Which is particularly hypocritical when you consider:
- Bonus Orc Campaign “Old Hatreds,” Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne:
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- Daelin Proudmoore completely deforests the region/zone of Durotar to build what we now know as Tiragarde Keep, along with several other bases along Kalimdor’s coastline, from Durotar all the way to Dustwallow Marsh and into Theramore Isle itself
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- There’s literally a quest from Drek’thar that explains how the local Thunder Lizards at Thunder Ridge, an actual location in Durotar, are being driven mad by the increasing lack of vegetation:
Footman: Look, more orcs! Our intelligence was right. We’d best head back to base and report!
Rexxar: Humans? What could they be doing here?
Drek’Thar: We allied with the humans at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Our two races have been at peace ever since. Still, it’s strange that they would venture so far into our lands.
Rexxar: A human lumber mill! They’ve cut down all of the trees! That’s got to be what’s driving the thunder lizards mad. We should destroy the mill immediately!
Drek’Thar: No. Our warchief signed a non-aggression pact with the humans. Destroying their holdings could lead us to open war. For now we must put the raging lizards down before they cause any more harm. We’ll have to deal with the humans later.
Thrall: You say the humans were deforesting Thunder Ridge? What could Jaina be thinking? It’s not like her to be so reckless. I’ll look into this matter, Rexxar. You have my word.
This is still something that gets glossed over in World of Warcraft with all the PvP-centered emphasis on Warsong Gulch to this very day. Everyone, including the night elves, gets so hyper-focused on “Oh noes, them orcs is chopping down the Ashenvale trees!” that the whole reason for why the orcs are in such dire need of lumber to begin with simply…gets forgotten.
“I guess it must be because they’re just greedy, because they’re just orcs, /shrug”
Basically, insert racist argument for lack of any real information.
Imagine instead—what should have happened—if Thrall had gone to Malfurion and Tyrande, explained the situation, and then the druids work with the orcs’ shamans to regrow the vegetation/plant life of Durotar.
But no, we can’t have each faction dominate a whole continent. Gameplay takes priority over the lore in an MMO, apparently…