transmogrification
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Arcane Brilliance: Taking your mage transmog beyond tier sets
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. Stacey Landry is the resident mage here, bender of space and time, conjurer of delicious confectioneries and expert at dressing well while setting things on fire. She also maintains the mage blog, Manalicious. I haven't written about transmog here yet, which is really a terrible oversight. It was always in the works, though, there's just been so many other things to talk about. But I find myself at liberty to do something a little more light-hearted this week and so let's talk about fashion! Many potential transmog enthusiasts might find themselves getting a bit overwhelmed when it comes to choosing what to wear. You don't need an article that tells you "tier sets look good," because it's kind of a given. They were designed to match each other, so yes, an entire tier set isn't necessarily a wrong choice. At the very least it'll look cohesive, and mages have some great tier sets. But it isn't necessarily an original choice, either, and it won't set you apart in a sea of cloth-wearers or even mages wearing the entirety of Tirisfal Regalia. So what we're going to talk about, for anyone who might be less confident in their transmogging, is how you can take your transmog to the next level and what you should consider as you do. We'll look at color and contrast, how to build a set around a unique piece, or take a potential theme and make it your own.
Transmog while you wait for Warlords
We're all looking for something to keep us busy while we wait for Warlords of Draenor. Why not spend sometime making ourselves look good? Many of us at WoW Insider have been obsessed with the transmogrification feature ever since it has been implemented, so let's take a moment to look back on some of the fashion options available. Superheroes in Azeroth Avengers, assemble! Our most popular transmog post ever. Transmogging DC Comics' greatest heroes Transmogging more of the women of DC Comics More superhero outfits for your nerdy pleasure Here are the Masters of the Universe, if you're into that Follow us behind the break for sets to match gaming icons from Nintendo and beyond, tributes to Azeroth's greatest heroes, class-based transmogrification inspiration, and guides to gathering tier armor of expansions past.
Scattered Shots: Hunting for transmog gear
Every Thursday, WoW Insider brings you Scattered Shots for beast mastery, marksmanship and survival hunters. This week, your host Adam Koebel, aka Bendak will be discussing his favorite hunter transmog gear. On my main hunter I count 61 ranged weapons, 11 complete tier sets, and 350 total pieces of transmog gear. I guess you could say transmogrification has become somewhat of an obsession of mine. As soon as I heard the feature was coming way back during patch 4.2, I began the hunt to to re-acquire gear I'd possessed in the past, or other gear which I always wished I had while it was relevant but never had the opportunity. It breathed new life into the game for me. Hunters are well suited for farming transmog gear as we can solo things that other classes can't. We also have the freedom of transmogging any ranged weapon type into another, e.g. a gun into a bow. If you search hard enough, you'll find some really unique pieces out there which allow you to look like you're wearing armor from a different class. For example, did you know there's a mail armor eye patch available?
The Queue: Is Jaina evil?
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Let's find out! wi1dfire_b1ue asked: Do you think Jaina has already crossed into villain status, and would that answer change based on faction? I mostly think no, she's not there yet, but that Blood Elves are going to look at her as the human that broke the last link the old Elf kingdom had with the human kingdoms (which conveniently, would ignore the sins of their former prince).
More inventory improvements coming after Warlords launch, larger bags in the meantime
For the avid collector, inventory problems have reached critical mass in Mists of Pandaria. The previously announced toy box and heirloom storage will arrive with the launch of Warlords, but many are still wondering what to do with their ever increasing transmog collections. A solution is on the horizon, but it won't arrive until sometime after the expansion's launch. If the already announced inventory improvements aren't enough, there will also be slightly larger bags added in Warlords. These will probably be 30-slot bags, and I would be surprised if there is ever a larger bag than that once the inventory changes are fully implemented. When it comes to what items will qualify as a "toy box" item to be removed from your regular inventory, Blizzard will be adding these on a case-by-case basis and looking for player feedback on the future beta and PTR to help identify items they may have missed. For example, should a trinket such as the Super Simian Sphere be turned into a permanent toy instead of a trinket? What about a popular quest item like Dartol's Rod of Transformation?
An ode to transmog
How much do I obsessively love transmog? This much. But I'm hardly the only person who loves to switch around their gear's look - as much as I understand that the appeal of the feature is lost on many (I once had a guildmate ask me how I managed to change my look every raid - it turned out he didn't even know the feature exists) it's very much helped extend my enjoyment of playing the game. I run old content almost constantly now, looking for that one perfect matching piece. I do old quests I missed when the Cata revamp came in. I've completed sets that I never managed to finish (that last two protector tokens from Heroic ICC that evaded me for the entire time the instance was current? I got them this month.) I even use Warforged Seals on bosses simply to get matching pieces for transmog sets. Transmog is a huge part of how I play now, and even why I play to some extent - if it weren't for transmog I probably wouldn't log on half as much as I do. Not bad considering how much I hated the idea of transmog when it was floated over and over again over the course of the years I played before it existed.
