Just saw the troll elephant mask in action

[Jackofdemons-thrall (Jackofdemons)]

Wouldnt u say the dreanei armor at least fits thematically?

[Gunfist-moon-guard]

I wouldn’t.

[Rejel-westfall]

Trolls armor is bad.
Dreaneis armor is bad.

This was not a w for the art team.

[Gunfist-moon-guard]

Troll one isn’t bad. The mask might look dumb but we got plenty of alternatives that work with the set. The Draenei one, well, removing the hat won’t fix it.

[Sunwake-moon-guard]

Both are bad and it makes me worried for the Pandaren set. It definitely feels like they’re rushing these things so they can get it over with.

[Jackofdemons-thrall (Jackofdemons)]

Whats so bad about it?

[Aiyako-moon-guard]

@Barbarella-medivh

John Hight, via IGN said:

“We have used machine learning to help do things that people either can’t do or it’s very cumbersome to do,” he said. “The fitting of armor on characters, you see how many different characters we have. Our artists used to have to go through and they’d build it for human form and then they’d have to go and retrofit all these things for all the various body shapes and horns and big snouts and tails and all of that. That is just not particularly fun work for them. A few years ago, we said, ‘Can we use machine learning to help at least get it to a point where 90% of the work is being done for them and then they can fine tune it?’ And we went about that. It’s actually worked out really well. It’s allowed us to make a lot more different armor. The artists love it because it’s like, ‘Oh, thank God you got rid of the grungy part of what we’re doing.”

Anytime I see issues with armor fitting or being weird, my mind immediately goes to this recent interview.

I haven’t noticed the armor fitting being worse than usual. Shoulder armor clips into Vulpera cheek tufts, female tauren have shoulder pieces that collide with their heads and, well, lots of races have shoulder armor placement that needs to be adjusted.

…That’s been true since the new models were introduced, though.

(Personally this is one use of AI I am in favor of, as a tool that increases artist output, not one that replaces artists)

[Peppermint-eldrethalas (Peppermint)]

@Magnarok-amanthul

It’s absurd!

Now I’ll never unsee that they look like these mastodon men.
https://youtu.be/buyclFZYD5A?si=ysDkD8fYljirFPMk

I miss being able to post links. Don’t know why I can’t anymore. Ah well.

[Peppermint-eldrethalas (Peppermint)]

Exactly. It went down for some reason.

[Boredumb-alexstrasza]

I mean so did Salvador Dali . . .

[Woodwhisper-stonemaul]

There’s a good chance this is precisely what went wrong. The male model looks much worse but the female mask has some bad clipping. Too bad, this was probably our last shot for a long time at seeing one of those tall Darkspear back getups, and a proper cloth mask or Rush’ka. I like the wood and cloth mix but both parts are really lack luster.

[Discipleb-darkspear]

The helm is a bizarre choice ngl. But everything else looks good if you ask me.

I’ll get the set and just hide the helm, or find a replacement helm that will hopefully also work well with the rest.

I still think the troll heritage set is miles better than what the draenei are getting - elephant trunk or no elephant trunk.

[Woodwhisper-stonemaul]

It’s not an inherently ugly set (except for the mask, and belt on the male). It’s more that there are obvious clipping issues and a few of the pieces are boring texture wise (boots,gloves). The issues with the set are more issues of missed opportunity since the Darkspear have some of the coolest cultural armor thematically speaking of all races.

There are so many existing concepts in WC3, WoW, and official Concept Art and Lore that ought to have been used instead. It’s no secret that Troll players have wanted epic back rigs with skulls and a properly fitted cloth mask and Rush’ka for a long time. (Maybe even a Trollish Glaive) This was kinda our shot to see that and it’s been blown.

[Vanimaista-moon-guard]

This troll mask is in honour of Zuljin in Warcraft 3

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIOtmQPct9tPNRaBoQn8owTL7Z7O7CaDybMxFC9l9vNpPpvI6h1wEgABo&s=10

I think it’s fine.
Dreanei thought, is actually BAD !!!

[Woodwhisper-stonemaul]

Zul’Jin is Amani, and he’s got the decency not to wear his between his tusks and over his nose like a goofy elephant.

[Vanimaista-moon-guard]

Wow engine is outdated. That’s the reason for the elephant truck mask instead of Zuljin one

They don’t have the technology to make things happen with that outdated engine

[Discipleb-darkspear]

I dunno if something that’s cosmetic really has anything to do with WoW’s engine.

If they managed to add dragonriding to the game, I’m sure they can figure out a way to make a cloth mask not cover a character’s nose.

Not that I think it’s gonna change anyway. I don’t believe any feedback for any of the teased heritage sets were changed for release.

[Woodwhisper-stonemaul]

We do already have under the nose cloth masks for trolls but they don’t hang down they tuck under the chin. The mask definitely didn’t need physics even if hanging especially if they were going to do them like this

[Discipleb-darkspear]

@Woodwhisper-stonemaul

The mask definitely didn’t need physics even if hanging especially if they were going to do them like this

I think the issue is that it’s actually shaped like a trunk or tentacle. The mask can have physics if necessary, but don’t go so hard on the tapered look, otherwise it starts looking like things it shouldn’t, haha.

[Zanthora-ragnaros]

@Vanimaista-moon-guard

Wow engine is outdated. That’s the reason for the elephant truck mask instead of Zuljin one

It’s not a matter of engine but deliberate decision.

In Wod there is an head item

Spirestrider Helm

It usually covers the nose, but for troll males the nose goes above the cloth.
On Shadowhunter Rala it looked really cool and I used this mog on my troll male for a long time. it made trolls look sinister.

So no they have a technology to do that, they chose to cover the nose.

Another case is Zekhan’s mask that was made purposefully so it fits well on his face. No clipping isses. There was no excuse to go in such a bizzare direction.

Also

#FreeTheNose !!!