So I was wondering.
Visuals are a fundamental part of your character’s identity: how you convey them to other people. Alongside dialogue and emotes, it is a major tool that we have been given by Blizzard to portray what our characters are like.
Other than that, it is arguably the most iconic element that screams Warcraft: the image of your character. So I wonder.
When you decide to make a tmog for role-playing, or use a mount for your character, what is your thought process?
Do you go for something that looks unique, and if so, why and how? You make a unique set based upon a concept? Or you seek something that no other player has, perhaps a mythic set? Or instead you copy an NPC like a Stormwind Footman, or for a full set?
Why and how important is this set to your character?
I aspire for sets that are functional first and foremost, then decorative after the fact. I like my sets to have a fantastical flare, but still look like you could see someone running around in it.
I lean towards keeping it simple/functional, whensoever possible. Simple in terms of the character I’m putting it on, that is. Beyond that I generally avoid glows and try to stick with pieces from the same set to compensate for my color blindness. Mixing and matching a decent mog is hell when half the shades of red and green look identical to you.
The transmog should fit the concept of the guild that my character is in. I don’t want to break the immersion of the people I’m going to be playing with the most. If the guild is focused on grounded military RP, I’m going to try and make my character fit that concept.
The transmog should fit the concept of the character that I am playing. If my character is an Alliance footman, I’m going to try and make them look somewhat like an Alliance footman.
The transmog should have good colour coordination. This is a very personal thing, since I cannot stand it when one piece of my transmog has golden details that are a shade brighter than the golden details on all of the other pieces.
The transmog should be unique and stand out. Ideally, I like it when my characters have something that separates them from similar character concepts. If the character or guild concept requires a uniform, I like to have one or two pieces that deviate from the uniform, but it’s not a requirement for me.
The transmog should look good. If I’m struggling to choose between two pieces for a transmog that both suit the guild concept, that both suit the character concept, that are both colour coordinated with the rest of the transmog and that are both relatively unique, then I’ll just choose the piece that looks better.
Given how many items are a shade off of each other. It’s really hard not looking like a walking colourblindness test unless you use the more muted colours.
Shogg here hits the nail on the head. Transmog is an extension of your character but not your character. It can be used to give a quick insight into what they’re like (for example if they’re wearing scabby and run down clothes) or used to build a false impression.
Perspnally i try to go for something more subdued in size and glowing effects. Don’t really like looking like someone gave HMS Dreadnaught legs and a sword to hold before draping them in neon lights.
I found myself thinking that I like to go for a unique transmog but the more I think about it, the more I realized that actually most of my mogs are a full set with one or two divergent pieces for a more personal touch.
To me, the question is: how is this look representative of my character?
Class and background, imho, should be reflected onto your character’s usual set - it has to tell something about your OG.
Two examples out of the top of my head.
I recall joining an Illidari guild once: a character took inspiration for his concept from a random, generic mob in the Black Temple - one of those Illidari Achons.
It was in Cataclysm, I still remember his choice because when I see that NPC, I think of the character. I barely RPed with him, mind, but the dedication it had struck me as significant. And as a nice little bonus, you can see the roots within the setting.
Additionally, once I find a set I want to stick to it. There is a reason if Homer Simpson wears the same white shirt and blue jeans all the time. These clothes help to identify and define the character - in a way, they are a significant part of him. And today, whenever I see a WOD warlock set, I still think of that one character who always used -one- set all the time.
It was purple and it had a red eye so I could convey a dark ranger with the eye.
But its mainly because it was purple.
Cro wears it to hide what she has become.
If I could, I would have had the back be more a hood for obvious reasons, but I got artwork for that. It’d also be more leather and less, cata mail.
Or at least i would if I got back to drawing wow stuff.
EDIT: But also like, if I take this set off these days, I seem to creep the forum regulars out.
EDIT2: For a lot of other characters, it is often outfit first, concept later.
