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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: When the model doesn't match the text
by Matthew Rossi 
Feb 4th 2010 at 8:00AM
Heck, I'm a warrior. I'm required to love gear. And even more than gear itself I love gear with something cool extra, something like Ash'kandi. Not only is Ash'kandi pretty freaking awesome, not only does it have one of the best models ever (even this far into WoW's life cycle few 2h weapons have even come close to rivaling Ash'kandi's model) but it has neat flavor text that helps establish the weapon's role in the game world. This is Anduin Lothar's sword. This is the sword of the Lion of freaking Azeroth! Possibly the greatest warrior ever to walk the land and here is his sword!
One of the things I love about the new ICC wing opening, in fact, is discovering that flavor text like that is back. Unfortunately, I also discover that sometimes, model and text do not match up so well. We're going to talk about Lich King loot behind the cut, so if you don't want to know don't go any further.
Take, for example, Glorenzelg, the High Blade of the Silver Hand. Does that in any way, shape or form look like the High Blade of the Silver Hand to you? It's one thing to speculate that the Black Dragonflight might have changed Lothar's sword when they got their hands on it. Ash'kandi's model is so epic you don't really care. But this sword, supposedly the epic blade of the Silver Hand, Azeroth's oldest extant order of paladins and the predecessor to the Argent Dawn and Crusade, looks nothing at all like the flavor text indicates. This isn't a 'Paragon of the Light' at all.
Similarly, I freaking love the flavor text on Mithrios. I want to tank with that weapon. However, it's the same model as the various tanking maces that drop in 10 man, and frankly, where does that paragraph of text fit on it? Where is "...cry with me in the unified voice that will resonate to the throne of the Lich King himself! FOR THE ALLIANCE AND FOR KHAZ MODAN!" exactly? Because I don't really see a place for it on that model.
Oathbinder, on the other hand, suits its model and text perfectly. This thing looks like it is described to look, and you can easily believe someone carved 'SUFFER' on it over and over again. At least I have no trouble believing that.
So now, how about you? Do you think the models work with the new flavor text? Or would you rather they'd avoided it?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
themightysven Feb 4th 2010 8:19AM
these are all interesting points. they would probably be more interesting if there were links to screenshots of the weapons included in the post
Tinwhisker Feb 4th 2010 8:25AM
Or you could, you know, click on the links.
PocketFox Feb 4th 2010 11:30AM
@Tinwhisker
wowhead.com doesn't have screenshots of these weapons yet, and that's where the links lead. Yes, I looked.
Vandersveldt Feb 4th 2010 11:44AM
Those link went to the wowhead page, where no one has submitted screenshots of them yet... or is that just me?
Vandersveldt Feb 4th 2010 11:46AM
*edit*
Alright, they ARE there, just have to jump through some hoops to see them. I had to go to the "shares a same model as" and those had pics.
Succulent Feb 4th 2010 8:23AM
The sword for example, has just dropped off the Lich King himself.
I think that allows it to be corrupted in looks or twisted in some way, perhaps slightly shattered. It was once the paragon of light. I think I'd imagine the text written on it kind of worn away, barely eligible.
Blizz reusing models is annoying, but we've had it for a long time now. At least they're giving us something that defines a weapon, the flavour text, if the model does not.
Nick S Feb 4th 2010 9:59AM
This is exactly what I thought when I first saw the items. Nothing special about some of them.
That said, there *are* a couple of cool models in the bunch. Just not all.
DragonFireKai Feb 4th 2010 8:28AM
It might not look like something used by the Order of the Silver Hand, but it certainly looks like something that's been languishing in the personal ownership of the Lich King himself. That's the whole idea behind the loot table for the Lich King. They're all weapons used by famous people that the Lich King defeated, and took as trophies. the Flavor text on Mithrios makes that much clear. "Beneath the scourge corruption..."
Heck, look at Oathbinder. Does it look like the sort of weapon the honorable Ranger-General of Quel'Thelas would use? Skulls and Suffering? I think that's a little too masculine for an elf to be using. But the Lich King? Sure.
