Is this something possible or planned? - Is the new race 'Visage form' or is it 'Dracthyr?'
Tier should be visible if they're a Dragon first & foremost.
Disclaimer: When photoshopping this, I did -NOT- alter the Dracthyr dragon form's proportions in the slightest. What you see here is the raw guy/gal just recoloured. I only brought over the armor and did mild scaling-changes (punintended)/cut-fitting so it matches the Dracthyr proportions. HD version --Here-- for any sharing.
I couldn't help but notice that when we saw the Tier Set lineup, the Tier gear for Evokers was designed for a Humanoid, but if you look at that helm, it's rather open-faced."So Dracthyr, I think they’ll also be able to wear shoulders, tabards, belts across their visage and Dracthyr form. While the visage form is able to wear all-armor."
- Tina Wang via BlizzPlanet
Almost as if it's meant for a big ol dragon face to slot in there? I wondered if they're designing this set with the Dracthyr-form in mind, and sure enough as I brought over the '3D' elements to the Dragon form it seemed in could indeed be.
Now to reference the quote I put beneath this image, I think it's really important Blizz clarifies how they mean "be able to wear shoulders"/etc/etc.
We've seen in the little bit of Dracthyr dragon-form footage, that there seem to be Armor Barbershop/Character Creation options for: Crowns, Shoulders, Tabards/Belts This leads me to question whether those are in fact the armors referenced in that quote, or what we would call "typical armor" after all.
I say this because though they do say "across their visage and Dracthyr form." I don't entirely doubt at the moment that this is referencing these golden/silver Dragon-y Barbershop Decoration Armors that will be/have been interpreted for their visage form.
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When you think of a Worgen, do you feel you're playing a Human first and a Werewolf second? (sorry RPers I know you do, but that's not what I mean right now.) Or is it Wolf-woman/man first and Human as a fun racial option? Imagine how silly it would be if you couldn't fight your foes in your transmogs.
Your primary, combat-forced form for the Worgen is fully armored in Tier/any gear you've earned, and of course additionally your Human form racial can wear it too.
^^^ This is a precedent that Dracthyr should be following, but as of this moment we haven't been assured of it's eventuality or reality. ^^^
Hopefully they do mean the real deal 'typical armor', which would involve Tier Sets. Though why hasn't it been shown yet as a feature yet if so?
Where at least is the concept art of an armored Dracthyr?
Many will say pre-Alpha, and quite possibly so- I hope so too. As it stands we should get a clarification here on what Armor for Dracthyr means. Especially if Raiding and Tier is such the gameplay pillar, we want to see our hard-earned armor in combat.
Is the Evoker Armor on the Tier Lineup simply in Visage form for artist's convenience/showcase? Very likely and that's fine- as it will be used in that form, but that's not providing evidence towards Dracthyr 'dragon-forms' (aka the core part of the race, supposedly) being able to wear Tier/armor.
It's only to Blizzard's credit when I say, the Tier looks quacking rad on the Dracthyr and probably solves many issues folks have with the lean figure.
So I ask again, is the new race Dracthyr, the long-awaited dragonkin playable that could soar to greater heights? or is it Visage form, the hypercustomized Elf/Human?