I joined WoW at the very end of Vanilla, and never did a good job of getting into the lore. Even now, I’m playing catch up. (Blizzard is not helping with its alternate timelines and generally confused storytelling, but that’s a different topic.)
I see Classic as a chance to did in to the lore properly. Is playing Warcraft 3 helpful for that?
Any recommendations for books that put the Classic story in context?
Thanks!
yes. Warcraft 3 is a direct setup for World of Warcraft.
Also the expansion “the frozen throne”
it will take a couple days to play through the campaign but its super good
There are long plays of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal on YouTube if you can’t find those games anywhere from Blizzard.
Without the context of those games, you won’t know Medivh properly and Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos opens with Medivh talking to Thrall through a dream.
You’ll also see the original versions of areas like The Deadmines and Karazahn.
You’ll meet other heroes along the way like Anduin Lothar (who returns in Warcraft 2), Garona Halforcen, and Griselda Blackhand in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. The latter not being playable.
For Warcraft 2:
Turalyon, Uther the Lightbringer (who returns in Warcraft 3), Alleria Windrunner, Danath Trollbane, Khadgar, and Kurdran Wildhammer (and his gryphon, Sky’ree) on the Alliance side.
Grom Hellscream (who returns in Warcraft 3), Kargath Bladefist, Zul’jin, Cho’gall, Dentarg, Gul’dan, Teron Gorefiend and Deathwing on the Horde side.
Download a copy of the Warcraft 3 manual. It gives a pretty good summary of the retconned version of everything up to the beginning of the Third War.
1 and 2 have been changed a lot by the time Warcraft 3 came along so their lore isn’t as relevant. (and even then a lot of our information comes from Garona being tortured or infiltrating the humans (WC1 manual), or excerpts from Gul’dan own memoires which are highly condescending and self-aggrandizing (WC2).
WoW is pretty much a direct sequel to Warcraft 3: FT, taking a lot of the hints and threads begun in that game and spinning them into a wide world to explore.
Alternatively, if you dont want to play a game or watch a lets play of a game, you can get a pretty good overview of the lore in the back of the original instruction manual. But yes, WC3 is really good both as a game and for understanding the lore. Personally Im waiting for WC3: Reforged
You can buy all of the Warcraft games (legally!) from GoG dot com. It’s a site for retro games.
Another lore resource is Wowpedia, which covers everything up to this point but is generally good at marking which thing happened in which expansion.
There is a youtube channel that goes over all of the lore for wow.
Nobbel87 I think is his name on youtube. Lots of good stuff there
If you love the lore then check it out.
Yeah warcraft 3 and the frozen throne set the state of the world for classic perfectly, and even for alot of things in BC and WotLK. If you’re really into the lore, theres a youtuber that has a bunch of videos covering specific parts in more detail. I wanna say Nobbel87 or something like that. Actually that’s it exactly. I just checked. He has stuff on specific characters, zones, factions, races, etc.
Yes, but raid-wise they don’t really get into a lot of stuff from Warcraft 3 until TBC and WotLK. Although Kel’Thuzad’s origin story is told in WC3.
You will find Warcraft 3 very interesting though especially if you play the Frozen Throne Orc campaign which basically goes through the origins and creation of Orgrimmar.
Yes. I recommend reading “Rise of the horde” by Christie Golden. It tells the story in part of what draenor was like before and after the burning legion corrupted the orcs and made them into an evil army bent on destroying the peaceful dranei. Ultimately invading azeroth after sargeras infused Medivh contacted the horde and beckoned them ti come to azeroth.
Follow that with “Beyond the dark portal” by Aarron Rosenberg and Chrstie Golden. Tells the story of the events after the orcs invaded, culminating with the alliance going to draenor through the portal.
These 2 books really set the tone for the opening of WoW. Assuming you played warcraft before.
Then, even if you dont care for the horde story much, Id recommenced reading “Lord of the clans” also by Golden. This is the story of how Thrall grew up, and later escaped durnhold, finally meting his own people the orcs and discovering his heirtage. And finally leading them to rediscovering their ancient shamanistic traditions, and mostly peaceful past.
Then, finally, I recommend reading “Arthas” also by Golden. This might be self revealing by title, but it tells the story of how Arthas became a paladin of the silver order, and ultimately became corrupted by ner zul creating the lichking.
After those you will be steeped in the lore.
Isn’t that the optional Rexxar RPG campaign?
You want lore? Sit by the fire, young fellow, and I’ll tell about Blexie, the kobold with the biggest candle you ever did see. It was taller than a tauren, they say.
For the most part classic is an old rpg in that you have your own story and some events that you need to solve. Its not like FFXIV or Modern wow leading you around the zone with an ultimate story goal. Overall you will end up getting more small stories than you will of getting a world story.
I would say that most story telling didnt really come in until parts of TBC and Wrath as we started to get into the Lore characters from War 3
Hey the absolute most efficient thing you can do is go to lore homie Nobbel’s youtube channel – recently he put out a classic wow 20 minute lore vid. Check that out for sure.
There isn’t much lore in Classic. There is a lot in Warcraft 3.
Any lore in Classic is just the aftermath of Warcraft 3 + introducing some other villains like Ragnaros, the Twilight, and the Old Gods. And even then they don’t introduce them much. Kinda just like… “Oh there’s these silithid getting more and more agitated. Wonder what evil force could be triggering it. Oh an Old God. We have to kill him.”
Oh man, I’m surprised that only 1 person reads!
The three books that set everything up are:
War of the Ancients: The Well of Eternity by Richard A. Knaak
War of the Ancients: The Demon Soul by Richard A. Knaak
War of the Ancients: The Sundering by Richard A. Knaak
Definitely read those (or snag audio-books as that is a lot to get through). Someone put together a good list at (https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/20742474414) if you have desire to read more.
Yes it is.
Thanks for all the input, guys! Great stuff here.
Except for the matter of they almost immediately retconed some things from the start.
Only Night Elf Males were druids, and only Night Elf Females were Hunters in War3. You know, little things like that.
story in classic had different approach than now. It was more about many different storylines without one big plot