Kylenne Feb 4th 2010 8:37AM
You're warmer, but not close.
Obviously this was Sylvanas' weapon both before and after she died. It was changed (and the words etched into it) when she became a banshee.
Guildenstern Feb 4th 2010 8:51AM
"a little too masculine for an elf to be using"?
PROTIP: You're a douche.
Broon Feb 4th 2010 10:56AM
PROTIP@GUILDENSTERN: Try not to take jokes about pixelated characters so seriously.
Misty Feb 4th 2010 12:14PM
"Heck, look at Oathbinder. Does it look like the sort of weapon the honorable Ranger-General of Quel'Thelas would use? Skulls and Suffering? I think that's a little too masculine for an elf to be using. But the Lich King? Sure."
If you read it again it says "a grotesque skull *now* rests atop the blade." This means it was placed there after Arthas murdered her.
Kylenne Feb 4th 2010 8:35AM
...or being in the possession of the single most evil force on the planet for so long has twisted and corrupted those weapons into dark parodies of their former righteousness.
Really, this isn't hard, people.
(Though I will give you the point about the recycled models--that's just lazy.)
Marcosius Feb 4th 2010 8:56AM
Corruption doesn't answer everything. These inanimate items that were made of assumingly normal materials in the beginning just started to sprout thorns and skulls on their own just because of the mere presence of the Lich King? Yeah right.. I have my Potion of Suspension Of Disbelief right here but theres only so much it can do.
I'd buy it reluctantly if the Lich King was a demon and leaking out fel magic everywhere, but he isn't. He is amazingly powerful yes, but he can't affect inanimate items just by looking at them funny. If anything he could've ordered them to be modified by his underlings, but that would defeat the whole point of gathering them as trophies.
Cyanea Feb 4th 2010 9:07AM
@Marcosius:
This is World of Warcraft where there's flying gryphons and res spells that somehow can't ressurect NPCs. There's nothing wrong with the argument that the Lich King's presence corrupted the weapons.
Hell...you can argue that FROSTMOURNE'S presence is corrupting them since that is pretty fucking powerful, crafted by fel magic, and it's hinted several times throughout the game that there's more to the sword that we and Arthas don't understand.
Pucelle Feb 4th 2010 10:02AM
It's nice that Arthas has taken up crafting in his spare time, and has thoughtfully glued (or bedazzled?) some skulls, evil goat heads and fur trim to these weapons, as well as "corrupting" them by making them all look universally dull. I suppose you'd want to pass the time somehow; leading the Scourge and popping up in questlines across Northrend probably doesn't require too much concentration.
Regardless of that, if you can point out to me where exactly the Royal Seal is (yes... even under the corruption) on that mace, I would be greatly obliged. Or show me where there's room for the TL;DR on Mithrios. Or point out the runes encircling the head of Antonidas's staff.
It's ridiculous to have this flavour text when the flavour doesn't match the weapon - they could've gone with some really nice, dramatic modelling with obvious Scourge corruption (perhaps more "Plaguelands", less "I'm making a fur bikini and decided what to do with the scraps"). Or they could've left the interesting flavour text out and just had the weapons drop.
If the weapon models change much, I'll be astounded.
GuyverIV Feb 11th 2010 3:42PM
Who said Arthas was the one playing with them. They may be his trophies, but when he goes out-and-about who knows what twisted scourge scum-monkey may want to do to defile the only physical proof of a hated foe.
Kragragh Feb 4th 2010 8:35AM
I thought the whole point was these were corrupted versions of the weapons...doesn't change the point about reusing models, but as far as them not "looking" like the text...
Mennok Feb 4th 2010 10:19AM
You're right:
Ghostcrawler said: "The main idea is that the Lich King has an inventory of weapons that he has stolen and corrupted throughout his reign."
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p3/riseandfall-interview.xml
Cantcastwiththatshit Feb 4th 2010 8:37AM
Yeah, I'm really gutted that all models look very similar. The only model I haven't seen repeated is Bryntroll, and that kind of has to be unique.
Its slightly befuzzling that Citadel Enforcers all seem to wield Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand
:S