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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 3 of 4)
Bbcversus Feb 4th 2010 11:48AM
All I can say is that Lich King's loot is over-disappointing for the first minute I saw it. First of all, why only weapons? Does the LK have a jacket full of knives on the inside? He has a weapon fetish or what?
Second of all, the look of those weapons aren't exactly EPIC loot from the friggin Lich King! Cmon people, is the badaass of them all and his loot looks like some piece of epics from heroics... Illidan had some really cool items in his loot table. Same Cthun, Kil Jaeden etc. LK is really cheap with the look. If I will see someone with a weapon from LK in IF I wont recognize it as being from the mighty badass Lich King, and personally, that counts very much.
Terhi Feb 4th 2010 8:51AM
Well, I don't know about you, but considering what happened last time someone went and found some armor on up at the frozen throne I wouldn't touch anything I found there with a 20 foot pole, much less wear it.
Baval Feb 4th 2010 8:48AM
They are corrupted models, but that doesnt excuse their looks. That does NOT look like any hammer that Bronzebeard would wield, and i know everyones all yep yep thats a Sylvanas axe alright, but keep in mind that at the time she was actually wielding that thing, she was just your average Blood Elf female...does that look like a Female Bloodelf (ok, high elf fine) weapon to you? All in all every single weapon is a big disapointment, ESPECIALLY the caster dagger, which looks like a lvl 74 green i just bought for an alt with ice coming out the back....not alot of ice either. And What the heck is Illidans weapon? A dagger? Were talking about a dmon hunter here, it should at least be a sword if not warglaives.
But then, Blizzard has been lazy with weapon models all expansion.
heliolord Feb 4th 2010 9:01AM
Eh, I haven't seen any models resembling Bloodsurge. I really want that sword.
RetPallyJil Feb 4th 2010 9:24AM
I laughed out loud (really) when I did the Chalice of Elune quest and the shimmering magical vessel's icon was the green coffee mug with 2% on it.
Now THAT's comedy!
Let's see what other flavor text got my attention? Oh the quest where you had to get a bag of stuff belonging to the Forsaken and the flavor text said, "Look at this stuff! Why are the Forsaken so evil?" Of course, I immediately imagined it was filled with severed kitten heads and upset myself. Why ARE the Forsaken so evil? I cried aloud. Well ok, not really.
In short, welcome home, flavor text!
Broon Feb 4th 2010 11:02AM
You're my favorite.
RetPallyJil Feb 4th 2010 6:16PM
/blush!
Kyrro Feb 4th 2010 9:41AM
I would gladly pay extra each month for Blizzard to hire a dozen or two extra model designers so we could get some interesting looks on our loot, I mean, they look awesome and all that, but hey, where's the Ashbringer-awesomeness? Please Blizzard, I look a my Death Knights back some 3-4 hours every day, can I please have something really cool to be proud of, instead of a placeholder that drops from 10-man Marrowgar too?
matthew.pumphrey1 Feb 4th 2010 9:46AM
I'm pretty sure that Grom is the greatest warrior of all time.
MightyBurebista Feb 4th 2010 12:37PM
Yours, not ours.
Starsmore Feb 4th 2010 2:16PM
That sure is a funny way to spell "Chuck Norris"
Kia Feb 4th 2010 10:18AM
Definitely agree with this post. I was just commenting on that sword last night over on WoW-Head about how irritating it is to see a model reused from -Marrowgar-. They've been super lazy with gear designs this entire expansion, but to even carry that over to the lich king...Seriously messed up. Here's hoping they come to their senses in Cat, but I doubt it. If this is what the lich king drops, they obviously haven't listened a bit to how much people complained about same-y gear in Wrath. -_-
Umami Feb 4th 2010 10:21AM
Peoples, you do have to remember that general economics comes into play here. I don't want to play the devil's advocate, but I'm gonna do it. Blizzard is trying to keep the major player base happy. If that means models get re-used so they can meet a time deadline, so be it. We all have been chomping at the bit to kill the Lich King since Wrath was released, so for them to get this out and done was something they have been working on for a long time. What is better: an epic battle or new models? New Druid models or weapon models? Cut scene at the death or Arthas or weapon models? This is what blizz has to think about, and we get pissed at them for the littlest things.
Granted, we all woul have loved to see different models, ones that matched the flavor text or even flavor text on more than just the heroic versions of the weapons, but when their major focus is now towards keeping us all happy in 6 months when Arthas is old news, they gotta cut out the unnecessary. Sorry peoples, but the real world is harsh, I know!
Blondies Feb 4th 2010 10:45AM
TLDR? it's lame that almost nothing have a unique model, not even tier.
I've been QQing about models in wotlk so much that my guild is starting to get annoyed by it.
why oh why is there a million weapons/armor pieces that looks the same. Yes, it makes a little sense in Trial of the Crusader, seeing as the gear is supposed to be put there by the Argent Crusade, but still.
Some things should have unique models! Flavortexted items, and tier. I loved it in the Burning Crusade how you could see if someone had tier just by looking at them (until black temple came out). Yes, some pvpgear looked more or less the same, but that was two sets of gear with the same model, and most times it wasn't the same color. Now I can get my shaman in a full set that will make me look like I have 5 pieces of tier10, without having one.
Until I read this article, I didn't think of the flavortexts on items too much. I do now however. I'd say that since Wotlk shipped, blizzard have either been way too lazy on unique models or they have added way too much items. The only thing that gets it's own model is legendaries and the ever so occasional random item (Bryntroll for example).
Lex Feb 4th 2010 10:48AM
WoW produces more revenue than any other video game, ever, period. A single brick in Lego Universe supposedly has more polygons than an average WoW character. This smells like pocket-padding, not lacking money to pay for a handful of models to be created.
Think of it this way, the end boss weapons that dropped in BC were unique. Was WoW producing more money then?
Dardy Feb 4th 2010 11:20AM
I was really dissapointed that the Paladin tier armor is so "undeady" There are a bunch of Argent Crusaders standing there in fricken awesome Golden, light bathed armor and Im running around with a chicken skull on my head. Lame, lame I say! I didn't roll a paladin to be gloomy, I can roll a DK (and did) for that.
MightyBurebista Feb 4th 2010 12:40PM
"Hey gaiz, let's put skulls on Pally armor!"
Lemons Feb 4th 2010 5:27PM
People have complained about this before and if I remember Blizz basically said "well yea, but you can wear evil-looking armor and still be good." Yea well that's all good and fine Blizz but it's getting a little old at this point. Maybe some paladins want that, but I know on my own pally seeing him run around in drab black and grey armor looking like a warrior or DK is just disappointing. And skulls? On pally armor? What are they thinking?
Dardy Feb 4th 2010 2:29PM
"oh oh and fyre! Fyre is awesome!"
vav Feb 4th 2010 3:48PM
Technically Ash'kandi has never been definitively proven to be Anduin's sword, it's just speculation that it is based off the initials.. So who knows!