There is chatter on the wow-internet about the transmogrification service coming in patch 4.3. Some like it, some dislike it, and most are curious what it will mean.
I like it. It is one of the best RP style game features I’ve heard of in a very long time.
Consider the Circle of Flame. One of the best helms for clothies, and it has a mail equivalent model. Both drop in Molten Core.
Consider that some characters in stories are personified by their gear. There are npcs in WoW that are known by their weapons, characters in films and books (etc) that are linked to the weapons they wield and the equipment they carry. Indy’s whip & gun from the Indiana Jones films, Elric’s sword from the novels, all sorts of Final Fantasy memes, and pulpy stuff like Krull which are all about the weapon. Do you remember that elf from Hawk the Slayer? What a bow!
Our toons will have the capacity to establish a personal style all of their own. We can select or create our own armour sets. That means all the eye patches, bandanas, iconic weapons, groovy shoulders, and sexy bikini plate breast plates are all up for grabs.
I realise though that it could potentially diminish the variance of character gear, and also has the potential to steal the limelight for new gear sets. It could be argued that gear is a point in time, and that is valid only if that is your set of values. Frankly I dislike most of the interim gear my toons have to wear and would prefer to pick a set that I could grow to love.
This feature limits us only if we let it limit us. People will use it to make expressive sets. Sets will be slutty, bold, clown-like, ugly, and very old school – and what that means is choice. I don’t care that it means a pvp player can’t tell how powerful my gear is just by looking at the toon model – that is not an experience I value.
If I’m looking at a character’s gear then I am looking for the visualised overall affect, not trying to remember which shade of purple or blue indicates what sub-tier of pvp shoulders some Undead Warlock is wearing while he fear-bombs my character.
I wish I had not trashed and DE’ed all my old tier sets and odd items. It is a great feature. Happy customising.
TyphoonAndrew's - Eye of the Storm 
few years to late. Great idea tho, the new sets are pretty crap. I always liked the old stuff better than the new stuff…..theres a song in that.
It’s one of those features that really is not game changing at all, but lends a depth to the game. Combined with the Gear storage Thingy, it’s a good value add.
They’ve announced 3x more 5 mans too, which is good.
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Another thought – can the game add the option to transmogrify to an invisible item – meaning I don’t want to see the shoulders in a set?
This is a feature that made my desire to play wow again twitch, but like Moth it’s a bit too late for me.
I thinks its a vanity feature – a nice to have, but not a reason to spend $ every month. It is not even a feature that would keep me playing. One of the breadth offerings that might make wow a more feature rich app, by comparison to other mmos