Above, you'll see a video of the Two Forms and Running Wild animations. Past the cut you'll find a much longer video of all the model's current animated emotes, casting and channeling animations.
These are the worgen faces from here to now. I liked where they were going with the 5th one, more wolfish, just need to smooth the brow. But the next one goes back a lot. Thus, my chihuahua statement.
Actually, I agree with roseclown. The animations are adorable, their bodies look exactly right, but their faces.... Well, my main is a female troll, so I won't complain much. That dance, however, is really truly a terrible idea.
well to be honest, the game is rated T. and ive seen much worse from games rated T than the female soften dance. hell, even wow has worse than that in my opinion. hellscream calls sylvannas a b**** in the new tirisfal glades quest! so I think that the dance is appropriate because it is current and somewhat recognizable...besides, the average female worsen dancer is not going to be naked. at least after the first few weeks; it will get old. you'll see.
I was hoping they'd make the permagrimace optional, but I guess not. And I'll reserve judgment until after the game is out, but that sounds a lot like a pig rooting for tubers to me.
I will agree with you about the progression, the fifth one, out of the "final" versions, is the best(though I like the second datamined one a lot), the current one is a more retarded version of the chihuahua, they should have kept to the fifth where she definitely looks best.
Someone posted actual art they drew on the basis of the fifth on MMO champ, and it looked very nice, let me see if I can find it...
This, looked quite good! The snarl was annoying and the ears looked rather batty, but still, then this new one? This horror-chihuahua? Eugh, awful.
Side note, at least their Druid forms look great, so if they get stuck looking like chihuahuas beaten by the ugliest stick on Azeroth I can still escape their derp-Paris-Hilton-Purse-Pet faces.
"Streamline the face to be more wolf like: AKA, less human forehead. The current forehead gives it a tame, chihuahua look."
NOT easy. At all. It's not just like they can just...poof. Instachange it. This takes time, it takes reference photo's, and most importantly, it takes finding a balance between feral and appealing. This is the biggest problem they've had so far with the female worgen, and the truth is...not everyone is going to be happy. I actually LIKE the shape of the face. I dislike the textures, but the model shape itself is just fine.
"Raise the front lips in the snarl. The current one isn't even anatomically possible. The most similar expression done by a canine is a sign of fear, which isn't what I want on my worgen."
Again, very much not easy. This would require extensive model editing, as it would create a need to actually give the female worgen 'lips' rather than the standard model shape. Either that or completely reshape the snout, which would take a long time.
As for how it isn't 'anatomically possible'...get real. This is a fantasy role playing game. Nothing ABOUT werewolves is anatomically possible. Nothing about the male night elf model is anatomically possible, or the differences between male and female draenei. And GNOMES. This is a game, not a science book. And I don't know about everyone else, but...while the face may be odd looking, it certainly doesn't look afraid.
"And stop the inappropriate mass grabbing in the dance."
I don't particularly care for the dance. But I recognize that the game is rated TEEN. It is absolutely appropriate for it's target audience. If you let kids younger than 14 watch the dance, that's your problem and you're the one being inappropriate. For Christs sake this is a Lady GaGa dance. Any kid can turn on MTV and watch it, and alot WORSE, in a heartbeat.
And do you know how LONG it would take them to add an entirely new dance into the game? Not only do they have to animate the damn thing, but they also have to acquire an entirely new license, and they can't exactly sell the Lady GaGa one back.
In conclusion, we get it. You don't like it. Stop whining.
I made this to keep track of all the changes that were being made, and also as a comparison between the old and new designs. They are all un-altered models, no fan-made edits.
I think something went off the rails after version 2. When female worgen were inactive at the start of Beta I thought they were just being altered slightly to match the new, more streamlined, maned male model.
Instead they were completely redesigned, requiring the face animations to be completely re-made. I still cannot work out why the redesign took them in the complete opposite direstion of the males. The head is less streamlined, the ears look like they belong on a goblin, and the eyes are about as far from the intimidating eyes of the male as it is possible to get.
I agree with Roseclown too, everything about the female worgen looks cool, except the face. As for the dances, the goblins and male worgen are very meh, Gaga's is a bit over the top.
@Revrant. Wow ! Thanks for posting those two images from MMO, they look so much better, I'd be very happy if they were the final look. Whoever did them, Blizzard should give them a job .... now !
