Seeing the screens from Blizzcon, and the levels of decay on the Forsaken becoming an option, it makes me wonder, what if there is an option from the devs to make your Forsaken into a skeleton, but have a hidden model to wear armor?
Almost like how cel-shading works to make those outlines we see on various mounts, shoulders, and weapons, but the external “flesh-level” model is transparent. You can’t see it, but when you equip armor or set up a transmog, you’ll see the texture of the armor.
Basically, it would create the layer on skeleton undead models that would make a skeleton appear to wear armor. Things like skeletal mages, skeletal knights, etc, as possibilities. Remember Nas from Northrend? We used to have to kick him in the pants to get him moving and working, he was a Death Knight pet, but still. Given the options, Blizzard could easily create sections for armor textures.
The concept is basically like slapping an invisible human over a skeleton given human posture. And seeing the Forsaken having the option to stand like humans, the males specifically need a posture fix option in the barber shop… Forsaken that are reduced to bones but retain their senses wouldn’t be unusual to too big of a stretch. It’d be a great fit from a roleplay perspective. You could be a fresh or withering corpse, or if the devs take this suggestion, they could make a new “rotted out” option for the forsaken.
The only place this wouldn’t fly is in China, but in that case, we might just see this option edited to look like a dark shadowy spirit with glowing bones…
I’d like to see that, if some good lore was set up for it. But for me it seems like skeletons are a necessary evil of fantasy. Because there is lore out there about Forsaken souls being tied to their brains and there is more of a tangible sense to their bodies. Maybe if they had an invisible ghostly form surrounding their skeleton. That’d be cool.
The problem here is that the Forsaken on Chinese realms are fully skinned with no bones showing. So we’re going to have something special for US and part of EU realms, neato.
Well, the reference to the Skeleton King Leoric is a good example of a skeleton in armor. It’s fitting as an example.
Forsaken who are skeletal can be explained lore-wise as being Liches who bound their souls to something they had put into their skull. Be it a piercing, or even an iron jaw to replace their lost jaw, a bit of jewelry that was added to the body, something to serve as a phalactory.
We’ve seen Liches exist in WoW, so a Forsaken who is rotted to their skeleton can be explained as having delved into the realm of a Lich.
Of course, it would be an interesting take at least. One problem is that when we res, we leave a skeleton indicating where we died… Which for a skeleton would be a total paradox…
A skeleton still owning it’s sentience and sapience falls into the category of undead as the Lich. This has been explained quite a bit, and we never did finish off Kel’thuzad. We never destroyed his phalactory.
That’s a good point. Forsaken Skeletons with armor options like Leoric is a fun idea as a western-only treat. Though the Chinese would miss out, we know the movie Joker is evidence that we don’t need those Chinese yuan to make something great and profitable.
I like knowing something I suggested is being met with positive feedback.
Blizzard could really get some practice with new tweaks with a skeleton able to wear armor. Something like layering models to get different armor appearances, it would be unique, and fits in a way not seen by other MMORPGs.
I wouldnt mind forsaken options that show more bones.
On a semi-related note, I’d really, really like to see skin options for deathknights (of all races) that look more zombified/dead. Like, the current worgen death knight skins only make my fur a little more pale. How awesome would it be to have a worgen death knight with half the flesh ripped off his face, showing his teeth and skull, and his fingertips turned into bony claws?
The overall suggestion is to give undead characters an additional customization option that will likely go excluded from China. And we know from Joker’s success that we don’t need Chinese kickbacks to be successful.
I’ve wanted a full skeleton for a while. And doing that quest in Voldun with the pirates and the island where you turn into this dope skeleton made me want it so much more.
Imagine the enjoyment of seeing your friend stomping around as a forsaken warrior. You think “That’s a big beefy for forsaken…” then you see his head is showing, and you see this badass skull! Your Forsaken friend rolled full Arms warrior, and is folding up mobs with a mace! He changes his mog out of boredom, and next thing you know, he’s quoting Ainz Ooal Gown!
Forsaken friend, rolling Death Knight, rocks a chest piece that looks like a plate chest with a harness over it, your undead friend is quoting Skeletor!
Some people with some level of creativity will go making mogs trying to look like Leoric, Skeletor, or Papyrus, or even Sans. Classic movie fans will try to recreate entire raid groups of skeleton armies like out of the movie Army of Darkness. Then you got people who’ll make entirely unique characters! I imagine we’ll see people try to replicate Kel’thuzad too.
Start with an HD skeleton base, allow varying levels of bone bleaching. The colorations of the bones could be…
Blackened/Scorched (Bones have visible burn markings, indicating the bones were burned, like with dragon fire)
Frozen(Bones are shades of blue and black, suggesting frostbite and ice)
Fresh and Bloody (Bright blood coloring, like a fresh wound)
Blood Stained (Rust colored blood stains)
Picked Clean (Some dark marks in the bones for teeth and claws)
Still “chunky” (The bones look like they still have strips of sinew or bits of meat on them)
Old blood stains(a dark rusty color)
Dirt caked (Shades of brown suggesting the bones were never dug up)
Mossy (Bones are shades of green to suggest moss growing on them)
Yellowed(Suggesting the bones had some kind of fungus or something on them, or they were improperly treated)
Bleached White (Literally white as white can be! Like the bones were bleached in the sun of the desert!)
These would be cool skeleton options if you ask me. And we know a good number of Forsaken would make themselves into skeletons to replicate the Liched, and even roleplay as if they had become Liches as a means to retain their senses in undeath!
