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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsTransmogrification and the dismissal of the silhouette theory
by Mathew McCurley 
Aug 17th 2011 at 2:00PM
For me, the most stark change that patch 4.3 is bringing about is not a change to the systems or gameplay, but a philosophical change at the heart of World of Warcraft that spells out some of the potential big announcements that might be coming our way during BlizzCon.
Transmogrification is bigger as a philosophical leap than we think, and here's how.
The silhouette theory
World of Warcraft's factions are rooted in an idea called silhouette recognition. What this means is that you can easily tell who your friends or enemies are based on their aesthetic look. The reason there are no "humans" on the Horde side is because Blizzard wants you, as a Horde player, to point out a human on the battlefield. The same goes for every race. No two sides have races that feature identical silhouettes. This is even the reason worgen are forced into their bestial forms in combat -- players need to know that you're a worgen.
This goes for gear as well. Blizzard practically invented the gear tier system in raiding and made it so your two most prominent pieces, shoulders and headpieces, were the sought-after marks of power and prestige, and a physical reminder of player accomplishment. My shoulders currently tell you that I've been to the Firelands, killed many bosses, and taken their stuff. My silhouette is instantly recognizable as a raider who is geared and powerful.
Transmogrification is the antithesis to silhouette theory
For a long time, players and the MMO world together have complained that World of Warcraft was behind the times when it came to player character customization. WoW has been out for a good long time, before a world where sliders for every part of your character's attributes were a staple in the industry. Over time, the age of the system has proven an issue, with Blizzard even updating the models of the faction leaders to provide a better in-game design to older models. Thrall, for instance, only recently shed his level 30 greens for his new shaman digs.
The reigning philosophy was that gear in WoW defined a player and that player's appearance. Gear could easily tell you who and what you were going up against. A warrior looked like a warrior in warrior tier gear, and his race was readily apparent.
Transmogrification is the antithesis to silhouette theory. By allowing players to change the look of their gear from one skin to the next, you remove the ability for any one character to be instantly recognizable in power and prestige in PVE or PVP. A level 85 paladin who is wearing a full set of the Judgement armor set could or could not be a tier 12 raider -- you need to inspect closer to figure it out. If you're on the battlefield in Tol Barad, for instance, you cannot accurately gauge your enemies based on their gear if transmogrification is active during PVP combat in PVP areas, other than looking at their health pools.
There is no doubt that this new system will connect players to their characters more than ever before, and I applaud the move. I have been a vocal critic for some time about the lack of character customization in the game, and I am glad to see Blizzard shedding the old philosophy and bringing to bear new features for the players. Interestingly enough, I wonder how this will affect tier gear creation and whether there will be an emphasis on less impressive gear and more on different art assets, as players might not even care to see their new armor. I sincerely doubt that that will be an issue, however. Blizzard will still churn out cool-looking armor sets for every tier with each new raiding environment.
The future
Here's the real meat of the issue. With transmogrification signaling the end of the silhouette era, could this possibly mean that with the next expansion, potentially concerning oft-rumored Pandaria, that we could see the inclusion of WoW's first bi-factional race? Could Blizzard be giving us pandaren for both sides of the equation now that the concept that players and factions are defined by their silhouettes is out the window?
Dual-faction pandaren make a lot of sense for Blizzard and for the WoW community in general. You don't want to upset either faction with a sense of bias or favoritism, especially when dealing with the fan-favorite pandaren. The story could be worked in such a way that pandaren get a starting zone much like the death knight beginning experience and choose their faction at the end of a heated battle that has the Horde and the Alliance at each other's throats over territory on Pandaria, or even an outside threat like the kvaldir. Could there be two factions of pandaren, one of nobles in the capital and one of the outliers, living outside the bounds of the society formed as clans adhering to the "old ways"?
None of this is fact and none of this is confirmed, but removing one of the biggest roadblocks to cross-faction contamination is one of the bigger sea changes in philosophy in recent history with Blizzard and WoW. Maybe, at this time, we are seeing such radical shifts in ideology because of the need to innovate and keep up with other games releasing soon. The great Cataclysm experiment showed that WoW has to change even more fundamentally to retain and grow the subscriber base. Blizzard has been developing WoW with a very conservative mindset, still rooted deeply in the EverQuest beginnings of the genre. Now, with patch 4.3 signaling the end of one of the bigger design philosophies, anything is possible with the next expansion.
Anything.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back! Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 8)
eel5pe Aug 17th 2011 3:24PM
One thing I haven't really heard discussed yet:
It's heavily implied, though not confirmed, that in order to transmogrify a piece you must first own it (read the end of the official preview when it talks about why they're implementing Void Storage). What are the implications for loot distribution? I can already foresee arguments where someone wants a piece of gear to complete their transmogrification set, and another player just wants the damn maelstrom crystal.
eel5pe Aug 17th 2011 3:24PM
Oh and one more thing: we need a shorter way to write "transmogrification" and all its variants.
hua Aug 17th 2011 5:45PM
"morging"
Infamado Aug 17th 2011 5:10PM
I don't get the Pandaren point at the end. The fact that Tier 12 gear can look like Tier 11 gear doesn't mean Humans can suddenly look like Tauren. Faction identification, and even race identification, isn't changing even slightly.
