly, and most damningly, is exhibit #1—I am 100% sure this is actually a preexisting mesh applied to the body meant for a type of armor. How WoW used to do some armors (and still does for a few) is that they would actually make a new mesh for the underlying model. I think this was either accidentally or intentionally toggled for whatever reason—I think there's actually a Legion armor (for Mages IIRC) with "shorts", and the "shorts" over the legs were probably what was specifically toggled, because it reminds me of them. I don't recall which one, though. I think it might've been Nightborne-adjacent leveling gear, though. Exhibit #1 is the most awkward mistake I've seen on this model, which is surprising for being such a small one. I simply cannot explain it away.

Exhibit #2 has been done to death—the "nipples" people are seeing are the wings, which are an adjacent mesh that doesn't connect to the body as a whole (whereas I'd expect Blizzard to build the wings entirely into the model instead of using them as an attached mesh like eyes and Elven ears are, since they're probably neither separately attached to permit for easier customization (like hair, beards or eyes) nor need to be removed for some armor types like most mesh parts. This is pretty awkward to me, and it almost certainly confirms this can't be Blizzard because it's such an awkward, obvious and somewhat explicit mistake to make.

Exhibit #3 is the awkward horns that seem to have a metallic or crystalline texture—admittedly, it would look really pretty on a Blue Dragon specifically, since they are known to have crystalline growths sometimes, but it looks super awkward on this model. It is golden, too, so it doesn't match up with any preexisting flight. If they were purple, then this would actually give points to the leak because it would seem absolutely suitable for something related to Blue Dragons, since Senegos already has those kinds of growths. However, it's also awkward they don't appear in place of the chin spines (though they could just be a different customization option that allows them to be crystalline separately from the horns). It does seem like the crystalline horns are a customization option, since I think they're not on the red one we see in the other screenshot.

Exhibit #4 was pointed out by my sister, who noted that the heads are also smaller than most WoW model heads. I agree—this is one of the things that makes me think it's a Scalie model, along with the general softness and femininity of the face. The weird, angular eyes and the "eyelashes" really make me feel suspicious. The fact that the heads are smaller also makes it hard to believe this is a WoW model, since the heads are so often very large on Blizzard models.

Exhibit #5 is the translucent wings. They were mentioned by the leaker, but the way they work is a little awkward. It is possible the leaker noticed them but couldn't do anything about them, so he just added that to obfuscate them as a mistake or a weird design choice.

Exhibit #6 is that the feet look more like Worgen feet than, say, Sethrak or actual Dragon feet. My sister said that she's pretty sure it's not the same as the Worgen feet due to a larger lifted claw and there being three toes + dewclaw as opposed to four + dewclaw on the Worgen model, but I think it was based on them.

Exhibit #7 is the awkward texture shift. Most of the textures in the game are a little more subtle than this, whereas the textures shift very dramatically here and look a little inconsistent. The incongruity is damning. This was also pointed out by my sister. My sister also noted incongruous color shifts, but I don't really see it that much. She says it does look like a detail a Scalie who intends for them to wear minimal armor would add, but not the WoW team.

Exhibit #8 is that they also just seem to have breasts due to the way the model is made. It looks very awkward, and they're both awkward and unwieldy and far too large to be WoW breasts. It also is odd they have them on Lizards. This does look very slightly like it may have been based on the Arakkoa's body shape, but they don't have it so horizontal. This definitely feels like a Scalie addition.

Exhibit #9 is that the wingtips look a little awkward to me—they actually look quite a lot like WoW's Dragon models, but they also do seem like they may have had some copy/pasting going on. They just look off to me—they actually seem a little low-resolution, too. They may be partially copy/pasted, which also could explain why the wings as a whole are iffy.

If they are meant to wear armor, the spikes on the shoulders are also very awkward, though I also think they are the most Blizzard-like design of the whole model.

To be honest, I barely understand the points you are trying to make. Maybe you are right, I just don't see what you are seeing. In the beginning the model looked odd to me, but after a while, I think I warmed up to it, and I personally don't see anything wrong with the model. Also these pictures came from a different guy than the one who initially leaked some of the information, and everything these two people have now together leaked, plus the other pictures, the name and the theme of the expansion, goes together very well, and I don't see any contradictions.

