transmogrification
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Spiritual Guidance: Patch 4.3 and shadow priest transmogrification
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. On Wednesdays, shadow priesting expert Fox Van Allen's takes a brief respite from writing articles about how he refuses to date Magic: The Gathering players -- long enough, at least to write this entertaining nonsense. Despite the fact that Firelands of patch 4.2 is the latest and greatest raid, if your guild is anything like mine, you've been seeing pleas in guild chat to run places like Black Temple, Sunwell, and Serpentshrine Cavern. The reason, of course, is simple: patch 4.3 and the soon-to-be-implemented transmogrification feature. We've been talking shadow priest raid strategy this past month, and we'll finish that series up soon. For this week, though, follow me to the fitting rooms -- we're about to talk shadow priest fashion.
Tom Chilton suggests Mists of Pandaria "wildly overhyped"
Maybe Mists of Pandaria isn't quite as likely as we all thought. IGN PC had a chat with Game Director Tom Chilton about the rumors of the upcoming expansion, as well as the upcoming patch 4.3 and the possibility of WoW moving to a free-to-play model. Chiming in on the subject of transmogrification was Art Director Chris Robinson, who explained a little about the details behind the feature and its restrictions. Robinson clarified that protecting class integrity was an important factor in both armor design and the upcoming transmogrification feature: "When you see those demon wings you know 'Okay that's a warlock,' you know you can apply that to his tier twenty-one armor but it's still a warlock." So what about free-to-play? Chilton confirms that it's "definitely a possibility," but for those of you looking for an immediate free-to-play version of WoW, you're going to have to wait. Chilton clarified that the change would be a dramatic departure from Blizzard's current business model, and it would take quite a bit of convincing to switch models. As to the subject of Pandaren ... Speculation swirled recently regarding Blizzard's decision to trademark "Mists of Pandaria," as many thought it may indicate the name of the next World of Warcraft expansion. Pandaria, in Warcraft lore, refers to the home of the Pandaren, basically humanoid war pandas you may remember making an appearance as neutral heroes in Warcraft III. Chilton said the speculation was, "wildly overhyped." He added, "if you look at traditionally how we've handled that race it's been in those secondary products because we haven't realized it in the world. 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." Comic books, figurines, or a new expansion? Time and undoubtedly BlizzCon will tell. Check out the full article over at IGN PC.
Spiritual Guidance: Priests, lies, and transmogrification
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore covers the healing side of things for discipline and holy priests. She also writes for LearnToRaid.com and produces the Circle of Healing Podcast. Unless you've been living under the most remote rock in all the world, you've probably heard about transmogrification by now. It's the talk of the town, and even I (who lives under a somewhat remote rock) have already had five people ask me, "So Dawn, what are you going to have your priest wear?" Without thinking too much about the question, I've continually responded, "the white tier 6 from Black Temple." Don't know it? It's one of the most iconic and coveted tier sets priests have ever had, and I've talked about it a couple of times, both in my Benediction article and my story of Baba. For me, the set is actually the primary reason that I started PVPing in The Burning Crusade, and without which I'm absolutely certain I'd have never started raiding at all. In that regard, I owe a lot to tier 6 and was looking forward to wearing it again. That was, until while telling the fifth friend my wardrobe plans, I had the dawning realization that ... won't everyone else want to wear that, too?
