I mean multiple SA survivors, suicide survivors, and abuse survivors otherwise have been criticizing the plot (Helya, Tyrande, Sylvanas) for years now, so for this to come out just exacerbates ongoing pain and frustation, and to some extent validates the “worst case scenario” thoughts.
Personally, I unsubbed. Stuck until November anyways, but I’m expecting Blizzard to come out with something, and that something brings me back or keeps me out.
Because the reality is this is happening and was happening while Blizzard published a book saying “Sure Helya claims Odyn forced, twisted, and abused her, but who would believe her anyways?”
That’s bleak.
Edit: Which in turn begs the question, where does Metzen fit into all this?
edit 2: I’ve always been of the belief that an author writes what they know, believe, or want, personally.
While personal taste may vary, I feel like reacting to hearing a woman committed suicide over maltreatment from her colleagues by asking “how does this affect the story?” is - at least - tone deaf.
That was not, at all, how Chronicles portrayed it. Odyn forced and twisted and then Helya managed to actually get her revenge and imprisoned Odyn. If that was all she did we would probably praising her but she did not stop at Odyn and decided people who were innocent deserved to be treated just as badly as her.
Warcraft has always had a diverse “fate” for people that generally doesn’t seem to depend on the amount of evil they have done. Some like say Malygos and Deathwing(both people who have abused women) get killed. Other like say Illidan(don’t forget, Illidan ordered people be enslaved and had draenei souls destroyed) or Aszhara managed to get away relatively unscathed because we needed them. Like it or not this is closer to reality then we all care to admit.
Now, there are many tales out there that claim Odyn forced Helya to become Val’kyr against her will. Only a fool would believe such things. This story comes from Odyn himself, and how could anyone hold another’s word above his?
I don’t know why you think that this passage reflects well on Odyn unless you think that everyone else is a complete idiot who can’t read between the lines.
No, someone wrote an in-universe servant of Odyn (or Odyn himself) saying “Don’t believe those things you’ve heard about Odyn, they’re wrong because Odyn says so”
We are not supposed to believe that passage because it’s intentionally and blatantly deceptive. This isn’t Blizzard writing rape apologetics, it’s Blizzard writing a character who is guilty of some nasty stuff trying to obfuscate his guilt.
You mean people should automatically believe everything they read? The entire point was it was a propaganda piece and that you actually get the true story by doing the weapon research:
When Odyn had set out to realize his vision for the Halls of Valor and the Valarjar, he had needed to create Val’kyr, spirits capable of preserving worthy souls for all time. Helya had not been interested in becoming a Val’kyr. No one had volunteered, in fact. Odyn had transformed her and others into Val’kyr against their will.
For many years, Helya had no chance to seek vengeance. When the opportunity arose, she took it without hesitation.
Y’all are being willingly obtuse about what the meta narrative implies, and how that narrative thread has ended (hint: the survivor became a monstrous deformed abuser, never got justice, and the original abuser metaphor got away with it).
If anything, given today’s revelations one could suggest that maybe someone snuck that passage of Odyn’s easily-seen-through denial that everyone pretends to believe because he’s the boss as a subtle jab at Afrasiabi/Blizzard’s management
We don’t know the ultimate fate of Odyn just yet and he didn’t “get away with it” he got locked up for 10,000 years. And again, I don’t see you complaining that say Aszhara is free and about even though she has probably done more harm then Odyn.
Alot of people in Warcraft do not get justice. Varian for example had his entire kingdom destroyed, Jaina never got justice for what the Horde did to her. Azeroth is suppose to be a place of injustice and the only thing anyone can truly control is how they react to it all.
Azshara is a fantasy villain trope. Evil queen makes deal with the devil because H Word and Power, becomes evil mermaid queen serving tentacle monster.
Odyn/Helya is a palpable, self evident, obvious, clear as day rape metaphor.
It’s the same reason why Teldrassil’s handling is messed up. Because it touches upon a real topic.
The hell is wrong with you dude.
Sure the franchise hasn’t ended but this is a weak response and you know it. None of the character’s stories have ended, so we shouldn’t be allowed to critique it or call out abusive tropes? What?
And he’s free now. Out of jail, if you will. Like, this is ridiculous.
I think the problem is that the meta narrative positions us, the players, on Odyn’s side by default with no choice to call him out. Makes it seem like word of god is saying he is right.
Helya is a tragic character. That’s why we sympathize with her plight even if we’re inevitably in conflict with her. That’s the tragic element and it’s why it makes you feel sad to fight her.
This is called pathos, one of the critical elements of passion that forms the foundation of all emotionally resonant storytelling. Sometimes I think that people get confused, and think that writing that makes them sad is by definition malignant, as though negative emotions imparted by narrative are like some kind of infectious disease that must be stomped out lest it infect others with more bad thoughts.
Ashara is just as much a trope about how power corrupt and how beautiful people can be wicked to the core.
Even if this was the case, you would have to deal the fact we have literally worked with SLAVERS. We have used TORTURE to get what we need and plenty of less then savory things.
We literally kill people all the time, we are effectively vigilantly justice and no, media should not self censor because a topic can be messy.
I know the difference between fantasy and reality and that having a villain is not an endorsement of their behavior.
And so is Aszhara and Illidan, both by the players hands no less.
I don’t see it that way no more then say the Alliance having to say fight with the Horde is suddenly an endorsement that genocide is good. We are all basically forced to make moral decision on things that are more complex then we all like to think it is.
I think what the narrative really suffers from is the fact that the employees - as was emphasized several times in the report - prefer to play computer games during the day rather than do their work!
You know, if you say a crime never vanished…why are you playing horde?
I mean, the Horde is a faction with an past of multiple Genocides…and rapes…and bad crimes and things (before bfa even happened)…you don´t like odyn, i get it, but if thats your standart…you should stop playing horde aswell.