Patch 5.4 patch notes
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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 5 of 10)
Valt May 12th 2010 9:10AM
Love/like?
Voidwalker and similiar animations. How they stretch into air it feels so evil/demonic like it really means to be. And the "thrust hand forward to cast" Also the death animation where they go like "shuaaa" and disper into air leaving only shackles to ground.
Also ragnaros/murmur animations similiar fashion.
From player animations I like trolls HADOOOOOKEN casts and Undead males cast animation.
Blood elf female crouch/stealth. Female forsaken unarmed pose.
The one I hate? Hmm tough one.
Any night elf male rogue related: muti, vanish(I point my hand upwards, "ill be back lol"), stealth etc. The animations have certain "feel" to it nowdays. Its not because they are bad bad its because it makes you rage coupled with sound effects *shudder*. Its funny how most animations atleast for me have certain feel to them just because you have seen them on "funny" or "annoying" occasions.
Also the "hands up in air" belf male cast pose is .. well its not entirely "manly" if you could say.
Brynn May 12th 2010 9:17AM
Dunno if it's just me, but at least when I'm on my Night Elf, riding a Hippgryph always makes me feel awkward. It just looks... nauseating. The Hippogryph is fine, it's just the way it makes your character move.
Was so excited to get my Argent Tourney one, but the second I took off on him, my instant reaction was "Ugh!" Have not ridden him since :(
zweitblom May 12th 2010 9:16AM
I like the female Dwarven running animation best of all. It is just fluent with such a nice calming rhythm to it. The male elven running animation is my least favourite - it's all muscle and no flow.
The human female casting animations are the best and make up for the rather lackluster rest of that model (white gals can't jump).
Female Orcs in my view are the most well-rounded model - the arms are a tad too long which makes one not want to look too closely when they are running, but apart from that all their animations are solid.
Samuel Reese May 12th 2010 9:17AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBboHVc5sLw
Best weapon animation in the entire game, PERIOD.
Quasimofo May 12th 2010 9:19AM
My favorite death animation is the gnomish war machine in Gnomereggan, where the dead gnome flips out of it all "WhhOOooOoaa!!!" and splats.
I hate pretty much every single female troll combat animation. If anything desperately needs an overhaul for cataclysm it's the trollettes. I actually don't like the female undead melee special flip, bugs the hell out of me for some reason. And humans are just generally badly animated in many ways.
Toadstool May 12th 2010 9:21AM
Casting animations? the human male casting animations are aweful, so too the dance, and run. I hated the animations so much i used to chug noggenfogger over and over until they opened race change, and i promptly changed to a gnome.
Gnome male run is aweful too, he leans over so far you would swear he's using his 3rd leg for balance.
Undead males have the best casting animations in the game, slouchy, evil and flow well, perfect for my warlock ^_^
Nordithus May 12th 2010 9:21AM
I absolutely love the Murloc death animation - well, one of them. When they make this big, uber-dramatic death scene, it reminds me of William Shatner hamming it up. Also - when the graphics glitch and you're flying along with your mount's wings still tucked neatly to its sides and not flapping - that's just weird.... :)
Vogie May 12th 2010 9:32AM
It's not as great as the flight path glitches. I give you some silver, and now I'll jump off the platform, Swimming through the air
The Male night elf channeling animation looks awful... until you see them casting army of the dead. Those 2 poses work perfect for ripping dead bodies out of the ground!
WoWie Zowie May 12th 2010 9:24AM
i always feel satisfied when a crocolisk dies by flipping over. i feel like i didn't just kill it, i pwnd it.
i like the male dranaei polearm animation when he flips it in the air first before attacking.
BlackTiger™ May 12th 2010 9:29AM
1. Human female fishing. Hmmm... Is she drunk?
2. Human female jumping. Just stupid.
3. Nelf walking (slow). What he holds in his pants?... Don't answer.
BlackTiger™ May 12th 2010 9:30AM
4. Nelf male casting. Headache?
The Long Man May 12th 2010 9:32AM
I personally find myself getting seasick when I ride a bear mount for any long distances
Mushanga May 12th 2010 9:35AM
Gnome kick animation... "Super-awesome-backflip-facekick-of-death"-HOOOOO!
mike a May 12th 2010 9:41AM
I HAAAAAATE the night elf male bow animation.
coming from someone who does plenty of real life archery, it just looks plain old stupid.
Luci May 12th 2010 9:42AM
Hate:
1. Most human female animations.
2. Troll female run
3. Tauren female run
Love:
1. Male Draenei gun flip
2. Female Draenei run
3. Night Elf male death
4. Scorpid hunter pet animations
5. Core Hound Pup animations
6. Boomkin dance
7. Druid flight form
8. Most elemental animations
9. Love that they changed the hippogryph so that it could stand still - and its idle animations are neat-o
...that's all I can think of atm.
Fletcher May 12th 2010 9:48AM
I have to agree with you on the human animations, and particularly on the female troll run. I like trolls; they're cool. But I can't come get the voodoo, because whenever I try to roll a female troll, the run animation puts me off before I get to level 10. (Male troll run animation isn't as bad, but they have *terrrrrrible* back posture)
Gilgamesh May 12th 2010 10:37AM
The lameness of the female troll animation can probably be blamed on the fact that originally they were going to be badass savages like the males. Then Blizzard went the Disney route and made them "cute." Probably didn't have the time/resources to properly animate them.
Irem May 12th 2010 10:42AM
I could live with everything else if Blizzard would just do something about that damn run. -_-
Frank May 12th 2010 9:46AM
i really don't hate any of the animations. "hate" is such a strong word for something like this. my love of animations in-game, however, are way too long to list. lots of people have already mentioned them: tree deaths, boomkin dance, bear dance, core hound pups, blizz bear, on and on and on.
Richard May 12th 2010 9:50AM
I have a few animations that I really hate:
- Human Male running animation. This is just godawful.
- Draenei Male one-handed attack animation. There's one where he does like a semi-circle over his head? WTF is that?
- Most targeted cast animations.
- Orc Male one-handed ready stance. Who blocks with their arm when you have a big-ass shield? Dumb.
Animations I love:
- Human Male two-handed special attack. Who doesn't love the jump attack?
- Dwarf Male shield bash.
- Any Horde death animation. :)