Arcane Brilliance: Old mage armor sets and how to get them, part 2
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. This week, we talk more about transmogrification, that oh-so-exciting upcoming feature in patch 4.3 that allows us to make our sweet tier 17 sets look like greens we got while questing in 2004. The aught-fours are so in right now! Last week, we started our epic journey into old content to find some sweet retro threads for our totally trendy mages to wear at all the hottest mage events of the season, be they spellstealing soirées, Polymorph parties or warlock-wienie-roasts. This week, we delve into slightly more recent content. Before we begin, we should point out a few important transmogrification details we've learned since we convened last week. Apparently only items with stats are candidates for transmogrification -- and by stats, I mean "other than armor." That rules out most cosmetic items. So no running around wielding a fish in each hand while raiding, I guess. Unless you can find a pair of fishes with stats on them, I guess. Weapons and off-hand items can only be transmogrified into similarly slotted items. That means no running around with two staves or dual-wielding daggers or perhaps a lantern in each hand. I don't know what you people are into ... Heirlooms are eligible, so good news for you speed levelers. Now you're not stuck for 80 levels with a single armor model. The gold cost isn't set but will probably be similar to reforging, meaning it will scale, being more expensive the higher the level of your equipped item happens to be -- so maybe not as much of a massive gold sink as I originally feared. No legendary items, which I sincerely hope changes at some point. I feel like if you earned a freaking legendary item, you should be able to keep that model on your upgraded gear if you want. Forever. All of this is still entirely subject to change. And with that out of the way, on to some more of the armor sets you and I should both be hunting down and squirreling away right this very second.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Transmogging for the warrior
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. Frankly, I wrote a serious post this week about tanking that you may want to read. As a result of that post, however, and previous week's posts for this column that were fairly weighty, I find myself desperately wanting to shift gears. While considering a beginner's guide to PVP and a beginner's guide to leveling as DPS, I realized that I've played this game for years and collected a lot of gear over that time. With the announcement of transmogrification in patch 4.3, it's finally time to discuss a few truths. Warriors have had some of the best-looking gear in the game. We're finally going to be able to use whichever pieces of gear we want. I want to talk about sweet-looking gear. By these forces combined, I am Captain Clotheshorse. So I've dusted out the ol' trusty model viewer and I'm going to talk about gear you may want for your warrior's transmog needs. Like, for instance, the Whirlwind Axe. One of three weapons awarded to a warrior for doing the pre-Cataclysm level 30 to 40 warrior quest chain, the one that ended with Death to Cyclonian. If you didn't roll your warrior before Cata or deleted the weapon, fret not; there are several weapons with the same model.
Shifting Perspectives: On the matter of Moonkin Form
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Shifting Perspectives for cat , bear , restoration and balance druids. Balance news comes at you every Friday -- learn how to master the forces of nature, and know what it means to be a giant laser turkey! Send questions, comments, or something you'd like to see to tyler@wowinsider.com. Glory to the moonkin! Since the initial release of information, transmogrification has pretty much been the dominating topic around the WoW sphere. Naturally, being a druid, I really didn't care much about it. That's untrue. In fact, I went through what I've coined as the five stages of druid patch notes: Excitement Realization that it doesn't matter to me Deep depression Angry resentment Giving up, defeated Any time that Blizzard makes some new fun, silly project for the game, these are the exact steps that I follow. All those neat transformation items? Worthless. Pretty new mounts? Please, I already have Flight Form keybound and it's instant; why would I need anything else? Suffice to say, druids always do seem to get left out of all the reindeer games -- that is, of course, unless you're a restoration druid. Trees don't, well, have to be trees. They stay unshifted, which is the downfall of all other druid specs. I'm not alone in this, and the introduction of transmogrification has brought about a new surge of players asking for the removal of Moonkin Form. This week, we'll lend an ear to those complaints.
World of Wardrobe: Gathering tier 1
Heading back to pick up some awesome armor sets from vanilla WoW or that dazzling weapon that'll have your enemies cowering in fear? Transmogrification makes it possible -- and World of Wardrobe shows you how. Transmogrification has created quite a stir among the World of Warcraft population; the possibility of finally being able to customize gear is awesome. It may not quite be the same as the armor dyes people were hoping for, but it still means that old armor sets will be able to be used again, and we're going to get rid of that horrible Every Raider Looks Exactly the Same syndrome that's been haunting the game since ... well, since raiding began. Speaking of raiding, while there's a lot of green gear out there with lovely models to choose from, there are also tier sets -- most of which can still be gathered in game. While the old models may look at little dated to some, to others they represent the most iconic looks that World of Warcraft has to offer. Each set of tier can be found in different raid locations around Azeroth, and we'll be taking you to each in time. For now, let's begin at the beginning with tier 1! %Gallery-131377%
Recap of Blizzard Entertainment at Gamescom 2011
Blizzard has returned from Cologne, Germany, and the Gamescom convention with tales of triumph, competition, and tons of patch 4.3 goodness for us World of Warcraft players. The community site's blog was updated with a big recap of all of Blizzard's events from the show, in case you missed any of the fun from the live streams. World of Warcraft was represented by top guilds For the Horde and Ensidia trouncing through the Firelands in live raids for Gamescom attendees, as well as the new patch 4.3 features Void Storage, Raid Finder, and transmogrification. StarCraft 2 showcased some cool show matches between top players, and Diablo 3 had a big hands-on gaming area that, obviously, filled up quicker than humanly possible. Seriously, can't that game just come out already? Blizzard wrapped up its recap with familiar dance and costume contests, with winners earning a trip to BlizzCon in October. Check out the full recap at the World of Warcraft community site for an awesome video of the Diablo 3 street art from the show.
