Hyena mount

[Aeladrine]

Really? I think it's a brilliant design choice, personally. It gives it a bit of the more """epic""" feel one tends to expect with WoW mounts; I highly doubt it would've won the competition without it. WoW uses a lot of over-the-top accessories on their mounts (looking at you, Vicious War Wolf), and nothing else in the design has that element, not even the saddle with its hilariously large, bony saddle horn.

[ashdawn]

Really? I think it's a brilliant design choice, personally. It gives it a bit of the more """epic""" feel one tends to expect with WoW mounts; I highly doubt it would've won the competition without it. WoW uses a lot of over-the-top accessories on their mounts (looking at you, Vicious War Wolf), and nothing else in the design has that element, not even the saddle with its hilariously large, bony saddle horn.

I agree, I really like the armor it gives it a war-like feel just hope its not an arena mount :c

[cowmuflage]

Really? I think it's a brilliant design choice, personally. It gives it a bit of the more """epic""" feel one tends to expect with WoW mounts; I highly doubt it would've won the competition without it. WoW uses a lot of over-the-top accessories on their mounts (looking at you, Vicious War Wolf), and nothing else in the design has that element, not even the saddle with its hilariously large, bony saddle horn.

It's really ugly to me. It does not give it a "epic" feel to me and not even in the wow sense and it does not feel over the top at all. I think it's badly designed. It would work if it the skull was not so round as that's what is killing it for me. If it was pointy or looked more like a hyena skull I think it would work but what it has right now is very ugly and is a bad choice for it.

[Myrrmi]

<<die hard fan of skull helmets/skull faces, not capable of a civilised discussion on the topic, sorry

[cowmuflage]

It looks like they took a devilsuar skull and put the nose part of it on it's face and that nose part kind of had cat teeth on it? (and glued some tusks on for extra troll goodness) XD I dunno the skull is really the thing that kills it for me. Everything else is awesome :3

Well apart from it being purple and not red

[Aeladrine]

Well, everyone has their personal opinions. I would heavily disagree that it's "ugly", even if you dislike it. It's a little close to insulting the art and the design for my tastes, I suppose.

[cowmuflage]

It's how I feel on it. *shrug* I've had bosses say worse things about my art before People in the animation business say what they think about something. They don't sugar coat it. XD

I'd like to see it in game but I'd rather not get my hopes up seeing as no one has said it will be.

[Redith]

This expansion has a very hunterish rexxar feel and I love it! ^_^

God I Know. I can not wait

[GormanGhaste]

I wonder if one of the judging criteria for the contest is how likely the art could be incorporated into wow? I do think the skull helm is fun.

[Lupis]

I think Cow's crazy (just kidding, Cow, opinions are opinions!) and I love the fact that the skull is rounded- I feel like pointy would be kind of off in this design. The whole mount looks very compact, and having a pointy face feels like it'd look... I dunno, off.

Either way, the model would have to make it into the game AND get into the game looking *exactly* like it does here for any of this to apply even a little bit!

[Aeladrine]

Lupis, the reason you feel that it'd be kinda off may be because hyena's skulls (at least, the skulls of spotted hyenas) are actually fairly rounded! They've got a very unique skull shape, and it's actually super similar to the sketch. <":

[Myrrmi]

<3

[cowmuflage]

Lupis, the reason you feel that it'd be kinda off may be because hyena's skulls (at least, the skulls of spotted hyenas) are actually fairly rounded! They've got a very unique skull shape, and it's actually super similar to the sketch. <":

I was going to post a pic but Myrrmi already beat me to it.

I can see where you are getting the curves from but it's not similar. I'd put it closer to the curves of a dino skull. AT least to the nose part of something like a T rex.

This is a hyena not a t rex btw XD


Really they did a wow and made up a beast and I guess it fits better XD

[Bowno]

To be fair. This is Azeroth, not Earth. We have raptors running around able to tie on tribal feathers and such on their own and flaming dogs with two heads. I think there's kinda some room for animals with slightly different body structures.

[cowmuflage]

I guess that's true

[Aeladrine]

I just want to point out that I did say that it's SIMILAR to the sketch, not exactly the same. Most spotted hyena skulls are significantly more round than that of a big cat or a wolf and the sketch of the skull does, in fact, look similar.

Additionally, it seems a bit of a double standard to criticize the work of a student for something like this when we accept things the updated wolf models like the Korkron War Wolf, which has glaring anatomy errors, with little to no fuss.

[cowmuflage]

Eh I disagree *shrug*

I think it's a good thing to criticize things like this. I'd do the same to that wolf if I cared about it.

[Chimera]

I'm gonna have to side with Cow on this. I like the model's design but it looks like someone molded the skull out of putty. Neither of those sketches you guys showed are rounded like the one placed on the model in the OP. It's literally like it was made from putty or ground into a circular shape. It's definitely not very attractive looking for me. I'm also having a really hard time dealing with how high and far the upper torso extends. I know Hyenas don't run around everywhere with their heads below shoulder height like the WoW models but this is just awkward as hell.

I would really like to see hyenas updated to look more like actual hyenas and I think this model would be a nice start, especially horde or tribal inspired armor and accessories but to be honest I'm surprised this made first place. I would of chosen the bug monster instead. Though the bug monster didn't have quite the detailed shading and highlights the hyena has so that probably played a part in it. I always see bugs being fairly shiny because of their exoskeletons. The detailing in the hyenas fur down the front leg is well done too. Feels mussed like a creature who doesn't care to groom much which adds to the wild appearance of the piece as a whole.

Also I think Blizz is biased for shiny metal. And bones. If you notice, we've had a LOT of metal and bone theme's. We keep seeing more, and more, and more things encased in metal or metal constructs and a gazillion very tribal, wild things here and there (races, buildings, vehicles, constructs) the past few years. It's like, Blizzard's ideas revolve around metal and bone. We got a metal ring on the horn on the hyenas skull cover as well as rings fixing on the tusks to the skull's upper jaw, metal on each of its legs (which is exceptionally shiny), metal framed saddle, and BONES BONES BONES.

Not trying to be mean or bitey if anyone takes it that way. I know that my choice of words and how I put sentences together does sometimes come off as potentially rude or inconsiderate. I'm sorry, it's just how I talk. I mean no ill intention. I'm just pointing out the awkward kinks but also mention what I do like about the model, my opinion regarding its place in the contest, and again, personal opinion that Blizzard might be biased based on a very consistent theme we've been seeing for many years now. I really doooont want to get in an argument cause it never ends well :X

[cowmuflage]

If this does become a thing in game It would be safe to assume they'd to some retooling on it. I don't think they'd straight out copy it. There is that iffy legal stuff when it comes to fan based content.

[Castile]

I don't mind the helm, the tusks make it look extra cool. The bone on the tail is the only thing i'd maybe lose on it - that looks abit naff to me.