Hi everyone!
I understand that this post may seem daunting or too long, so I’ll open with a TL;DR right off the bat.
TL;DR
Class Silhouette - the identification of one’s in-game class based on their visual armor or weapons - is cited as a reason for out of date transmog limitations that I feel would be huge ‘simple win’ for the community without breaking many RPG aspects within WoW.
Using Class Silhouette, what class is this Lady Tauren?
Things like Warglaives being locked to Demon Hunters (despite how many non-demon hunters in lore/in game wield them) and other weapon types shouldn’t be limited in their class-use when we play in an age of World of Warcraft with Cosmetic sets and heritage armor. In this age, the set on the left is seen as ‘appropriate’ silhouette wise but the set on the right is ‘confusing and misleading’’.
Paladin on the left fits ‘class silhouette’ but the hunter on right with a glaive doesn’t?
I’ve broken down the argument with pictures and examples and hope the right folks see it.
Class Silhouette
Class silhouette is an important visual-feature for any character-based game; being able to identify the role or job of the character in question simply by identifying their attire is a staple in any RPG. Whether it’s the plate-clad crusader or the leather-tunic wearing assassin or the flowing robes of the exiled arcanist, the initial first-glance look is key to role identity.
The solid plate, big sword. It’s clearly a….Paladin? DK? Warrior??
I had the privilege of interviewing Steve Danuser and Morgan Day for Blizzconline and during the interview, I brought up Warglaives and how they, as a weapon type, are one of the most restricted weapons in game despite 15 years of lore indicating that they are a multicultural weapon. The response given revolved around the concept of ‘Class silhouette’ and staying true to it : “a character approaching you with glaives should instantly be recognized as a Demon Hunter”. But it’s not the weapon type that signals my brain to think ‘Oh that’s a Demon Hunter’. It’s the Fel Dash, the beam of Fel Energy, the green-fire attacks and the dark purple class name that reads ‘Demon Hunter’.
In-game scenarios that demanded quick reaction, such as Battlegrounds and Arenas, relied on immediate class identification. But was the Demon Hunter identified because of their iconic weapons in hand or because of the visual spell kits associated with their abilities and class?
Each class has a distinct identifiable visual kit that is unique enough to indicate what they are from first glance.
Why Class Silhouette shouldn’t matter in modern World of Warcraft:
Allow me to first say that Class Silhouette is important when it comes to tier class sets. Pre-BFA, Antorus the Burning Throne and all the raids before it introduced armor sets that expanded on the class identity it represented. It was important that each of these new sets thematically fit both the class they represented and (oftentimes) the location of the raid they dropped within.
But since the Burning Crusade, many class sets have been given the ‘look alike’ treatment in which off-colors for class tier sets are made available to other classes within that armor type. The iconic tier 1 Warrior set was introduced with an off color variant in BC, in which both Paladins and Warrior could wield the set, despite it being an immediately recognizable ‘Warrior tier’. Since then, in nearly every raid that has introduced tier sets, ‘look alike’ sets have been made available. The entire point of these ‘lookalike sets’ is to allow for greater representation between classes and offer some variety and flair to those within the same armor class type.
He’s a Warrior - you can tell by his lack of blue scary eyes. I mean silhouette.
Transmogrification and Cosmetic
Transmog changed the concept of Class Silhouette since the day it was introduced. Over the years, as Transmog restrictions have been loosened, players have been able to customize their character beyond the typical ‘Class Silhouette’ and expand their characters representation through a variety of means.
One such method is the introduction to cosmetic gear and heritage armor. From the iconic Stormwind guard set looking like solid, heavy plate to the most recent Venthyr cosmetic sets that look like finely tailored suits, cosmetic gear has not only allowed but encouraged the disruption of ‘Class silhouette’.
Which one is the mage and which one is the Monk? Neither, they’re both hunters!
Whether it’s heritage armor or Covenant cosmetic gear, class silhouettes based off Transmog alone have pretty much been thrown out of the window. Lightforged Draenei Heritage armor allows any class to adorn themselves in solid plate, while Tauren of any class can wear the wooden and leather pieces of their heritage set. With the option to look like one class while playing another, it begs the question why some restrictions are still in play.
The Lady is a Hunter and the Dude is a monk with hidden fist weapon mogs. But silhouette wise??
What can we gain from easing restrictions on ‘Class Silhouette’
This whole conversation on class silhouette stemmed from the interview and I hope some changes are loosened up, starting first with Warglaives.
Where’s my Survival hunter dual wielding?
Warglaives:
Warglaives as a weapon type have no business being locked to a single class playable by only two races. Ranged weapons used by Hunters isn’t an appropriate comparison because every race in game can play as a Hunter, while only two races can be Demon Hunters.
