Updating player graphics
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 9th 2009 at 11:00AM
Which is what we've heard before, really -- J. Allen Brack told us way back that things would be updated bit by bit rather than having a major patch be focused on updating everything you can see on screen. Still, Cataclysm, the expansion that redoes the old world and all of its old models, might be a good time to do exactly this and revamp players' looks as well. We can tell you for sure that the worgen and goblins are going to look very nice (not to mention the draenei and the blood elves, both with more detailed models than the launch races), so maybe it is time that the original races got smoother look of their own.
Filed under: Human, Orcs, Virtual selves, Blizzard, Expansions, Hardware, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Ruthar Oct 9th 2009 11:03AM
Yeah, a little more detail would be great for the older races. I surely wouldn't mind some aesthetic changes!
Josin Oct 9th 2009 11:26AM
This has been overdue since Kalecgos in Sunwell.
Johan Forn Oct 9th 2009 11:31AM
A matter of priority?!
The player's character is the one thing you stare at the most throughout the entire game. Now that they are remodeling the old world, updating the characters should be in the top 5 list, if not numero uno.
Candina@WH Oct 9th 2009 11:47AM
Johan Forn:
I disagree.
When, if ever, do you actually SEE your player model? you see the armour set your toon is sporting. The only time you see the char model is if you click 'hide helmet'. The rest is the armour models.
I would welcome more diversity in body shapes, heights, etc. But I do not expect it. That sort of variablility wasn't built in on the ground floor. Adding it in later is much more difficult.
Rhabella Oct 9th 2009 11:50AM
What about updating the naming system? I’d really like to use apostrophes, hyphens, or selective capitalization for my toons. It always pains me to try and have a troll like name and you cant even make it look like all of the troll npc names. Does anyone know what the original intention was in limiting the names the way they have? It can’t possibly have been to reduce the complete list of idiot names people would come up with because if it was, they managed to fail miserably.
SunGod228 Oct 9th 2009 11:58AM
I would disagree Candina there are two aspects two the player model. 1) the textures, and 2) the 3D Mesh. Many pieces of armor form fit to the mesh by simply changing the characters texture. In turn some of the vanilla wow models are very boxy looking even with armor because there models use less vertices.
Karilyn Oct 9th 2009 12:03PM
@Candina
You see the player model constantly, or at least it's animations.
The original 8 races regularly clip through their own bodies, as well as have joints rotate strangely in sockets. A lot of them have animations that frankly look strange. Even underneath armor, all these problems are very visible.
Draenai and Blood Elves drastically improved on it, and from clips of Cataclysm, it looks like Goblins and Worgen do not have these problems at all.
Also, while some people chose to show their helms, I've noticed that at least on my server, over half of people chose to hide their helms. Not only that, but many armor sets have exposed portions of the body, such as open fingered gloves, or shorts sleeved shirts, exposed midrifts, or short pants. I know that as a Warrior right now, my ankles are exposed (T8 pants), as well as my fingers (T9 gloves) and my head (Hidden helm cause it's ugly). There is a stark contrast between my player's textures, and my armor textures. They look like they don't belong in the same game.
...
I find it interesting, because if the new four races from BC and Cataclysm were not introduced to the game, I doubt I would have even noticed that the player models needed updating. It's really only in comparison to the new races that you see how archiac the original 8 are.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Oct 9th 2009 12:22PM
I think they were experimenting a little with some skins during the beta of Wraith, but they were ugly to look at and didn't mesh well - anyone remember the eyes through the lids on gnomes? *Shudders*
If they do fix the skins, I hope they let us PICK the new faces for free the first time. Would suck to be swapped to a face you didn't pick and which is no longer as pleasing to look at.
rosencratz Oct 9th 2009 12:34PM
This debate has come up before when Kalecgos was first sighted in the Sunwell as well as other times.
We know that in some patches/PTRs we've spotted some graduated attemptes at updating player models/skins but there are a few inherant problems with doing this.
1. People won't be happy with their "New" look. It's bound to happen,t he models get upgraded the polycounts go up and all of a sudden people aren't happy because their Warrior isn't as mean looking as he used to be or their Priest isn't as Sultry and doe-eyed. (I'd bet people would demand a way to customize the player character again then with in-game "plastic surgeons" or a one off recustomisation on sign in after the patch hits.)
2. Any one addition in a single racial model/skin causes added strain on the server and people's rigs to display, multiply this by the amount of players of that race.
3. Changes in models and animations tend to mean patches get even more bloated.
4. Etc
it's a problematic thing to implement. Not impossible for a company that is tearing up and rebuilding it's "old world" but still. People are going to be even more clingy over their selected player models than they are over the old world.
Mark my words, if they ever update them, no matter how slight, no matter how gradually it's done there will be riots in the streets over it... sadly.
Mep Oct 9th 2009 12:34PM
At Blizzcon, (I don't know if it was the private meeting from the Press, or one of the open forums) but they said that they are hesitant to update the characters models as they fear how players would react. Essentially people have grown accustomed to how their character looks, and if all of a sudden it doesn't look like their character, then players may feel disassociated with them.
Aedilhild Oct 9th 2009 1:21PM
Candina: what about the hundreds upon hundreds of players who see you, and vice-versa?
When I first ran the Sons of Hodir quest, I wanted my character to stay hyldnir.
I can't see how Blizzard intends to enhance the experience of leveling in Azeroth without improving the appearance of player characters.
Knyle2 Oct 9th 2009 1:56PM
IVe been hoping and posting over and over, that blizzard makes an optional patch to up our textures and polygon counts for people with good comps. I don't like that because 7 million customers have poor comps my favorite game can't look as nice as it should.
Should be an optional patch for graphic enhancement.
Darky Oct 10th 2009 1:05PM
PLEASE give me the option to hide my UD's bones. So, your telling me that theres no flesh i cant put armor over it? it looks terrible when i have short boots or boots without cuffs, i look like i have aesthetic legs made of 2$ plastic, just let me cover my weak frail bone with plate mail!
Tremelizzer Oct 9th 2009 11:07AM
Like someone has said earlier and I've too: even blood elf females' boobs has more polygons than lauch races :P
Tremelizzer Oct 9th 2009 11:10AM
Launch*
WTB edit
Khremloc Oct 9th 2009 11:15AM
Female blood elves have boobs?
snowleopard233 Oct 9th 2009 11:15AM
I want this very much. I’ve always wanted to roll a Tauren, but they just look so pixilated, blurry and scraggly. Some of the races were obviously given less attention at launch and now it’s showing more than ever.
snowleopard233 Oct 9th 2009 11:17AM
My last comment was actually not intended to be a reply to the boob statement, but looking at it now, it would seem to appear I’m very unhappy with the resolution and texturing of Tauren udders.
Mordockk Oct 9th 2009 11:32AM
rolll a male blood elf then........oh wait.
Eternauta Oct 9th 2009 12:10PM
Trolls are IMO the most screwed (aesthetically wise) race since launch. Their animations are clunky and rigid, they look awful compared to the Trolls we kill in Zul'Drak for example. This is the race that needs this changes the most, IMO.
Trolls demand graphics update, mon!