Alright, well, since I’m still sort of trying to get caught up from my somewhat last minute trip to Kelowna, I don’t really have time to do an actual comic today, but I do have something to share. Read more!
Before I start, I don’t want to presume that I know better than blizzard or their creative team or what not. I respect them greatly, as I work in the animation industry and am no stranger to how things work behind the scenes or the limitations put on the developers for whatever reason. I’m sure the reasons for using an existing model for a racial mount are good ones, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck that that’s what we’re getting.
Yesterday, blizzard announced Worgen racial mounts coming in 4.3. As far as I can tell, this has been met mostly with “meh” reviews, and I can see why. If you look at the screenshots, the mounts are just the same models as the wild stallions that are running about in Grizzly Hills. People have felt a bit put off at the seemingly lazy attempt at a racial mount, and I can understand that. I am perfectly aware that it is also being put in so that the alliance will have a more even chance on the 100 mount achievement. And that’s understandable too, but really… It IS just the same model, they don’t even have saddles or tack, it doesn’t even look like they are unique colors. What a cop-out, right?
Well, yes and no. Now from the beginning, when Worgens were first announced, I wondered what their mount would be. As an avid mount collector, I love to see what they would come up with. I was pretty disappointed with Running Wild if only for the fact that it wasn’t actually a MOUNT. The idea itself is cool already (though I weep for the Taurens who had it first! XD). However, when you sit back and think about it, what mount would really fit them?
I know here is where people would reference the image that was at blizzcon 2009 of the Worgen riding a boar mount (screenshot courtesy of MMO-Champion) and be all “that should be their mount! That’s totally badass!” And I do agree that it is badass, but based on the Worgen story, where they start up etc, a boar makes no sense. They don’t live in an area where something like that is supported let alone grown to a size where you could ride it. If the Worgens started out in Outlands or something I could see it, but they didn’t. They are in Gilneas, they ran there as humans, and would have what humans have. Horses. It makes perfect sense for them to have some type of horse mount.
But the ACTUAL humans have horse mounts…why should the worgens just have the same mount? I don’t think they should. Although the current horse mount for humans is somewhat based on the heavy draft horse design (based mostly on the thick heavy hooves and fetlocks) I think they could have taken it a step further for the worgens. I think they should have made a new model which is based solely on a heavy horse breed (clydesdale, or percheron for example) and really “beef” up the horses a bit. Afterall, a worgen would be a bit heaver to carry than a human. The horses should be bigger to make up for that!
So above is my rendition of what I think the Worgen mount should be more like. I agree that it should be a horse, I just think there should be a new model. I based my drawing on the Dutch Draft horse breed, which are a large horse with a bit shorter but MUCH thicker muscular legs. In an attempt to make the model somewhat different that what the current WoW model is, I would make the legs thicker and more muscular, as well as remove the heavy fetlocks, and just put a little hint of them on the legs. The neck would be a LOT thicker, much like a heavy horse breed. I think one other unique thing that would look good would be to have the mane be on one side instead of the messy hair that the current horses sport.
Also, I’d love to see some new colors. The colors I have painted here are based on photos of colorings of actual horse breeds, and there are some pretty unique combinations that could be played with. At the very least a re-coloring would be needed, instead of the only difference between a Human mount and a Worgen mount being that one is wearing tack and the other is not.
I realize that my ideas might be a little hard to model in 3D, I have virtually no experience in modelling or modelling for video games. I do catch the little things that game art designers do to save on size, and make things easier to animate ect. I recognize and understand that. So I don’t even know if this sketch could even be DONE anyway. But that’s not really the point is it. I just wanted to bring a bit of difference to what is obviously just an already existing model to a racial mount.
Also, I just don’t want anyone to confuse the new worgen mounts with my still-coveted original epic mount on my very first character I ever played on WoW!
Blizzard stated that the Worgen mounts were introduced to help with faction imbalance between mounts. I think that reimplementing the old unarmored epic mounts, like what you have, would have been a good way to fix that imbalance with nearly 0 work involved (Just add the items to vendors, simple). I played during vanilla, but by the time I hit 60, ZG had come out, and the mounts had been removed. Still, there were 6 horde mounts, 8 alliance, so it would have been perfect to fix the 2 mount imbalance.
well, the few players like me who still have the old epic mounts might be more than a little pissed at that. But honestly, how many more of us can their even be. Besides, they really did just add the two mounts with no work involved, they were just unarmored, like the stallions. Its an existing model either way.