No player can look look like this in game because that is the Mail Darkshore set with Glaives
Since Warcraft 3, the concept of a Glaive has been represented as a cultural weapon for the Kaldorei race and usable by not just demon hunters but by sentinels, huntresses, wardens and more. Over the years, the tri-blade has come to represent the Night Elves as both a weapon of choice and as literally part of their racial crest, yet the only tri-blades in game are classified as a weapon type that is usable by the Fel-ridden Kaldorei outcasts.
Night Elves aside, two other Elves have symbolically used glaives over the years: Blood Elves and Nightborne. Now, while Demon Hunters are largely made up of Sindorei, the vast array of NPC’s within Silvermoon who are armed with glaives are 100% not Demon Hunters. The many guards and soldiers that patrol the streets of Suramar are armed with the iconic double-edged blade, and yet none of them are actually Demon Hunters.
Beautiful weapons that are sadly NPC only
Before the Elves, we can look to Trolls (who were likely the ones to use glaives first historically). Darkspear Shadowhunters, including Vol’jin, have used glaives in-game for years with the Darkspear chieftain even dying on the Broken Shore with a glaive in hand.
These races aside, my main argument for warglaive restriction being loosened is largely based on the original glaive in game: the Twinblades of Azzinoth. Originally, these iconic weapons were used by Warriors and Rogues and later, Death Knights and Monks. Despite the fact that they are very clearly glaives, they were branded as one-handed swords which begs the question: if these were easily branded as swords, why can’t modern glaives be given the same treatment?
Let’s bring back this iconic look!
The glaives in-game today represent a variety of races and themed kits - Horde/Alliance Warfronts, Forsaken, Kul Tiras, Zandalar- and none of them are ‘thematically’ appropriate to the Demon Hunter class. If these weapons are used by NPC’s and none of them are actually Demon Hunters, then why can not let Non-Demon Hunter players wield them?
A human….using a glaive?!
Even most recently, we’ve seen Tyrande Whisperwind, the Night Warrior clashing with Sylvanas using glaives.
So, again I ask: Why are glaives crucial to a Demon Hunters class silhouette when they can just as easily transmog their glaives to swords or axes, equip and ‘hide’ their identity.
Rogue, Monk or Demon Hunter?
Warglaive Animation Problem:
Unlike most classes which share most of the same special animations for their class, while defaulting to basic weapon attack animations, Blood Elf and Night Elves have unique demon-hunter only animations that are used when Glaives are equipped; no other race has these animations.
Demon Hunters deserve the unique animation for glaives, while other classes could merely default to 1-handed swords. The Twinblades of Azzinoth and several glaive-lookalike weapons use default 1-handed sword combat animations, so why not allow warglaives as a weapon type simply default like all swords, axes and maces?
Clipping may occur but considering how many weapons in game already clip from their basic animations, or even while ‘sheathed’, I don’t think this should be the argument that warglaives should stay Demon Hunter only!
Monks, Warriors, Rogues, Death Knights should all be allowed to use glaives. In addition, go one step further and let Enhancement shamans, Paladins and even casters use a single glaive in their main hand - they’re just swords right?
Other changes:
In addition to warglaives, several other weapon restrictions could be loosened to expand freedom of choice!
Any class capable of using staves should be able to transmog polearms and vice versa.
Mages and Warlocks and Priests should all be able to use one-handed maces and one-handed swords. If a Mage can wield a sword, why can’t a Priest?
Assassination Rogues should be able to expand their weapon capability by transmogging their daggers to any other one-handed weapon.
Give Enhancement Shaman some more freedom and an iconic throw-back to Vanilla wow by making 2-handed Enhancement viable (visually, through transmog)
Survival Hunters should be able to use one handed weapons again (including glaives) and allow for some more freedom with an otherwise underplayed spec.
In conclusion (because this is already long enough):
Class silhouettes are important for the game, yes, but when it comes to identifying a class based on armor alone, those days are long gone. Spell animations, visual effects and class-specific sets should fit within the appropriate class silhouette - the rest should be up to the players.
Player agency for visual customization is a crucial part of the RPG element for WoW and while the restrictions that have been removed over the years have been fantastic, I believe more can be done to give players more freedom, while still staying within certain boundaries that make sense within the RPG gameplay.
The individual-shoulder options in 9.1 were a fantastic addition to the game - I hope that in 9.1.5 or 9.2, more changes can be made and more freedom given. All it takes is opening a few weapon types and a little flexibility with who can use what.
Thank you for reading this thread!
Are there any transmog changes (within reason) that you would like to see?
“Getting rid of all armor types” or “let me dua-lwield guns” will never happen in a minor patch, so let’s hear some plausible small-changes that would be a huge win for us!
This isn’t an invitation to insult Devs, degrade their work or bring typical internet negativity into the conversation but rather to open up the floor for honest, heartfelt feedback
Posting on behalf of the Lost Codex
More info and pictures/references found here:
