So many times whenever people discuss Nathanos Blightcaller, people will invoke that they dislike him or perhaps question why people dislike him. And more often than not, someone will simply claim “you just hate him because he’s the only NPC that doesn’t kiss your butt.” This is entirely disingenuous. While this potentially might be true for the egotistical sort, it’s boorish to claim that dislike of Nathanos is steeped only in wanting him to suck up to you.
Nathanos does not simply not kiss your butt. Nathanos is openly and continually abusive to the player, regardless of what they do. While this may be endearing for many - and it is perfectly fine to LIKE Nathanos, for this reason or otherwise - it is also grating for a good amount of players as well. There is a stark difference between a character who doesn’t treat you like a superstar, and a character who treats you like trash. Nathanos is the latter.
I don’t even understand why this is something that needs to be said this far into his reintroduction. People are allowed to have differences in opinion, and people are allowed to like the characters they like (I hate Sylvanas, but respect a myriad of folks who love her). But if you’re going to generalize legitimate dislike for a character down to egotism every time, it’s idiotic.
My argument has always been that the number of characters that unreasonably kiss the players rear is the extreme, vast majority. If Nathanos were an abberation among more characters that don’t kiss the players rear, then maybe the point that he’s “abusive” stands. But as it stands he is one of the only characters that doesn’t kow-tow.
As it stands almost every character in the story grates on me because of their ridiculous goody-two-shoes routine and incessant fawning of the player. Except in cases where Horde players are abused by Alliance characters…while in the midst of helping said Alliance characters (thanks Tyrande!).
I mean Horde players are slammed by Brann Bronzebeard in BfA for goodness sake. We aren’t demanding the character be killed in a raid.
I mean, even if he IS the standout character in a sea of characters that do suck up to you, the point still remains that he is an abusive character. So I don’t see how the point doesn’t stand.
In classic he developed a loose respect for your character by the end of it all, but I guess that all went in the trashcan because super snarky quips are easier to write or something.
So you’re saying we should generalize anti-generalization? That seems pretty general of you.
(This is a joke, but it’s also serious. There is obvious value in talking about specific things that specifically happen without broadening them to soft, fluffy truisms.)
Indeed. There is your opinion. And there are other opinions.
I see the majority of the disdain towards Nathanos as rooted in other Players who all but require every NPC to treat them like some flawless demigod princess.
In fact, you acknowledge people can have different opinions… yet by the title of your thread, you are asking people to stop expressing an opinion you disagree with.
However, if someone asks a question on the Forums, they are likely looking for a myriad of answers. Not just the ones you are personally OK with. So if someone asks about why people dislike Nathanos, you will see various opinions. Even ones you disagree with.
I feel like it would’ve been super easy to do something like they did with Gryan Stoutmantle in Grizzly Hills where he recognized you from the original Defias Brotherhood quests in Westfall, and depending on how far you made it in the original Scarlet Oracle questline he recognizes/acknowledges you accordingly to the respect he gave you back then (which ranged from none at all, to begrudgingly, to genuine).
For example, if you started but didn’t finish the entire questline:
"Hmm. There is something about you that reeks of familiarity, < race >.
Ah, yes, now I recognize your pathetic air of imbecility - from the Plaguelands. Your failure to complete the simple tasks I required of you was a complete embarrassment.
For your sake, you had best not leave the job half-finished this time, worm."
Or if you finished the questline in its entirety and killed the Scarlet Oracle Demetria:
"Well, well, well, if it isn’t < name >. It has been some time. I am not surprised that one of my champions has made it this far - I trained you well. I trust the bow I gave you served you well? Or perhaps you chose the wand or the shield?
Regardless, we have reminisced enough. Let us get to work. If you perform as admirably as you did in the Plaguelands, you will be well rewarded by the Warchief.
Nathanos was one of the bright points in BfA, the voice actor did a great job making him entertaining as hell and gave him personality.
Anduin sounds monotone.
Tyrande’s accent makes no sense.
Sylvanas sounds like she’s constantly speaking through her teeth.
I’d argue hearing Magni talking about “her woons” is way more disliked.
Jaina’s dialogue is just very… milquetoast to me.
Nah… Nathanos was great and i can only hope after all this time he betrays Sylvanas just because she deserves it.
I never really minded Nathanos, but the whole self insert and making him ruin the entire revenge plot for the Night Elves that people have been waiting for made me absolutely despise him.
You don’t show off how strong your self insert character is in a moment that is supposed to be the conclusion for Teldrassil…
They completely ruined it this way.
And making him perfect and immune to death or losing doesn’t make it any better either.
This isn’t really accurate. Nathanos is pretty much the only character in the entire game that changes their opinion of you based on what you do. If you’re a rebel, he obviously dislikes you (but he’s also gone from most of their storyline so not much to complain about there). If you’re a loyalist, he grows to like you and praises you at the finale of the war campaign.
Unlike everyone else, who just pretends the loyalist is totally a good person and doesn’t care what they did, he actually changes opinion of you based on actions he sees, not what other people tell him. That’s the main thing that sets him apart for me.
I’m kind of confused on where Nathanos is abusive, sure he’s a donkey all the time but I can’t really recall a moment of him being particularly mean towards the player (everyone and everything else sure, but the player is usually just treated to a ‘here are your orders now get moving’)