Does anyone else feel like the heroes of Azeroth are overshadowing us, the players? It’s like we’re the unpaid interns of the fantasy world—while the superhero NPCs get all the epic moments, we’re stuck doing the grunt work: sweeping floors, dusting, or hypothetically grabbing Starbucks while the “real” heroes handle the big, flashy battles. Next thing you know, we’ll be washing their mounts and fetching their dry cleaning.
When I jumped in on release day, I didn’t feel like the champion I’ve meticulously crafted over countless hours of gameplay. Nope, I felt like an extra—like I was the guy off-camera, holding a boom mic while Blizzard’s custom-made NPCs in Zbrush and Unity hogged the spotlight. Meanwhile, other MMOs, like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Final Fantasy XIV, manage to include our characters in the cutscenes, letting us at least pretend we matter. WoW, what gives?
Maybe I’m asking too much—wanting Blizzard to respect my character as much as they do the lore NPCs. But when I’m stuck doing chores while towering NPCs wield powers that look like they came straight out of a Marvel movie, I can’t help but think, “Why do I care?” Why am I supposed to take orders from some guy who just got a couple of lines in a cinematic?
It’s frustrating to feel like your character, the one you’ve poured blood, sweat, and raid nights into, is reduced to errand boy status. I’m not asking for my character to be the star of the show—if I wanted that, I’d boot up a single-player game. But a little recognition wouldn’t hurt. A villain sneering at me, not just the NPCs, would make me feel like I’m not just some glorified coffee runner in Azeroth. Our characters matter, too, Blizzard. Let us be more than background props in the story you’ve built.
Listen, I’m just a lady made of rock with a metal (literally) beard. I’m cool with just being another face in the crowd! Maybe they can start calling us by our classes instead of “Champion”
I don’t see it personally but i understand you’re POV. Sometimes heroes need to play the sidekick roll every now and again. (Trust me, I’m a holy priest lol)
I don’t think getting your new friends drinks is necessarily bad.
But the fact that it’s on request is kind of annoying. Surprising them by showing up with drinks after they waited for you to start is a more normal human interaction.
I must say, that transmog really steals the spotlight wherever she/he/they go—looking fabulous while doing it! But let’s be real, even with all that style, they still come off as just another emotionless extra in the background. It’s like dressing up a mannequin and hoping it’ll suddenly start acting. Bravo, though, for finding a screenshot among all the spoiler-filled cinematics flooding my YouTube feed—each one further proving my point.
I keep seeing these epic scenes with lore characters saving the day, wielding cool powers, and giving dramatic speeches, while our characters stand there like glorified interns holding the clipboard. The best-looking armor in the game can’t cover up the fact that, without real involvement, we’re just set dressing—highly fashionable set dressing, but set dressing nonetheless.
It’s a missed opportunity, really. Blizzard’s got these amazing tools to let us customize our characters, make them look like they’ve stepped straight out of a fantasy novel… only for them to play the silent sidekick while the NPCs handle all the heroics. Even the most epic transmog can’t replace the feeling of actually being part of the action. I’m just saying—maybe it’s time our characters got to do more than just pose in the background.
they should add an option to attack all these arrogant npcs who think they are better than us
calling us whelp or mortal or saying they can crush us when they’re just pathetic losers
Honestly, right? I’m all for an “NPC smackdown” option! Imagine walking up to one of those arrogant lore characters—big speech, glowing armor, probably rehearsing their lines in front of a mirror—and just giving them a friendly reminder that we’re the real MVPs around here. Like, “Oh, you can crush me? That’s cute. How about you take these quest items yourself, Mr. ‘I’ll handle the big stuff’?”
Maybe then they’d think twice before calling us “whelps” or “mortals” like they’re auditioning for a villain role in a B-movie. We’re not just here to look pretty and hold their capes, Blizzard! Let’s give us a little agency—if nothing else, it would make all the sweeping and errand running a lot more fun when we get to keep them humble.
Hey, I get it—being the “chosen one” is overrated anyway. All that responsibility, the dramatic speeches, the pressure of saving the world before lunch… who needs it? I’m just here on a quick break from doing more important stuff, like, you know, saving the laundry from total chaos and handling real-world quests.
I’m popping in and out, responding to comments like it’s my side gig, but don’t worry—I’m not setting up camp here. Got other adventures to dive into, and this mortal’s gotta stay on schedule. But hey, if anyone else feels like adding “slapping some sense into arrogant NPCs” to the quest log, let me know. I might just have a minute.
I’m just here for the fishing. Sure, I don’t want the world to end so I’ll do what I can to help out, but I’m not the one anyone will be writing stories about.
Ah, the peaceful life of fishing—saving the world one cast at a time while everyone else is out there over-dramatizing their hero moments. But hey, don’t sell yourself short! You might not be the “chosen one,” but guess what? Someone has been writing stories about folks just like you… hint hint.
If you’re ever curious to see how it goes when ordinary heroes do extraordinary things (and maybe throw a few snarky lines along the way), I’ve got a little something you might enjoy. Check out my fan fiction’s first chapter—because, honestly, who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Last rewrite of Perfectia Dawnlight diary... For the Blizz Forums
Look it could be worse, we could be picking up nagrand cherries again. There for awhile there was always a quest like this, and if you don’t know what a nagrand cherry is well… i’l give you a hint it’s not soft served icecream but it sure looks like it.
i think people asked for it. some people feel the “Chosen One” or “Power Fantasy” trope in gaming and storytelling is played out and wanted more of a vanilla feel. like a “Immersive Sim” or “Living World” approach: this focuses on creating a world where the player is not central to everything. the game world and its inhabitants have their own routines, goals, and events that unfold with or without the player’s involvement, making the player feel like part of a living, breathing system.
its why we’re called outlanders and not champions.
To be honest not sure why they would listen to these players on that. When one of the more favored expansions as of late was the opposite of that to the extreme. Legion, where we was all the bearer of the most powerful weapons on Azeroth, we was all not just heros and champions but the literal chosen ones.
