Transmog is officially coming to World of Warcraft: Forever, but Blizzard is handling it very differently, and much more unexpectedly than Retail WoW. Players who love collecting appearances will get a full Transmog system, while players who prefer seeing everyone in the gear they are actually wearing can opt out entirely.
That is only one of several changes Blizzard is making to keep Transmog compatible with the Classic philosophy.
You Can Completely Disable Transmog
Players will be able to visit a Transmogrifier in certain cities and choose whether they want to see Transmog appearances at all. If you disable it, other players will appear in the equipment they actually have equipped instead of their chosen cosmetic appearance. Players who choose Classic Mode when entering Forever will also begin with Transmog disabled.
You still collect appearances even with the feature turned off, and you can continue customizing your own character with options such as hiding your Helm or Cloak.
Dungeon Drops Unlock Appearances for the Entire Group
WoW Forever also has a very clever solution to one of the biggest problems Transmog could create in a Classic loot system: players rolling on upgrades they do not need just for the appearance. When an eligible Bind-on-Pickup Uncommon or Rare item drops in a dungeon, every player thats’s eligible receives the appearance when the item is looted.
That means somebody who actually needs the item for their character will not have to compete against four other players who only want the cosmetic.
Epic Raid Gear Works Differently
Epic gear keeps much more of its prestige. For Epic items, only the player that wins the item gets the appearance.
Blizzard clearly wants the rare raid appearances to remain connected to actually obtaining the item, rather than turning every raid drop into a free cosmetic for the entire group.
Transmog Still Has Restrictions
WoW Forever is not opening the floodgates completely. Armor appearances must match the armor type of the item being worn. For example, A Warrior wearing a Mail chest piece will not be able to get the Mail chest piece.
Level restrictions also apply while leveling. A low-level character cannot immediately use the appearance of high-level gear, although those level restrictions are removed once the character reaches Level 60. Poor and Common-quality appearances are much easier to collect and unlock simply by looting them.
Blizzard Is Trying to Please Both Sides
Transmog has always been a very spicy topic whenever it comes up in Classic discussions. Some players love collecting appearances, while others feel that recognizing another player’s gear just by looking at them is an important part of the Classic experience. WoW Forever’s solution is to simply support both groups. Collectors get their appearance system, dungeon groups do not have to fight over cosmetic rolls, Epic raid gear still carries prestige, and players who want the traditional Classic look can simply turn Transmog off. Everyone is happy.
The remaining details, including exact Transmogrifier locations, costs, weapon restrictions, and saved outfit functionality, should become much clearer once the WoW Forever Beta begins.
