TheissuewithartifactsandnoweapondropsinLegion
Foreword:IamnotcallingBlizzardlazy,Imjustthinkingthatwhattheyaredoingisabadideainthe
shortandlongrun.
1.Introduction
2.WeaponvarietyWoDvsLegion(notcountingrecolors)
3.Examples
4.Theshorttermwinners(druids)
5.AfterLegion(wheretherealproblemsstart)
6.Solutions
1.Introduction
AsweallknowwithLegioneveryspecwillgetanartifactweaponthatourcharacterswill
carrythroughthewholeexpansion.
Suchasystemmakesweapondropsasupgradesobsolete,whichissomethingthatI
personallyamnotgoingtomissasyouwillstillgetitemstoupgradeyourartifactinasimilar
wayweapondropswould.
Theproblemarethe"tremendousvariations"inLegion,whichasofnowarethequitelow5
"sameish"weaponmodelsperspec.
Theartifactscanbetransmoggedtolooklikesomethingelsebutnottheotherwayaround.
2.WeaponvarietyWoDvsLegion(notcountingrecolors)
Totals:180artifactsvs217weapons+41offhands(shields+offhandstatsticks,separate
becausesomeartifactswillprobablyincludeoffhands/shields)Ialsodidnotinclude
challengemodeitems,andthingslikeadmiralTaylorsgreatsword
ThenumberofWoDweaponspertypewillbeattheendofthispart.
NowisthepointwhereIsaythattheyarenotlazy.
WhileWoDhasmoreweaponmodelstheaverageeffortputintoaWoDweaponmodelis
probablysmallerthantheaverageeffortputintoaartifactweaponmodel.
Thebiggestdifferencerightnowisthatwhilethenumberofdifferentweaponsissimmilar
enoughinwarlordswecanstilluseamageswordtransmogforaDK,usearoguedagger
onawarlockorusetheblackhandonarestoshaman(althoughitisabitsilly).
Numberofweaponspertypegroupedby"transmoggroup"(canbemoggedintoeachother)
inWoD.
Onehandedweapons:59
Axes:16
Maces:23
Swords:20
Daggers:23
FistWeapons:11
Twohandedweapons:85
Axes:11
Maces:13
Swords:12
Polearms:11
Staves:38
Ranged:27
Bows:9
Crossbows:8
Guns:10
Wands:12
Offhands:18
Shields:23
3.Examples
Iwillbepresenting3quickexamples(warrior,mage/warlock,hunter)andonemorethorough
(retpaladinBIStransmogoptions)example.
Whileofcoursewehavetheoptionofusingoldweaponmodelsfromprevious
expansionsthepointofthisishowmanynewoptionsweareofferedwitheach
expansion.
OptionsinLegion:5perspec15totalperclassforallclasses(exceptdruids)
Warrior
Thewarriorisabitofanextremeexampleasitistheclassthathasmosttolosewiththe
newsystemasithasthehighestamountofusableweapontypes.ForthisexampleIwon't
becountingthesenselessoptionsofhavingdaggersorfistweapons.
OptionsinWoD:
47Onehandedweapons
(4pertypetocompensateforpeskypvpvendorsnotsellingsometoeveryclass,4seems
likeasafenumber,willbeusingthesameformostotherexamples)
65TwoHandedweapons
19Shields
Mages/Warlocks
Theyareabitofanintermediateexampleandtheyshareusableweapontypes.
OptionsinWoD:
16Onehandedswords
19Daggers
12wands(onlycasterweaponssono4)
34Staves
18offhands(sameaswithwands)
Hunters
UsethefewestweapontypesalthoughthereistheoptiontousemeleeweaponsIamonly
goingtocovertheusefuloptions.(alsono4)
OptionsinWoD:
9Bows
8crossbows
12Guns
27totaluseableinallspecs
RetributionPaladinBISexample
LetssaythatatwohandedmaceisthecurrentBISforthatspec(IdontplayonesoIdont
knowifitreallyis)
Apaladincanequipthefollowingtwohandedweapontypes:
Axes,Maces,Swordsandpolearms.
Soifthatpaladinistiredofhisorherweaponlookinthisexpansionheorshehas
35(473x4)choicesintowhattotransmogit.
Legionoffersonly5choices.
4.Theshorttermwinners(druids)
Whilebeinginthesamesituationwiththeotherclasseswhenitcomestotheclassical
transmogdruidswillfinallyhaveoptionswhereitmattersforthem.Theywillhavetheoption
tochangetheirformswithdifferentmodelsandcolors(beforeonlythebasemodelscolor
changedwithhaircolor).Fordruidsthenewsystemreallyoffersmorevariety.
5.AfterLegion(wheretherealproblemsstart)
Asmentionedintheintroductionartifactscanbetransmoggedtolooklikeotherweapons,
butnottheotherwayaround.
SobeginningwiththeexpansionafterLegion,allthenewweaponmodelscreatedforitwill
beuselessexceptforstandingaroundinacitywiththem.Youcanttakeyourfavourite
modelwithyouinaraidornewdungeonorwhilequestinginthenewcontent(nearandat
levelcap)withoutcripplingyourself.
Alsowhatwillhappenwiththenewawesomedruidformswilltheyalsobegone?willtheygo
backtolookingthesame?IthinktheywillmakesomenewformsbutstilltheLegionones
willprobablybeasgoodaslost.
WhileatthesametimeWoDweaponmodelswillstillbeuseable.
6.Solutions
WhilethenumberofdifferentartifactsisquitehighIamsurethatthosearenottheonly
weaponscreatedforLegion.Ican'treallyimagineeverynpcrunningaroundwithanartifact.
Thereareprobablyalotofdifferentweaponsusedbyouralliesandenemies.
Sowhynothavethematvendorswithorwithoutrep,asadropoutintheworldorfrom
bosses(asadropseparatefromthenormalloot)withlowornostats.
Outrighttotallyrelaxingthetransmogrestrictionwouldprobablybeabadthing,buthow
aboutreleasingthenonbaseartifactskinsfortransmogtothosewhoearnedthemduring
Legion.
