New Feathered raptors?

[Thwip]

Compared to the vast amounts of times the regular drake skeletons that have been used, the proto hasn't really been used -that- much. Slapperfish is also right that the Ravenlord and it's subsequent looks are nothing but raptor skeletons in the first place.

I honestly like that structure, even if the Firehawks wings are very stiff. Considering this new mounts has a new set of animations along with it, I really don't see how it's 'getting old' since they've barely used it at all, aside from different colors.

If you'll also note, Blizzard likes to reuse skeletons a LOT.
Jinyu/New Zandalari Trolls = Night Elf skeletons
Klaxxi/Saurok = male worgen skeletons
Mogu = Dreanai

It's not really uncommon to see the use of skeltons for new things in this. I honestly don't have a problem with it as the model itself is stunning and the new anims that it uses for running and just even idling are amazing. It even curls it's toes up when it picks them up off the ground as it runs. It DOES still share some animations with the proto such as flying, death, wounding, but it doesn't even idle the same! The Pterro mounts actually hold their wings up off the ground, rather then sitting on them like the Protos do.

[SpiritBinder]

Third on the Ravenlord too. Once on Ravenlord, once on Ravenlord On Fire, and now this pet-- er... creature.

The ravenlord is actually "Slapped" on a raptor skeleton, so this is technically the 4th time around?

If you want to say it's getting a bit "Old" don't get one, don't use it?

But I guess Blizzard can't make everyone happy and hopefully you can find joy in one of the other 250 mounts in game til they do.

[Vephriel]

I think if they have an animation that suits a beast, by all means they should use it if it means we get some beautiful new skins and textures. I won't claim to know anything about creating models and skeletons, but I'm sure it's time consuming to make completely new animations. I'm personally very fond of the proto-drake skeleton, and I thought it suited both the firehawks and the new pterodactyls wonderfully. I'd rather get more new creatures and appearances in exchange for reused skeletons that fit.

[cowmuflage]

I think if they have an animation that suits a beast, by all means they should use it if it means we get some beautiful new skins and textures. I won't claim to know anything about creating models and skeletons, but I'm sure it's time consuming to make completely new animations. I'm personally very fond of the proto-drake skeleton, and I thought it suited both the firehawks and the new pterodactyls wonderfully. I'd rather get more new creatures and appearances in exchange for reused skeletons that fit.

Depending on how advance of a model and skeleton you want to make of course. I see nothing wrong with reusing models and skeleton's most games do and I don't think I've seen a MMO that does not reuse things.
I'm on the same boat as you with the proto-drake skeleton it's awesome.

[GormanGhaste]

I love the proto-drake flying animation. It has a wonderful...exuberance about it!

[Snowy]

A lot of people seem to forget that the Raven Lord is using the raptor skeleton and not the other way around.
I personally hope this becomes a new mount, perhaps with some more colours.

[Zhinru]

With the proto-drake skeleton, we should prepare for it being used in the future again for new bat models. The walking and flying of those animations are very... bat-ish.

[pop]

yes I want to tame one and name it Chicken

[Slapperfish]

In any case, Blizzard reusing skeletons/animations is nothing new at all. They've been doing it since Vanilla; makes things easier.

Also, I totally forgot the Firelands existed for a moment. Was experiencing a little bit of a brain fart. XD

[Zhinru]

In any case, Blizzard reusing skeletons/animations is nothing new at all. They've been doing it since Vanilla; makes things easier.

Yeah, basing on a 3d model artist I talked to once, the difficulty and effort needed to create specific elements of a model goes as follows:
-Skin
-Mesh
-...
-...
-(long space)
-Animations

Just placing animation bones, binding them to the mesh and having it move is not hard at all. The hard part is making it move believably. It takes much more time than doing any other part of the art, so understandably, 3d artists often save time by just taking an existing model and modifying its skin and possibly the mesh (by adding new geosets). Animations are often left unchanged because messing up an already realistic movement is way too easy.

[Shadow]

xD Was just saying that it's been used more than twice. And yeah. I often forget about the raptors cause I hardly use or ride them, I'm too much of a cat person. Though, personally I was thinking more about the skin's shape over the skeleton, wings, tail, and all, than the raw skeleton and animations in itself. In which case, I do have to say kudos for the edited idle animations on the proto skeleton for the pterodactyl thing.

I don't know. I'm saying too much, I guess. It's so much harder to speak on forums in a discussion than real time.

[Snowy]

If the skeleton works, why not re-use it? And besides, they don't stand like proto-drakes do, so they're not totally identical.
Edit: Shadow already said that, oh well. xD

[Thwip]

xD Was just saying that it's been used more than twice. And yeah. I often forget about the raptors cause I hardly use or ride them, I'm too much of a cat person. Though, personally I was thinking more about the skin's shape over the skeleton, wings, tail, and all, than the raw skeleton and animations in itself. In which case, I do have to say kudos for the edited idle animations on the proto skeleton for the pterodactyl thing.

I don't know. I'm saying too much, I guess. It's so much harder to speak on forums in a discussion than real time.

I think I get what you're saying! You're looking at the overall similarities rather then how different the models are, I think? xD
Also, I only say it's been used twice instead of more [Not counting the new one.] since I don't count specific colors or types, but rather I count the -breed-. All protos are the same thing just different colors and there are only a certain amount of them. [Red, Blue, Black, Green, Plagued, Ironbound, Rusted, Violet, and Time-Lost.]
All protos are protos regardless of where they come from.

For the Firehawks they only made -2- of that breed. Of which I'm still sad the green didn't make it.

Hope that clarified my thought process some!

Edit: On a side note so that I'm not completely derailing the thread here. I really do hope that Raptor-Burd will be a beast that's tameable, cause what's better for an undead then a raptor-burd that looks like a Bearded Vulture? 8D [Other then the dead hawk and decaying animals.]