Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Raetary]

What do you mean fake 3 paint?

Probably how the thigh plates are painted on instead of 3d.

[Alanar]

As someone with a beginner's knowledge of 3D, I can only say that that is probably related to poly count. You need/have to save polys where you can otherwise it'd get heavy.

I see some truth in what you are saying, but I think you are overreacting and you don't need to be an expert in seeing that some stuff is just oldschool and yes this tabard example is minor, but there are examples that should have been improved a long time ago. They are finally getting to kilts as it seems like. Getting extra layers on a leg piece or robe isn't going to suddenly break the game. They have been improving this over time and more will come as the PTR shows. I think we can all agree that painted layers or crystals on belts/glove/ or w/e is really not from this time anymore and we have seen they can do better.

I can see them give us some improved hair and cloth physics, examples like Lort'mar is were the game should be headed for players as well imo. But I hope they don't forget about robes.

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Probably how the thigh plates are painted on instead of 3d.

It's even worse when they try to add shadow effects to it as well, but ye I think it's rediculous we still sometimes look like we are wearing yogapants from steel. But I could see why polycount in general could be an issue.

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To any who want to see it, this is the 2nd colour variation of the Ironforge guard set. It's a lot more fancy, probably a royal guard or something

Has a similar colour scheme to Magni's armour in official artwork pre-crystalization imho

Even tho I was slightly complaining, this does looks fresh and I like the gold as it's not overly yellow looking.

[Raetary]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

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https://www.wowhead.com/news/partial...0-1-ptr-331862



Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

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https://www.wowhead.com/news/partial...0-1-ptr-331862

Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

Seems like a super odd choice to pick the cow who spent over 10 thousand years grazing instead of literally any one else like even one of the random names dragons who helped rebuild there numbers in Outland.

Also god I wish they would make an updated mail scarlet set but that seems like a pipe dream.

[Luck4]

Copium: Maybe it'll be a patch zone in an expansion set in Lordaeron?

We can hope...

[Alanar]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

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https://www.wowhead.com/news/partial...0-1-ptr-331862



Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

I like the red version more, because it literally screams scarlet crusade. But yes as awesome!

Also helmetless Neltharion looks much better.
https://www.wowhead.com/news/helmetl...al-scar-331901
I wonder if we will get an updated malygos model as well, since It's not that this Neltharion model will be used much.

[Luck4]

Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

This is lit, finally some clean sets from Vanilla are making a comeback in HD.

[Sondrelk]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

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https://www.wowhead.com/news/partial...0-1-ptr-331862

[IMG]

Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

Ebyssian for Earthwarder is such a non-choice. His motivations are nonexistent, and the only narrative sense to have him lead is to not pick either Sabellian or Wrathion.

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This is lit, finally some clean sets from Vanilla are making a comeback in HD.

World Revamp confirmed!

[Nymrohd]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

Yeah, seems so. Silly but whatever. Hope he gets a decent model.

This way we are getting an aspect with a non human/elf visage. Now a good idea would be for them to remember Anachronos, make him an Aspect and give him a troll visage.

[Sondrelk]

Yeah, seems so. Silly but whatever. Hope he gets a decent model.

This way we are getting an aspect with a non human/elf visage. Now a good idea would be for them to remember Anachronos, make him an Aspect and give him a troll visage.

So long as we don't count Thrall as the Earthwarder again I am happy with pretty much everything.

That being said, it would be nice to have some diversity among the aspects.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Ebyssian is gonna be the next Earthwarder from the looks of it.

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https://www.wowhead.com/news/partial...0-1-ptr-331862



Also, some sick new Scarlet crusade item appearances.

Oh, wow! That's fucking sick. I'm looking forward to seeing these boys back in action. I prefer the all-red color scheme, though. It looks far more like the classic armor.

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Ebyssian for Earthwarder is such a non-choice. His motivations are nonexistent, and the only narrative sense to have him lead is to not pick either Sabellian or Wrathion.