And yes, I know why they put them in. But I would have liked to see something new with it. This is my idea of a Worgen mount, and has always been ever since Worgens were announced. Now seemed a good a time as any to explain my reasons for wishing it were more like this.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here but I say they should ride sheep…or rams…but it would be funny no? XD
That’s really well designed and thought out – I don’t think it’d be a trouble to animate at all. Things like “thicker limbs” only really cause trouble if you start messing with the shoulder muscles, etc.
I completely agree with this. I mean, yes, the Worgen are (technically) human so they should use a similar form of mount as the Stormwind humans. But if you look at horses in the real world, you can see obvious differences between breeds. Compare the small, fast Arabians to the massive, powerful Clydesdales. Just at a glance, the differences are easy to spot. Or the wild, primitive Przewalski’s horses and the smart, beautiful Friesians. Przewalski’s horses are an ancient breed that haven’t changed in thousands of years, and Friesians were once used as knights’ warhorses and now as carriage horses.
Eh, that’s just my opinion. This won’t make me stop playing my Worgen, but I do think Blizz really dropped the ball in this instance.
Also, I think the original (fantastic-looking) boar mounts were supposed to come from the Emerald Dream. There, the Worgen were able to domesticate/tame them. I don’t remember where I heard it, but it was from back when the picture of one was first released.
almost looks like a clydesdale.. they are huge horses and would love to see em in the game for sure .. love the drawing! :D
The original mount is eactly what I’d sought after when I first started… and about twelve levels before I could get it was when they added the armor. I was heartbroken. T_T
I’d love to see the thicker horses for the Worgen and I agree that a Worgen is heavier so should have a beefier mount. (not to mention new colors!)
Now if I could only remember how to get Blizzard’s attention on this…. D:
To be honest, I do hope Blizzard sees this, because let’s be honest. They could’ve at least made some effort to change the model of the mount.
I only have one complaint regarding this. Since the Worgen have two levels of running wild (regular and epic) really when a switch occurs they should simply get the Goblin mounts. Last I checked they only had two racial mounts. If Blizzard continues this change I urge them to add some new paint jobs for the goblins.
Hrm. That is a good point…
Man, it’s getting harder and harder to defend WoW and Blizzard from the haters when they pull a lazy move like this.
You put more thought into it than they did, I’d wager.
I can see a worgen mount having fur clad hooves and a natural “Bad temper” look
I don’t think it’d be too difficult to implement the change you’re suggesting. One of my favorite horse-type mounts is the lvl 20 warlock mount…looks like the Nightmare from MtG. If they can animate that with the detail it has, I don’t see a Destrier/Percheron/Clydesdale being that much of a stretch.
My two cents.
From reading the forums especially on MMO-Champion the chorus of wow haters or something like that is getting louder. Most are saying that the A and B teams are working on Titan and have left the C team to do WoW. And well with the new worgen racial mounts you begin to wonder as well.
I know it is not easy to add new stuff in but most peeps will just see these mounts as more signs that Blizz are getting lazy as they put it. I have seen a lot of changes since Vanilla and well this is not a good sign. Even though I don’t really worry about it, but you would think that Blizz would put more thought into the game but as some say sooner or later you will fall flat on your face. (That in Being the Dominant MMO for so long) And I think they have made the mistake of riding on that fact for so long they have lost their way. (Hopefully not)
Maybe if they are using their C teams, I should apply to blizzard! I might squeak by then! XD
If they’d add me to one of the WoW teams players would be flying around in Guild War Zeppelins bombing each other.
would be fun to make guild events like your idea with the zeppelins. where you only can do it with your guild
I definitely don’t have an issue with them getting horses for mounts. Honestly, ever since they were announced, those were the only mounts that made sense to me. They were humans before the curse, so why wouldn’t they use horses?
I like your take on the concept, Fyre. I think a little bit of visual difference would be nice.
…Oh, and also? As an Alliance player, you can get 100 mounts. I have over 100 mounts on my toon, and only 3 dungeon/raid related ones (Blue Proto-Drake, Swift Razzashi Raptor, Dark Phoenix) and no PvP mounts. So people QQing just didn’t want to put in the work.
