Patch 12.1.0 - Curse of Ula'tek

[Wain]

Hi All Just to let you know I've been working on datamining the 12.1 models.

As usual, it's slow going as I have to locate the unnamed models among the tens of thousands of new files, locate their textures (sometimes they're already linked, sometimes not) give them names, and eventually take shots. It takes a while.

I see there's been a mixed reaction to the new models and their aesthetics and I'll say that I understand. From what I've seen, they're really not for me, either.

Many of the new zone models have two factors that don't really work for me. Firstly, there are too many where they've clearly gone 'let's do <existing creature> but with a snake head'. After one or two it feels gimmicky and suggests a lack of real vision or imagination for zone fauna. Secondly, the fact everything needs to have fluoro-green venom slapped over the base colour palette means there's a lot going on colour-wise and little of it good. If they varied the venom colours to harmonise with the specific palettes they could get models that would look really nice instead of jarring. There's absolutely no reason venom has to be green - it isn't in real life! Though some zone shots suggest the island is saturated in green venom so maybe yellow or purple wouldn't fit lore-wise? I'm just completely sick of looking at fluoro-green and I haven't even been to the island yet, it's like fel all over again.

There are some really cool chameleons but they appear to have been created specifically for Shop mounts and not in-game. As has become the trend, much of the highest quality art is being created for secondary commercial reasons and not for paying subscribers.

Anyway, I'll get model shots up asap.

[WerebearGuy]

That's... quite the harsh criticism. Regarding your first note, there's only two beasts that have the "but with a snake head" aesthetic you mention; the hydras and the chimeras. The other serpents are regular snakes (relatively regular, at least lol). The island is teeming with a variety of non-snake wildlife, though obviously there is room for more considering a large amount of land that isn't infested with snakes currently uses models that should, in most cases, be considered temporary (cough cough UNUSED EAGLE SKINS NEED A HOME cough cough). We need more people to voice that opinion, by the way. Regarding your note on the flouro-green venom, that's simply the color venom has had since the game launched, isn't it? Fel and venom being similar shades of green is a bit of an unfortunate choice, but it remains consistent with the original game's design choices. There is room to make it stand out more, but at least they remain consistent... which can't be said for other aspects of the game. It could definitely benefit from being made less vibrant though. It looks cool on monsters with pulsing green blood, but the huge rivers with no visible source are definitely offensively green lol.

As for the chameleons you mention and how the high quality is wasted on overpriced junk, well... that's just modern Blizzard in a nutshell. China exclusive content, paid cosmetics that (not always, such as those atrocious plush bear mounts, but sometimes) get the best care, and other annoying choices are just par for the course now. People didn't vote with their wallets correctly, and both sides are to blame for that. Shame on Blizzard for such practices, and shame on consumers for not putting their foot down and correctly shunning ingame store content that has no right existing in a PAID, LIVE SERVICE GAME. I'll just stop talking there because I could use so many choice words, but it's better to remain civil and keep that bottled up for another time lol.

[Valnaaros]

I agree with Wain. Some of the new models look alright, but the venom solely being green and, to a degree, the lack of vision regarding anything that isn't a serpent is just boring.

Here are some shots of new models and mounts. The chameleons that Wain mentioned (called Leafmimics in WoW) and the pygmy owls will likely never be tamable npcs. There is a flying serpent model used for mounts, as well as a new skeletal wind serpent.

[worgpower]

The flying snake looks pretty cool. Hopefully a tameable version will appear. I cannot wait to get a wind serpent mount let alone the m+ mount. But I’m starting to agree with wain that the green venom gets a bit iffy with some colors. A lot of them do not match with some of the color palettes the serpents have. The chameleon and owl look nice. I really love the fuzzy feet of the new owl which is more akin to real owls which I wish was present in older owl models

[WerebearGuy]

Not a fan of the owl, since the flaming wings are out of place with the rest of it. Remove the flames and it's 100% better. It's a neat battle pet, but... wait THAT'S A MOUNT?
The chameleon... I dunno. Remove the saddle, and it doesn't even look like a WoW model anymore. It's too smooth and clean, like a toy. Maybe that's just Wowhead's screenshot at work, failing to show its details properly? Surely it has some kind of bump map or detailed texture on there, right? It's listed as a trading post mount (I know, probably placeholder), and there's a red and a green variant, but it doesn't fly. Last time we had a flightless store mount was what, the kodo? I still want that. Maybe I'll throw away some gold on tokens for it later...
The flying serpent has me surprised since it's not yet another reskin of the cloud serpent model. It actually has completely unique animations. Can't wait for that to be reused into oblivion lol. It being a raid glory mount makes it easy(ish) to get too, so that's nice. There's a green one that just drops from one of the other raid bosses too, so that's also nice.
That skeletal wind serpent is SO GOOD. Sucks that it's a keystone mount though, because nobody ever brings me along for M+ even if I'm WAY overgeared. Hunter class-ism is real...

