Alpha/Beta: On the New Models

The new models are gorgeous. They are supple. They are detailed. They move beautifully. The new emotes and animations are fun. A great deal of effort has been put into them. And I really, really wanted to love them. But I don’t.

This is Shayed: the old on the left and the new on the right.

Old Shayed, New Shayed, White Shayed, Blue Shayed…

The new model is a nice model, but it just isn’t me. The things that make Shayed who she is are missing. The new model is sterner, more pinched, and the mouth is just wrong. The lovely thick braid now moves nicely and I like the new drape…but it’s kinda skinny (incidentally the two braid hairstyle just looks silly with skinny braids). The colours are off. The hair is too blue. The mouth is too blue.

Here’s the thing: for a new character or for a character that I don’t play much and have little connection to these models will be awesome. Check out my Warlock. In 5 years she’s made it all the way to level 28! I like the old model and I like the new one. She looks different but the difference is acceptable. And the colouring is right at least.

Check out a random Undead guy. He is beautiful.

Ok, so I didn’t match the colouring here but the character in the face seems intact.

Blizzard stated that their aim is for the new models to be the same people, just better. From Chris Robinson:

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.

source

My version

For this to be the case with the characters I love and play all the time, the new model will have to be closer. Now it’s a bit unfair to criticize the new model without offering a possible solution. What could be done to the new model to make me love it? Well here is my crack at it:

• I made the mouth more similar to the old one in colour and shape.
• I narrowed and defined the eyes.
• I lightened the hairline and the hair.

And that’s all it took to be absolutely acceptable to me. I didn’t change the skin tones although the new model is more blueish than the purple I’m used to. I didn’t thicken the braid. I even left the weird blue thing between her eyebrows…

I am going to reserve my final decision for when I see the female Undead and female Troll…but I may be sticking with the old models. Sadface.

Just for comparison, all three together