Why do we even have gear in PvP? Why not just have a uniform gear set that's automatically equipped on entry to Arenas and BGs, with a few alternate options to provide a little choice and cosmetic rewards for success? I get that chasing gear is the entire game in PvE, but PvP doesn't need that driving factor, and is enhanced by a level playing field and equal access to gear. Gear is nothing but a barrier to entry in PvP, and I honestly can't think of a reason it exists.
Sorry, that's off topic. I'm posting it anyway.
Dragoniel Aug 18th 2011 4:47AM
Gear is everything in PvP. Gear makes or breaks your character. Gear gives you options and gear gives you the looks.
I couldn't care less what the huge blob of pixels think about my shoulders in a raid, but I do care how do I look to the enemies and friends alike.
Some people play just for arenas and a line of 4 numbers to show off their epeen to those who actually care. WAKE UP, arenas and battlegrounds are not PvP, its a freaking points farm for the very same GEAR.
True PvP is world PvP. End of story.
Todd Aug 17th 2011 3:31PM
As a player who only very rarely dabbles in PvP, and I've been playing for about 2 years now, I am actually only now hearing that people actually memorize the size/shape/color/whatever of various armor pieces in order to identify them on the field. Maybe I'm just PvP stupid, that's possible. But the times that I have been on the Battlefield, the way I identify an enemy combatant is by the fact that he is highlighted in red. And my tab key targets him. And in most cases, he is shooting at me. :)
Now, for the PvP elite to want to be able to judge "what's coming at them" by the shape of their armor, I can see that being a somewhat reasonable request. On the other hand, it can unfairly balance the game, especially against the "un-elite".
If an enemy player sees that I'm not wearing anything more than the blues and greens I've picked up from PvE'ing, chances are good that he and his buddies are going to come straight for me and one-shot me to death, probably over and over again. (Guess how I know this...?) He may on the other hand avoid the well armored folks that could do the same to him.
By getting rid of that system, the playing field evens for everyone. A newbie isn't pounded on sight at least. If you want to know if the other guy is strong or weak, you're gonna have to fight him. And maybe get your a** handed to you in the process.
Now, from a PvE perspective, I applaud this. I can't tell you how many times I've found a great looking piece of armor, only to find that the new, uber-specced armor I just got looks like it came from a clown car. Especially as a female hunter, half the time I have a tube top on, furry boots, and a massive helm. It looks ridiculous. The AI doesn't care what I'm wearing of course, but I like to look nice in town, and in screen shots, right?
Anyway... isn't all of this solvable simply by eliminating the option from Tier'd gear?
Anathemys Aug 17th 2011 4:16PM
You have a good point about this eliminating the galvanic targeting technique a lot of people use.
Dale Aug 17th 2011 3:31PM
Ok, honestly, has anybody really decided battle tactics or to fight or not based on silhouette? This has been there excuse for years and I have yet to meet somebody really does that. Most I have seen somebody say is somebody may be harder to kill. Thats it.
Cambro Aug 17th 2011 9:48PM
Hi! Good to meet you!
Apparently I'm in the vast minority, but I do actually think of the enemy in terms of silhouettes. Notice how I said that. I look for the enemy nameplate first, then I look for racial markers. To me, it helps to anticipate what racial abilities the target may use, and more recognizable than trying to call out a character's name. "Kill undead priest" just makes more sense to me than "Kill Pøøflïngaer". Let me clarify. Calling out race and class in vent seems to be more effective than a name. In type, I could go either way, but if I know my target is Forsaken vs goblin, it helps me to position my mouse on the screen to select him. And in all this, I'm assuming battlegrounds or Tol Barad, where there are more than 5 enemies to choose from.
Grovinofdarkhour Aug 17th 2011 3:35PM
You may wish to add "Tin Foil Hat" somewhere in the title.
PJ Aug 17th 2011 3:47PM
So another way that pvp is ruining the game for pve
babywhiz Aug 17th 2011 3:48PM
I really wish they would rethink limiting to 'type you can wear'. For example, Druids can wear cloth, they just don't if they are serious about doing an instance or a raid. Some of that cloth gear, however, is just so pretty on a Nelf druid.
zEagleEye` Aug 17th 2011 3:54PM
Maybe I'm dreaming but I thought I also read that most probably you could not change armor into just ANYTHING but only to previously existing item looks, maybe even only if you actually OWNED them.
So if you like a Tier X shoulders look you'd be able to make Tier Y look like them somehow (with or without owning the original look ones) but not "freelance" look of you designing a totally new look.
I also doubt that you'll be able to make a lower iLevel item look like a higher one.
Marius W. Aug 17th 2011 3:58PM
Do you play WoW? I don't think you do if you think the changing of gear makes a race un-recognizable. All that does is hide what you have done, in terms of raiding or not raiding. You still look like a tauren regardless of the gear you have on. You still look like a night elf no matter what you have on.
