Filed under: Transmogrification

Look, I'm a transmog aficionado. I have no bag space left because I collect gear constantly. So every time I go to Tempest Keep to kill Kael, I run into these guys and they irritate the heck out of me. I already have the Battlegear of Wrath, and its recolor. I prefer the classic look to the Burning Crusade green color dungeon set, but I'd very much prefer that red set above to either, and I can't get it. It doesn't drop anywhere - the only place you'll see it in game is on mobs like the guys in Tempest Keep and Ruul the Darkener, who makes it even worse by dual-wielding Thunderfury while he's at it.

This irks me. I want this set, but I can't have it. It's not a major concern - it's just irritating.

So let's make this about you - any mobs who have something you want - an item, gear, a special mount?

Lead Encounter Designer Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has taken to the forums to reassure players on post-squish soloing. Despite Blizzard's repeated assertions that the squish will do nothing to affect soloing, the message is going unheard by many, so Ion has provided some clarity on just how the downscaling will work for old raids and the like.

Watcher

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That's great! But I could have sworn solo raiding was frowned upon by Blizzard. Not sure they'll be too worried about keeping it a possibility. Hopefully though.

There's nothing at all wrong with going back and doing legacy raids and other content. The achievement system, cosmetic rewards and titles, and most recently transmogrification all serve to reward that playstyle. There's also a lot to be said for just being able to revisit old locations, for the sake of nostalgia or getting to experience them for the first time, without needing to find a like-minded group. As Rygarius noted, we're committed to making sure that we don't disrupt players' ability to engage in that gameplay.

Without getting into the math, our goal is to make sure that if Kael'thas's Pyroblast does damage equal to 10% of your maximum health today, it will take off no more than 10% of your health post-squish. And if you kill Onyxia in 30 seconds today, you'll be able to kill Onyxia in 30 seconds post-squish.

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The coolest things to come out of Pandaria's multitude of reputation grinds were the rewards that players could reap at the end of what was sometimes an excruciatingly long journey. It was your treat for weeks, sometimes months of endless dailies. The rewards are fairly extensive -- mounts, new pets, items for your farm, trinkets and toys -- but none were quite as well received as one lone item from the Shado-Pan: the hat. A transmog-only stat-less item, the Replica Shado-Pan Helmet was created specifically for use with transmogrification.

There was one minor problem with that, however. Shado-Pan armor was most definitely not included. This left players with the task of building outfits to go along with the sets. And due to this, players got ridiculously creative with solutions to the problem, sorting out which color schemes would look best with that unique red bandana and hunting down the various pieces, one by one.

Transmogrification is coming to Diablo III -- and a revamp may be on the way for World of Warcraft as well, according to a tweet made by Cory "Mumper" Stockton over the weekend at BlizzCon. The new transmogrification system unveiled for Diablo III has a few dramatic differences from the system currently implemented in WoW. For one thing, Diablo III players don't have to keep an armor item in their bags in order to use it for transmogrification -- it can be sold to a vendor once it has been discovered. For another, once an item is discovered, it can then be used for transmogrification by all characters on an account.

@Shadesogrey Yes! We are working on something...

- Cory Stockton (@mumper) November 10, 2013

Blizzard is adding a little variety to the Pet Store, in the form of transmogrification items and toys. In the preview posted on the official site, Bashiok talks about each of the items that will be made available at some point in the future. Perhaps the most interesting items are new helms with vivid spell effects that players can use for transmogrification purposes. One is an icy helm with a skull that covers the player's face, another is a set of fiery horns, and the third is a glowing red and black hood, which appears to be complete with a pair of ominous red eyes.

In addition to the transmogrification items, Blizzard will also be adding some fun, limited-use items similar to those that you can currently get from the WoW TCG. The first is a seesaw that you and a party member can hop on, the second is the Iron Hitching Post, an item you can place on the ground. Up to 24 players can click on the item to jump on a gorgeous Iron Warhorse mount -- perfect for storming the Battlegrounds.

It's interesting to see Blizzard take a different approach to the Pet Store. Originally just a place where players could purchase fun pets and mounts, the new additions add a lot of variety. I doubt I'll be purchasing any of the helms, but that Iron Hitching Post is certainly tempting, as is the seesaw. I don't think I mind the new additions, as they serve the same purpose as mounts and pets -- nothing that will further your character's performance, just fun items for cosmetic purposes. While we don't know exactly when these items will be hitting the Pet Store, what do you think? Are there other things you'd like to see added? Would you rather transmogrification gear simply be an in-game option? Will you be purchasing any of the new stuff?