I think Blizzard should just make Running Wild count as a “mount” in terms of gameplay, just as the Vial of the Sands does now. The only thing they really need to care about is the game balance issue of “Horde can get away with one dungeon or PvP mount and Alliance needs three for the same reward”- if they’re concerned about anything visual there are dozens of higher priorities, like old races’ models or the fact that squirrels and rabbits look like Pyramid Head reincarnated as a small woodland animal.
the only problem with that is how would it look when a human, elf or dwarf uses running wild?
I’ve been following your comics for almost if not over a year now, and I’ve never commented. I love to read your comics and enjoy them and share them to my FB page. Most of my friends and family look at me as if I’ve lost my mind and can’t understand them, but a few do and chime in on their merits and they always make for an even better Friday.
I’ve always wished they’d of put in a Gilneas mount, I do love Running Wild, but I would love to see them with draft horses. I’m not too praticular on the breed, but I have always preferred the Norwegian Fjord, I’m curious to how it would look in game and profiled by you. It’s not as stately as the Clydesdale or the Percheron, but it’s mane and tail are just so unique.
I really hope they don’t get rid of running wild..I am trying to see how long I can go without getting a real mount on my worgen druid, so I just use running wild until level 60, and then I started using flight form. (Still don’t have a mount page =D) I do wish that the worgens would get a different mount, but I guess this will help on getting mounts on my main….
You should totally submit this in an e-mail or something to Blizzard.
Also, needs more fetlocks. Like a Jutish work horse, now that’s a stocky breed that could have a worgen on its back! :D
Dont think Worgen need any mounts at all really, getting 100 mounts is not that hard when you look around at all the mounts you can buy or even win if your lucky.
Still a big workhorse do certainly fit with the whole gilneas concept.
But if all we get is a reskinned SW mount its hardly worth buying a worgen mount.
Now that I got my doom saying out of the way here is what was posted on MMO-Champ sounds juicy.. :D :D :D
Interviews: Warcraft After Cataclysm
Tom Chilton and Greg Street have been making the rounds again with interviews on IGN and Gamasutra.
Patch 4.3
If you add up all of the Deathwing encounter stages, it will be the longest fight in the game.
Each stage of the fight will take place in a different location and offer some loot.
The encounter starts at Wyrmrest Temple, progressing toward the players being on Deathwing’s back while he is flying toward The Maelstrom.
The new five man encounters will build up to the Deathwing fight, similar to how the Icecrown five man instances built up to the Lich King.
To combat the complaints of armor always looking the same, there is a sub-lead who is in charge of guiding the art team to produce new styles not found in the game yet.
After Cataclysm
More armor customization could be coming in the future; Transmogrification was a solution that could be finished in time for Patch 4.3.
After Patch 4.3, and the world event, the team is going to focus on keeping players entertained and enjoying the game.
There are more people that played World of Warcraft, but no longer play World of Warcraft, than the number of people that currently play World of Warcraft. They want to lower the barrier to entry and find some way to bring back players that no longer play.
On Mists of Pandaria: “Most of the time when we do anything panda-related it’s going to be a comic book or a figurine or something like that.”
They realize some people quit because they made the content more accessible to everyone and it no longer felt elite.
Raids are significantly harder than they were in WotLK, but the rewards are not much better than heroic five man rewards. This causes a lack of motivation to raid.
They believe that each spec plays like a separate class, making the game feel as if there are 30 classes.
Player created content is still in the back of their minds because of how well it worked in Starcraft II. Developing tools for players would take a lot of work, but the reward would be great as well.
I cant wait for what I posted above. It is going to be awesome for sure. :D
I would have loved to see them get the carriages as their racial mounts, like the ones you see in the starting zone and in the Fiona questline in EPL. Would be equivalent to goblins since they got a vehicle type mount as theirs.
You’ll have to excuse my rudeness but all I see up there is a big pony that went to a beauty saloon.
just a question… what gear you have been wearing on said screenshot… I will have to persuade my my friend to get that into her inventory for transmogrification…
Oh god, I stopped playing her shortly after I hit 60 and that was my first character I ever played, so her gear is a little all over the place, but here is her armory! http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/aggramar/Crystalfyre/advanced
Thanks… not that it helped though… chest is from Dire maul :(
Awesome art. I would love to have horses like that for the Worgen.