The silhouette stays the same and is not gear dependent. The silhouette theory is bunk and says nothing about a possible dual faction new race. Blizzard also knows that if people want to play a race and its not on their preferred faction they will do it. There is certainly loyalty for preferred factions but that hasn't stopped most from making an alt on the other side so they can play a worgen or a goblin or whatever.
Im sorry for saying this, but your theory sucks!!
Anathemys Aug 17th 2011 4:14PM
See my counter point in reply to Jaq's very similar statement, that way I don't double post and look like an idiot XP
arquenvaron Aug 17th 2011 5:55PM
About the silhouette thing... i was reading the other day a synopsis for Wolfheart (Knaak's next novel) and something caught my attention.. there's a little part saying that the Night Elf society is "accepting" the High Elves back....
High Elves are not blood elves, but today, they share the same model in game...
think we'll see blood elf model with blue eyes as a playable choice for night elf??
Kylenne Aug 17th 2011 6:47PM
You're really, really confused. Night Elves are emphatically *not* "accepting High Elves back". Back before the Sundering, there were two castes of Night Elves: commoners, and the aristocracy known as Highborne. The Highborne were the ones that dove headfirst into arcane magic. While it wasn't necessary to be of Highborne caste to practice arcane magic (see: Illidan Stormrage), arranged marriages and selective breeding ensured that the power was pretty much kept to the Highborne.
When Queen Azshara, formost of the Highborne, went off the deep end, a chunk of Highborne went along with her and summoned the Burning Legion to Azeroth, and a massive war happened. Some of this bunch eventually turned into satyrs, the rest were transformed into naga with Azshara when the Sundering happened and Zin-Azshari fell into the sea.
However, some Highborne refused to go along with the crazy and joined the Kaldorei Resistance. They fought on the side of Malfurion and the common born Night Elves during the war. When the war was over, Furion and his lot banned the practice of arcane magic because it was deemed too dangerous. By this time though, the surviving Highborne were well into arcane addiction and tried to argue against the ban. They decided to create an arcane storm to prove the point that arcane magic was too potent to ignore and should be kept around, which was the last straw. These Highborne, led by Dath'Remar Sunstrider, were exiled out of Kalimdor because they refused to give up the practice of arcane magic. At some point or another, Dath'Remar got hold of some of the water from the Well of Eternity (general accepted theory is Illidan gave it to him), and when the exiled Highborne came to what is now Quel'Thelas, they built the Sunwell and evolved into High Elves through loss of exposure to the Well of Eternity and drawing on the new, weaker source to fuel their spells. Culturally, they also claimed the sun rather than the moon as a symbol, quit worshipping Elune, etc.
The Highborne that you see walking around Darnassus and the rest of Azeroth right now are not High Elves. They're the minority of Highborne that didn't follow Dath'Remar Sunstrider and his people into exile because they were isolated in far-flung places like Eldre'Thelas (aka Dire Maul) during the War of the Ancients, and didn't get the memo that the arcane was verboten. That's why they still look like Night Elves, because they are; they were never exposed to the Sunwell, never gave up the nocturnal living or worship of Elune, etc. Shortly before the Shattering, some of these Highborne had visions of awful things to come in Azeroth, which is why they made the journey to Darnassus, and Tyrande lifted the ancient ban on arcane magic so that the Night Elves could fight back against the awful things that happened to them (Horde offensives in Ashenvale and Darkshore, loss of Auberdine, etc).
The silhouette argument was only the most obvious one barring the addition of playable High Elves. There's still compelling arguments against it, such as the redundancy of yet another playable elf race when we already have two (one that wouldn't even have a unique model at that).
Jaq Aug 17th 2011 4:01PM
I don't see how being able to select any armor your character has owned is going to break the silhouetting. My BE DK can't suddenly look like a dwarf because I switch him to my t10 set. This article makes a leap in logic that isn't really supported by the facts, lol.
Anathemys Aug 17th 2011 4:13PM
Not really.
The article here is saying that transmogrification is just a step towards breaking the silhouette concept, not the feature that actually breaks it.
Basically, it all boils down to one fact.
It is now a whole lot harder to tell a player's skill level before.
Example A: I can now walk around the world in my level 55 DK starter armor, and then kill the crap out any level 80's and below who try to gank me.
Example B: Before, if I saw someone in full gladiator gear in a contested zone, I probably wouldn't mess with 'em. Now, I just see a pally in Judgement gear. Little do I know that behind that outdated tier armor waits a world-champion PvPer.
Transmogrification doesn't destroy the silhouette concept. But, it's the only sign we've seen so far that Blizzard may be considering throwing the idea out.
Jaq Aug 17th 2011 6:07PM
Your entire comment doesn't address the issue I raised at all, just the issues in dealing with being able to customize your appearance. Changing my appearance from a t11 or t12 BE DK...how DOES that lead one to say "one day Blizzard will give up the unique silhouettes of each race?" All transmogrification says is "one day Blizzard will let you change the appearance of your gear."
The underlying notion to this article seems to be that gear appearance=race appearance. It most certainly isn't. A Night Elf and a Blood Elf in identical gear are still obviously a NE and a BE. It's almost as if this article started with the notion "you CAN have pandaren in both factions" and worked backwards to transmogrification.