Officers' Quarters: 8 gift ideas that won't break the gbank
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. The holiday season is all about giving. It's the perfect time of year to hold contests and giveaways. Doing so can be a great way to build morale in your community or attract new players. Giving gifts to your officers as a guild leader is also a heartfelt way to show appreciation for their hard work throughout the year. However, many of the most desired items can cost a fortune in gold. For officers, manpower is often much easier to come by than raw currency. Here are eight items that make great gifts or prizes without bankrupting your gbank. 8. Discombobulator Ray Where to get it: An engineer can learn the schematic in Gnomeregan. Wowpedia has a walkthrough. It also has a small chance (0.5%) to drop from Mekgineer Thermaplugg, the last boss of the dungeon. What it costs: A small amount of gold for materials: bronze bars, silk and wool cloth, and jade. Why it's a good gift: Many players don't even know this vanilla-era item exists. It has a unique and hilarious effect, and you don't have to be an engineer to use it. It's also a devastating item for low level players to unleash in PvP.
Lichborne: Things to do until Warlords of Draenor drops
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. While some of us are still trying to kill Garrosh or grinding rep on Timeless Isle, it's probably safe to say that the expansion is winding down. With that in mind, how do you spend that time, especially if you're already tired of the latest raid? You can always dig into all those games you bought during the last Steam Sale, of course, but if you're planning to stick to WoW, this week we'll cover some stuff you can do to bide your time until you get that Warlords of Draenor beta invite.
Shado-Pan transmog and player-created games
The coolest things to come out of Pandaria's multitude of reputation grinds were the rewards that players could reap at the end of what was sometimes an excruciatingly long journey. It was your treat for weeks, sometimes months of endless dailies. The rewards are fairly extensive -- mounts, new pets, items for your farm, trinkets and toys -- but none were quite as well received as one lone item from the Shado-Pan: the hat. A transmog-only stat-less item, the Replica Shado-Pan Helmet was created specifically for use with transmogrification. There was one minor problem with that, however. Shado-Pan armor was most definitely not included. This left players with the task of building outfits to go along with the sets. And due to this, players got ridiculously creative with solutions to the problem, sorting out which color schemes would look best with that unique red bandana and hunting down the various pieces, one by one.
Diablo III transmogrification coming to WoW
Transmogrification is coming to Diablo III -- and a revamp may be on the way for World of Warcraft as well, according to a tweet made by Cory "Mumper" Stockton over the weekend at BlizzCon. The new transmogrification system unveiled for Diablo III has a few dramatic differences from the system currently implemented in WoW. For one thing, Diablo III players don't have to keep an armor item in their bags in order to use it for transmogrification -- it can be sold to a vendor once it has been discovered. For another, once an item is discovered, it can then be used for transmogrification by all characters on an account. @Shadesogrey Yes! We are working on something... - Cory Stockton (@mumper) November 10, 2013 Obviously this particular item didn't make it onto the list of major features and new content we'll be seeing in Warlords of Draenor. This likely means that we won't see this feature in place with the launch of Warlords -- given the amount and variety of armor currently in World of Warcraft, a project of this scope isn't something that can be completed overnight. But for those transmog-addicted players like myself that have been dreamily staring at the sleek and space-saving new Diablo III system, it looks like our fondest dreams will in fact come true at some point in the future.
How Diablo 3 has improved transmog and why WoW should steal it
Yesterday our Adam K (who I picture as a cyborg mutant from the future) posted about Diablo 3's incoming Mystic and the services she will provide. This post isn't adding any new information, it's just making a point - everything about Diablo 3's transmogrification is better than that of the game it was stolen from, World of Warcraft. When Reaper of Souls comes out, I will be drooling in envy over how that game handles transmogrification. Why is it better, you ask? Let's compare the two games. All items including legendaries and set items are eligible for transmog in D3. In WoW, there are item restrictions that include not allowing legendaries. D3 uses item appearances - once an item's appearance is unlocked, it's bound to your account and any character on that account can use that appearance in transmogrification. So if you have two barbarians and one has Unending War, the other can use its appearance in transmog. In WoW, if you have a warrior with Ashkandi, your death knight still has to farm BWL to get it if she wants to use that item for transmog. In World of Warcraft, if you want to use an item for transmog, you have to have that item - it's in your bank or void storage tab, taking up space. In D3, once you've unlocked an item's appearance, you do not have to keep that item. You can also dye items that you've transmogged in D3, but since you can't do that at all in WoW, it's not a fair comparison. Reading over the way transmogrification will work in Reaper of Souls just makes me convinced that WoW has an archaic transmog system that needs to be revamped, and handily for Blizzard, they just developed the perfect system to replace it.