@ioncat You're rather pessimistic and defiant about changes, your rhetoric lead me to believe you simply liked the chihuahua head, and then you outright stated you did indeed like the chihuahua head.
I understand not everyone wants them to look like wolves, you like them to look like deranged chihuahuas, but I personally do want them to look more like werewolves/wolves. In reference to it being "fantasy", it's a matter of what looks natural as opposed to what is "supposed" to be.
The snarl looks strange for the face, just like it did on kitties, back then they had a valid excuse, they couldn't animate faces to that degree, now there just isn't an excuse. Look at the Goblins, the art panel video on youtube shows all the noses and ears and chins and faces you can have, you can have this wicked Gremlin looking "GOING TO EAT YOU GIZMO, AHAHAHAAAAAA! C'MERE! NOM!" face to this tough ring through the nose "Ey watchu doin c'mere da boss wants ta talk witchaaaa pal" face, straight into a spirited gleeful easy-going bright green young face.
The goblin before he discovered gold? I think so.
The disparity upsets people, there's an argument to be made for appealing versus ferocious, but we're not there yet, we're stuck on "That's a retarded chihuahua Paris Hilton should be sued for abusing it by making it watch her have sex from its purse, that's the only explanation for that derp look.". We got to appealing versus ferocious with the Worgen males, and I'm pretty happy with them(and they have facial animations), but we aren't there yet with the females.
There's obviously some contentious stuff going on behind the scenes, the male worgen got less cuddly and wolf-like, the females are all over the place, which says they're arguing over it and using public reaction to gauge fan response, to me, at least.
You're welcome for the art pic btw, that's pretty much my ideal female worgen too!
That Worgen Fix picture is AMAZING... whoever made that totally wins an internet... It's fierce, yet the mane from the mode is enough to give it that feminine look, and it's got that snarl with teeth showing without looking ridiculous. I would KILL to have female worgen look like that! Sadly, this late in the game, I fear that they'll only look like that in fan art... I suppose if I do decide to make a female worgen I'll just have to keep the "display helm" box checked off.
Why do the males get to look like wolves and the females have to look like ill tempered Chihuahuas? I so wanted to make a worgen but there is no way I will be making a female one if Blizzard stays with that terrible face.
Wow, to those of you that downrated roseclown... who pee'd in your Wheaties this morning? If you don't agree with someone, say it with me I Don't Agree With You. Downrating a post you don't agree with kinda misses the point of a "comment" section.
For the record Roseclown. I don't agree with you on some of your points. But you did a fine job, in my opinion, of stating your opinion.
And this line just made me snort hot coffee... "You gave us a Chihuahua who grabs herself in public."
I WOULD rather them look like wolves. I really would. I was fine with the first version of the female worgen, and I think the second version was golden.
That said, it's not pessimism that has me thinking it's not going to change, it's realism. The release date for this game is a little over a month away. To believe they'd drastically (because that's what it's become) alter the model in such a short amount of time is just unrealistic.
I don't mind the shape of the head. It isn't exactly what I'd LIKE it to look like, but it isn't that bad either. It certainly doesn't look like any chihuahua I've ever seen. Maybe it doesn't look like a wolf, but most people I see don't look like Hairlip McMusclemeat like the human male model.
If, by some miracle, they change the model one final time to appear more like a wolf, I'll be completely fine with it. For now, I'll take what we've got, get used to it, and remind myself that it really isn't all that bad.
Thank you. Must admit, for someone who scores blue comments most the time, a am almost proud of hitting the shade of black I did so quickly. And I didn't even insult anyone! Just a model! Do you get badges for that?
But yeah. In all honesty, I have just grown more and more angry at the model after following many small changes. I am a huge folklore nut, and love werewolves, so some key points about the worgens disappointed me.
It wasn't just the dance: It was the dance on top of the stocks animation (for males, they struggle like crazy. Girls just have a kicked puppy look), on top of the breasts that are the largest for any model yet (in terms of proportion), on top of the eyeshadow, and well... I kinda raged a bit last night. I was looking forward to playing a fierce female worgen. Now, I can't help but look at those key animations and think of it as a spastic were chihuahua.
Then again, while some people say don't use /dance then, I am a /dance user. Seriously, used it at least 12 times on my troll this week. And I don't even like the troll female dance that much! It's just 'ok' for me.
