But I cannot recall a single time that I looked around and was like “oh, hey, look at that weird-%$# little dude with the rotating claw! That seems popular!” They’re just nowhere.
See the mechagnome. I am the person who runs the mechagnome discord. A lot of people do like them. Most of the hatred is being spread by people who just wanted something else. Most others people just recognize them as an inevitability and the rightful gnome AR.
And, of course, it’s made worse by the competition.
There was never a competition. No other race was really ever on the table for “Gnome AR”. People who expected something else have themselves to blame.
and it’s hard not to conclude that the former represents the biggest non-starter in the brief history of allied races.
Catering to popular requests comes with some serious downsides. If blizzard catered to every popular request then there would be a new standard for unpopular. Races that are now considered popular may seem pretty much in line with mechagnomes if blizzard always catered to popular request.
Why were mechagnomes ever introduced?
Because they are gnomes and the only thing we were going to get for the Gnome AR was some kind of gnome. People who believed otherwise were setting themselves up for disappointment.
Why didn’t the Alliance get something, you know… cool and desirable instead?
A lot of people are happy with Mechagnomes. This idea that something else would have been better is mostly spread by people who don’t like gnomes to begin with.
See these threads.