Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: Roto-scoping is not animation
by Kelly Aarons 
May 12th 2010 at 8:00AM
Enter the drakonid.
What's a drakonid? See the header image. They're the bipedal draconic warriors that are native to each main Dragonflight. Now, if you aggro them, you'll notice that they run at you, lances swirling away. I. Hate. That. Animation. It drives me crazy. My guild leader affectionately calls it my Kryptonite, as I freak out whenever I see them do it. It's just so terrible! It looks like some horrific motion capture session gone wrong; then a blind chimpanzee with a tablet in its mouth added some keyframes. Yes, I realize that it's supposed to spoof the 'Star Wars Kid' animation, but I don't care.
Now, I'm not so critical that I can't like things. I love the animation that was added for ToC, where we saw poor Jarod Sunsworn get choked to death by the Black Knight. The animation for Anzu is great to watch, as they take care of the physics for his feathers. I could think of many others, but those are just a few that stand out.
What animations tickle your fancy? What do you love or hate, and why? What could they improve? Discuss amongst yourselves!
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 10 of 10)
bynde May 12th 2010 4:32PM
I love animation. Good animation.
The animation I cannot stand is first and foremost Anime. It is some of the worst, cheapest crap I have ever seen since the Hanna-Barbera days of converyor-belt cartoons, each one worse than the one before it.
There is a lot of great animation out there, my favorites will still be old style kind of the 1960s Warner brother and MGM shorts Those are art forms. Classics that took real artists.
Anime and H/B are the fastfood of the art of animation. Just plain shitty looking. And it's not just the art its the actual "movement" the actual "animation" of the figures. Give me Tex Avery and Bob Jones and Fritz Lang anyday over that crap.
Io May 12th 2010 4:44PM
My favorite animation in the entire game is the wind serpent swim animation.
I've tried leveling other pets on my hunter, really I have! But I keep coming back to the wind serpent just because I love that animation so much. I actually squealed in glee the first time I wandered through some water after taming one.
I really hope I get to see that animation constantly while in Cataclysm's underwater zone. :D
Polecat May 12th 2010 5:54PM
Troll Female Power Attack Animations. Seriously... could they look any worse?!? I physically can't bring myself to play any class that has to use these abysmal things. The 1 handed PA looks like a lazy round the back stab that doesn't even remotely look effective. Hell, it looks much MUCH weaker then the normal 1 handed attacks!! And the 2 handed power attack anim... who's bright idea was it to have them dance around in a little circle (yes dance, they look like there's no rush), and use this big two handed weapon WITH ONE HAND!!! I physically cannot even relate how disgusted with these animations I am. They are the single worst animations in the game.... and no, I do not exaggerate.
- Polecat
medetron May 15th 2010 7:03AM
Perky Pug! He's brilliantly done.
Second the female dreanei animations - I'm pretty sure some blizzard maniac spent 50% of TBC's development time animating their fingers.
Lemons May 12th 2010 6:47PM
Crocolisk death is pretty epic, the one where they do like a flip and then die. Come on...I didn't hit you THAT hard.
vertigobliss86 May 12th 2010 10:24PM
When I was still a young 50 I loved killing the treants just to see the animation.
One of my favorites still is a male tauren hunter using feign death while running. It looks like the big oaf tripped over a little pebble. Made me lol the first few times...5 years ago =C
And I'm sure many would favorite the succubus idle animation when she slaps her hind quarters and is pleased with herself.
victoringrassia May 13th 2010 12:25PM
And there are also approaches like this:
http://vimeo.com/8701597
which involve some "automatic" steps and some hand-drawing. I like using the process to create a wonderful tension between the film or video 'underpinnings' and an out of controlled over-painting layer.