Do you mean to say that Blizzard fears committing to a decision that could maybe make people complain on the forums to have a good story? That maybe theoretically Blizzard would pick a non-actor instead of one of two very interesting and (generally intentionally-)flawed characters to make all the debate over which one should lead the Black Dragonflight moot and effectively squander that entire plot point to shove someone with none of the ambition of Wrathion or competence of Sabellian into a position that he probably wouldn't even want? Are you suggesting that it might be unfortunate that instead of someone who has any depth or dimensions as a character, we get a flying, fire-breathing Baine Bloodhoof? That somebody who acts exactly like every other Dragon Aspect is undesirable on account of being exactly the same as all the others personality-wise? Are you saying that given the option of a long-term, continuous power struggle that would come to define several conflicts over the course of the expansion or a solid continuation of Sabellian and Wrathion's arcs, we should not cast both aside in favor of the worst possible outcome to this situation?

[Nymrohd]

Do you mean to say that Blizzard fears committing to a decision that could maybe make people complain on the forums to have a good story? That maybe theoretically Blizzard would pick a non-actor instead of one of two very interesting and (generally intentionally-)flawed characters to make all the debate over which one should lead the Black Dragonflight moot and effectively squander that entire plot point to shove someone with none of the ambition of Wrathion or competence of Sabellian into a position that he probably wouldn't even want? Are you suggesting that it might be unfortunate that instead of someone who has any depth or dimensions as a character, we get a flying, fire-breathing Baine Bloodhoof? That somebody who acts exactly like every other Dragon Aspect is undesirable on account of being exactly the same as all the others personality-wise? Are you saying that given the option of a long-term, continuous power struggle that would come to define several conflicts over the course of the expansion or a solid continuation of Sabellian and Wrathion's arcs, we should not cast both aside in favor of the worst possible outcome to this situation?

Competence and ambition are just aggressive qualities and we can't have that.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Competence and ambition are just aggressive qualities and we can't have that.

Precisely. A good leader does absolutely nothing but vaguely spew nice-sounding platitudes that appear to make him wise and sensible. A terrible leader would be someone who is competent and generally demonstrates a good deal of assertiveness and intelligence or someone confident and ambitious with strong convictions and a great deal of charisma—a good leader is someone totally passive with no agenda other than to vaguely maintain order and who you cannot distinguish from everybody else.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Competence and ambition are just aggressive qualities and we can't have that.

Ambition is technically dangerous if you are incredibly self centered.

[Grimbold21]

I see some truth in what you are saying, but I think you are overreacting and you don't need to be an expert in seeing that some stuff is just oldschool and yes this tabard example is minor, but there are examples that should have been improved a long time ago. They are finally getting to kilts as it seems like. Getting extra layers on a leg piece or robe isn't going to suddenly break the game. They have been improving this over time and more will come as the PTR shows. I think we can all agree that painted layers or crystals on belts/glove/ or w/e is really not from this time anymore and we have seen they can do better.

I can see them give us some improved hair and cloth physics, examples like Lort'mar is were the game should be headed for players as well imo. But I hope they don't forget about robes.

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It's even worse when they try to add shadow effects to it as well, but ye I think it's rediculous we still sometimes look like we are wearing yogapants from steel. But I could see why polycount in general could be an issue.

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Even tho I was slightly complaining, this does looks fresh and I like the gold as it's not overly yellow looking.

It has nothing to do with overreacting.

I don't know how Blizzard works in this regard or what's the game's capacity. Nonetheless the fact of the matter is in the game industry you try to get away with texture painting or similar methods to get detail work in your models.

Modelling cloth folds would add extra geometry to the model, geo that perhaps the Blizz art department doesn't what or require.

Take a look at the model again. You could say the same thing for all the bolts, the leather bits, the red gems on the axe. You could very well model those, but you don't/can't, because of the poly budget.

[BaumanKing]

Precisely. A good leader does absolutely nothing but vaguely spew nice-sounding platitudes that appear to make him wise and sensible. A terrible leader would be someone who is competent and generally demonstrates a good deal of assertiveness and intelligence or someone confident and ambitious with strong convictions and a great deal of charisma—a good leader is someone totally passive with no agenda other than to vaguely maintain order and who you cannot distinguish from everybody else.

In wow every leader loses its claws over time, becoming a passive blob with no ambition or aspiration other than achieving world peace. Moira and Genn are the most egregious examples. So if Sabellian were to become an aspect, he would become more passive. It's either death or joining Anduin's club, there is no other choice.

[Gurahk]

I am just glad we're not getting Wrathion as the aspect.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

I've been wanting more Scarlet Crusade themed armor pieces for years. The set that comes from Scarlet Monastery is iconic, no doubt, but has not aged well.

