I think we can all agree that what was done to both the Night Elves and the Forsaken last expansion was a grievous mistake on Blizzard’s part and soured not only the story, but the spirits of players who enjoyed those races in their respective factions. Nobody wants to play a heroic fantasy MMORPG and be victimized, to be brutalized. To be lead astray by asinine plot developments or rogue leadership. People don’t invest years of time, money and effort into building characters and investing in stories to see them tore down for cheap cinematic shock value.
So what can be done to rectify this, in my opinion, miserable and intolerable state of affairs. The Forsaken, Night Elves (and Worgen) should not be relegated to refugees, as victims to feed character’s vengeance complexes or willing idiots aiding mass murderers.
Whatever kind of content we see in the following expansion needs to address this, and do it in a serious manor. I propose utilizing the areas of Mount Hyjal and Lordaeron City (the surface portion) as new areas of racial activity for Forsaken and Night Elves. Have quest lines based on CRAFTing these areas to be suitable new homes for their respective peoples.
For Night Elves this could be reclaiming nature and growing structures, for Forsaken it could be clearing plague and roaming undead. We need some form of positivity for these races as without it the stain of BFA will linger on until the servers shut down, and I’d rather that not be the legacy of these races in World of Warcraft.
We need more content based on crafting and uplifting, and less about warring and grimdark slaughter.
I think if something is done it’ll just be Teldrassil being re-grown and Lordearon cleansed after Shadowlands, then everything will be swept under the rug as if nothing happened. I’m sort of ready to accept such an outcome if it brings an end to the faction wars, to be honest.
Night Elves however need on screen victories and they need to matter to Night Elf fans. Don’t just tell me Ashenvale is in the hands of the Kaldorei again. Give me a quest chain to go in there with my heroes and take it back from the Horde by force. Give it voice acting, proper cinematics, and make it end on a high note for Night Elves. How am I supposed to be motivated to take part in a faction war story when my role is to only ever be the victim who can do nothing about it?
The important thing is that it has to be shown, and it has to be shown with love. Not speaking for Forsaken fans, but the destruction of Kaldorei territories had two novellas, a Warbringers cinematic, part of a fully rendered cinematic, and one of the most heart-wrenching quests in all of World of Warcraft devoted to it. Like, they really made a show of how bad the night elves lost.
I don’t expect that much in return, but I’d want to see something. A fully-voiced quest line culminating in a beautiful cinematic. A zone revamped, redid with current-gen graphics. I’d rather have Nordrassil/Hyjal than any other as one as a new capital.
Do I want us to defeat Horde to get it? I’m not sure. I don’t want to be the instigators in a new faction war, but man if I don’t want to win. Maybe a questline against some Horde-aligned-but-not-affiliated group. Make it the Warsong Outriders, or Sylvanas loyalists, or Gallywix’s new cartel. Fill Ashenvale with the Horde outta WSG, and let us kick their butts. Sure, whatever. Maybe that’s a good idea, maybe it isn’t. It probably isn’t, but whatever, it’s a thought.
I don’t want Teldrassil to be regrown. I want to leave it a charred husk in memory of what happened, then move on to be stronger.
Give us Night Warrior paladins as a cherry on top, and we’ll be peachy.
So…I’ll ask the uncomfortable question no one wants to ask.
When do the worgen get to have their kick butt moment and revenge against the horde? Everyone’s so obsessed with the Night Elves getting something, I been waiting 10+ yrs for the worgen to get theirs.
Assuming you are unwilling to eat a villain bat, hopefully never.
As far as content is concerned, I think i mentioned somewhere else that a questline at the end of the expansion (where the Shadowlands stuff is wrapped up) would go a long way.
A questline for Alliance and Horde players to re-establish their sides faction hubs on their side of the planet would suffice I say. Maybe not a full on city for either side, but something that creates a safe flightpath and teleport location in those areas. Could even be phased so to not disrupt leveling.
Forsaken are in a very complicated and sensitive situation they didn’t just lose land but took a massive hit to their culture.
Based on the work that went into the Horde’s current roster in leadership I don’t have too much faith that the future holds anything but a frustrating experience for Forsaken fans.
They even took out the claws and fangs from Greymane to make him the grandpa of Anduin…Golden is really a character killer that doesn’t respect in anything the work of the previous writers
Yep and look what Metzen wrote for him at BFA intro cinematic, a grizzly veteran fighting for his faction and revenge…despite I don’t like Metzen, he knew how to handle his characters well
I hate king chin too because everything he did was “awww he is so awesome” despite he was just anime conan but with more bland personality
If anything this should have happened prior to Sylvanas abandoning the Warchief seat. This would not really make sense with the council, even with certain figures stuck in the Shadowlands. The Horde has not nearly enough motivation to want to hold on to Ashenvale, especially over a fight.
I think rug-sweeping is probably the best payout we’re going to get.
Teldrassil is grown from the nourishing ashes of the old, by the hand of druids.
Lordaeron is rebuilt and there’s more emphasis and focus on both the surface layer, as well as the crypt levels below.
No Calia Menethil.
If Lilian Voss must stay in the Forsaken story as a Forsaken proper, I’d advocate she takes the position on the Horde council as a liaison between the Forsaken body and the Horde.
I don’t want Lilian Voss in a position of authority, either.
I sure as heck don’t recall voting for you to speak for me.
My issues are with execution, not the plot itself. War is an ugly business that leaves permanent scars and changes. I was pretty excited when I knew Teldrassil was going to be getting a firey exist, despite how I felt about it personally. I was hoping for better to come out of it, but that’s a different issue entirely.
I would wager the NEs will get a new tree at some point. If they do, preferably its something super meaningful and symbolic, like the first healthy seed from a reborn and healed G’hanir to really sell that rebirth and healing direction. Give them a full blown lil Sister tree to Nor’drassil; not just another cutting.
As for the Forsaken, considering Blizz’s track record. I suspect they’ll force Calia Menethil into the drivers seat; while quietly sweeping the majority of their remaining reps under the rug … or making them minor antagonists to kill off. Because they have no idea how to make Calia their leader and have her organically interact with those who represent the traditional Forsaken Fantasy. Calia will then bring the glory of “Human Potential” to the Foraken, and essentially just invalidate all but the Alliance convenient parts of their racial fantasy the last 18 years. Including their history with the Horde.