Breakfast Topic: What's the next big change?
With the coming of transmogrification (the ability for players to customize the cosmetic look of their gear while retaining the statistics of the newest loot) in patch 4.3, Blizzard has broken a six-and-one-half-year-old ironclad philosophical premise that players should not have control over the appearance of their gear. According to Blizzard, armor was never dyeable because of the intricate texture work each piece of armor was comprised of; key pieces of armor and weapons were meant, at a glance, to let players know the power and prestige of their friend or foe. Transmogrification is a bigger change than a lot of people realize. However, this is not the last time Blizzard will make such a huge change to the WoW philosophy. What will be the next big thing? Will it be a cross-faction race in the next expansion? Will players finally be given more customization options in the wake of the absolutely awesome transmogrification? What big change to WoW will Blizzard make next that seemingly goes against every grain we've come to expect? What are you hoping Blizzard works into the game that we had never really thought could be a part of World of Warcraft?
The Queue: Purple is perfection
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. You know, the Crystalforge set doesn't look bad at all when you put it on a Draenei. With the right accessories to accompany it, it actually looks very good! The problem is that there are races other than Draenei that have to wear it. It doesn't hold the same charm when a Human male wears it. Ice asked: Do you think 4.3 will last almost year like ICC (~11 months) and Sunwell(~10 months) did? Or do you predict that this time its possible that the expansion release start of the 2012 unlike end of the year considering that theres few upcoming MMO's coming at those times too?
Breakfast Topic: Forgotten bastions of antiquity
Transmogrification looks like it's going to be pretty cool once it lands in patch 4.3, but of course, there's just one thing coming between you and being covered in cool gear from previous content: getting the cool gear from previous content. Some folks are lucky enough to have gathered all of the Really Cool-Looking Gear they wanted in the process of raiding past dungeons to death, but others may now rue their empty banks. So, with all this 'mogging talk, have you made a trip to any older dungeons to grab items for their looks alone? Have you delved into Ulduar to get that Darkruned set for your newly 85 DK? Blasted through Blackwing Lair for your paladin's Judgement set? Grabbed some horribly sexist gear for your unfortunate female avatar (don't lie)? You're not alone, if so. Where have you gone lately in search of fine wearable works of art?
Arcane Brilliance: Old mage armor sets and how to get them, part 1
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. This week, we're talking about the stuff I now pledge to spend all my waking moments and most of my sleeping ones farming outdated content to obtain: old mage armor. So what's this I hear about some newfangled patchamajigger? Transmogrifica-hoochawhatsit? Whachama-void storage? You kids and your crazy doodads and gizmos. There's a buttload of info being released about patch 4.3, but the following literally leaped from the web page as I was reading it, plunged through my widening eye sockets and jacked directly into the pleasure centers of my brain: Patch 4.3 will be bringing us at least two massively important customization options. We will be able to replace the look of our current gear with the look of any other mage gear we possess. We will also have new storage space in which to store all of that gear. There are more details, and you should go read about them if you haven't already. But what we really need to discuss here is how we can best start doing what I'm positive we all desperately want to be doing right this very second: hunting for sweet-looking gear sets. I don't know about you, but I am going to transmogrify every single bit of my tier 12 set the very instant it is possible for me to do so. I will log out on patch night in front of the spot where the transmogrifier guy is going to spawn; then when the servers come back up, I will log in and shove my gold in his pockets as forcefully as I can, so that I don't have to look like a stupid mage candle any longer than absolutely necessary. But the questions I'm asking myself between that magical moment and this one are these: Which gear set do I want to replace it with, and what can I do right this moment to get that gear set in my inventory and ready to deploy the moment such a deployment becomes possible? Click through to see me attempt to answer my own questions.
