My memory might be lacking but was it ever explained why the option between old and new models were taken out of the game? Is it because of the new spell visuals?
Sorry if that was the reason, just wanna make sure
1 Like
AFAIR, Blizzard never did formally give a reason.
It is commonly believed that the old models could not be made to work with some of the animation updates, and Blizzard didn’t want to take the time to include the original animations and create whatever new ones were needed for the old models.
When they removed our original models, they betrayed their commitment to re-create them, instead leaving us with unrecognisable changelings.
Chris Robinson originally promised in the original Artcraft blog statement:
With the revamp, we’re completely overhauling every aspect of the player models, but our goal is to do so while retaining the core look and feel that has always made them your character. We’ll feel like we’ve succeeded if you see the updated version of your character and it still feels like you’re looking at the character you’ve been playing for the past however many years—only someone has finally focused a lens.
They didn’t do that. They didn’t even try. No professionals could be so incompetent as to make so many of the replacement characters so different without actively planning to screw them over.
3 Likes
Oh okay, well thanks for the reply! It doesn’t bother me a whole lot, it would be cool to switch around here and there just for the sake of fun and how new transmogs look with old models but there is that. 
“The views expressed in this post do not reflect facts. They are solely based on opinion.”
Yes it was commented on.
It’s a lot of work to keep 2 seperate sets of models up-to-date and working for all the new stuff they were going to make. The rigs are simply different and therefor require substantial extra work to work with new animations such as we’ve seen in Legion and BfA (for example: the holding of the artifact weapon, the holding of the HoA, new riding pose, new spellcasting animations, etc etc).
Let alone showing them in some new cutscenes where we, the player, are featured; the old models lack many emotive animations and such. Can you imagine a fancy new cutscene; nice new models and textures everywhere and then in walks that one lone character… Looking low res and totally out of place with the rest of the cutscene. 
2 Likes
Blizz were never going to keep the old models and animation in for too long. Its legacy stuff and would mean resource being committed to support it which just isn’t practical in the long run. It was nice they kept them there in the first place but they were always going to go eventually.
2 Likes
Too much work for any new animations, alot of gear will clip. Etc etc. Old animations were cool but tbh, if you want old. Classic is waiting for you.
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.