Vulpera Discussion Megathread (Part 1)

[Kibblepaws-nesingwary]

I found this oddity tucked away behind the Vulpera hideaway. Does anybody recognize the symbol? It doesn’t appear to match any designs I could find in the vulpera camp

Clearly some kind of shamanistic desert toilet

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

I’ll give my two cents. This is just my opinion, so I may be wrong, but…

I just don’t feel like Sethrak were meant to be playable. Blizzard was not expecting a lot of people wanting them (and, while there’s a big thread about them, I also don’t feel it’s as requested as other options).

Why I feel that way?

First, because Sethrak are largely just an “enemy race” to be fought. We never delve into their culture that much beyond the story needed for the Uldir seal to be broken. There’s no important good Sethrak besides Vorrik. Both Alliance and Horde interact with the good Sethrak in very small ways. The vulpera steal the Vol’dun storyline “good guys” role, and are more important than the good sethrak even when it’s time to defeat the Faithless. The good sethrak feel like secondary actors in their own story.

Second, if the Sethrak were going Alliance, one would expect that Alliance’s interactions with them would be way more meaningful. Alliance does not see the resolution of their storyline, to get them as playable would feel like the faction never got to really know their new allies. Also, at this point, the good sethrak have no reason to risk the wrath of the Horde or the zandalari by joining their enemies.

Third, their model is well-done, but nowhere near the quality of the vulpera model. Unlike the vulpera, who got a complete remodel to be able to use gear (despite not having NPC vulpera using gear other than their standard attire), the Sethrak are locked into NPC gear, and their genders are not well-defined (yes, there’s Sethralis as a female, but she’s a unique character, not something aimed to be a standard female form of the race).

Of course, I may be just wrong. Of the models still available for allied races, there’s worgen, from which the sethrak were derived. Also, a proper recruitment storyline may very well create the reasons for them to go Alliance and flesh them out better for Alliance players.

But I just don’t see it happening. At least, not with what we got so far.

[Kahlua-stormrage (Kahlua)]

At least, not with what we got so far.

And this is the line that has me so irritated at the whole AR for alliance, and no, not because you said it…but because it’s the hardest hitting fact of the matter.

There is nothing for alliance to base anything off of except speculation…and it’s really bothersome.

I get that they really want it to be a surprise…and I’m REALLY keeping my fingers crossed for something to be datamined for the 8.2 beta with the KT and Zand out and being played live.

But, that being said, I agree with what you said in that last statement simply for the fact that it’s SO little to be based off and would need to have something come forward…

a guy can hope, though, right? :3

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

a guy can hope, though, right? :3

Of course! Always!

[Hylianlich-boulderfist (Hylianlich)]

That’s a possibility aren’t the Setherak trolls who became snakemen due to their worship of a snake loa? Who’s to say the same couldn’t have resulted into Vulpera.

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

No, sethrak weren’t trolls. That was never hinted anywhere, and was confirmed false in one of the latest Q&As.

[Hylianlich-boulderfist (Hylianlich)]

Okay good cause everything seems to come from troll, titan or rockmonster.

[Llyvica-wyrmrest-accord (Llyvica)]

I kinda want to add my 2 cents to the junker gnome discussion. If it’s true that next expansion we get the tinker class (as it’s been widely speculated) wouldn’t it make sense that we get junker gnomes at the beginning of next expac or something? I mean I think it would be weird if we unlocked them towards the end of BfA, everyone starts leveling them and race changes/whatnot, just for the next expansion to have a class that screams “Class for junker gnomes!!!”

So, no, I don’t think junker gnomes will be paired with Vulpera. If only we had some sort of other beast race to pair them with…

[Kahlua-stormrage (Kahlua)]

those were also some of my same thoughts. However, it’s not certain that tinkerer would be a gnome/goblin only class. Though, it would bring something to the table to the lowest played races in the game. Many people don’t want another class limited to just one race again though. Demon hunter has the lore behind it to make it only for Nightelf/Bloodelf, but tinkerer is a class based on engineering and mechanical stuff that, more or less, if you have a gnack for that stuff, you could be a tinkerer.

We shall see what comes to pass when the time comes!

