The Unofficial Saurok Playable Race Discussion Megathread! 🐊

Bagzak-rexxar · June 18, 2022, 4:19pm

I came across a video that someone made of a diorama of a map of a Lizardfolk area and dwelling done with miniatures. I thought I would link it for some playable Saurok habitat idea inspiration.

You can see the video here:

It’s primarily used for D&D purposes, but it looked really neat. Makes me imagine if playable Saurok started off in a swamp-like area or maybe even settled in Un’Goro Crater.

This diorama was designed with an early version of D&D, where Lizardfolk were meant as a monster race. It’s neat to see how they evolved into being more and becoming a playable race in later versions of D&D. With luck, we may see Saurok get that kind of treatment someday!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 19, 2022, 4:33pm

Happy Father’s Day to any dads!

My father wanted to grill today to celebrate, so I’ll be able to unleashed the appetite of an Ogre and the hunger of a Saurok on some delicious BBQ turkey burgers and hot dogs!

And even lizards like their fathers, as shown in this video:

Whatever your plans are today, please have a fun, happy, and safe Father’s Day!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 20, 2022, 3:32pm

I came across a small Lizardfolk diorama that was built from scratch. It involves several Lizardfolk against a Necromancer, and the video details how it was created. Video is here:

Makes me really wish I had artistic talent. I’d love to create stuff like this.

Seeing this diorama makes me imagine Saurok fighting off the hordes of undead while Shadowlands happened. As I mentioned before, I could see some of them fighting alongside other denizens of Pandaria against overwhelming odds, which makes for a pretty neat story. I can also imagine Saurok elsewhere fending off undead as well working with other races when applicable given how dire the situation on Azeroth should have been.

Anyway, I wanted to share this video for the usual Saurok idea inspiration. Seeing settings like this helps a lot to imagine Saurok out in the world (of Warcraft!) doing some adventuring!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 21, 2022, 5:40pm

We finally have an announcement on Dragonflight preorders! It doesn’t appear to have any new races tied to it, other than Dracthyr early access I assume, so it seems that “leak” was either wrong on that specific part or referring to the Darkfallen skin released awhile ago.

If you’re wondering what all the pre-order goodies are available for Dragonflight, the different tiers are listed in the Wowhead article here:

I’m guessing that Dracthyr are taking up a lot of resources to design, so it is understandable that there aren’t any additional playable races as part of the pre-order bonus. In any case, it feels good to finally close the book on that rumor, even if it didn’t lead to anything.

Also in the news, it looks like Blizzard is aiming to release Dragonflight by the end of this year:

My hope is that they don’t rush the expansion and that they have plenty of time to work on it and Dracthyr before releasing it.

I plan to keep an eye out for anything of Saurok interest, if there is anything to begin with, in Dragonflight. I also plan to share Dracthyr information as NDA’s lift and more info and videos will be shared. I’ll likely go over all this again in more detail in a future post.

Frankly, I’m happy to be getting out of Shadowlands and am excited to be making a couple new characters in the near future. And of course, hope for playable Horde Saurok still remains strong with me, so I’ll be doing what I can to keep up the support as we go through Dragonflight.

Hopefully, we’ll have some new Saurok research opportunities to look at in Dragonflight, but I’ll keep an open mind!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 22, 2022, 4:22pm

I noticed some interesting wording on the official WoW website’s article on Dragonflight preorders being available:

“All new race & class, the Dracthyr Evoker available at or before launch.”

I think early access to Dracthyr Evokers is more than likely going to happen. Early access to new races and classes when an expansion launches has been something that has been a thing since MoP with Pandaren and Monks. I don’t see that changing at present.

I suspect we’ll still see a prepatch that brings in the new talent system and the ability to make Dracthyr characters. That way, people can both get their Dracthyr characters and the new talents situated before jumping into the new expansion, as well as being able to iron out any bugs that pop up.

Honestly, I do appreciate being able to get early access to new races and classes this way. It lets us focus on getting our new characters set up and then being able to play as them when a new expansion launches. Back in the days of classic Everquest, that game felt like a world (of Norrath?) and had a different type of journey leveling characters compared to WoW, so to get a new race that resides on a new continent was fitting to have both release together.

If Dragonflight gets pushed back to next year, which I wouldn’t personally mind if it needs it, it’d be neat if we could still get to make our Dracthyr characters this year. Especially since they would be able to enjoy this year’s Winter Veil among other things. But we’ll see what happens when it happens.