That said, I can understand not wanting to put the resources into developing an entirely new model for a pair of mounts that are only meant to even up the mount totals between horde and alliance. That doesn’t excuse the fact that the two “new” mounts are almost exactly the same as two of the unarmored human mounts, just missing the saddle and trappings. The very least they could do is provide some colors that are unique (or in the case of your original epic mount, extremely rare) to unarmored horse mounts. If they used the golden and gray skins that can be seen among the highland mustangs in Grizzly Hills, then that would be fine.
Unless there’s some sort of unusual difference between mount and mob models that requires different skins (Something I find hard to believe in this case), than switching the colors from black and brown horses to the gold and gray ones should be as simple as swapping the skin files.
I’m normally not one of the nay-sayers complaining about how lazy Blizzard is because I understand just how much work these things require, and how somethings things go wrong for the most bizarre of reasons, but in this case Blizzard has really dropped the ball.
*nods* I was really disappointed that there wasn’t at least a little bit of effort into these racial mounts. That said, if they say worgen, at their size and weight, can ride these but draenei can’t I’ll be tempted to shove a clydesdale up a dev’s nose. The only reason I’d be at all happy about worgen horses was because they took my Drae pally’s charger away from her and gave her that godawful Elekk, and this might be a way to get her horse mount back. If she can’t ride them, even though Worgen can?… *still grumpy about losing the charger*
As someone said on WoW Insider, they could have at least added the “funeral horse” look for a Gilnean feel.
( http://www.abfabulous.co.uk/images/abfab_funeral_002a.jpg , if you don’t know what I mean.)
I’m happy with the horse, and I’m glad they added a few mounts in to help with the imbalance.
My first thoughts when I see anyone complaining about the mounts… Be glad they gave you any mount at all. I couldn’t stand Running Wild, such an awful animation. :/
I kinda think the Worgs should have a mount thats a mix between the horse and a NE mount. I mean it was the Night Elves that stepped in to aid the worgens. So why wouldn’t they have a mount that reflected their time as new worgen in Darn.
I love you soooooo much for remembering that Taurens had it first. Even after Worgen got the ability the official answer is ‘its too hard to do’ for the Tauren. Little known fact the NPC who sold the ability has been pulled. Priderunner’s id # was replaced by the paladin trainers so shes gone for good. Makes me sad, Id chosen Priderunner as my tribe :/
Well after my first post bemoaning what Blizz were giving worgens for a racial mount, I saw this at http://www.thedailyblink.com/2011/09/in-this-strip-baine-switches-to-decaf/ I feel like such a QQ noob. lol
It made me realize that it is only a game and the mount is nothing more than to make one feel special. :)
Very much agreed. It was disappointing not see a mount for the Worgen but also disappointing its just same old hat. I do like your concepts for the horses, a draft horse wouldn’t be too difficult and if Blizz ever went with it, it would look less lazy. I’m actually working on my own sketches for Worgen mount (cause I’m silly that way) and was thinking; yes Worgen were human. But now.. They’re not and they’re staying in Darnassus. So they’re in a place where nature is well prized. On top of that, they have druids “of Harvest” with no real story to them. With the obvious English influences with Victorian flare I thought perhaps stags. It wouldn’t be too diffcult – we have talbuk mounts, reindeer mount (kinda sorta), and lots of deer mobs. Though its all just concept… Overall just wish Blizz would put a little more effort into things.
I think some sort of stocky breed of horse would fit Worgen very well, soemthing hardy, and that looks like it oculd bear the weight of a transformed male worgen. If only we could get them to agree… I mean It should also have something representative of the somewhat awesome goblin cars… Instead of just rehashing something old…
Hmm I’ve been mulling this over a bit… And I figured that a horse that was somehow affecte by the worgen curse, as gilneas herself was, would be great. Like for the second form it could have brambles in it’s mane and tail, as if it got them tangled in them.
Ok i want that for a mount! I love musclar houres with big hoofes and it made sence! I LOVE IT!!!
plain ol’ horses is ok, but with the whole Victorian theme, why not an open racing coach and a horse in harness. cool, but not hard to animate, considering the goblin’s trikes…just wondering…and, what about horses tendency to ‘spook” around threats. so were-wolf smell is ok with horses? not trollin, here. i agree with The Mojhann that you can get your 100 mounts. Either faction, np peace out :)
Mehhhh I don’t have any good or bad reviews about it. Due to all the whining people have been screaming about, they’re lucky to get one. I prefer Running Wild myself, I feel sorta distant on the idea I kind of liked the exclusivity. Maybe at this they’ll balance it out and give Tauren a ‘mount version’ of Plain Striding again? :)
Love the comic by the way I’ve been a long time watcher I’m just…. so not on top of posting <3's every time you update :)
Firstly, I love your design, though personally I would like a sort of worgenized horse (kind of like Worgen animal forms)
Secondly I’d just like to pitch in my opinion that what we have seen in the screenshots are likely just placeholder graphics, and that the final Worgen mount will likely have different graphics. It’s not uncommon for Blizz previews to use placeholder graphics, such as back when Wrath came out and the Mage Hounds in the Nexus looked like Fel Hounds. I think rage over the look of the mounts should be saved till we see the final appearance :).
