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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsNew character models are in the works
by Allison Robert 
Oct 22nd 2011 at 7:00PM
Players have been asking for updates to older races as a result, and developers have confirmed that they are in the works and being actively designed by the character artists. However, they don't want to put something in the game that feels like a betrayal to a character that you've had for years, so they're proceeding carefully. There's no word yet on when we can expect to see them, but it's good news for everyone who'd like their older toons to look as good as their newer ones!
Edit: Zarhym has just posted on the forums clarifying the information given at BlizzCon, although there's no new information to share.
The news is out -- we'll be playing Mists of Pandaria! Find out what's in store with an all-new talent system, peek over our shoulder at our Pandaren hands-on, and get ready to battle your companion pets against others. It's all here right at WoW Insider!Filed under: BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 5)
MrJak Oct 22nd 2011 8:51PM
Try and then fail to insult one person: down-voted.
Insult everyone else: down-voted.
Comment system working as intended ;D
Marcosius Oct 22nd 2011 7:14PM
How will ANYONE miss the old character models boggles my mind.
Marius W. Oct 22nd 2011 7:31PM
Yeah. I don't get that either. Human males look horrible. There is no way in the character creation screen to even make them look somewhat tolerable. The females are better. You can look at them and not want to tear your eyes out.
I can see it with forsaken as they have pretty cool models now and I can see people being attached to them. Same with trolls. I guess pretty much all of them other than human males, which I have yet to see anyone like.
Id just be happy if they only did humans.
ogkspaz Oct 22nd 2011 7:41PM
@Marius W.
You are forgetting the terrible Tauren models. The square bummed NE female and the "I have a pee" female dwarf idle animation also come to mind.
Semi off topic: An updated travel form and definitely aquatic from would also be welcome.
Ice Oct 23rd 2011 4:10AM
http://i.imgur.com/q48M5.jpg
How can anyone be attachd to that 128x128 textured orc anymore?
The blood elf is still something you would be missing if it would change too much.
But the orc? :
Ysonia Oct 22nd 2011 7:14PM
This was a hot topic of conversation amongst my wow friends yesterday, so I'm very glad to hear that they are working on updated character models. Just the fact that the Pandaren has so much more bone structure is telling; if they want to get the older models to do the movements of the Monk class, they're going to need a lot of renovation. Definitely excited about this one.
ElrithCC Oct 22nd 2011 7:14PM
They've been saying this for two years now. You can search the interview with Samwise on this sight from winter of 2009. It was touched on in Cata beta as well and an interview on the european blizzard site with the art team from summer of 2010.
The art team is considering it and planning to do it for sure, but they're uncertain of when. Hopefully they've put far more into this than we've suspected and they surprise us.
At least they've said they're actively looking at it in some modicum now. But I'm not expecting it for 4 years, and that really kills me in the gibbley soul bits.
kvanje Oct 22nd 2011 8:36PM
I don't believe they've ever said before that they have resources actively working on it right now. This means time and budget have been allocated for it, and is quite different from "considering" or "planning" to do it.
Noyou Oct 22nd 2011 8:38PM
"developers have confirmed that they are in the works and being actively designed by the character artists."
In the past the only thing I saw was that they "wanted" to do something. We all know how that ends up. This is the first time I can recall seeing that the developers actually said it, and to back it up there is a blue post. Now, I know that doesn't guarantee anything, but that is a huge step towards it ended up in the game, in my opinion.
JCinDE Oct 22nd 2011 8:38PM
This time they didn't say "Maybe."
This time they said "We're working on it."
ElrithCC Oct 23rd 2011 12:06AM
I still think it could take them years to do this. But I hope I am wrong.
I am glad to see so many more people joining the push for this to happen. In CATA you'd get 3-4 threads every day or so on the general forum, now they're happening constantly.
Ice Oct 23rd 2011 8:19AM
"I still think it could take them years to do this. But I hope I am wrong."
Amateurs and bedroom modelers who have to hack the stuff to even get the models in and out and dont have proprietary tools could do it in days.
Now, look at new models in WOTA 5man and their nelf models.
If the biggest most richest company on mmo and gaming indrusty would take years or half year for updating models alone that are mostly in the game already (5man elves, thrall, jaina human sort of etc) then I would be damn worried.
Only thing that slows them down is "when do we want to show them". They already have the models IN-GAME and most definitely in their secret harddrives at Blizzard.
Not saying they would be lazy but theres def models out there already, they arent just sure when to show and use them.
ElrithCC Oct 23rd 2011 9:21AM
I am not talking about years to make the models. But there's a lot of consideration and planning to do aesthetic wise to really nail the feel of the original models, with every single different hair cut and face to be replicated. I'm an artist myself. Most of the time will need to be spent making sure every armor piece in the game that's not a pure skin won't clip with the new models.
But I don't think it will take more than a matter of months to finish, but it's another matter entirely for when they will release them. They could easily decide to save them as a selling point of the next expansion.
I was arguing less than 24 hours ago before this announcement that there's reason to hope for new models soon, so I'm not trying to say otherwise. I'm just sharing me pensive dread.
There is still the matter of the Pandaren monk animations having to be translated to all the old models with nowhere near the movement capability of the Pandaren. This makes me hopeful they may have to add improved rigging and bones to replicate the monks fighting moves. But I've been on the edge of my seat expecting this to happen for years now, I'm a little weay and jaded and resigned.
Bellajtok Oct 22nd 2011 7:14PM
I'd like to marry Zarhym. Can someone bring this up at a Q&A panel?
Noyou Oct 22nd 2011 8:39PM
Not that I am keeping track but how many marriage proposals have you made in the last 24-36 hours? :p
ogkspaz Oct 22nd 2011 7:14PM
I must admit the first thing I thought when I saw the pandaren's facial animation during the unveiling was 'Oh man they'll REALLY need to update the vanilla models now'.
KB3420 Oct 22nd 2011 7:15PM
But but, my new main is my Worgen.. can we get new models too!!! *jk*
Philster043 Oct 22nd 2011 7:30PM
Since neither goblins and worgen are going to be monks, I'd guess you're out of luck. ;)
PeeWee Oct 22nd 2011 7:17PM
Isn't that what they've been saying for the past five years? There's nothing new there at all. Also "I want to stress as well that it's a massive undertaking to go back and do this", so I giess creating 5 new races wasn't an undertaking at all, then.
Philster043 Oct 22nd 2011 7:29PM
Well, when forced to revamp them with additional animations for the monk class, they might as well go the whole ten yards.