Like-- finding one trouser and shirt transmog for a cloth wearer for a mage who travels. Or-- I like the red version of the human heritage armour, but would like to cut off all the outwardly lion parts (so shoulders and belt)
So, so many purple sets
My new undead hunter is kul tiran, so it became; which mail kul tiran set do I want to grind out for her?
I usually go for transmog that´s on the simpler side and one trend that´s usually present in my character are smaller shoulderpads (which is often difficult to do in WoW), or just none at all. And I like to keep it close to what would make sense for a character of that race, class and culture.
And, when in guild, I tend to follow the rules and guidelines it sets for transmog, which is why in general don´t attach myself too much to the transmogs I´ve created for my characters. Being able to wear that one specific cloak or having that specific pet (which often doesn´t make sense for the race you´re RPing) really isn´t worth it.
I either try to go with something that reflects the theme of the character, but in terms of colours and style, or something from the first but adjusted to fit into a possible guild theme.
What’s the kinda situations this character will end up being in? If they’re a frontline combatant, probably heavily armored, if a bookish scholar who either doesn’t partake, or fights from the back, then something lighter, less combative.
What kinda background and personality? A self-equipped merc will need a different kind of kit than a soldier of an established army, but a merc with some particular quirk might go all leather-survivalist, or a mishmash of plate.
As for mounts, its similar; would my character have access to something like it? A goblin who’s not too much into animals likely will drive a machine, but are they a good enough engineer to fashion / pilot a big mech, or do they just use a small trike?
Sometimes I stretch things a tiny bit - like using the Firelands bird mounts with my shaman, and considering them a bound fire spirit that happens to take the shape of a bird. I suppose the long answer distilled is kinda going step-by-step for a characters background and complimenting it with appropriate looks!
Who is my character? What drives them? Are they part of an organisation or more independent? Personality matters and their willingness to express themselves is part of it. A flamboyant sorcerer will dress differently from an introverted warlock.
If it’s a character who’s part of an established organisation they’ll want to generally fit in and be recognised as such, like the kirin tor or royal apothecary society.
With this one, her trait of vanity and pride play a part and she dresses to show off and stand out, with a preference for red fabrics that match her hair. She also shed every pretense of not being a warlock when the legion invaded, figuring the social stigma was preferable to the stress of being closeted in a time of paranoia toward people of her special skills. Thus fel green jewelry and her sinister staff entered regular rotation.
Mounts? Well you just don’t summon a felsteed anywhere near the city but other characters might have a chosen mount, a favoured pet or convenient magic/machine to get around.
As a cartoonist I’m very interested in unique shapes and colors. I also have a preference for bright and pastel colors IRL, so I try to make something fun and colorful that I’ll enjoy. This isn’t always the easiest given the sets we have in game, so I’m currently experimenting a lot with combining vanilla and TBC tier pieces with newer gear. I always try to do something I haven’t done before. It’s a lot of fun.
For RP, I can’t always make something as self-indulgent as this. My characters aren’t all too much like myself and I have to keep that in mind. One thing I like to do for RP characters is to consider where they’re from, look up gear options from that zone/expac as well as what other NPCs might be wearing.
Transmogging is my drug in this game.
I have been called many-a-times one of the best transmoggers in this realm, and though I usually do not agree with praise, this is one of the places where I tend to agree.
When I create a mog, I usually have a couple of important rules in my mind:
It must suit the character.
It must suit the purpose the character finds them in.
It has to be unique. No full sets.
I also utilize the race’s anatomy a lot on my mogging: You are trying to mog a goblin? Boots, helmet and feet are going to play a really big role. If you are mogging a tauren, the hands and shoulder equally play a much bigger role when designing a mog and making it work.
Transmog is definitely a massive part of identity for characters, in a game that otherwise has such a limited amount of customization. It is the way how you stand out in the crowd and appear unique. Even uniform roleplayers sometimes manage to wear gear that allows them to look like individuals, such as Skabb having her Tricorne hat in an otherwise mundane uniform.
This is my personal A-Z of transmogging, at least when it’s a look I intend to use IC. With some wiggle room for situational appearances during various storylines, having a “default” look befitting of the character’s theme is my primary concern.