...Lord help me when I roll my troll male druid. I will be /dancing at every turn.
@ioncat You can google chihuahua and see the resemblance, the only part is the muzzle, which looks more like a Dachsund than anything else.
So she's a Chihuachsund.
If people don't complain it won't be changed, so your telling people to stop complaining is counterintuitive to your stated goal, that it be better, and your opinion of Blizzard must be abysmally low to think they can't change it.
Humans look awful, almost all the base races do by comparison, it's not a very good counterpoint, Blizzard had never developed a fully 3D animated world before, the closest they came was Warcraft 3.
Which was attack and idle/running, and whatever other effects, yes humans look retarded and run as though they have a corn cob shoved who knows where, and yell so loud when they attack I have to turn my speakers down.
But that was 2001-2004.
They've already changed the females drastically three times and some rather significant tweaks, they can change it on a whim, they're the largest developer on the face of the planet, they've created a whole new WORLD for us to explore over the course of two years.
They can change a Chihuachsund into a wolf/werewolf in the course of a month and a week, to think they can't is rather ridiculous, they're Blizzard, for crying out loud.
They can do whatever they want to do, and then tell us we'll get to experience it "when it's done".
Oct 27th 2010 at 10:10PM 
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 10)
roseclown Oct 27th 2010 10:53PM
Ah, found a 'progression' of development someone posted elsewhere.
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3205/progression.png
These are the worgen faces from here to now. I liked where they were going with the 5th one, more wolfish, just need to smooth the brow. But the next one goes back a lot. Thus, my chihuahua statement.
missemilyblack Oct 27th 2010 11:25PM
Actually, I agree with roseclown. The animations are adorable, their bodies look exactly right, but their faces.... Well, my main is a female troll, so I won't complain much. That dance, however, is really truly a terrible idea.
Powatodapeople Oct 27th 2010 11:44PM
well to be honest, the game is rated T. and ive seen much worse from games rated T than the female soften dance. hell, even wow has worse than that in my opinion. hellscream calls sylvannas a b**** in the new tirisfal glades quest! so I think that the dance is appropriate because it is current and somewhat recognizable...besides, the average female worsen dancer is not going to be naked. at least after the first few weeks; it will get old. you'll see.
Powatodapeople Oct 27th 2010 11:47PM
female soften? fail iPod touch auto-correct system...
Blacknimbus Oct 27th 2010 11:58PM
I was hoping they'd make the permagrimace optional, but I guess not. And I'll reserve judgment until after the game is out, but that sounds a lot like a pig rooting for tubers to me.
Revrant Oct 28th 2010 12:15AM
I will agree with you about the progression, the fifth one, out of the "final" versions, is the best(though I like the second datamined one a lot), the current one is a more retarded version of the chihuahua, they should have kept to the fifth where she definitely looks best.
Someone posted actual art they drew on the basis of the fifth on MMO champ, and it looked very nice, let me see if I can find it...
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6097/worgenfix.jpg
There it is, I liked what he did there, and I thought the last update
http://i52.tinypic.com/34ry4as.png
This, looked quite good! The snarl was annoying and the ears looked rather batty, but still, then this new one? This horror-chihuahua? Eugh, awful.
Side note, at least their Druid forms look great, so if they get stuck looking like chihuahuas beaten by the ugliest stick on Azeroth I can still escape their derp-Paris-Hilton-Purse-Pet faces.
Tribunal Oct 28th 2010 12:20AM
2 was my favorite by far.
Oh how I will continue to pine for 2.
Also, pretty sure 5 was a fan edit.
ioncat Oct 28th 2010 1:11AM
Alright. Look.
"Get rid of the eyeshadow."
The easiest thing to do on your list.
"Streamline the face to be more wolf like: AKA, less human forehead. The current forehead gives it a tame, chihuahua look."
NOT easy. At all. It's not just like they can just...poof. Instachange it. This takes time, it takes reference photo's, and most importantly, it takes finding a balance between feral and appealing. This is the biggest problem they've had so far with the female worgen, and the truth is...not everyone is going to be happy. I actually LIKE the shape of the face. I dislike the textures, but the model shape itself is just fine.
"Raise the front lips in the snarl. The current one isn't even anatomically possible. The most similar expression done by a canine is a sign of fear, which isn't what I want on my worgen."