WRUP: Make it work, columnists
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too! In WoW, just as in the fashion world, one day you are in, and the next ... you are out. All right, designers. This week, we learned the new transmogrification feature coming in patch 4.3 will let us revisit World of Warcraft fashion trends of the past. And that's your inspiration for this week's challenge: You have until midnight to create a post-4.3 look for any level 85 character that says, "I'm here, I'm tier, and I'm fabulous!" Already, though, this shirtless paladin outfit here worries me. We're so close to the deadline, and it just looks ... unfinished. Barbaric Loincloth? Frankly, he looks like a homeless Abercrombie model. And this other paladin ... is this Judgement tier? I'm concerned. It's a little ... stumbled home from Blackwing Lair at 3 a.m., don't you think? [takes a long, lengthy, silent look] I'll leave you alone.
Blizzard issues transmogrification system clarifications
The new transmogrification system announced this week will allow players to change the appearance of their gear without losing the stats associated with them. This new system will be launching with patch 4.3. For everything you need to know about transmogrification, check out our Queue FAQ on the system, as well as Blizzard's official preview. Many players had questions, however, about the minutiae of the system. Will players be able to convert weapons to legendary skins that they have completed or found? Will there be alternative ways to find cool set items without having to go back to the old content and farm for it? What about some of the gear that isn't available anymore or hard to get? Can we use silly items with the transmogrification system? Blizzard's Kaivax and Zarhym took to the forums to issue some clarifications on these questions and more. Players will need to have both items, the item to be worn and the item to be used as the model, for transmogrification to work. There will not be free presets of gear to choose from, so you will need the pieces you want to wear in the transmogrification process. Also, Blizzard is exploring new, alternative ways to distribute older gear like the death knight starter armor and the old dungeon tier sets. Blizzard also wants to respect the hard work of the artists, so we may not be able to use silly items, such as fish that are daggers and what-not. Hit the jump for lots of blue posts.
Breakfast Topic: How will you use the transmogrification feature?
Yesterday, we got huge news out of Irvine (via Germany): Last week's teaser screenshot showing three ethereals is actually a glimpse at new features coming in patch 4.3. And of all these new features, the one that seems to have the most players talking is transmogrification -- that is, being able to alter the appearance of the armor you currently have equipped. Being a WoW fanatic, I can't help but dream of the possibilities. How would you use the transmogrification system? Is there a specific gear set that you want to transmogrify into? For me, it's all about those priest tier 6 shoulders -- the height of shadow priest fashion. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Transmogrification and the dismissal of the silhouette theory
Blizzard recently announced at the Gamescom gaming convention in Germany that patch 4.3 is coming, and it's coming on strong. With brand new features like a separate bank for your old gear, a transmogrification NPC who can change the look of your gear, and even Deathwing himself as a raid, patch 4.3 opens up a ton of possibilities for the future of World of Warcraft that we might not have seen coming. For me, the most stark change that patch 4.3 is bringing about is not a change to the systems or gameplay, but a philosophical change at the heart of World of Warcraft that spells out some of the potential big announcements that might be coming our way during BlizzCon. Transmogrification is bigger as a philosophical leap than we think, and here's how. The silhouette theory World of Warcraft's factions are rooted in an idea called silhouette recognition. What this means is that you can easily tell who your friends or enemies are based on their aesthetic look. The reason there are no "humans" on the Horde side is because Blizzard wants you, as a Horde player, to point out a human on the battlefield. The same goes for every race. No two sides have races that feature identical silhouettes. This is even the reason worgen are forced into their bestial forms in combat -- players need to know that you're a worgen. This goes for gear as well. Blizzard practically invented the gear tier system in raiding and made it so your two most prominent pieces, shoulders and headpieces, were the sought-after marks of power and prestige, and a physical reminder of player accomplishment. My shoulders currently tell you that I've been to the Firelands, killed many bosses, and taken their stuff. My silhouette is instantly recognizable as a raider who is geared and powerful.
Official Transmogrification preview
Blizzard has released its official Transmogrification preview for the upcoming patch 4.3. The preview basically covers everything that we already know (plus a few new details) from an official Blizzard source: You can make one piece of armor look like another piece from the same slot. You will be able to change the looks of weapons, guns, and shields. There are restrictions (plate can only look like plate, cloth like cloth, etc.). You'll be able to see a preview of the transmogrification before it happens. It's going to cost some gold. In the preview picture, it's over 100g. You can undo it, just like you do with reforging. It doesn't appear that an item will be destroyed in the process, but it does appear that you'll need to have the item you want your current gear to look like in your inventory. The devil will be in the details here, and the only way we'll get those details is to get on the patch 4.3 PTR ... which can't come soon™ enough. Blizzard's full statement after the break.