Diablo 3 adding transmogrification and enchanting
The upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion will add a new artisan, known as The Mystic, who is capable of transmogrification and enchanting. Enchanting is similar to WoW's reforging in that it will allow you to reroll a single item property. The Mystic progresses from level 1 to 10 like the Blacksmith and Jeweler. Enchanting Most item properties can be rerolled, but some can't (no details yet). You can reroll that one property as many times as you want, but once you choose one you can only reroll that property. Before you replace a property, you can see the possible replacements. One of these will be randomly chosen once you complete the enchant. If you don't like your rerolled property, you will have the option of reverting it to the item's original property. Enchanting costs crafting materials and gold. Enchanting an item makes it bound to your account and it can no longer be traded to other players.
Breakfast Topic: Because I do
I was having a discussion the other day with someone who really really hates transmogrification. It just irritates the heck out of him, to the point where he argues that it has ruined gear visual design and made everyone look like patchwork abominations. Obviously, I'm probably the least receptive audience for this argument he could have chosen. Still, at the end of his rant, he asked me a question which I think is worth answering here - "Why do you even like this joke of a feature?" My response was the title of this Breakfast Topic, ultimately. I like transmogrification because to me, it's fun. It's fun going out and getting just that perfect model for the look I'm trying to create, whether that's to match up a set, or to deliberately clash with a set. I like putting together theme outfits I'll probably only use once (like the above set in muted blue/white/grey above) to match colors or just because it strikes my fancy. But most of all, I like transmogrification for the exact reason my friend hates it - it adds nothing to character power. It doesn't add numbers or make you a better player, it just allows you to choose your own look. I don't think it's constrained the design team in any way - it just means their work will be on display longer. And that I need a lot more bag space, of course. That doesn't really need to be said. So now I ask you - what do you completely love despite other people's disdain for it, or hate even though everyone else seems to love it?
Leveling a time capsule
I still remember the first day I played this game on live servers, even though it's been nearly nine years since I looked at the login screen and tried to muddle out what to pick. Friends of mine had already made an Alliance guild and encouraged me to join them. When I mentioned I wanted to play a rogue, I was told that they really needed healers, not rogues. However, my friend suggested I roll a druid, as they could not only heal, but they could turn into a cat and stealth around like a rogue does. That seemed suitable to me, so I rolled a night elf druid, logged in and began to play. Several months and sixty levels later, that experience remains full of fond memories of endless frustration with the class and how it played. It absolutely did not help that giant improvements for that class were rolled out in a patch shortly after I hit 60. I rolled Horde, and the rest is history ... or it was, anyway. The druid remained at level 60, years after I hit 70, 80, 85 and 90, frozen in a distinct period of time. Several months ago, while idly looking at the login screen and pondering what to play, I decided to actually level the druid and get it caught up. Furthermore, I decided to make the trip without heirloom gear -- after all, it didn't exist when I originally played the character. This is the story of a peculiar alt that used to be a main, and what happens when you crack open a time capsule from 2005.
Features that have changed the World of Warcraft
Time to be blunt. World of Warcraft is way better now than it was in vanilla. Before you gasp and get a case of the vapors, let's get real here. I'm me, it's true, you know it's true. The talent system? Leaps and bounds better than the last minute Diablo II clone we got in classic. Raiding? Raids today are more accessible, better designed, and far more varied then the resistapaloozas we got back in the day. I say this as a dude who farmed UBRS for the Draconian Deflector and who tanked Princess Huhuran in cloth freaking booties because they had nature resistance on them. Throughout its near-decade long run, World of Warcraft has constantly changed, iterated and improved on the experience it provides. Every patch, every expansion has made adjustments and tweaks, and while nothing is perfect and not all changes were good (We all know that any change to warriors that didn't make them invincible supergods wasn't a good one, am I right? Why are there so many crickets here?) the game has moved forward with new systems and features. For me, it's interesting to look back over the history of the game at those changes that really improved the player experience or changed it in a fundamental way, that altered how we play. And so, now I'll do exactly that. With Flex Raids on the horizon for patch 5.4, what else can we look back on?
I just play the game
It's human to get upset about things. And sometimes, it's human to get upset about the most trivial things, because they're the safest things to get upset about. I often view World of Warcraft through this lens. Indeed, I view it through a great many lenses, because it's impossible to not apply my life and my experiences to everything I encounter in this world from events of great personal significance or global importance down to the video games I play. And it would be fair to say that World of Warcraft has more than a passing importance in my life, considering where you're reading this. The recent change on the patch 5.4 PTR changing the Glyph of the Weaponmaster was, in real terms, completely insignificant. A cosmetic glyph in the first place, the idea that it worked with legendaries was nice, but hardly significant. I mean, I play the game now and I can't use my legendaries, so what changes? Realistically, nothing changes. And yet, I wasn't merely disappointed by the change. I was outright enraged by it, far more so than I have been by direct nerfs to my class of choice. Part of it is due to attachment -- we invest time and effort into these avatars of ourselves, after all. But in the end, much of my anger was rooted in the fact that this was something small (in relative terms, since all of WoW can be considered small compared to many of the shocks and calamities of our actual lives) and harmless, that gave our characters nothing in terms of power or ability, that imbalanced absolutely nothing in terms of gameplay, and yet it was still taken from us. Sometimes, the smallest cuts hurt more entirely because they are small.