Again, very much not easy. This would require extensive model editing, as it would create a need to actually give the female worgen 'lips' rather than the standard model shape. Either that or completely reshape the snout, which would take a long time.
As for how it isn't 'anatomically possible'...get real. This is a fantasy role playing game. Nothing ABOUT werewolves is anatomically possible. Nothing about the male night elf model is anatomically possible, or the differences between male and female draenei. And GNOMES. This is a game, not a science book. And I don't know about everyone else, but...while the face may be odd looking, it certainly doesn't look afraid.
"And stop the inappropriate mass grabbing in the dance."
I don't particularly care for the dance. But I recognize that the game is rated TEEN. It is absolutely appropriate for it's target audience. If you let kids younger than 14 watch the dance, that's your problem and you're the one being inappropriate. For Christs sake this is a Lady GaGa dance. Any kid can turn on MTV and watch it, and alot WORSE, in a heartbeat.
And do you know how LONG it would take them to add an entirely new dance into the game? Not only do they have to animate the damn thing, but they also have to acquire an entirely new license, and they can't exactly sell the Lady GaGa one back.
In conclusion, we get it. You don't like it. Stop whining.
7Seti Oct 28th 2010 2:53AM
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3205/progression.png
I made this to keep track of all the changes that were being made, and also as a comparison between the old and new designs. They are all un-altered models, no fan-made edits.
I think something went off the rails after version 2. When female worgen were inactive at the start of Beta I thought they were just being altered slightly to match the new, more streamlined, maned male model.
Instead they were completely redesigned, requiring the face animations to be completely re-made. I still cannot work out why the redesign took them in the complete opposite direstion of the males. The head is less streamlined, the ears look like they belong on a goblin, and the eyes are about as far from the intimidating eyes of the male as it is possible to get.
Shadamehr Oct 28th 2010 3:03AM
I agree with Roseclown too, everything about the female worgen looks cool, except the face.
As for the dances, the goblins and male worgen are very meh, Gaga's is a bit over the top.
Shadamehr Oct 28th 2010 3:24AM
@Revrant. Wow ! Thanks for posting those two images from MMO, they look so much better, I'd be very happy if they were the final look. Whoever did them, Blizzard should give them a job .... now !
Revrant Oct 28th 2010 3:52AM
@ioncat You're rather pessimistic and defiant about changes, your rhetoric lead me to believe you simply liked the chihuahua head, and then you outright stated you did indeed like the chihuahua head.
I understand not everyone wants them to look like wolves, you like them to look like deranged chihuahuas, but I personally do want them to look more like werewolves/wolves. In reference to it being "fantasy", it's a matter of what looks natural as opposed to what is "supposed" to be.
The snarl looks strange for the face, just like it did on kitties, back then they had a valid excuse, they couldn't animate faces to that degree, now there just isn't an excuse. Look at the Goblins, the art panel video on youtube shows all the noses and ears and chins and faces you can have, you can have this wicked Gremlin looking "GOING TO EAT YOU GIZMO, AHAHAHAAAAAA! C'MERE! NOM!" face to this tough ring through the nose "Ey watchu doin c'mere da boss wants ta talk witchaaaa pal" face, straight into a spirited gleeful easy-going bright green young face.
The goblin before he discovered gold? I think so.
The disparity upsets people, there's an argument to be made for appealing versus ferocious, but we're not there yet, we're stuck on "That's a retarded chihuahua Paris Hilton should be sued for abusing it by making it watch her have sex from its purse, that's the only explanation for that derp look.". We got to appealing versus ferocious with the Worgen males, and I'm pretty happy with them(and they have facial animations), but we aren't there yet with the females.
There's obviously some contentious stuff going on behind the scenes, the male worgen got less cuddly and wolf-like, the females are all over the place, which says they're arguing over it and using public reaction to gauge fan response, to me, at least.
You're welcome for the art pic btw, that's pretty much my ideal female worgen too!
Draelan Oct 28th 2010 4:04AM
@Revrant
That Worgen Fix picture is AMAZING... whoever made that totally wins an internet... It's fierce, yet the mane from the mode is enough to give it that feminine look, and it's got that snarl with teeth showing without looking ridiculous. I would KILL to have female worgen look like that! Sadly, this late in the game, I fear that they'll only look like that in fan art... I suppose if I do decide to make a female worgen I'll just have to keep the "display helm" box checked off.
