Of Art and Armor Sets
by Elizabeth Harper 
Feb 19th 2006 at 9:00AM
The art of Azeroth is done in a very cartoonish style - and Blizzard's unique artwork helps set it apart from other
games in the genre. However, Blizzard's style is not for everyone. One of the things I like least about
Warcraft is the way that, after level 60, everyone starts to look the same. Around that point, nearly everyone
starts collecting their class armor set, and you have trouble finding a priest who isn't trying to get full devout or a
warrior not decked out in valor. And what if you dislike the look of your armor set? Well, you can disable
the display of helm and cape, but you're stuck with the rest. The idea of armor dyes - to change the color of
your armor of choice - has been brought up numerous times on the Blizzard forums to no resolution (community manager
Caydiem has never said it won't happen, but mentions technical difficulties whenever it's brought up). I'm lucky
enough to like the look of my warlock's Felheart set, but not everyone would agree - like this pensive hunter, forced,
forever, to be clad in brilliant purple and gold.Filed under: Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
slybri Feb 19th 2006 11:19AM
That's one of the problems with WoW, the lack of a unique character. It starts at character creation when you are presented with very few options but get's worse at the endgame. Before 60 you might have a little variety in your talent specs and items. Then you hit 60 and realize you need to raid and do instances, so you spec for that. So most lvl 60s are specced the same, and wear the same blue or purple gear, and ride the same epic mount. It's almost like a uniform.
The dye idea would be nice. Many other games allow you to do it. It would let players at least have something that sets them apart.
Another thing that bugs me is how awful some of the gear looks. Like the rogue's Nightslayer gear for example, with the big balloons for shoulders. Absurd looking. And I've seen some druids that look like walking fern planters. They need to water their shoulders and keep them in sunlight.
We put so much time and effort into getting these endgame items and then we're embarrased to wear them because they look so silly. Maybe they're saving the really cool stuff for lvl 70 or the hero classes.
Silvertusk Feb 19th 2006 12:37PM
Hell, am I the only one who enjoys the hunter purple-and-gold colouring? :P
Mgs0008b221 Feb 19th 2006 12:38PM
First I'd liek to get out of the way that teh Tier 0 sets, i.e. Wildheart, Valor, DEvout, Beststalker, etc, aren't worth collecting except for maybe a few pieces.
For the most part you can fidn better gear for every class in Dire Maul, and the restin Strat, Scholo, and BRS.
My hunter is using three pieces of beaststalker right now, but has more everything, even with set bonus' included.
But yes, it is a problem. Especially with Mail/Plate helms. They all fore hte msot part look exactly the same. Go look at Lionheart Helm then a random grey level 45 mail or plate helm.
elizabeth Feb 19th 2006 2:25PM
You're probably not the only person who likes the purple and gold, Silvertusk, but there are also numerous people who do not, but they're forced into the same look as well as everyone else.
sinnh Feb 19th 2006 10:33PM
please, oh please Blizzard. Let us turn off the shoulder armor visual.
For some reason casters really look silly wearing football pads. Call me crazy. But that stuff needs to be turn-off-able.
If you look at the screenshots on your wow box. You'll actually see that they have some of the characters not wearing shoulderpads. 'cuase they know it looks better that way! Yet... when you actually play the game it doesn't quite work out like that...
RighteousDork Feb 20th 2006 10:04AM
The hunter armor really stands out compared to the rest of the sets though. And I think most people agree that the hunter got shafted. Purple and gold! Come on! Assuming I ever get to Level 60, you won't find me wearing it. Blizzard will eventually have to implement some kind of system for changing the look of your items. Even AC2 allowed you to dye your armor. Sometimes your item came out looking awful but that's part of it. At least it gave you some kind of individuality.
Did anyone else watch that video WIN posted last week with that druid raid group taking on Onyxia? They all looked the same.
Mike Feb 21st 2006 1:22PM
It doesn't matter if they release new sets for the classes or let you dye them or anything else... Someone that does the endgame stuff will ultimately determine that set X for class Y is "the best" for the end game contect and every lvl 60 will migrate to that set. So you'll just have a bunch of lvl 60s running around with the same gear, but one will be blue, and one will be gold, and one will be purple, etc.
Mike Feb 21st 2006 1:29PM
The best thing they could do would be to allow the people who are maxxed out, artisan crafters in each discipline (tailoring, leatherworking, blacksmithing) modify their gear cosmetically without changing the stats on it. So a blacksmith could change the look (read: select the artwork from a catalog) for a breastplate without changing the fact that it's an epic with +X to strength and blah blah. Maybe you'd need mats to do it that would scale upward with the lvl of the gear or something. I don't know, but it's an idea.