I am looking forward to covering Dracthyr, though my heart will always yearn for playable Saurok. Luckily, there are enough differences between the two to have them both playable and be completely different. And maybe some things going into Dracthyr can be utilized for playable Saurok. We can only hope!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Fenelon-wyrmrest-accord · June 22, 2022, 10:21pm

I think its good they’re putting the Dracthyr out early, and I concur they’ll show up in a prepatch.

Bagzak-rexxar · June 23, 2022, 4:43pm

I had this video in my YouTube recommendations about every currently known species of crocodile. It goes over some general facts about them, including some differences between crocodiles and alligators. Alligators and crocodiles are very close to the top in my favorite animals list, with turtles being my favorite animal.

Video is here:

I thought I would share it for some Saurok idea inspiration, whether it is from scale colors and patterns or any crocodile facts that would fit Saurok very well. I know Saurok primarily come from various lizards on Azeroth, but given there are crocolisks on Pandaria, it’s possible some Saurok came from them. We could see some features of crocolisks applied to Saurok, which would give Saurok quite a number of customization options when looking at other types of lizards they came from as well.

I’ll continue to look at RL reptiles for playable Saurok idea inspiration!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 24, 2022, 4:45pm

I came across this amusing video of unique friendly interactions of various armies of Total War: Warhammer 2 and the Lizardmen army:

Makes me imagine Saurok interacting with most races. I imagine with the Horde, it would be awkward at first, but a bond could be formed as they get to know each other. I assume most Alliance would be very wary and look down upon Saurok. Moreso since they’d viewed as mindless beasts by most of the Alliance, as well as the theme of Saurok fitting much more with the Horde.

Should there ever be friendly interactions between Saurok and the Horde, I hope for a giant BBQ and several meat lovers pizzas to celebrate!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Fenelon-wyrmrest-accord · June 25, 2022, 6:22pm

My Saurok would happily be there to participate!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 26, 2022, 5:53pm

I came across another Lizardfolk art piece on DeviantArt. This one is of a Lizardfolk that looks like a determined adventurer. It was created by oixxo and uploaded to DeviantArt on November 2nd, 2021:

“Lizardfolk” by oixxo on DeviantArt.

I can kinda see Saurok looking like this with a similar body language. A playable faction would likely be fleshed out (not with the flesh-shaping magic that Mogu use, thankfully) much more than their NPC counterparts, and I can see Saurok heroes having similar body language from it.

Something that is neat about the image is that it retains a sense of savagery among the determination look, which is something I think would be important in playable Saurok models. Not so much on the “loose cannon I’ll eat your face at the drop of a hat RAWR” side of the scale, but something that is subtle in an idle stance. It would be very fitting for them in general.

I’ll continue to keep an eye out for other art pieces to help with Saurok idea inspiration!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · June 28, 2022, 6:03pm

Seeing as Saurok have traveled the seas in some fashion, whether it is from swimming or on boat, it’s possible some could have landed on the Dragon Isles at some point.

Granted, if there were any Saurok on there, I assumed we would’ve heard about it from the overview of the denizens of the Dragon Isles. It’s possible there could still be some there, though I feel like the chances are a bit low.

Assuming there are any Saurok there, I would think it would likely be an enemy tribe at best. Likely one who would be on the side of the big bad of the expansion, with rumors ranging from Murozond to a revived Galakrond, for whatever reason which would be rather depressing. If there was a friendly tribe we’d work with, we likely would’ve seen it mentioned in one of the zone overviews.

On the bright side, even if we saw enemy tribes in the future, it doesn’t mean the end of potential as a playable race. We’ve seen some NPC races that were once fairly evil mooks that got some fleshing out and became playable races, like Dark Iron Dwarves and Zandalari. Even something like Gilgoblins became awesome candidates with the Kelfin. Besides, many races in the game, both playable and NPC, have good and bad factions. Doesn’t mean something can’t be done with any existing races to make them more fleshed out, taking classes on how to make friends, and joining either faction.

Besides, I feel like there are some people at Blizzard who might like Saurok. We saw many instances of them in BfA and even one as a spirit in an appearance in a brief NPC event in Shadowlands. Maybe there isn’t much behind it, but seeing them continue to pop up in some fashion is still interesting to think about.

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen in Dragon Isles, I’ll be sure to report on it here. Even if nothing happens, maybe we’ll see something pop in in future expansions. Especially if feedback in general gets considered more and more as time goes on. You never know!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Fenelon-wyrmrest-accord · June 28, 2022, 6:17pm

Not necessarily, we only know of furbolg being on the dragon Isles due to a very minor mention in an interview. I doubt we know all the players in the Dragon Isles yet.

Oh. We only know about some oracles being there because of a single Screenshot.

