Don’t get me wrong - they look incredible. In fact, I almost want to main Evoker bacause of how the Visage looks.
But the majority of your time playing them, from the login screen to hours and hours spent in combat, all you see is the Dragon form silhouette. Which, regrettably, looks exactly like every other Dracthyr and completely hides the uniqueness of your Visage.
I really think Blizzard ought to consider the option to remain in your Visage form in combat, and to show both forms on the login screen.
The Dragon form could briefly appear for certain abilities, like Metamorphosis for Demon Hunters.
Oh, and for the record I think this change should also apply to Worgen. The problem is just more apparent for Dracthyr because of how much customization the Visage form has, going to waste.
I suppose it depends on how you approach the Dracthyr. For some players, they’re bipedal dragons first and foremost. To others, they’re highly customisable half-elves with horns basically.
I respect that you may dig the Dragon form and want it to remain as it is. But for me, it ruins the race. All I see are the shapes of the two wings dangling from the back, with nothing really to distinguish my character from anybody else’s (except for maybe scale colour).
The race/class would stand out much more in my view, if it mimicked Wrathion’s style. He enjoys hanging out in his Visage form, being all sassy. Sure he fights like a Dragon, but we’re not proper Dragons, we’re their gimped cousins. It’s easy to imagine the Dracthyr being just as potent in their Visage forms (except for some spells obviously), given that we’re spellcasters primarily.
I get what you’re saying. But Blizzard is famous for doing the opposite of what the community wants in these matters. Or I should say, giving them what they asked for but with an unecessary twist.
“You want High Elves? Well here’s Blood Elves! On the Horde! (A decade goes by.) Still not happy? Well, here are Void Elves and we just invented them!”
It’s basically the same story with the Dracthyr. Players asked for bulky dragonkin or drakonids or whatever, so Blizzard decided to excercise their creative rights and came up with something which is kind of that but not quite, and which leaves a lot of people dissatisfied (size of the head, limited to one class, etc).
Edit:
I could honestly go on forever with this. I just recalled Queen Azshara during BfA. Players asked for a seafaring expansion. Blizzard delivered one… on land.
Next, players asked for Northrend 2.0 with a continental revamp, underground tunnels and stuff. Blizzard came up with Shadowlands.
Players looked forward to Mechagnomes (the traditional kind), and instead got Junker Gnomes (later renamed), a.k.a diaper gnomes.
I see this argument alot. And I’ll be honest with you. I don’t think Blizzard are the problem here.
Blizzard are creating a story, a narrative, a theme and an experience.
Some of us are enjoying the ride. Others seem to just want something different.
A few months ago I was in Dalaran and saw an Elf stomping around in a ToS Paladin set. But I noticed it was using Warrior skills. I noticed they were a Void Elf. I spoke to them in Thalassian and asked them what they were doing? and they said they were being a Paladin. But I pointed out they were a Warrior. But then they said well they wanted to be a High Elf Paladin. So I said, why not just play Blood Elf?
Okay, that’s a relatively minor example. But seriously I don’t understand what’s wrong with people here. It totally destroy my immersion in the game seeing such ridiculous things.
I respect your views btw, just enjoying the conversation.
I’m also enjoying the ride Blizzard is taking us on, and they do a lot of good as well. Most of Dragonflight is chef’s kiss to me.
That said, I do think I’m seeing a pattern as well. Blizzard’s creatives recieve feedback from community managers, forums, etc. They realise they need to somewhat roll with it and respect where the zeitgeist and current discourse are at. But they can’t help themselves from overthinking it and desiring to leave their own creative mark on it (understandable, btw). So instead of just drawing a horse, they draw a horse with two tails or whatever and try to sell it to us as the better way of doing things.
I love the visage form as well.
Although i’m happy how it works now.
Chosen identity just need to work more consistently.
Having to press the visage form button after using Hover, or casting a dracthyr form spell without hitting anything is quite annoying.
I think they just wanted to make a Cool Dragon Race and realised that Dragons have a Visage form so they can communicate better with Humanlike creatures of Azeroth.
Blizz needed to put something together quick and threw some horns and ugly scales on some Blood Elf model (because they realise Blood elf sell), and hey presto a visage form.
I think allowing people to choose race would be the best option.
But I also think that as the two posters above have pointed out, if you have Chosen Identity on, you spend alot more time in Visage form than OP is suggesting.
I respect the effort the designers went to, and I do think the visage forms are good… they’re just not for me. I don’t do elves, not even with horns and neon hair.
Let me pick the race I want to use - and that includes letting me be that one ‘tauren’ in Stormwind - and I will give it serious consideration. We know that visages are a learned thing, unlike worgen who are stuck with their human form. I would choose to learn to be something else, or I would not bother.
Others may not. Many prefer them over the dracthyr model (doesn’t even have to be a majority). Simply having the option would be pretty sweet.
Would be sweet for sure. But wouldn’t then more people probably want this change?
Many tend to forget a number of things when using this argument I’d say. Mostly the size difference between a dragon and a dracthyr compared to the visages. Dragons would have it useful to be in their true forms for their physical prowess as well as the defense that comes from their scales. So too I’d imagine the cone of their breath to be potentially much greater. Dracthyr have much smaller heads, though. So too they aren’t really all that big, and their scales aren’t all that useful from what I’ve noticed (typically want to wear armor on top of them anyways). And they cast, which they could even in the visage.
As to the abilities making sense - having the option to have it like demon hunters’ eye beam for instance would solve this for the abilities that need draconic features. Fire or Deep Breath, Disintegrate and abilities of that sort could force you into your dracthyr form for the duration of the channel. Then you could have some flame effect around your model as you turn back, just like demon hunters have the fel one.
I think they should redo this feature to work outside of combat regardless of if you are in visage or not. Those who have the automatic shift wouldn’t really care about this anyways, since they would always be in the visage when not fighting.
Would be really cool if they would get inspired by the Greymane selection from HotS. Basically one form (the one you are focused on) looks normally while the second one is faded and covered in medical stuff (in his case it looks pretty shadowy).
Only for those who prefer the feature. If you don’t, do not use it. Keep yourself in your dracthyr form 24/7 if you want to. Those who do not would simply have the option.
That is true, yes. However at the same time, visages are basically part of their identity, so they are them almost as much as their true self. And as I mentioned above, the option to be full time or part time dracthyr should be there.
Sure. That is valid argumentation. Just as I mentioned, that “demon hunter” kind of dealing with this could also answer that. Your not so powerful spells (living flame for example) could work in visage, while for those more powerful ones you’d tap into your true form to reach your full potential with it.
Aye. Wrote that one before I got to the end of your post. Sorry!
Necessity and convenience are two different things. I for one would love a button with 3 options:
stay in visage all the time
stay in true form all the time
switch into visage when leaving combat
So yeah, all of this is not mandatory, but so too aren’t customization options and such which do improve the enjoyment of the game.
Living Flame already works in Visage Form. At least for a preservation evoker.
But I guess the majority of Evoker spells are supposed to be powerful ones.
But why waste energy switching between forms all the time. Just wait until you’re out of combat when Chosen Identity switches you back and help with your group healing.
Yea they should have made them like DH where you only spend a small amount of time in your other form. For sure. And even then they need to make them look cooler. Because Dracthyr look dumb. Just plain dumb.
Well yes, though devastation is a different case. Also this ability was just an example.
Well… I mean more like the breath spells - one where you actually should have the draconic body.
That’s the thing. It’d be automatic ^^
But the aesthetics… At least while leveling and doing otherwise non challenging content, I do like to play with my camera and basically watch my character fight. So yeah, I for one am not of the 90% of time looking at their back gang.