Transmog helms, TCG-style items coming to Blizzard Pet Store
Blizzard is adding a little variety to the Pet Store, in the form of transmogrification items and toys. In the preview posted on the official site, Bashiok talks about each of the items that will be made available at some point in the future. Perhaps the most interesting items are new helms with vivid spell effects that players can use for transmogrification purposes. One is an icy helm with a skull that covers the player's face, another is a set of fiery horns, and the third is a glowing red and black hood, which appears to be complete with a pair of ominous red eyes. In addition to the transmogrification items, Blizzard will also be adding some fun, limited-use items similar to those that you can currently get from the WoW TCG. The first is a seesaw that you and a party member can hop on, the second is the Iron Hitching Post, an item you can place on the ground. Up to 24 players can click on the item to jump on a gorgeous Iron Warhorse mount -- perfect for storming the Battlegrounds. It's interesting to see Blizzard take a different approach to the Pet Store. Originally just a place where players could purchase fun pets and mounts, the new additions add a lot of variety. I doubt I'll be purchasing any of the helms, but that Iron Hitching Post is certainly tempting, as is the seesaw. I don't think I mind the new additions, as they serve the same purpose as mounts and pets -- nothing that will further your character's performance, just fun items for cosmetic purposes. While we don't know exactly when these items will be hitting the Pet Store, what do you think? Are there other things you'd like to see added? Would you rather transmogrification gear simply be an in-game option? Will you be purchasing any of the new stuff?
Wowhead releases BoE set armor guide
If you're a fan of transmogrification, you're no doubt familiar with the difficulties of trying to keep track of all those green BoE sets out there in Azeroth. Over at Wowhead, that process has just been made a lot easier with a transmogrification guide put together by Perculia, detailing BoE sets in cloth, leather, mail and plate. Specifically covering those pesky world-drop greens, the guide has model views of each set that you can see with a simple mouseover. BoE green drops have long been a hit-or-miss for transmog fanatics, but Wowhead's guide is an easy, quick reference to help not only with tracking down obscure sets, but offering alternate pieces of gear with the same models as well. The mouseover visuals are incredibly handy for anyone looking for color-matching items, and of course Wowhead is its usual helpful self when it comes to finding out the best place to find all the gear your transmog-addicted heart desires. While you're checking out the BoE guide, you may want to take a look at Wowhead's other guides as well, covering everything from your typical tier armor sets to lookalikes, quest rewards, dungeon sets and more. If you've been looking for a new look for your character, going back to the sets of old for inspiration isn't a bad idea at all.
The best cloth transmogrification item ever
Today I present you with the best cloth transmog item ever: Exiled Dabbler's Gloves. What makes these gloves so special? Well, it's that they don't really look like gloves at all. They display more like a pair of bracers, so when paired with many cloth chest pieces they appear as though your character isn't wearing any gloves at all. See why they're so awesome? Few would dispute the universal appeal of having no gloves as an option. So far the Exiled Dabbler's Gloves appear to work best with any cloth chest that have a bell sleeve. Sleeveless, short sleeve, and fitted sleeve chest pieces don't seem to hide the gauntlet of the glove. Fortunately the gauntlet is quite simple in design, displaying as a black bracer with some silver detail. Coincidentally, they're a pretty close match to the ever popular Black Mageweave Leggings. According to Wowhead, these gloves are a random uncommon quality drop from the Isle of Thunder and Throne of Thunder. So if needed more incentive to keep doing dailies on the Isle of Thunder, now you have one. What do you think? Will you be chasing these down on the auction house or the Isle of Thunder? Personally I think it would be interesting to combine them with Griftah's Authentic Troll Shoes, so my character can go gloveless and shoeless.
EU forums announce amazing transmogrification race
If you live in the EU and love to dress up your toons, you might be interested in this new game announced by community manager Meldheron: the transmogrification race! According to Meldheron it will be a monthly mini-contest in which players are prompted with a transmog theme on the WoW forum. Reply to the thread with a list of the pieces for use in your outfit, and upvote your favorites. The five most popular will be featured on the World of Warcraft facebook page. I know we've got lots of transmog fiends around, so if you're in the EU this might be a fun way to share your ideas with fellow WoW players and even get a little bit of attention for your sartorial efforts. Have fun, and I look forward to seeing the top contestants!
