Interesting! I definitely want to check that out. The more data points, the better; there are so many variables, even the source I linked is fairly limited in scope.
Still, I do stand by that any of the suggestions I made would probably see a marked improvement in peoples’ reception to them. I generally really like how they play, but they feel like they totally miss the mark visually. And visuals are obviously a huge part of the game.
Especially disappointing with Dragonflight being one of the better expansions with armor designs, I think, so missing out on transmog is a huge loss. Though my personal preference still leans more towards actual Dragon forms.
I mained an Evoker at the start of the expansion, for about a month. Then I bailed and came back to Piddy.
I simply didn’t like it. I didn’t like the playstyle, too much motion, too position sensitive, lack of range, etc. I also didn’t care for the “burn all the cooldowns” part of the rotation either (my nit with Frost DK as well).
So I dropped it, and went back to my Fabulous Maw Walker.
Dracthyr don’t look all that good, the animations feel like they are lacking something, the rotation and distance is lame and I don’t care for the visage elf.
I think it’s ultimately a ‘niche’ race that ultimately, as with most added races, will never see THAT much engagement.
This is my biggest pain point. I don’t really do any content where it matters due to lacking a consistent group, but giving me the standard caster range would help so many of my woes in the content I do, do.
There are many reasons why No one plays Dracthyr Evokers, but Dracthyr will have a higher playercount next expac because it won’t be restricted to Evoker only anymore.
The biggest issue with Evoker is that it only touches 2/3rds of the trinity and nothing else. This is due to the class philosophy of it being more of a ranged class instead of something more malleable like Shaman/Druid.
im the other way around. i dont mind evoker as a class even though there are very noticeable problems that have been ignored since beta. i dont really have a desire to play as a dracthyre. besides the fact the xmog limitations im still mad at blizzard for the fact we were told we would get dragons but what we got is this elongated lizzard pretending to be a dragon
i dont believe its most added races that dont get played by many i think its more the badly thought out ones like mechagnomes and their equal lack of transmog while also being a race nobody asked for. all the ones i dont see people playing much are the ones that have a lack of customization like mechagnomes and nightborn and while mechagnomes are the least played last i heard i see way more of them than i do nightborns. i know when they were first added i was planing on rolling 1 but the lack of customizations combined with the subpar looking heritage armor made me decide to pass on that and stick with bloodelf and void elf when i want to play a elf
i disagree, demon hunters are limited to 2 races but are much more popular. i think the real reason, much like anything else is gameplay. DH is a defined melee class so it attracts melee and Dracrhyr is a mid range class which at this point in WoWs career people either prefer melee or ranged and rarely a mix of both.
I see evokers all the time. In dungeons, in raids, in Valdrakken, in Loamm, you name it. If you only saw one, then you’re obviously not even skimming the bare surface of content the expansion offers. And as people in this thread have pointed out, the regular global announcements for someone forging Nasz’uro must mean they have some degree of popularity. In fact, I started playing Preservation in M+ the previous week.
The art team going back to overhaul the dracthyr model to let the rest of their gear show up on them is more or less a pipe dream, otherwise, the race wouldn’t have been released in its current state.
Their visage form has two model options like every other race. While I don’t want to say it’s impossible they’ll get more options before anyone else, I have very strong doubts.
They don’t want dracthyr to fight in visage, probably like how they don’t want worgen to fight in human form. It’s a glamor, not a transformation for combat akin to what druids have, and is supposed to be one side of a duality motif: fight in dracthyr form and shoot spells out of your mouth, switch to visage after combat and regenerate health faster. Their visages don’t even have their own combat stance like the other casters, which is somehow a step down from warlocks having to share theirs with mages for years.
They’re designed to be androgynous, agile spellcasters, not hulking frontline fighters like drakonids. If people want to be a bulky dragon so bad, they already have the max thickness option that doesn’t replace the model/rig entirely.
I’ve said it before: they’re not getting a “real” dragon form because that’s not who they are as a race. Neltharion didn’t create them to just be regular dragons.
The fact that you think the only problem with evokers is a lack of cosmetic cruft is another case of GD having a flimsy, childlike grasp on solving problems or non-problems with the game. The dracthyr race and evoker class’s lack of broad appeal stems from far more sources, namely:
Both being relatively new and evoker not having the same ridiculous damage output, utility, survivability, or ease of use as DK and DH had on release
Dracthyr having only one class; however, it’s been hinted that they’ll get more options after the expansion is over
Evoker being available to only one race; more visage options wouldn’t really solve this because you’d still have dracthyr racials
Evoker having no melee DPS or tank spec
Evoker’s specs having lower range on their spells than other casters, forcing them into an unorthodox movement-based playstyle
Soar still being a neutered version of Dragonriding as opposed to simply Dragonriding without a mount
I think most of those are bigger concerns than dracthyr not being able to go into and stay in combat while using void elf models, verbatim, but with dragon horns glued on.
As much as I want more options for their appearance, like more body types, hair options, more colors and options to choose which color goes where (like each fin having their own color), I wouldn’t say it’s the main thing.
Dragonriding seem like a dealbreaker. Not being able to fully explore with your own Drac without the mounts seem to ruin the whole thing. Not to mention, how Dracs lack a common racial flight, like Worgen Running Wild.
As much as they have, imo, the best healing spec, it’s still healing, which probably pushes people away.
Which leads me to the dps spec, which is probably the main reason why people don’t play them. It feels like a clunky caster. If you pay attention, Hunters got more range and most abilities are instant, even in MM, while Evokers got shorter range and a load of casts. Hover is cool but, it requires activating, which means finishing what you’re doing, moving, then casting it.
WW Monks have Skyreach, which gives a 10yrd range and dashes you to the target, which functions like a bandaid. I think if Evokers had something like this, a “hop forward” mechanic for all spells to soften the clunkiness of having to keep correcting your distance and begin casting. That way, spells would still be 25yrd, but if you’re within 25 and 30/35yrds, your drac will do small leap forward and immediately begin casting.
