This site makes extensive use of JavaScript.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser.
Live
PTR
10.2.7
PTR
10.2.6
Beta
A Hypothesis About the Future of Playable Races
Post Reply
Return to board index
Post by
HiVolt
Is it stupid to say that
almost
any race is a potential option?
Some are too outlandish, but never throw too many out.
I wouldn't say it's stupid. But, I think that including certain races in it is generally a bad idea... at least for current incarnations of certain races. I think that every race, in order to become playable, needs a firm backing of civilized growth.
For instance, it is much harder to make a playable race from a tribal society than it is a civilization. Every playable race we see ingame is a civilization in it's own right, where other non-playable races are more tribal and undeveloped. Development for them isn't out of the question, but it's much easier to just add in certain races that are already developed. Civilization growth takes a long time to develop in a race if it is done properly and in a natural way.
That said, I think we can really only expect a few of the races we've mentioned to have a hope of becoming playable in their current incarnations: Pandaren, Naga, Ogres, Centaur, and Vrykul. The other races are just too underdeveloped to become playable at this point.
Post by
Claggi
Worgen were underdeveloped once upon a time, as were Draenei.
Quel'Thalas was once cited as a ghost town blighted by the corruption of the Sunwell with Kel'thuzad. Now that's not been true for years.
New lore seems like a peanutbutter sandwich... it's easy to make, but damn does it stick to you insid and out.
Vyrkul however are HUGE, larger than buildings! How could they be playable?
Post by
HiVolt
Worgen were underdeveloped once upon a time, as were Draenei.
Quel'Thalas was once cited as a ghost town blighted by the corruption of the Sunwell with Kel'thuzad. Now that's not been true for years.
New lore seems like a peanutbutter sandwich... it's easy to make, but damn does it stick to you insid and out.
Vyrkul however are HUGE, larger than buildings! How could they be playable?
Actually, I would think of new lore as being like trying to make good barbecue. It is time consuming and has a very particular process, but if it's done right, it could be the best thing you've ever had; on the same note, if there is one slight screw-up, it could ruin the dish.
As far as Worgen go, you're right, the lore to back up the Worgen was at one time very shallow, as was the Draenei. But, with the Draenei, Blizzard did things just right. First, they did the novels and such, then they expanded on that to the in-game incarnations of the lore. With the Worgen, not only will they be building the history of the Worgen themselves, but they also have the history of the Gilnean people to build upon as well. Not to mention that before Cataclysm comes out, and they are actually playable, we'll probably see the Worgen make an appearance in the Cataclysm novels.
And, with the Vrykul, I was only making a reference to the current incarnation of supporting lore. They have a ready-made civilization that would only need some story arcing and a slight amount of fleshing out to be made into a good playable race. Their size... well... it's quite possible that the Vrykul we see in-game are the result of "higher level = bigger size". They are described as half-giants, but the Ogres are described as "Draenor's giants". Still, we see plenty of ogres that easily fit inside buildings. In the same vein of thinking, Mok'Nathal would be considered half-giants, and they could easily fit inside buildings.
For a playable incarnation of the race, I think that they would be only a little taller than the Tauren. After all, I'm fairly positive that there is no real citation in lore that alludes to the height of your average Vrykul. The only description that I've seen is about them being half-giants, and such a description is totally subject to interpretation as far as actual height goes.
Post by
Claggi
Their size... well... it's quite possible that the Vrykul we see in-game are the result of "higher level = bigger size". They are described as half-giants, but the Ogres are described as "Draenor's giants".
There is a great variety in the ogre species. Ogres average between
6 feet and 7 feet
in height at adulthood, but continue to grow two inches to a foot at a time through a portion of their lives, as well as continuing to put on weight. A fully grown ogre would be between
8 feet and 25 feet
, the average for the larger ogres is 15 feet. Though some ogres are small barely larger than 6 or 7 feet.
I'm not sure of the average height of Tauren, to be quite honest, but small ogres are not just cosmetic. Put simply, ogres are probably the giants because most of its natural inhabitants besides the Gorn who enslaved them are not as big.
Post by
HiVolt
Their size... well... it's quite possible that the Vrykul we see in-game are the result of "higher level = bigger size". They are described as half-giants, but the Ogres are described as "Draenor's giants".