Ezerhodden Oct 28th 2010 4:46AM
Why do the males get to look like wolves and the females have to look like ill tempered Chihuahuas? I so wanted to make a worgen but there is no way I will be making a female one if Blizzard stays with that terrible face.
Hrothgar Oct 28th 2010 10:13AM
Wow, to those of you that downrated roseclown... who pee'd in your Wheaties this morning? If you don't agree with someone, say it with me I Don't Agree With You. Downrating a post you don't agree with kinda misses the point of a "comment" section.
For the record Roseclown. I don't agree with you on some of your points. But you did a fine job, in my opinion, of stating your opinion.
And this line just made me snort hot coffee... "You gave us a Chihuahua who grabs herself in public."
ioncat Oct 28th 2010 12:21PM
@ Rev
I WOULD rather them look like wolves. I really would. I was fine with the first version of the female worgen, and I think the second version was golden.
That said, it's not pessimism that has me thinking it's not going to change, it's realism. The release date for this game is a little over a month away. To believe they'd drastically (because that's what it's become) alter the model in such a short amount of time is just unrealistic.
I don't mind the shape of the head. It isn't exactly what I'd LIKE it to look like, but it isn't that bad either. It certainly doesn't look like any chihuahua I've ever seen. Maybe it doesn't look like a wolf, but most people I see don't look like Hairlip McMusclemeat like the human male model.
If, by some miracle, they change the model one final time to appear more like a wolf, I'll be completely fine with it. For now, I'll take what we've got, get used to it, and remind myself that it really isn't all that bad.
Eddy Oct 28th 2010 12:42PM
Man, and that mount animation is just... oh, I can't facepalm enough. All I can think of is, "oh, the ERPers have a doggy style pose for the Worgen!"
Maybe I'm a terrible person.
roseclown Oct 28th 2010 1:00PM
@Hrothgar
Thank you. Must admit, for someone who scores blue comments most the time, a am almost proud of hitting the shade of black I did so quickly. And I didn't even insult anyone! Just a model! Do you get badges for that?
But yeah. In all honesty, I have just grown more and more angry at the model after following many small changes. I am a huge folklore nut, and love werewolves, so some key points about the worgens disappointed me.
It wasn't just the dance: It was the dance on top of the stocks animation (for males, they struggle like crazy. Girls just have a kicked puppy look), on top of the breasts that are the largest for any model yet (in terms of proportion), on top of the eyeshadow, and well... I kinda raged a bit last night. I was looking forward to playing a fierce female worgen. Now, I can't help but look at those key animations and think of it as a spastic were chihuahua.
Then again, while some people say don't use /dance then, I am a /dance user. Seriously, used it at least 12 times on my troll this week. And I don't even like the troll female dance that much! It's just 'ok' for me.
...Lord help me when I roll my troll male druid. I will be /dancing at every turn.
Revrant Oct 28th 2010 4:11PM
@ioncat You can google chihuahua and see the resemblance, the only part is the muzzle, which looks more like a Dachsund than anything else.
So she's a Chihuachsund.
If people don't complain it won't be changed, so your telling people to stop complaining is counterintuitive to your stated goal, that it be better, and your opinion of Blizzard must be abysmally low to think they can't change it.
Humans look awful, almost all the base races do by comparison, it's not a very good counterpoint, Blizzard had never developed a fully 3D animated world before, the closest they came was Warcraft 3.
Which was attack and idle/running, and whatever other effects, yes humans look retarded and run as though they have a corn cob shoved who knows where, and yell so loud when they attack I have to turn my speakers down.
But that was 2001-2004.
They've already changed the females drastically three times and some rather significant tweaks, they can change it on a whim, they're the largest developer on the face of the planet, they've created a whole new WORLD for us to explore over the course of two years.
They can change a Chihuachsund into a wolf/werewolf in the course of a month and a week, to think they can't is rather ridiculous, they're Blizzard, for crying out loud.
They can do whatever they want to do, and then tell us we'll get to experience it "when it's done".
Dadruidess Oct 28th 2010 4:12PM
That worgen fix picture actually reminds me a lot of the cat druid's face so I doubt they'd make it like that.