Prettiest in public
by Alex Ziebart 
Mar 2nd 2008 at 3:00PM
My favorite part of the Public Test Realm is pre-made characters and gear vendors. Not because it's "free epics" or anything like that, not because it's particularly anything out of my reach, but because I get a fun little preview of what my characters may look like down the road.I'm very picky when it comes to style. I adore the style of Warcraft, but other games(and even some cartoons and movies) have turned me off from them by not having an art style that grabs my attention right away. So that being said, I'll admit that even in the highest points of the Black Temple, my upgrade choices are sometimes dictated by what looks the coolest. If the ugly items are a massive upgrade for me, I'll just put them at the end of my list and hold off from looking like a freak as long as possible.
Being able to toss on full Tier 6 the last time they did pre-mades on the Public Test Realm wasn't about being super powered for a week or two for me. It was a glimpse into the future. How cool will I look a few months down the road? What if I'm going to be wearing a clown suit!? That'd be horrible! Let's log onto the PTR and find out!
Sure sure, you can always use the dressing room feature on the live servers, but nothing is quite the same as actually putting it on and running around in it. I spent a little time on the Arena Tournament PTR doing this with clones of my lower level alts, but I was disappointed to heart all of the PvE content, including mobs out in the world, have been deactivated. How am I supposed to look awesome without level 1 boars to slaughter?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
fLUx Mar 2nd 2008 3:21PM
Totally the opposite for me, I only stay away from PTRs because I don't wanna have T6 for a week and then go back to my normal gear.
Maybe that will change then I have some better gear to start with, but the thought of being super powered for a week then going back would turn me off WoW...
Charlie Taylor Mar 2nd 2008 3:32PM
On a slightly related note, I am the only rogue that feels like the T5 set is the worst looking rogue set ever? C'mon, how cliche is that punisher-esque mask?! What ever happened to the cool rogue sets?!
YPEELS40 Mar 2nd 2008 4:01PM
lol a gnome rogue wearing S2/ t5 helm is so funny. Honestly I dont mind that one its the t6 stupid Collar helmet that i hate.
hellshire Mar 2nd 2008 5:11PM
T5 is the only set I would ever wear in completion without hiding anything. The helm's of t4 and t6 are just.... ugh. And don't even get me started on our sunwell set.
Killah Mar 2nd 2008 4:13PM
I'd like to answer you, but I the only words my mind comes up with is "That object is busy".
morgil Mar 3rd 2008 1:42AM
There's a magical program called "wow model viewer" that will let you see any character in any armor currently in the game. That' how sites like mmo-champion and world of raids get those models out to you before they're even seen in the game.
I'd look into it if curiosity of what you will look like later down the road is killing you.
Alex Ziebart Mar 3rd 2008 2:02AM
I use WoW Model Viewer also, but it just isn't the same as actually running around and hitting things in it. : )
Seamus Mar 3rd 2008 8:27AM
EQ2, and now LOTRO, addressed this by provide a character tab or tabs that provide for gear that is just for show.
IOW this is the gear everyone sees you wearing but has no other impact on your character, its just a roleplay mechanic. You can't wear gear you haven't earned either.
A nice side effect is that everyone comes up with unique looks. No longer does everyone in a class look the same because they all have the same end-game gear.
Of course EQ2 has a lot more content and gear to give more choices but its something I'd love to see in WOW.
Both EQ2 and LOTRO provide 'barbershops' that allow you to completely change the look of your toon, (not the race or gender). Of course both this games have a lot more options for character customization, but the announced 'barbershop' for WOW is very weak in comparison.
Juliah Mar 3rd 2008 10:23AM
I'm picky about style, but for a different reason: roleplaying. I get so frustrated when my devout, modest priest is forced to choose between a skanky top that is a significant upgrade and keeping her tasteful, RP-appropriate robe. :( I wish Blizzard would let you choose the upgrade stats independent of the gear, so you could keep a particular look, or else offer both a modest and immodest version of each piece for those of us who aren't into table dancing. :p