[Seije-aerie-peak (Seije)]

i feel very much the same as my worgbros here;

some days, I feel like there’s decent enough evidence to back up Sethrak, and others i feel like they may be a long shot.

You’re right, they aren’t set up for player gear, and there are no female models except Sethrallis.

However, in Beta, there were a few patches where pieces of gear (cloaks and tabbards, and i think maybe belts?) had anchor points on their model. I also find it strange that, if sethrak were intended to be an NPC only race with not a lot of development, why bother having a female voice actor?

Unless i’m mistaken, nearly all other one-model NPC races have only one voice; drogbar are all male to my recollection, as are the tuskarr, and the jinyu, and the hozen, and the list goes on and on. The only exception to the rule i can think of are the tortollan (which admittedly looks bad for my theory considering they’re also from this expac, proving that blizz can still be ‘lazy’ on this front), but their model feels more gender-neutral, wheras the Sethrak model seems slightly more masculine with the open-vest attire. Not saying that female Sethrak need to have a chest or anything, but as conservative as U.S. culture is when it comes to sex, it would surprise me if a gaming company would risk showing a bare-chested female, even if there was nothing to show.

Combine these things, and it just feels like the “good enough” male model was meant as a placeholder, and that the main reason we don’t have a female model was because of all the sudden secrecy surrounding ARs toward the end of Beta; the sethrak models were changed (reverted?) to the one without anchor points for cloaks and tabards, and a female model was never implemented. If they never intended to make a female model, it seems strange that they’d have NPCs with female voicelines when they’ve had all-male NPC races in the past.

Anyway, that’s my rant on Sethrak, even though this is the Vulpera thread. I really hope we all get what we want. I think the Vulpera would be a great addition, I think they’re practically a shoe-in at this point, and i just hope the Alliance gets our danger-noodles as the perfect foil to your adorable little fox-people.

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

Unless i’m mistaken, nearly all other one-model NPC races have only one voice;

Usually, that would be the case, but there’s also a third recent example: the ethereals from 7.3 also had male and female voices. Seems like a recent change in paradigm from Blizzard.

And about the anchorpoints for tabards and cloaks, they may have been used to ease the animation of Sethrak’s NPC gear (I can’t remember if some NPCs use something akin to loincloth to justify the tabards, but some sethrak models do have NPC cloaks).

That said, I’d prefer to be wrong and that the sethrak become playable. I’m not a big fan of them, but they’d be a more interesting addition than most other possibilities, and it would make some people happy, so why not?

[Kahlua-stormrage (Kahlua)]

And about the anchorpoints for tabards and cloaks, they may have been used to ease the animation of Sethrak’s NPC gear (I can’t remember if some NPCs use something akin to loincloth to justify the tabards, but some sethrak models do have NPC cloaks).

Well it’s a lot easier to make just a model, a flat model instead of making what is called a ‘geoset’ which allows the armor to be removed to a near-naked appearance. Sethraliss has this and other models of Sethrak have them as well. I mean, yes we can’t see them with other armors, or removeable yet, but that was all datamined almost a year ago with Vulpera, Sethrak stuff had just started being found at that point.

Take a look at someone like the Tortollan, their models do not allow the pieces to be removed, it’s affixed to their model.

Side note…there are ethereals with female voices? :o were they on the ship? I never actually paid attention so that has me really curious lol.

Also, I read somewhere with tabard and cloak anchorpoints, it’s apparently a lot more difficult to get those set up on a character model so doing it for an NPC is just kinda silly and unnecessary time/work.

Please don’t take what I say as poking holes in your argument, I’m just sharing with you what I know as facts from what I’ve read. I actually appreciate that you’re very composed :3 it’s refreshing~!

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

Side note…there are ethereals with female voices? :o were they on the ship? I never actually paid attention so that has me really curious lol.

Some of the enemy mobs in Mac’aree have female voices when you aggro them.

Please don’t take what I say as poking holes in your argument, I’m just sharing with you what I know as facts from what I’ve read.

No problem at all. This is just a matter of opinion. Learning other PoVs is always interesting, as long as no one is ignoring obvious info to form a heavily biased opinion.

