Emerald Dream and The Life Aquatic

It's been staring us in the face and we simply hadn't recognized it.  There may be a major aquatic component coming in the next expansion.

[Update 9/28/11:  Since the release of this article, we've learned from our readers that the Emerald Dream and an aquatic theme could potentially coexist in a single expansion with the introduction of N'Zoth, an Old God responsible for the "spark" that created the Emerald Nightmare.  He is also the being that is largely responsible for Deathwing's corruption and current state.  The speculation is that he is somewhere beneath Azeroth's oceans, perhaps in a sunken city.]

On the 24th we released a 90 second video to You Tube offering a brief view into the rationale behind our hypothesis that the next expansion in the World of Warcraft would be the Emerald Dream.  The minute we released it, though, something didn't feel quite right about it.  Within 30 minutes of posting it to You Tube, we were already second-guessing ourselves and posting more rationale in the comments.  I personally felt it was rushed, and it's been nagging at me since we posted it and I hadn't been able to figure out why.

Two-Handed Swords: A Challenging Landscape

Our readers have spoken, and so we humbly present our next visual analysis in our progression to patch 4.3 and Transmogrification:  Two-Handed Swords. The chart you see below maps every Epic, Rare and Uncommon model currently attainable in-game (click for larger image).  And if you've had the Corrupted Ashbringer locked away in your vault for safekeeping, it's time to dust it off.  Scroll down to the base of this article to see where your unattainable prize ranks in our visual positioning.

Differentiation Analysis:  Two-Handed Swords

For the rest of our analysis, our visual positioning exercise and links to the actual models, read on after the jump. 

One-Handed Swords: Avoiding the Red Ocean

Our next visual analysis in our progression to patch 4.3 and Transmogrification is on One-Handed Swords. The chart you see below maps every Epic, Rare and Uncommon model currently attainable in-game (click for larger image).

For the purposes of this visual analysis, we've arranged the models horizontally by expansion and vertically by how often the model is recycled for entirely different weapons.  The goal of our entire analysis is to determine just how much visual parity there is among weaponry in the World of Warcraft, and where the niches lie that players can leverage as a means to stand out among their peers.

Since this is a review of design language and form, the recycled models with varying differences in color and texture have been removed.  The grayscale map key at the end of the article will enable you to link the images you see here with an actual root model on WoWhead. From there you can determine which skin of the model you prefer and where you will need to go hunting in order to attain it.  For the rest of our analysis, our visual positioning exercise and links to the actual models, read on after the jump.

Staves: Purity vs Parity in 4.3

Our next visual analysis in our progression to patch 4.3 and Transmogrification is on Staves.  We're going to be splitting each category's Differentiation analysis from its Visual Positioning analysis going forward as a means to lighten the load on our readers, so stay tuned for the secondary analysis on Staves due out this weekend. So this will be Part 1 of 2.

The chart you see below (click for larger image) maps every possible Staff model currently attainable in-game (Epic, Rare, Uncommon).  Read on after the jump for further analysis and a grayscale map key identifying links to every model shown here.

For the rest of our analysis and links to the actual models, read on after the jump.

Shields: Maximizing Personalization in 4.3

With patch 4.3 and the introduction of Transmogrification coming to the Azeroth, it begs the question: If the majority is fair game, how can you avoid looking like everyone else?  More on this below and a real eye opener to the potential future of shield design for the next expansion.

This question about personalization resonated with me because as a professional, my job is to crack such codes. WoW has always fascinated me in this regard for certain reasons, and I've finally decided to step into the ring and see if I can offer a fresh take on the topic.

Differentiation Analysis 2.0:  Shields

The chart depicted here (click for larger view) illustrates all of the Epic, Rare and Uncommon shield models currently attainable in-game.  For a list of items to link to WoWhead, scroll down to the bottom of the article.  Since this is a form study, excess model samples have been removed so we can focus on the differences from model to model, rather than color to color and model to model. Once you identify a model you'd like to review further, just skip on over to WoWhead and see what other color schemes might be available.

For the purposes of this visual analysis, I've arranged the shields horizontally by the expansion in which the model was originally released and vertically by wireframe uniqueness. So the Blackskull Shield from vanilla WoW, for example, which shares its model with another 27 shields in-game is bottom of the barrel in terms of uniqueness, and as such I've placed it in the pile of parity in the lowest band of the chart. Conversely, the Skull of Ruin from Wrath of the Lich King is truly unique, reserving its model unto itself, and as such I've showcased it in the highest band of the chart.  More on this analysis and our conclusions after the jump.