Saving Space: Should tabards be next?
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Aug 5th 2008 at 10:30AM
Blizzard really does seem to have finally realized that can give us a few more decent ways to save space without breaking anything or trivializing the game. The new vanity pet and mount skill system has done wonders to clear up bag space on my characters on Beta, and I just can't wait to be able to do it on live.
Of course, there's tons more stuff that a good, solid pack rat can keep in their bank to take up space, from cool looking quest rewards to old gear sets to tabards. Tabards are an especially massive space investment. Even with just the basic battleground and unique event tabards, we're talking at least half a good bag taken up in the bank, and that's with deleting all the easily re-obtainable tabards to save space.
To some extent, Blizzard seems to have realized this, making unique tabards recoverable along with pets and keys, but it would be nice if they could take it one step further and put Tabards on the same skill-type system as pets and mounts.
Because of the new championing system, switching up tabards will probably be a pretty regular occurrence. Buying and rebuying tabards and heading back to the bank to put your unique tabard in storage for faction grinding will end up being a regular chore, and it seems likely that we'll be changing up our tabards often. Having a "Tabard skill" system would enable us to decide which group to fight for on the fly without having to fly out and buy or rebuy their tabard just for a bit of rep grinding. In addition, it would allow us to continue to fly our guild or battleground or faction colors with pride during downtime with a minimum of fuss.
Given the fact that tabards are becoming a central game mechanic in Wrath, they deserve to be easier and more convenient to use and swap so that they can also remain a valid way to make a fashion or loyalty statement when you aren't grinding. Here's hoping Blizzard's realized that, and has one more nice little space saving change up their sleeve.
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Achievements
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
akel Aug 5th 2008 10:37AM
Before we get to tabards... I think we need to look at Hearthstones.
Procris Aug 5th 2008 10:43AM
Hearth stones could easily just be added as a single spell on the general tab in the spell book in my opinion. It does not need a whole tab required for itself like the vanity pets and mounts. Tabards would be a good addition.
Mondryn Aug 5th 2008 10:54AM
I've often wondered why every character gets a hearthstone for free, and can throw it away and get a new one at any time. Why not just make it a skill that everyone knows?
akel Aug 5th 2008 10:57AM
Yep the spell idea is great. I agree tabards could easily be built into the same ui as pets and what not.
My basic point was, I don't carry 10 tabards around with me all the time. But my hearthstone is always taking up a spot, no matter what.
WowMom Aug 8th 2008 8:13AM
Druids get transport to Moonglade. Shamans get Astral recall. And mages can port to any capital city. So why can't everyone get a hearthstone spell.
Phil Aug 5th 2008 12:06PM
+1 to this idea. Just give every level 1 character a Recall spell and be done with it.
Mir Aug 5th 2008 1:37PM
Maybe the reason for the Hearthstone being an item is to emphasize its place in the lore? (that it's not a class-related spell like Teleport, but an actual artifact that is carried around in the backpack.)
I guess this could also be said for minipets or whatever, but I still don't think a single bag slot is that much to complain about.
akel Aug 5th 2008 1:49PM
i don't think anyone here is complaining necessarily about "one thing." It's more about how man many "one things" add up to not be just one thing anymore.
Basically our inventories are full of static items. Hearthstone, mining pick, skinning knife, pets, etc and so forth. Put together all these one things add up to a lot of space.
Thankfully blizzard is doing something about many of these.
Ghassan Aug 5th 2008 4:24PM
Couldn't agree more, it's always one more thing. Take Shamans for example, sure, we don't have to have a hearth stone, but we have to carry 4 totems around all the time just to do anything, plus 2 mounts, reagents for self rez, your up to 7 slots min..
raogrimm Aug 5th 2008 10:37AM
Yes!
Tabard, should be next!
I'll be one of the first to ask for it at blizzcon, if they don't end up in beta by then.
Nogun Aug 5th 2008 10:40AM
I've been looking at my bags and banks recently. I have no idea how I will fill up the space I will already gain by not having to store Mounts and Pets. Sure you can keep any old item you think looks remotely cool but I can't say that interests me.
Now add the bigger bags that will be available in Wrath and I'm seriously starting to wonder if we aren't getting too much space. Was the micro game of bag management really that horrible for many, right now it seems to be getting restricted to paladins, druids and people with resistance gear.
Inscrutibob Aug 6th 2008 10:47AM
You're kidding, right?
BillDoor Aug 5th 2008 10:40AM
I imagine they will be. I'm a tabard collector, the first three rows of my bank are just tabards, and I don't have them all yet...
Marsvoltage Aug 5th 2008 10:42AM
Filler article, fills my mind with more boredom.
William Aug 5th 2008 10:56AM
boring comment
windex Aug 5th 2008 11:01AM
While they are at it why don't they make armor just spell casts that you learn from an item when it drops that gets used once.
Or how about materials just become a buff that lasts until you use the material. "You gain Primal Mana (16)"
Its getting kinda silly. But they are pushing themselves down a slope that they may not be able to stop once the spell-cast-item precedent is set.
jfield Aug 5th 2008 11:02AM
There should just be a tabard drop down on your character screen, right next to or under the title drop down.
tanek Aug 5th 2008 11:10AM
Great idea. :) I would really like to see something closer to this instead of an item-as-spell solution.
Badge Aug 5th 2008 11:09AM
Kinda a moot point for robe-wearers. My tabards all end up going straight to the bank in hopes of one day being able to wear them with a robe and not look like an idiot.
It really would be nice if robe users could untuck their tabards. Are you really championing a cause if you look like this?
http://upload.wowhead.com/images/screenshots/79069.jpg [wowhead.com]
Temozarela Aug 5th 2008 11:52AM
The bigger question is, how do you tuck a tabard in a once piece item?