[DannyGreen]

On the whole "to much green"
I've been complaining "To much purple" for past 2 expansions so I get ya. Might be a bit jaring but all poisons and stuff are normally characterised as greens and yellows in simplistic forms.

The "Snake head" makes me think of dragonflight. "Make it a dragon"

I get the mount complain, really do. Because holy crap I've been waiting for my croc update, and this would have been the perfect time for it. Just remove the saddle, BAM new pet.

Or just let us tame the mounts.
It's not like half of em aint just animals with a saddle or we aint got saddled pets before.

see I can't get over the feathers, or the weird rock hoods. The feathers look l- how do I describe it.
If anyone has played secondlife, the feathers look like they were just stuck into the model to add extra effect. They don't add to anything they take away the niceness OF the model. It clusters the design, it distracts for the core aspects of the snake. I think they heard feather boa and thought it was a species.
It would make more sense that they wear armor with the feathers in them (excluding the wind serpent ones)
I hope we get some bald ones. I really do.

[Wain]

I agree my criticism was harsh, but I stand by it. There's little variety in the new creatures of this patch. I know my 'Everything Is A Snake' observation was facetious and glib but it's based in the reality that most of the new models (and new looks for old models) are snakes or snake-adjacent, and also every single one of them comes in the same set of five new colours: green, crimson (files called 'pink'), purple, pale (files called 'white'), yellow-orange. It made identifying and naming them easy, but for art it's very systematic and methodical and makes some of them look garish when dipped in the same venom. Maybe there's a reason for those five specific colours being everywhere.

Regarding the green: we have had venom colours that changed to harmonise with texture colour, like with the Cata scorpions, but I'm pressed to think of models dripping or coated with venom right now - green or otherwise. I don't think there's any essential precedent that venom be green. It's just that so much in the game that is meant to be toxic ended up, unimaginatively green, whether it be blight, fel, poison, venom, acid, slime. It becomes tedious and artists in Legion seemed to understand that and found good ways to depart from green fel so it could be less monotonous. I get that certain conventions are useful for signalling to players but I see no reason for it in creature models.

The "Snake head" makes me think of dragonflight. "Make it a dragon"

Yes! I was also thinking of Dragonflight where everything had to have a bit of a dragon about it. There were some beautiful models, but that was weird and gimmicky.

[WerebearGuy]

The repeated color palette is a pretty spot on critique, I'll absolutely agree there. Though, I'm of a mind that good skins look good even when applied elsewhere (cough cough I WANT THOSE GIRAFFE SKINS YOU HAVE ON THE SITE cough cough), but it is odd that they more or less have the same palettes. There's also a (possible?) lack of a pale/white cobra. I'm loving the white skins when I find them, and I desperately need a pale/white hydra, but they could certainly use more color variation. Especially the new looks for old models. Especially egregious is the fact we didn't get (as far as we know so far) any tameable skeletal wind serpents.

[Wain]

Especially the new looks for old models. Especially egregious is the fact we didn't get (as far as we know so far) any tameable skeletal wind serpents.

Yeah, as far as I can tell the new skeletal windserpent only exists as a mount model. That seems inconsistent with how they've handled the other new models, so maybe we'll see one in an upcoming build. Or maybe they just ran out of time.

[DannyGreen]

Naaaah it's fine to not like things. I mean, ya get tired of consistent colors. It's why I was ragging on about the purple. When it was legion I was tired of fel green.

I am tired a bit of the excessive parts on the newer model things. Yknow?
So many are like, overly detailed to the point where it distracts you from the models? Say the florasaur things, it's just way to much. Maybe i'm getting old but they kinda blend into just mass shapes instead of being recognisable lovable shapes.

