Ethereal playable race when?

Community General Discussion
21

True, we’d likely not get a lot of “facial features” as options. But it is impossible to say that there’d be no room for customization. Less than other races, I think that’s something a lot of people could buy… but I’d hedge my bet and say that folks would still be fine with that.

Furthermore, we don’t know anything about potential spell effects or if they would want to add something like this and make it layered, allowing for more options underneath, part of the bandages, or on top. It is merely an early datamined product but generally speaking, ever since Allied Races became a thing when we see a race that’s designed to be able to wear armour…

It is gonna be a playable race. Especially when it is a race that folks have been asking for so long and it fits rather well with the current theme of where we are at in the story, where we are going, and the fact that the Locus-Walker was introduced as a main character during the pre-patch.

I’d be willing to bet a lot on Ethereals being the next playable race in either late TWW or during Midnight.

The difference is that some races have skeletons that are custom built and then modelled to be unique models. Modular races with skeletons roughly similar to that of playable races, with several different examples of how different gear of varying degrees can be applied on top of the model as opposed to as part of it…

I can’t think of the last time we had something like that which didn’t become a playable race. I’d be interested to know if there was any though.

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22

Were the Sylvar able to wear armor? I don’t remember, but they were built off the female Dranei model.

23

Face → Facial Wrappings (ranging from completely covered to “patterns” that leave different-sized gaps in different areas, we’ve seen Ethereals with varying “faces” before), can also expand to Wrapping options on other body parts, with varying levels of having their internal energy exposed

Skin Color → Wrapping Color (white, grey, black, tan, yellow, green, and purple have appeared on in-game Ethereals in the past, easily expandable)

Hairstyle → Loose Wrappings (different styles correlating to loose strands flowing from their heads in different placements, numbers, and length), can also expand to Loose Wrapping options on the arms and torso, as NPCs have

Eye/Hair Color → Internal Energy (white, pink, purple, blue, yellow, and red have appeared on in-game Ethereals, easily expandable)

Those alone would put Ethereals at minimum on par with half of the Allied Races, and that’s not even touching the colors/options that including Void-touched Ethereal customization, jewelry like circlets, metal bands, and the like into the mix could add.

That all said, looking at the datamined models, the “base” form wowhead showed appears to be a lady, which is pretty interesting, since I’m pretty sure they weren’t sexually dimorphic in the past.

Like, Phase Thief Azir here clearly has a different body shape.

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24

There are so many particle/SFX they can throw in of various types/colors/etc. for the ‘skin’. Some people might also just enjoy the see-through idea (though I imagine to make PvP fair they would have to insist on some sort of outline or effect).

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Maybe Midnight or Void Expansion someday.

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26

Not everything has to be a playable race

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There’s been enough pushback against whole classes being available to only one or two races. Blizzard isn’t going to create a new spec for an existing class, something that people have been wanting them to do anyway, and then make it available to one race in a game that currently has 25. They already decided against doing the opposite to undead priests in vanilla (letting them exist as a one-spec class because of the Light hurting them).

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I had a look at them right now and no, those look like unique models. This is going to sound very stupid but… they aren’t wearing pants. But they still have leg accessories. It could be possible that they constructed things so it is possible to equip leggings, but it doesn’t look like it.

Meaning that they would have to model those accessories to be unique to the model. It is impossible to tell without looking at whether the models can equip items or not, but looking at some of the NPCs I’d hedge my bet and say that some are unique models in of themselves, and others have more pieces that are available to be equipped normally.

So I would hedge my bet and say no, but some would look like potentially. (Note: the screenshot is of a possessed one, but looking at the non-antagonistic NPCs, they seem to be the same.)

I honestly believe that there’s a lot that they can do with it, and that it ain’t as limited as one would think. The question is whether they will do it or not (and I’m firmly of the belief that they will do it in order to make them a playable race, regardless of the number of customization options by the end).

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30

Never gonna happen, but makes me smile people keep trying.

31

This isn’t a good argument. Dracthyr have tons of customization between their dracthyr form and visage form. Not to mention all the armor types.

It’s not creative and most dracthyr are just nekkid in dragon form but still.

Though I do agree that ehereals don’t really work as a playable race. But I said the same about vulpera so…

32

Yes…that’s my point. Much of Dracthyr customization is from their clothing, proving that such customization options are a viable path for other races, like Ethereals

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Indeed. Good thing I’m not suggesting everything needs to be.

34

that will never happen.
in the chance of ever happening, they will be like dracthyr dragon form, you can’t transmog most of it.

35

I appreciate the thorough reply! That was interesting to read. I did think of another possibility for a race that can wear player gear that isn’t playable: DF’s Tuskar. Correct me if I’m wrong, but they were wearing the shoulder pieces we could buy from them as well as the same glasses we can use. Or is that similar to the Sylvar with the Drust masks?

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I just hope that they have Ethereal females and not the weird 3rd gender we saw released recently.

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Dracthyr in dragon form is pretty awful with customization. There’s very little difference between body types 1,2,3,4. Only allowing certain armors to show was also a huge mistake. They were very poorly designed and having them be completely ‘non binary’ focused actually removed a huge amount of customization and interesting options. I think due to how lame they look is a huge reason Evoker is the least played class by a massive margin.

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We just hang signs on these that read: “Bad dragon”.

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39

LOL You think they’re non-binary because what, they don’t mammary glands?
Did somebody fail biology, or are you just really really insecure?

The rest of your argument would carry a lot more weight if you didn’t spout something so ignorant.

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Some species of lizard distinguish male from female by how much light in the ultraviolet spectrum they refract. Males refracting more UVs and females less.

These differences are clear as day to the lizards, with their visible spectrum going deep into ultra violet, but beyond the human (and most mammals) ability to perceive.

I imagine something like that goes on with the Dracthyr.

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