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The latest patch 5.4 newsZarhym: Death knight tier 13 coming "next week if we can"
by Fox Van Allen 
Oct 14th 2011 at 1:00PM
It's no secret that the artists at Blizzard put a lot of effort and creativity into creating unique tier pieces for every class. It's a time-intensive process. But for death knights, it's been an uncomfortably long wait. After all, each and every other class had an official preview of their tier 13 set by the end of September.
Well, it turns out there was a good reason for that wait. Death knight tier 13 was completed "weeks ago," but because the finished product wasn't up to Blizzard's standard of quality, the original idea was scrapped and a new concept was conceived -- or so said Blizzard Community Manager Zarhym last night via Twitter and on the official Blizzard forums:
DK tier 13 revealed at blizzcon?
I'll give you a bit of the lowdown on why the death knight set hasn't come out yet, even in the 4.3 PTR files third-party sites are looking through. As with all sets, a concept art piece was done for death knight tier 13. When that was translated to the actual in-game look, we felt it wasn't up to par with the concept, and ultimately wasn't nearly at the quality level of the other tier 13 sets. But, that death knight set was completed weeks ago.
Zarhym (who is totally welcome to come to next week's WoW Insider Reader Meetup and buy me a drink) says that Blizzard would "love" to post it next week, but with BlizzCon 2011 starting Friday, that may not be a possibility. I'm sure that few people will be happy having to wait another week (or longer) to get a look at death knight tier 13. But ultimately, I think they'll be glad that Blizzard didn't rush to implement a substandard product just to beat a nonexistent deadline.
DK tier 13 revealed at blizzcon?
Quote:
This is just a thought but im sure it will get released before then. I'm just curious as to why all the other tier 13 models were datamined from the PTR but they decided to keep DK one out. Are they just still working on it or is there some kind of big announcement planned for DKs? The only thing datamined found on the PTR were the icons for the set which look a little frosty.
This is just a thought but im sure it will get released before then. I'm just curious as to why all the other tier 13 models were datamined from the PTR but they decided to keep DK one out. Are they just still working on it or is there some kind of big announcement planned for DKs? The only thing datamined found on the PTR were the icons for the set which look a little frosty.
No, as far as I know we don't plan to make it a reveal at BlizzCon, though there's a chance the timing of its release could, by coincidence, be around that time. It's still planned to be revealed in the same manner the rest have been -- via a blog on our front page with the visual retrospective of previous tiers and developer description.
We'd love to post it by next week if we can, but I can't promise that with all the BlizzCon preparations taking place.
(The only reason I'm posting right now is because I've been at work for 13 hours today: twitter.com/talkingcongas/status/124695686452228096)
I'll give you a bit of the lowdown on why the death knight set hasn't come out yet, even in the 4.3 PTR files third-party sites are looking through. As with all sets, a concept art piece was done for death knight tier 13. When that was translated to the actual in-game look, we felt it wasn't up to par with the concept, and ultimately wasn't nearly at the quality level of the other tier 13 sets. But, that death knight set was completed weeks ago.
So, there are times where multiple iterations of how a set will look in the game are made, based on the original concept piece. In this case though, we felt there to be such a gap in quality that we went back to the drawing board and came up with an entirely new piece of concept art, scrapping the original concept and in-game art done for death knights.
Well, I can say the new concept art is done and the set is close to being ready for image captures. I've not seen either, but I've heard very good things. :)
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into 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: Blizzard, News items, Death Knight, (Death Knight) Lichborne
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Gaurisk Oct 14th 2011 2:01PM
Can we talk about the Druid set? Leather that has fungi growing on it is leather that has been ruined. "We wanted to make something emblemantic of the class, so we just drew you wallowing in filth and neglecting your level 70 Heroic Blues until they fall apart." Thanks, Blizz.
Bellajtok Oct 14th 2011 2:10PM
"hate dull gray looks on anything"
Would it be fair to say your problem is with the colors? After all, those two sets are almost universally recognized as awesome. Perhaps you should look at the other color sets before making such a harsh judgement.
Ilmyrn Oct 14th 2011 2:24PM
Personally, I love the new Paladin tier, and the only reason I won't be using it is that the new Paladin PVP set blows it and everything else, ever, out of the water so completely that it's not even funny.
And that Priest set. Has a clothie ever looked SO BADASS?
Blazing Rain Oct 14th 2011 3:18PM
Looking back at your posts, you seem to hate just about everything about the game. The real question here is why do you still play with all that bottled hate and rage?
Sarahjane Oct 14th 2011 1:39PM
So they couldn't do the same for the hunter set?
Slightly related: tier 14 - Facebook Stalker's Battlegear.
osteenq Oct 14th 2011 2:15PM
No.
They didn't tell anybody, but since it's what everyone calls them anyway, they've unofficially changed the class name to "huntard" and want the tier gear to reflect that.
Tfish92 Oct 14th 2011 1:45PM
I want to see what the armor they didn't like looked like.
If they didn't like it, then it was probably the best looking tier ever produced.
ravyncat Oct 14th 2011 1:53PM
Hmm...I could worry about this but I am going to choose to be super optimistic instead and hope it will be omg awesome like the new pally PvP armor.
It would be sweet if DK's got a tier set that was as iconic and cool as say Paladin T2--especially since we have far fewer to pull from.
Nina Katarina Oct 14th 2011 2:32PM
See, the Pally pvp armor set leaves me completely cold, aside from the asymmetricality of the shoulders which I kinda liked. They took aesthetic risks with every armor set this tier. And each armor set has someone who loves it and someone who hates it. This is the true glory of transmogrification.
ravyncat Oct 14th 2011 3:06PM
It definitely is. ^^
I want a badass cool looking tier set, but if I don't get one I can still look pretty. So it is win-win all around.
Wolftech Oct 14th 2011 2:14PM
Except for the mage set. They completely dropped the ball on it and gave it as much attention as they did the Alliance in Cataclysm... exactly 10% of what the spent on Horde.
raingod Oct 14th 2011 3:08PM
Alliance: Preferred choice for crybabies everywhere.
Matthew Rossi Oct 14th 2011 3:43PM
raingod
Horde players bitched for years until you got the world designed to your liking. The Horde's main weapon is throwing itself on the ground, kicking, pounding its fists, and wailing like an infant. Try again.
Andy Oct 14th 2011 4:13PM
Can't wait for the T13 DK set. But on a side note...if MoP does end up being the next xpac...my pally T14 better be shogun style armor.
Pheydra Oct 14th 2011 4:20PM
What I really want to know is when they're going to start selling those giant Wyvern cubs, so I can get my hands on one of them! :D /Squee
Back on topic, I have high hopes for the Death Knight tier sets because they have, in my opinion at least, consecutively been pretty awesome! It's already too late, yet I still wish they would go back and adjust the hunter T13. Some people like it already, though, and likely the look will grow on me.
It just seems that unlike with the other T13 sets, they were afraid to go against preconceived notions about the class: "We like to tie a Hunter’s Tier armour in with an appropriate donor creature – it suggests the Hunter has actually hunted for the set!" (Hunter T13 Visual and Retrospective). It's not controversial to stick with your tried-and-true formula, but it's not very exciting to wonder what my hunter's going to stalk (I was surprised to see them go back to that naming convention) next.
Oh well, I'm only me, and that's only my opinion. I guess I'll have to hold out hope for the next tier (will it be pandastalker? :O) and look to the excellent feature addition that is transmogrification!
Ez Oct 14th 2011 4:36PM
(The only reason I'm posting right now is because I've been at work for 13 hours today: twitter.com/talkingcongas/status/124695686452228096)
I bet working at Blizz for 13 hours is way better then working where I work for 10 hours a day :d [give me job with Blizz]