Anyhoo, with that out the way, love the comic ^^ *thumbs up*
I always thought the Worgen mounts were pretty silly, since we all know the primary reason for this is for the mount achievement. On one side, who really cares? It doesn’t seem that hard now to get all 100, given all the new mounts out, CtA bags, mount drops from dungeons, the AT mounts, and even tabards to easily grind any/all Horde/Alliance faction to exalted. Is is really so bad that to require six more mounts on alliance side this was necessary? Are so many people on alliance sitting at 94 mounts whining about needing that last six?
On the other side, did NO ONE prep for this? Are you going to tell me everyone on the dev team worked on Cata and said how cool it would be for Worgen to not need mounts and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE fessed up and said, “That’s cool but what about the mount achievement? Worgen not having mounts may imbalance the total count?” I mean really? All this money and development teams and not one person seemed to think this was an issue until now?
A note further, this imbalance wasn’t the first of its kind. I fondly remember cooking recipes being this way for a very long time. Alliance had access to a whole store of receipes in SW and Horde kind of had nothing. Even then they went so far as to allow Alliance to buy the few Horde-only recipes there were (like Dig Rat Stew) and yet were never given a fair trade. Kaladorei Spider Kabobs came to mind, maybe they “fixed” that.
But the honest point is both, is this so much of an issue for whiny players this needed to be done and now bad did the devs drop the ball in not having any foresight into this issue before cata was released?
I agree, if that’s all they’re doing for the new worgen mount, it’s…what’s the point? back when worgen were coming out, i was hoping they’d actually put in the effort and make a proper mount that’d have two forms, going with the worgen’s transforming. even though it’d make not much sense….
also, plainrunning, or whatever it was called, was a pain in the arse. you had to keep running for ten seconds for it to activate, and then if you stopped or got hit, it’d automatically turn off, whereas running wild is, essentially, a mount in every way, functionally….although, honestly, they coulda just done that with plainsrunning and it’d be fine (although the kodoes as mounts woulda been added in wotlk anyway when achievements happened for the same reason it’s happening with worgen now)
ah well…
I do agree that a draft horse should be the horse of choice for the Gilneans if only because it would totally fit in with their lore. The Gilneans were willingly seperated from the rest of the world (essentially), so they would need heavier, stronger horses that could do more work and most likely last longer than a normal horse would. Being able to support the newly cursed Worgen is more of an after-the-fact sort of benefit.
This is just my opinion of course, but I see no reason why the Worgen themselves should be complaining about a new mount besides the “Running Wild doesn’t count as a Mount” thing. I’ve been complaining -mostly to myself- that there’s no real reason to build Gilneas Rep if there’s no “standard reward” for doing so. The “standard reward”, naturally, being a Gilnean mount to call my own. I won’t pretend to know the trials and tribulations of being a game designer, but I do hope that Blizzard find some way to satisfy us gamers in the end.
I wanted to thank you for posting this. I’ve been saying since worgen mounts were still highly speculated and secret that they should get shire horses, which are essentially a big and bulky breed of horse. Though their hooves are highly feathered, which I think is very fitting for a fancy Gilnean steed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire_horse
This just looks fat. I think for the horses they should be more muscular and taller. I think the biggest horse is like what… 21 hands? That’s huge. So yea. Doesn’t have to be mangly or anything.
I also had a little bit of a go with a Worgen themed mount not that long ago. It was a tad before the news of the ones we will get now, and I mainly drew it as a “what if?”, but it’s great to see other interpretations and ideas surrounding a possible Worgen mount that others are coming up with.
Oh and I <3 your style of drawing too Fyreuni ^.^
Hope you guys like :)
~
http://forums.wow-petopia.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13766
Ooh that is absolutely perfect for what I have in mind for a Worgenized horse. Excellent pic!