In terms of snakes, I'm hoping they do the horn thing, where you get hair, hairless, mohawk, scales etc

[worgpower]

I have too many positive opinions on those serpents I cannot hate them. I actually love the color palettes, but I wish they were more varied by creature. I’m thinking they all share color palettes due to being related to/created by Ula’tek. I love the details of all the serpentine creatures given in this patch. Possibly more variants without feathers or thick scale patches will be added to a different zone in the future. Hopefully there’s good lore behind all these serpents. I can’t wait to see and test them when I have the chance. The animations of the Coiled serpent’s skin look awesome. Funny how midnight became the Hydra & Serpent expansion. We got two new serpents & hydras in the first patch, now we’re getting even more, hoping the two headed ones stay tameable for SV hunters. I have to make room in my stables, replacing a few mortal wounds or dodge pets with the new looks, I think the two headed serpents will be a great fit in feathermanes, but wind serpents are also a good fit even though it’s unusual for a true wind serpent

[BestAzlanEver]

Capybara

Finally, a pet for my Goblin Alchemist <3

[Alchimie]

I'm sorry not to joke but that someone needs to tell that owl he's on fire he's obviously concerned about it.

[Wain]

Datamining is done and I'm starting model shots.

Before I start on the new models I decided to take shots of the new looks coming to older ones. The python model and BfA cobra model are getting 5 colours each (same 5 colours as the new models get, so maybe there is some significance to those colours?).

The five pythons are okay. It's clear someone used the colour sliders heavily but the results aren't too bad. A little monochrome, but still nice:






The cobra recolours are... well...





The green, purple, and pale aren't too bad. The scales are a lot flatter than the original and the contrast is lower, making their scales look a bit painted. But (besides an issue I'll cover below) still not awful.

The yellow-orange has the most issues and to illustrate I'll post a side-by-side with the original yellow:

giantsnake art body comp - yellow.jpg (45.5 KiB) Viewed 333 times

The main issue covering all five colours (other than the matte painting) is the mouth: it's painted over in a uniform purple, including the tongue(!), and gives weird purple streaks to the base of the fangs. You can see in the original the fang base was meant to be some kind of fleshy or hardened material. In the new ones it's just a streak of unnatural purple paint. Clearly the person creating these textures never looked at how they fit on the model. At least, I hope it was a person.

giantsnake art comp - yellow.jpg (44.92 KiB) Viewed 333 times

The orange-yellow (and the new crimson) also have very fake eye-shadow. The spots on the scales have a similar quality. Maybe it was the over-reliance on a burning tool? You'll also note that the texture colours don't match at all across the seams. Those are always a tiny bit wonky but on those colours it's glaring. I'm not sure if an AI did these, or it was an overworked junior artist who was given an unreasonable time constraint.

[Wain]

(I'm getting into the new models next, so it'll be more positive, I promise!)

[WerebearGuy]

Makeup and bad textures... wow. Now I'm concerned about closeups for the new models lol.

[Wain]

First of the new models added: the Skyfiends!

These snake-headed chimaeras look pretty nice. The venom effects aren't even that intrusive.

I'm assuming these will be chimaeras, but who knows for sure at this stage.

As with all the new models, there are five colours:





(I'll post all the look as thumb links, so click on them to see full images.)

[WerebearGuy]

Oh thank goodness their texture isn't botched like the cobras. I love the skyfiends. Question though; why do you think their venom isn't intrusive? Not that I dislike it personally, because I love how they're oozing green goo, but they have vibrant green mouths, torn open chests dripping with ooze, glowing backs almost akin to a pit lord, and a silly forked tail that looks like it was extremely enthusiastic about stabbing other venom-filled loot pinatas. That aside, they are hands down my favorite new model.

All five are listed as "Green Skyfiend", by the way .

Edit: While Chimera would clearly be the obvious intended family instead of Serpent, I still personally think Wind Serpent fits them better than Chimera after what my friend said a few days ago. I'll be content if they are intended to be Chimeras, but Wind Serpent is SO MUCH BETTER thematically, like how Guarm is a Hound instead of a Hydra.

[Wain]

All five are listed as "Green Skyfiend", by the way .

Fixed. Thanks!

I find the venom on these ones feels softer, somehow. It's still an extra, clashing colour, but it doesn't seem to clash as strongly as on some others.

[worgpower]

Those new cobras and Python colors look pretty cool. I would totally tame one cobra, but that spot is already taken by my elusive Shadow of Dambala. If only they added even more stable slots this expansion or the next. Looking at those skyfiends, the yellow one looks the best on that particular one. I agree with Werebear. They should be put into the wind serpent family, I would also like them in feathermanes, but they’re basically the same thing abilitywise in combat, I’ll also be ok if they put them in chimaeras. Can’t wait to see the model shots of the hydras, wind serpents, & writhes