Remember the stealth animations?
by David Bowers 
Feb 12th 2008 at 3:01PM
Rogues probably remember well the day that their current stealth animations were altered over a year ago now. People complained that their character suddenly seemed wobbly or constipated while walking around in stealth, but Blizzard responded with promises of brand-new super-cool stealth animations for rogues of all races to help solve the issue. They said, and I quote, "Currently this issue is expected to be resolved in patch 2.1," (which obviously didn't happen) "but there is a chance that the new animations will not be ready by that time, which may result in the fix being delayed for a later patch."A later patch indeed! Which later patch, you ask? 2.4 perhaps? The official word is "no new ETA," which, as you know, is Blizzard-speak for "sorry guys and gals, we wish we could do this right now, but there just isn't time. We might have time to do it sometime between now and the next global ice age, perhaps."
No, to be fair, they probably will get around to it some day, probably even sometime during the 21st century!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Meira Feb 12th 2008 3:11PM
We, mages, feel your pain about Stealth Animations+Vanish bug... *looks at Blink bug+Mage Armor new icon (that one that Blizzard will never care about)*
Khanmora Feb 12th 2008 3:14PM
Mine's bad as a human but not nearly as bad as the night elves, blech!
Erika Feb 12th 2008 3:20PM
I would be happy if the just dropped the animation and just made them transparent. I think its better then whats there.
Oblivion Feb 12th 2008 3:25PM
I'm obviously missing something. I have a level 70 rogue that I play frequently. I don't notice any kind of stealth animation bugs. What's the deal? What exactly is the problem, and what is supposed to be fixed?
Thijz Feb 12th 2008 4:27PM
Every race/gender has it's own stealth-stance if you want to call it that. There's some strange animation bugs with a few of them though ;) (like Angelus says: BE females cut open their own legs :S)
clozer Feb 12th 2008 3:28PM
I have a BT geared gnome rogue and a newly leveled 70 undead rogue. I gotta say the gnome stealth animation is pretty much perfect to the T.
But the undead one is so sad now compared to what it use to be. To see what I'm talking about is the slower stalking animation that you'll witness in the World of Roguecraft series. It was menacing to see an undead rogue creep up on you that way.
But now they sped up the animation so that it looks like the undead are bobbling around too fast. With big weapons like swords they shift side to side at your hips at a super fast rate, even worse with imp stealth. They probably did it to 'match' the foot movement with the speed of them moving. But doing so makes the too jittery. Go check out an old Roguecraft video to see what I'm saying.
This wow forum thread shows others feeling the same way.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=671928374&sid=1&pageNo=1
Sorry I'm like way anal, but its the little details that you love about your characters
Angelus Feb 12th 2008 3:42PM
I am still hoping for a whole make over on all stealth animations except Blood elves and Gnomes because imo them two look pretty good when stealthed.
my night elf female looks like she wet herself, and she saws thru her left leg with her off hand dagger wich disturbs me because she was never intended to be emo.
Simon Feb 13th 2008 2:59AM
I concur here. I have a lovely little Belf Female rogue and I love stealth animation. It's sneaky and makes her (or them) look like a professional.
I've noticed that the Gnome animation looked a little too fast at one point, as if they were trying so hard to catch up with so toddy legs.
Tenatia Feb 12th 2008 4:10PM
Blizz is trying to get more motion captures for the movements, but the bloody actors are stealthed.
Baluki Feb 12th 2008 4:02PM
Blizz doesn't use motion capture for its character movements. It's all animators.
I don't remember where I heard that, but I think it was on the Making-Of DVD that came with the original Collector's Edition.
Jowbulla Feb 12th 2008 4:29PM
They need to cast the AoE spell "spin around with a bag of cheetos and shaken-up can of cream soda".
Tenatia Feb 12th 2008 7:15PM
Yeah, I know Blizz hand animates, but actors that can't be found because they're stealthed is funnier (well..maybe not) than animation sequences that they can't find :)
Baluki Feb 12th 2008 4:04PM
I haven't noticed anything bad about the animations. I play an orc rogue (not the best race choice, I know) and it seems fine.
Then again, I suppose the only time you notice the animations is when you can actually SEE the stealthed rogue. I'm always too busy getting stunlocked to death.
Peekaboo Feb 12th 2008 4:10PM
I would love to see some sort of new stealth animation. Be it bringing the old animation back, or revising them altogether and making a new and improved animation. I play a Female NE Rogue and to me the worst animation is using sprint in stealth mode. I look like a rabid chicken pecking as I run.
rick gregory Feb 12th 2008 4:47PM
And yet they have time to do these:
"Female Draenei can no longer become stuck under a root in the tunnels leading to Blackfathom Deeps, Ashenvale"
"Saber/Tiger Mounts will now make footprints when walking backwards in snow. "
"Monstrous Kaliri have learned how to chase players going straight up. "
Glavil Feb 12th 2008 8:48PM
They've been promising Hunters new pet abilities for 2 years. Good luck with those stealth animations.
Mordonna Feb 13th 2008 9:06AM
To quote Kanye West:
-"Blizzard does not care about rogue people"
Seriously though, every patch that comes out has a nerf for rogues and anytime that we get anything buffed it is taken away somewhere between PTR and production.