There is a great variety in the ogre species. Ogres average between
6 feet and 7 feet
in height at adulthood, but continue to grow two inches to a foot at a time through a portion of their lives, as well as continuing to put on weight. A fully grown ogre would be between
8 feet and 25 feet
, the average for the larger ogres is 15 feet. Though some ogres are small barely larger than 6 or 7 feet.
I'm not sure of the average height of Tauren, to be quite honest, but small ogres are not just cosmetic. Put simply, ogres are probably the giants because most of its natural inhabitants besides the Gorn who enslaved them are not as big.
You see, this is exactly what I mean by size being subject to interpretation. The average height of a Tauren, so long as I'm remembering correctly is about 9 feet. I think it would be reasonable to see Vrykul that are about that big. Granted, the in-game incarnations are around 20 feet tall or so, but I still think it could be a matter of "higher-level mob = bigger size".
Post by
Adamsm
Not sure if this one will keep going, but still, it's a good read.
Post by
H3Knuckles
I hate to post without reading the whole thread first, but I just don't have the time or the energy to wade through it all right now, and it's a necro'ed thread anyway, so it's not like I expect anyone to actually read this:
Naga
Leg armor: not a huge obstacle, but unlike the Draenei or Worgen who used stretched versions of the leg armor models for vanilla races (Tauren and Trolls, respectively) they would need to create new models for all the armor in the game for Naga.
Mounts: How are Naga going to ride mounts? Sure they wouldn't need their own, but Blizzard isn't going to shut a race out of all the content for acquiring alternative mounts. I've heard people say they'd wrap their tail around, but a lot of them are too big for that.
Underwater breathing: I don't know how Cataclysm handles this, but generally speaking players can only spend a finite amount of time underwater. Problem is, Naga live in the ocean, they would have to have inherent underwater breathing. Think of all the QQ from Forsaken players who's breathless racial just got diminished.
Vrykul & Ogres - Many of the buildings and caves in the world are too short/narrow for them to move in. Short of another Cataclysm in which even more of the world has to be remodeled to fit them, this wouldn't be feasible. What's a shrunken Vrykul? A human. Half-Ogres would work though.
Murlocs - Honestly the only issues I can think of are water breathing and language. Murlocs may not be able to actually breath water though, and the Gorlocs (sp?) in Northrend set a precedent for evolved Murlocs who can talk. They wouldn't have a capitol, but they wouldn't be the first tennant-race either. I don't like the idea, but it's the only one that seems feasible to me.
Post by
Morec0
Naga
Leg armor: not a huge obstacle, but unlike the Draenei or Worgen who used stretched versions of the leg armor models for vanilla races (Tauren and Trolls, respectively) they would need to create new models for all the armor in the game for Naga.
Mounts: How are Naga going to ride mounts? Sure they wouldn't need their own, but Blizzard isn't going to shut a race out of all the content for acquiring alternative mounts. I've heard people say they'd wrap their tail around, but a lot of them are too big for that.
Underwater breathing: I don't know how Cataclysm handles this, but generally speaking players can only spend a finite amount of time underwater. Problem is, Naga live in the ocean, they would have to have inherent underwater breathing. Think of all the QQ from Forsaken players who's breathless racial just got diminished.
1) Naga CAN wear leg armor and even robes already, they just don't do so in-game for I don't know what reason.
2) Tail goes over one side of the mount, then comes back up that same side and hangs down the other. As for their mount; snap dragons.
3) I play Forsaken, and I wouldn't have a problem with naga eternal underwater breathing racial (although maybe the inclusion of a debuff for naga players that exceed the ammount of time a Forsaken could spend underwater could be implemented?) and to all of those who would: reroll. And, besides, when's the last time you've had to spend hours underwater without gaining a buff that lets you breathe underwater? If anything that would be their more useless ability.
Post by
Orranis
Underwater breathing: I don't know how Cataclysm handles this, but generally speaking players can only spend a finite amount of time underwater. Problem is, Naga live in the ocean, they would have to have inherent underwater breathing. Think of all the QQ from Forsaken players who's breathless racial just got diminished.
Honestly, we don't care. That racial is so useless it ceases to matter. Just give us something PvE viable please.
Post Reply
You are not logged in. Please
log in
to post a reply or
register
if you don't already have an account.