I can't help but hope for more Scarlet Crusade content in the future. A more "down to earth" expansion would be perfect for them to have a resurgence and become a threat again. Although I think their numbers are so few at the moment that they would need an infusion of warm bodies in their ranks. According to the "Exploring Azeroth: Northrend" book the Bronzebeard brothers "reported that even with their leadership wiped out by the adventurers, there were still enough members of the Scarlet Onslaught in New Hearthglen to continue their twisted crusade against anyone they think an enemy. They also mentioned a surprising number of crusaders in the Onslaught Harbor."

I suppose a minor time skip like the one from Shadowlands to Dragonflight would have been the best opportunity to explain a surge in their ranks. But alas.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I am just glad we're not getting Wrathion as the aspect.

Honestly, I'd have to disagree—although I'd prefer Sabelllian to Wrathion, on a Doylist level the only reason I feel that way is just because I think Sabellian would be more narratively-suited to the position whereas Wrathion would feel more natural continuing to be an independent agent, and because I prefer Sabellian to Wrathion simply on account of my own admitted bias towards seniority and desire to see old lore be vindicated and weaved into the new story. Wrathion is still, by all accounts, a good character—he's one of the few people left allowed to have flaws or be a prick without getting a villain bat straight to his poor, racially-ambiguous face. Compared to Ebyssian, who is fine as a character but would generate absolutely zero drama or would have very little to do add that isn't already covered by literally every other Aspect, Wrathion is more than palatable. If I had to choose between another insufferably soporific flawless character and someone who is remotely distinct from his counterparts, I'd have to choose the latter.

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In wow every leader loses its claws over time, becoming a passive blob with no ambition or aspiration other than achieving world peace. Moira and Genn are the most egregious examples. So if Sabellian were to become an aspect, he would become more passive. It's either death or joining Anduin's club, there is no other choice.

That's true enough. I'd actually forgotten about Moira—she's a pretty sad case that I don't see brought up much, so I've got to commend you on catching that when I don't think I've seen her mentioned near enough. Then, at least Genn and Moira have been left with enough residue of their original personalities that they're remotely recognizable (well, only on account to his post-Cataclysm portrayal for the former), more than can be said for post-Cataclysm Thrall or the entirety of the Forsaken race post-BfA. Either way, I do suppose the silver lining is that it will presumably save Sabellian and Wrathion from a total personality replacement—but not undoubtedly, of course, as """character growth""" comes for everyone.

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Also, were I to personally choose the trajectory of Wrathion's story, I'd have to say I'd prefer for him to go back to his Cata-era roots as a heroic crime lord. I think it would be very interesting to see him get cuckolded out of leadership by Sabellian and go off on his own in frustration to form his own benevolent conspiracy, or maybe to pull some strings with his old Ravenholdt connections to get him put in charge of the Uncrowned. I think it would be suitable to his personality and would allow him to stay proactive. It would also allow two elements of the Black Dragonflight's identity to remain—ironically, Sabellian, who experienced far more of the Black Dragonflight as an evil and deceptive force, would restore them to their original mode of operation and purpose (albeit perhaps more extreme), whereas Wrathion would continue the legacy of the Black Dragonflight and his Auntie Onyxia as shadowy puppetmasters, but also in pursuit of their original purpose. This could also have manifested in a long-term schism plotline, where neither permanently achieves control, or in which Sabellian is formally recognized as the leader but many Black Dragons break off to swear their allegiance to Wrathion.

[Alanar]

It has nothing to do with overreacting.

I don't know how Blizzard works in this regard or what's the game's capacity. Nonetheless the fact of the matter is in the game industry you try to get away with texture painting or similar methods to get detail work in your models.

Modelling cloth folds would add extra geometry to the model, geo that perhaps the Blizz art department doesn't what or require.

Take a look at the model again. You could say the same thing for all the bolts, the leather bits, the red gems on the axe. You could very well model those, but you don't/can't, because of the poly budget.

Sure not every nit and hook will become 3d parts and that would cause issues, I get that... but they HAVE been improving this over the cours of expansions. Dont forget we used to have flat belts. As we speak 10.1 ptr shows even more geo stuff is added to the player model.

I shouldnt worry to much about the polycount, you are right its a possible barrier for certain things perhaps, but no reason to not update robe models or better 3d legs who are sitting in 2004.