[Kahlua-stormrage (Kahlua)]

huh…that’s pretty interesting, not gonna lie :o

[Kahlua-stormrage (Kahlua)]

yea, I’m one that is always open for discussing. I’m just a huge fan of the idea of them being worked on together and released together. It’s just disheartening when the one side (Vulpera) has gotten an extensive amount of love, where as the other hasn’t seen nearly as much. Quite a lot of people actually want Sethrak to be playable. A lot of their animations are ‘borrowed’ and altered too from other races such as the Worgen and Pandaren.

I simply adore their casting animation, it’s an exaggerated version of the male Pandaren, but the tail twitch in it is so adorable ^^;

[Vaelian-silver-hand (Vaelian)]

On contrary, I’ve seen almost nothing but negative comments from a vast majority of people about them as an AR concept. AGAIN, I have nothing against them, but I have no interest in them at all.

I feel the reason for that is, once again, they did it half assed. People have been asking for proper fully robotic Mechagnomes since their first appearance. I could see Junker being additional customization options in a proper Mechagnome AR much like Mag’har, say you don’t want to be fully robotic, well choose the parts you do.

It’s like people asking for High Elves for the past decade + and then being given Void Elves.

tinkerer is a class based on engineering and mechanical stuff that, more or less, if you have a gnack for that stuff, you could be a tinkerer.

Dwarves and Draenei fit fully within that idea.
Undead work and are already represented as such with the Island Expedition group. Orcs as well when you consider the Iron Horde.

The accompanying allied races work as well except undead doesn’t have one yet.

You’re right, they aren’t set up for player gear, and there are no female models except Sethrallis.

Even her model isn’t all that different from males, but that makes sense too.

If Sethrak weren’t meant to play opposite a goblin based race, maybe Night Elven Worgen. Tyrande is in the Embassy for a reason.

Sethrak would be pretty cool though.

Wouldn’t gear anchor points be a really easy thing to add when they’re based off another race?

[Fahrenheit-doomhammer (Fahrenheit)]

Wouldn’t gear anchor points be a really easy thing to add when they’re based off another race?

I would imagine it’s easier than starting from scratch, but the fem Worgen framework Sethrak were built from has been modified. Plus, they have to worry about new things clipping (tail & hood mostly).

[Lepermessiah-thunderlord (Lepermessiah)]

If the Alliance ARs are Junker Gnomes and some kind of Light Born Undead, I’m never playing this F’ing game again, lol.

If they get anything other than Sethrak, I would be extremely disappointed. I want Sethrak equally as bad as I want Vulpera and I think Sethrak would make a lot more people play Alliance.

[Kit-shuhalo (Kit)]

It’s just disheartening when the one side (Vulpera) has gotten an extensive amount of love, where as the other hasn’t seen nearly as much.

Ironically if KT/ZT are any indication, the fact that the Sethrak (assuming the Alliance counterpart to Vulpera) haven’t gotten as much love might actually mean they are getting released! /s

Here’s my .02 on where we are at with AR.

1. I don’t think we will get ANY news or leaks or hints about the next AR(s) until after the KT and ZT are made playable in a few months. These already feel like “old news” and I think Blizz is worried that showing what comes next will take even more thunder away from these “flagship” races.

2. As much as I would LOVE to see Sethrak as the Alliance answer to Vulpera, I am convinced it will be Junker Gnomes. With the new zone and all the foreshadowing going into the raid (Gallywix saying Mekkatorque wishes he was part robot) and a gnome-centric cutscene planned (per Lore stream last week) - this is where my money is.

3. I think we will be getting a new AR each major patch (so 8.2.5, 8.3.5) which, as someone else pointed out, rounds out the AR number to 12 which fits nicely in the UI.

4. I am discouraged that Vulpera will not be the 8.2.5 race UNLESS Junker Gnomes are their equivalent because at least those will be relevant to current content. I am hopeful Blizzard sees dollar signs when looking at Vulpera and cashes in sooner rather than later.

[Yzzami-nesingwary (Yzzami)]

Druids and are way too focused on getting gear with better numbers to hump your leg

Speak for yourself

This is just a joke, before anyone reels in terror

Yay, quote boxes don’t work