Bagzak-rexxar · June 29, 2022, 5:46pm

That is true, since there are denizens that weren’t officially revealed like the dragon race that is using the Sethrak models. I suppose we won’t really know for sure until we’re able to explore the Dragon Isles. Granted, I still feel like the chances are low to see Saurok there, but maybe some could’ve landed on there for whatever reason.

If we did see Saurok in any form there, it would be interesting to see them being put in three expansions in a row. Not saying this megathread would have any influence on that, but moreso that maybe there are some people at Blizzard who do like them in general. Just an interesting thing to think about.

Not going to give my hopes up of course, but I will keep an eye out for anything Saurok related once Dragonflight does release.

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 1, 2022, 4:50pm

Wanted to wish any Canadian visitors a happy Canadian Independence Day, also known as Canada Day! My father is Canadian, so I celebrate my Canadian heritage when I can. I’ll be enjoying some delicious BBQ to celebrate both it and the upcoming Fourth of July!

Whatever your plans are, please have a fun, happy, and safe holiday!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 2, 2022, 5:11pm

It’s that time again, folks! The time that we again see that there is a depressingly low amount of reptilian races on that character creation screen and give feedback on it through the in-game suggestion feature!

At the start of each month, I send some in-game feedback for each of the races I want to see playable, along with their respective megathreads on these forums. If you’re also interested in doing the same for your most wanted playable races, I made a little step-by-step guide on how to do that here:

I figure every little bit can’t hurt. Maybe we’ll inspire some interest in playable Horde Saurok with our feedback. You never know!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 4, 2022, 4:19pm

Happy Fourth of July to those living in the USA!

As usual, I’ll be unleashing my inner Saurok with the appetite of an Ogre on some delicious BBQ hot dogs and turkey burgers. Whatever your plans are for today, please have a fun, happy, and safe holiday!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Fenelon-wyrmrest-accord · July 4, 2022, 5:53pm

I find it hard to feel like celebrating this holiday given current events but happy 4th of July to you as well.

Hoping to have a few good burgers tonight. I can imagine my Saurok loving a holiday like this.

Saurok for the Horde!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 5, 2022, 6:39pm

I want to imagine during the hot summer time, Saurok would have a huge BBQ party in Orgrimmar. The weather would be perfect for it and there are plenty of places to swim to make it a pool party. It would make for a fun micro holiday of cooking and fun activities as a break from questing as well!

Playable Saurok for the Horde, please!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 6, 2022, 4:00pm

I came across a neat video showing off a painted model of a Seraphon Saurs Oldblood unit from Age of Sigmar. You can see the video here:

Wanted to show this off for a few reasons:

First, it helps to imagine Saurok riding on a ferocious reptilian mount of some kind.

Next would be the scale colors/patterns on both the Seraphon and the mount, both of which would make for some great Saurok scale customization options.

And last is just to help inspire themes for Saurok. The idea that they would be able to tame and utilize ferocious beasts would make for a great Saurok theme. Especially as part of a hunt, such as having to get eggs for raising such beasts as mounts or general defense of Saurok homes or bases. Devilsaurs have been a popular idea with this line of thinking.

I’ll continue to keep an eye out for anything that would help with Saurok idea inspiration!

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!

Bagzak-rexxar · July 7, 2022, 5:02pm

Posting this in both my megathreads since it is fairly important news. Blizzard is looking into having Blizzcon again starting next year:

I’m guessing with the Microsoft deal likely to go through next year, they could help with funding in-person Blizzcons again. It’ll be interesting to see how it’ll be if it comes into fruition.

I’m curious if it would be at the same time roughly as before. It would at least be good to have a time where news can be expected, though I would hope it wouldn’t be complete radio silence for most of the year because of it. I certainly don’t want to go through periods of time like Shadowlands again without any word on anything.

I’m not entirely sure what all people do at Blizzcon, since I’ve never personally been to one, let alone any convention in general. If I ever did, I’d be sure to do something to show off playable Horde Saurok and Ogre support. Not in an obnoxious way, of course, but something subtle as I’d attend the convention. Not entirely sure how I’d do that, but I’d figure something out.

I do know that Super Nintendo World, Nintendo’s theme park, is allegedly being opened in California next year. Maybe some year I’ll do both Blizzcon and Super Nintendo World if I ever have the time and money to do so. Would make for a fun trip in general if I could plan it out.

Regardless, should we ever see a Blizzcon again, I’ll be sure to report on WoW related announcements in general in both my megathreads. Especially if there happened to be anything of Saurok and Ogre interest.

Playable Saurok for the Horde please!