The man wrote some real ripping speeches, too. Like the Saint Crispin’s Day speech, and Mark Antony’s funeral oration. Every so often I like to go to YouTube and watch Charlton Heston chew the scenery with that one.
”HERE WAS A CAESAR! WHEN COMES SUCH ANOTHER?”
The fact that a leader recognizing their past emotional issues/trauma made them unfit to command drove you to seek Horde leadership is perfect.
He’s not lol. Like…at all. His wife literally uses the Void and he still loves her
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Baine - Sucks
Malfurion - Sucks
Tyrande - Sucks
Illidan - Sucks
In the past, it was as Gul’dan. Now, it’s Turalyon.
I don’t know if it’s hate but I’m absolutely sick of our war leaders getting more and more gentle and passive as each expansion goes by.
It’s time for new blood.
We need a young bold war chief who isn’t afraid to expand our control.
Brann Bronzebeard. Don’t tell me where to stand, or when to sit and have a cup to recover.
Lol I just did my first Delve recently (the story one in the mine) and I was like…“If you don’t shut up! I’m at full health DAD!”
I just find most of Blizzard’s poster characters to be cringey and tend to over stay their welcome in the narrative. I wouldn’t call for any of them to be killed off, though. I would just prefer them to sit in the faction cities handing out quests, like in the old days, instead of forcing me to follow them around listening to their woe-is-me trauma-dumps.
Regarding Anduin:
I think this is a really good summary of precisely the issues people have with Anduin. I don’t dislike him as much as Milk here does, but I don’t like the way Anduin’s struggles have been written.
In fairness to Anduin, most of his childhood passed with Varian totally absent (certainly not Varian’s fault). We as players were able to love and respect Varian’s struggles as a kidnapped king betrayed by his people and then forced into gladiatorial slavery. I find it odd, however, that because Varian was a great fighter who overcame his circumstances…we totally forgive him for the mismanagement and neglect that led to a black dragon de facto running his court and raising his son. We totally forgive him for allowing the stonemasons to be so unjustly mistreated that they actually gathered a rebellion and fomented a coup that led to his kidnapping in the first place.
But that’s neither here nor there.
Anduin didn’t really have a dad. He had this giant of a legendary warrior to live up to without the benefit of his example. Anduin’s mother was killed by a mob throwing stones despite the fact that she was a stalwart supporter of the Stonemason’s Guild. He had no mother. He had no father. He had no friends. He had no access to family. He was raised and protected by Bolvar Fordragon and Lady Prestor.
Varian always had anger management problems; that’s made plain on his wife’s memorial plaque. When he came back to Stormwind after his travails, magically split into two halves, the half Anduin got was the angry and irrational one.
My point is: Players get to look at Varian and appreciate his strength, his determination, and his honor. Anduin didn’t get to see any of that. He just has to hear about it and constantly be told he must live up to this father figure who was never more than that to him.
In light of this, Anduin’s immediate attachment to the Prophet Velen makes sense. Anduin’s attachment to the Light was apparent from childhood and hardly surprising given his exposure to Bolvar and access to the priests of Stormwind. In adolescence he felt drawn to Velen and made it clear he wished to be a priest of the Light, and he threw himself into his studies of that discipline with vigor. From the beginning, Anduin expressed a desire for peace through diplomacy and an affinity for the priesthood.
The player base began to hate Anduin right here…at this point. You could look at the forums back then for confirmation, and it was completely unwarranted in my mind. Whether it was the writing or decisions made by Anduin’s voice actor or a combination of both, the character’s meme-ification as a “crybaby” started right here despite Anduin having done nothing to earn that moniker, yet.
In Pandaria, Anduin’s friendship with Wrathion–a “boy” his own “age” who also had a famous father’s legacy on his shoulders (though of a different sort)–makes complete sense. The comfort of finding someone who understands your situation for a boy like Anduin cannot be overstated.
At the end of MoP, Anduin shows the same reckless streak of bravery his father possessed when he very nearly dies after stopping Garrosh with the divine bell. I mean, he’s still a kid at that point. Anduin’s problems have never been an issue of bravery.
Anduin’s big problem has always been self-doubt and frustration when outright violence cannot be circumvented or avoided. The player base doesn’t seem to keep any room for a character who would prefer peace and work to achieve it through diplomatic means. Jaina is always referred to as a diplomat, but after she went rage machine and tried to blow up Orgrimmar in retaliation for Theramore, I don’t think I care for or respect her brand of diplomacy.
Anduin, on the other hand, has done nothing wrong or worthy of disrespect that I can see. He has been universally brave, and until the violation of his soul in Shadowlands, he was always present and self-sacrificial in his role as King of Stormwind.
I find it interesting that his mass battle rez is not what people remember from the BfA cinematic. All they tend to remember is that he had tears in his eyes after watching his army massacred at the gates of Undercity. I mean…/facepalm
At any rate, I agree with my husband on the way Anduin’s story was done. It would have been far better and would have been received better by players in general if Anduin’s pain was something he confided only to the player and his close circle. Like the Hallowfall campaign story, which was very well done, if Anduin had kept a stalwart exterior and confessed his reservations and doubts only to the player, the player base might have forgiven him for being a bit weepy after being taken over by the Jailer and used as a sock puppet.
At any rate, I don’t hate Anduin. I don’t think he’s a crybaby. I think the lines Anduin has been given to say are not always well-written, and I think his voice actor (who is very talented) has leaned in very hard on the angst-riddled choice for his sound, which doesn’t help matters.
The entire Hallowfall questline could be named, “How Anduin Got His Mojo Back,” but the actual lines spoken and the general feeling put off in those lines felt more like he didn’t. It should have been much more upbeat at the end and much more victorious. I think it was a missed opportunity for a clear comeback b/c the story beats were definitely there.
Every NPC that preaches peace is a hindrance to the game and should be killed off.
Ok? Thank you for telling me who it is, but what does he have to do with anything? I stated multiple times, I don’t know who he is and have zero intention on reading the divine comedy.
I can and I will call them bad if I think they are… for example, the shadowlands story, is horrendous and terribly written by people with less than no talent. You are going off the deep-end and making your whole post about something far off topic… this has and will continue to be about the story and character in this game.
Oh make your case. What is the standard criteria by which writing is judged and what specifically did they do that was so far below Video Game writing standards?
Her (lack of) interest as a character has nothing to do with discussing the merits of her actions. If you say she isn’t an interesting character, you know what I’d say?
“I agree.”
Because I’m not a straw man. Notice how since you made this post the only person to actually mention your strawman argument was yourself?
Lindorni, the m+ key pandaren next to the portals. Every time I hear her voice I get angry at her. I think she took too many hits to the head to sound this retarded.
The questline after Hallowfall where we play Light’s Gambit with him and Faerin is a lovely bit of character building, imo. I’ve always had a soft spot for Anduin, but Blizzard definitely has the makings of a great character if they play things right.
Make a case for what? That shadowland’s story is bad? I played through it and so did most others that dislike it. A bad story is a bad story.
Well you played through it and you didn’t like it. That’s your opinion and you are welcome to it. But I’m not sure that most others that disliked it played thorough. Some did but others didn’t.
As for the people who did like it or the people who felt neutral about it, some played through, some didn’t.
That’s kinda what this all has been from the get-go? Doesn’t mean there isn’t any truth cloaked in that opinion.
There are a few out there I guess.