[Izalla]

I'm praying it's not. I do not want a system in game where a healer could conceivably say, "I'm sorry, I didn't talent cleanse."

That's a bit of a potential yikes right there. Wouldn't be a problem in organized content (who would let their teammate get away with that?) but in a pug that would be hilarious

[reidor]

https://imgur.com/410312e6-6100-4c94-b315-19ddc8a10df1

not opened

[AOL Instant Messenger]

... you know what company you are talking about, yes?

Also. Again. not sure how you can tell they share the same animations as the female dreadlords. Last I checked still images don't move.

Draenei. It's not the Dreadlords, it's actually Draenei. Look more closely. It's the animation set used by the Sylvar, I believe.

[Emet-Selch]

And serious design issues. And animation reuse. And the inexplicable behavior of the posters. And the incongruities between the human and dragon models.

None of which is convincing me or a lot of other users, clearly.

[Alexjimithing]

You are suggesting that, in a serious time of need for Blizzard's reputation, they would introduce a race reusing an entire animation set as a mainline expansion box addition?

Their reputation in exactly zero ways relies upon the animation set of a new race

[Emet-Selch]

Draenei. It's not the Dreadlords, it's actually Draenei. Look more closely. It's the animation set used by the Sylvar, I believe.

It's the Dreadlord skeleton. But again, no way to tell animations.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

You are suggesting that, in a serious time of need for Blizzard's reputation, they would introduce a race reusing an entire animation set as a mainline expansion box addition?

I'm sorry but have you seen such highlights as Purple Elves, Golden Draenei, Burning Dwarves, and "oh god they ruined Nightborne?"


Oh, and Diaper Gnomes. After all that, I don't think a reused Dreadlord or Incubus or w/e is going to ruin them.

[Das Thora]

I'm suggesting you're rejecting any evidence that is not explicitly material. That's very bad argumentation.

Dude you're arguing about dragon pixels on an MMO site
and your form of 'arguing' is 'it look bad, it fake'

[cone of cold]

Blizzard reuses models, can totally see it. There are so many races with hooves and wings now, it's bound to happen.

Saurok and Saberon both use the Worgen model. Blizzard tends to do this.

[Das Thora]

I'm sorry but have you seen such highlights as Purple Elves, Golden Draenei, Burning Dwarves, and "oh god they ruined Nightborne?"


Oh, and Diaper Dwarves. After all that, I don't think a reused Dreadlord or Incubus or w/e is going to ruin them.

Oh god please don't summon they who shall not be named by mentioning the forbidden elves

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Dude you're arguing about dragon pixels on an MMO site
and your form of 'arguing' is 'it look bad, it fake'

Explain the model incongruities, the design incongruities, the incongruity between the dragon and human model, the behavior of the leaker in trying to defend it.

[Das Thora]

Explain the model incongruities, the design incongruities, the incongruity between the dragon and human model, the behavior of the leaker in trying to defend it.

Why should I? I don't get why you're obsessed about this. I repeat again; are you okay? This isn't what a healthy person fixates on angrily.

[Emet-Selch]

Explain the model incongruities, the design incongruities, the incongruity between the dragon and human model, the behavior of the leaker in trying to defend it.

I've explained it, other users have explained it, you just reject it.

I think you should touch grass.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Why should I? I don't get why you're obsessed about this. I repeat again; are you okay? This isn't what a healthy person fixates on angrily.

I am not angry. I am simply trying to respond to the responses to my own statement in a generally-reasonable way.

[wombinator04]

If Alex is covered up and NO booty or butt enhancements are given to us as compensation, we riot. DONT YOU TRY US BLIZZ

[Das Thora]

I am not angry. I am simply trying to respond to the responses to my own statement in a generally-reasonable way.

You have a very... unique sense of reasonable.

[PomPomPop]

All of the allied races reuse skeletons. Pandas came out a decade ago, it's more of a stretch to use their design philosophy as evidence.

Kul Tirans have the only unique rig made for a player race used in the past 10 years, but Kul Tirans are unique.

I might be misremembering, but weren't the Kul Tirans supposed to be an actual (non-Allied) race at first, before Blizzard decided to implement the Allied Race system? If so, it would explain the unique rig. After the Kul Tirans, all other Allied Races use a pre-existing rig.