The dracthyr look interesting, and a lot of people really like them. The cute design also appeals to those who like furry-styled creatures. The humanoid visage form is based on the popular fan-art take of the dragons’ mortal forms having scales and reptile eyes. So the dracthyr already have a big following.
“As a race, we wanted to make sure they acted curious, exuberant, and were incredibly expressive overall. They are discovering the world for the first time and are excited about all of the new experiences that are now available to them.” — presskit concept art description
But it’s hit and miss. The lean, androgynous and cute look with the vulpera personality doesn’t work for those, who were hoping to play as a classic Warcraft take on humanoid dragons: a drakonid, a draconic species that’s been in-game since its inception in 2004. They are big, bulky and angry-looking.
There are also dragonspawn, centaur-like servants of the dragons.
Dragonflight will also introduce another dragonkin race (or a form of an existing race) with a sethrak-based model.
To be honest, the dracthyr visually clash with all the reptilian races Warcraft has so far. None of them looked so cute and friendly: drakonid, dragonspawn, dragonmen (Maloriak), dragonmen-aberrations, sethrak, saurok, naga, cobra-form of loa priests (High Priest Venoxis). Yes, this is the idea: the dracthyr are supposed to be happy and nice per their official description. Of all the other reptilian races they mostly resemble the dragonmen, but these fellows just as all other works of Nefarian had this vibe of inhuman experiments, crimes against nature made in pursuit of combining the power of all five Dragonflights in one body… and somehow the dracthyr are just that, but older and natural. I hope how and why it happened will be explored in the story. But anyways.
The idea. How about giving players a choice to play as a dragonspawn or a drakonid further down the expansion line, sometime around 10.1 or 10.2? Same class, same visage forms. The in-game UI can call all these races “dragonkin”. And here are my answers on some potential critiques:
• But these are just basic creature models.
Yes. But the dracthyr are somewhat like that too. Sure, they are going to have a lot of customization, but you won’t be able to show off any loot gear on their draconic forms with the exception of belts, tabards and shoulderpads.
“You can even slightly change your torso to be like slightly more slender or slightly bulkier; and the armor that you wear is a type of armor that you will be able to customize at the Barbershop, too. So Dracthyr, I think they’ll also be able to wear shoulders, tabards, belts across their visage and Dracthyr form. While the visage form is able to wear all-armor.” — Tina Wang, associate art director on WoW in the interview for Blizzplanet
The visage form won’t go away with this approach. As 2022 models, updated drakonids and dragonspawn all have additional armor and interchangeable detail elements that can be used as customizations. Also, while we are at that: the head of the new drakonid model looks a bit weird because of the changed shape: it almost resembles a beak.
• The story issue: the dracthyr have their own storyline and the starting zone.
Hence why the idea to introduce them after 10.0: to not devalue the dracthyr introduction experience. Let’s just say that the Aspects have found whatever means Neltharion used to make the dracthyr, and they repurposed his research to empower their own servants.
Sure, it brings up a lot of questions regarding the chromatic dragonflight lore… but so does the premise of dracthyr and their ability to use all five Aspect powers. I guess, Nefarian tried to mimic the legends of the dracthyr in his research?
• But they don’t have wings that are needed for some abilities.
Chief dragonspawn actually have wings, but, yes, they can’t fly. Drakonids don’t have wings at all. So they would all need new animations for floating… but there’s no need to add actual wings on the models themselves because demon hunter-like pop-up wings can be used to cut corners here. Just let the wings appear only for the flight-based abilities.
Yet, one problem still remains. The dracthyr have a simplified version of the dragonriding feature available to them. Pop-up wings aren’t the best for that.
• But the dracthyr are casters, these guys are not. It doesn’t fit their fantasy.
Yes and no. The dragonspawn do have casters, and they are usually female. The bulky drakonids are usually melee fighters, but they can learn magic as well. Just as the dracthyr can use their claws for close fighting: some of their abilities are based on claw-slashes.
…That’s it. What do you guys think?