Will new character models be the "new race" for next expansion?

[Deletedaccount1]

New sub-factional touches like taunka, mag'har etc perhaps.

Keep dreaming

[Talen]

I am just curious what you guys think. It is ofc. just my personal speculation, but after lot of messages released by Blizzard's representatives: "New character models is too much work, tons of problems incomming." I am starting to think, that model rework will be part of next expansion, but it will be presented instead of new race.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Would you be ok with this aproach?

No.

New models would not fill the same place as a new race or class. It'd be soemthign we already have in game. Worse, it'd be something we'd not really see in game because a lot of the new models would also feature updated armor.

That's why new models are a relatively low priority.

EJL

[Kheirn]

People seem to underestimate the impact of updating the existing models.

It will not just affect our character models, but every single NPC/mob throughout the entire game, that shares our model, will be updated as well.
A good example of this happening, would of course be the high/blood elf and worgen model.

This, over and over again. People seem to fail to realize that by changing character models, they need to change every NPC based on player models. Just that part right there is an insane amount of work. It also means it will have a tremendous impact on the visuals of WoW and will give it a major facelift. Just look at the Old vs New Garrosh comparison, imagine that for every NPC in the game.

[Nobleshield]

I think so. I also hope they at some point allow for alternate race models e.g. a Dwarf could appear as a Dark Iron, a Night Elf could look like a High Elf (not technically accurate, but it would prevent Alliance getting Blood Elves, and High Elves use Night Elf voices with the Blood Elf model) and the like.

[Bluesftw]

yes new character models gonna be most likely selling point of next expansion

[Zohast]

Dying to see new humans/orc models in game over yet another race whose animations will be crazy good compared to the vanilla races. New alliance and horde race models > brand new race.

[Deventh]

I honestly want this:
Super cool new models for the races + new features to make each character unique.
New class = Dark Ranger.
Pleeeeeeeease?

[Roulette Kneebasha]

i agree that this will probably be the main feature instead of new races. however, the "we have enough races" thing, no we don't. there is never too much variety.

Agreed.

As far as I'm concerned, we'll never have 'enough' till we have some non-mammalian races to choose from. But I'm excited about the new models.

[Worgoblin]

Revamped old races is not as strong a selling point for an expansion as new races. We all saw how well the revamped Azeroth went over in Cataclysm. People were not willing to accept that as an excuse for less NEW content. So yeah, I think there will be new races in the next expansion.

[Deleted]

I would think so it took months to do pandaran models and they've been working on new race models maybe a month or two before MoP.

They have been working on them much longer than that, I believe they mentioned over half a year before MoP release that they were working on the Dwarf models and that those might have been ready for MoP.

I really see no need for a new race, it can be nice at times but we have gotten new races in the past two expansions, we don't need one in every single one. I would be much happier with updated Vanilla and BC races over one or two new playable ones.

- - - Updated - - -

Revamped old races is not as strong a selling point for an expansion as new races. We all saw how well the revamped Azeroth went over in Cataclysm. People were not willing to accept that as an excuse for less NEW content. So yeah, I think there will be new races in the next expansion.

Doubt they will have the time to remake all the old models and make two new ones on top of that in time for the next expansion. Updated player models is a huge selling point, it's something loads of players have been asking for since even before the last Blizzcon, which was almost two years ago now.

[Baykin1298]

I think the same. But from our experience with Blizzard, I can presume, that they will not spend double amount of resources for doing both. Especialy after they constantly saying, that new models are so much resource consuming. I do not know why, but it is popping in my head like: "It is not Blizzard's style." ... I would love to see both new models and new race, but I doubt it.

I think they might be able to do it more so with the fluctuation of artists and development being taken off of Titan and being dispersed through-out their current projects. How do you think they were able to get Garrosh a new model so quickly?

[Deleted]

This, over and over again. People seem to fail to realize that by changing character models, they need to change every NPC based on player models. Just that part right there is an insane amount of work. It also means it will have a tremendous impact on the visuals of WoW and will give it a major facelift. Just look at the Old vs New Garrosh comparison, imagine that for every NPC in the game.

You dont understand how its done. They change the model that for example human male npcs are based on. It wont be more work for 1 human male npc or 1000 human male npcs.

Written on my iPhone.

[Threa]

I'm very confident that updated character models will be one of the biggest selling points of the next expansion.

As far as new races go, some people say that we can never have too much variety, but I disagree. The biggest problem with this expansion is it's trend toward quantity over quality. I would much rather Blizzard focus on improving and enhancing the current races and their stories, lore, etc., rather than add a new race. In other words, work with what we have and make it amazing rather than create more diluted additions to the game that are good but short of amazing.

[Deleted]

I'm very confident that updated character models will be one of the biggest selling points of the next expansion.

As far as new races go, some people say that we can never have too much variety, but I disagree. The biggest problem with this expansion is it's trend toward quantity over quality. I would much rather Blizzard focus on improving and enhancing the current races and their stories, lore, etc., rather than add a new race. In other words, work with what we have and make it amazing rather than create more diluted additions to the game that are good but short of amazing.

Agreed. There is already lots of concerns about some races getting more love than others, and some getting next to none at all. The more races we add, the less focus any race can get. It would be much better to focus on what we have, at least for one or two expansions.

I would rather see more lore from Gnomes, Goblins, Worgen, Draenei and even Forsaken than new lore about some race we probably have never heard about, or that we have but needs reasons to join the Horde/Alliance.

[Scunosi]

I'm not sure if I'd prefer it necessarily, as I do like new things, but I sure wouldn't mind it either, since I'm stuper-stoked for the new models when they come. I think it'd be a more than fair trade anyway, and to get a new race on top of new models would be a pretty impressive feat on Blizzard's part, as a new race is more than just a new model, recall; it's new lore, culture, architecture, etc.

[Tydrane]

One potential benefit of the new models over new races - I can't say for sure, because nobody knows how Blizzard's dev teams work, exactly - is that we don't need two to four new starting zones for two new races. This could potentially mean that, while there has been an ongoing 'resource suck' to develop the new character models, if zone development is tasked wholly or partially to an entirely different department, they're freed up to work on something else - which could mean that the new zones we get in the next expansion could be richer, or there could simply be more of them.

[foxHeart]

If it is the case, I have zero qualms with it. It's long overdue.