Ok, I have two points I feel I should make here. I think Tyrande really would make sense to have vs Azshara because of the history involved, but:
A) You guys need to stop saying ‘Tyrande should be there rather than Thalyssra’ or ‘Gral is there and not Tyrande?’ If Tyrande was there it would be instead of or sidelining probably Shandris. She is an alliance character so she would be replacing and alliance character.
B) You do realise you will be actively working with the Horde in Naz’jatar? Are you really wanting Tyrande to be ‘Oh you burned all my people alive and helped the horde murder its way across Ashenvale but lets team up and hang out heroic champion of the Horde’?
Tyrande makes a lot of sense in general but the fact that the Alliance works with the Horde makes it substantially less so, particularly with Tyrande pumped up on god vengeance juice. I am not sure if she is even capable of playing nice with the Horde while in Night Warrior mode.
I think it was more a spite thing from Galenorn saying “oh even him is there and not Tyrande ?!” I don’t think someone really want Tyrande to replace a Horde character.
She just need to either not be the one doing the quests with the Horde or to say something like " We have no Time to fight there, you will still pay for Teldrassil but latter".
Yes and no. Loa are often put themselves above politics. After all there are Loa worshipped by troll tribes that have gone to war on a regular basis and Loa like Torga that have a relationship with the Zandalari but also with the Tortollan. Being worshipped by the Trolls doesn’t automatically give the Trolls exclusivity.
Loa are spiritual creatures and so care most about spirit. It is hardly surprising a shark wild god may have aquatic worshipers. Ursol, a bear wild god had NE and Furbolg worshipers too so it isn’t excusive to troll related gods either.
The working with the horde quests are most of the ones related to fighting against Azshara. You will be raiding the Eternal Palace with Thalyssra, a Horde leader. As for the second point, that would sort of defeat the whole thing with Naz’jatar about how we need to work together to stand a chance against N’zoth.
I get you dont like it (I am not a huge fan though for different reasons) but the theme blizzard is going for, which is putting aside hate and working together, is something that might not fit Tyrande as they have now set her up.
I don’t care who the Horde or Alliance brings along for giant calamari fun times. It just irks me they’re including anyone who’s ever vaguely thought of Azshara for the past 10k years (and some who haven’t, like Genn), but not Tyrande.
It didn’t have to be that way, though. From a meta perspective, we know we’re going to triumph against Azshara either way. It’s why things like Stormheim, the gunship battle, and the Argent Tournament never bothered me. There’s even something for PvP in Nazjatar. I say lean into it. Let us see three way brawls break out between Night Elves, derivative Elves, and Naga in the streets of Nazjatar. It’s more interesting than “team up with monsters to fight monsters” for the billionth time.
Which is missing what they are trying to do in Naz’jatar and why it did have to be that way, at least for the story they want to write. They want to create the scenario where it feels like the Horde and Alliance have to work together to win and without it they would lose.
The alternative would just be a scenario where both sides did try to go alone and suffered devastating defeats that they clearly could have avoided if they teamed up. Would you prefer to get stomped by the bad guys instead of the horde for a change?
We will have neutral content and so your going to have to accept content which has horde involvement. People talk about the Meta perspective but seem to forget that this is a work of fiction and it is up to the writers to determine the actual cost to achieve that meta goal. This is particularly important when trying to establish a functional villain.
I might point out that that meta perspective is also the reason that every desire for vengeance against the Horde will never play out. You cant go ‘Oh we would win anyway because the meta perspective means we will triumph regardless of the writing’ and then go ‘the horde should suffer cause otherwise it would be bad writing regardless of the meta’. Further, neutral content is a given because it is far less resource intensive to create. It is probably why they have used mounts to try and encourage people to play both sides. If only 50% of a playerbase sees a particular set of content it isn’t really particularly cost effective compared to neutral content that all your players will see.
On the one hand, I sympathize, because this is how a lot of Horde players felt about Argus. But on the other hand, I never thought the Alliance characters didn’t have a right to be there too, and I didn’t give any of them snide nicknames for the crime of being present.
I was still kind of on the fence between AR, and customization option. With them actually taking the time to build new dance animations, I think we’re looking at the next AR.
Why? The Junkers do seem to have a lot of work put into them, and their customization options are at least better than many of the other Allied Races introduced so far. Their lore seems relatively palatable; their civilization is fairly neat; and they do what the good ARs do right, and enhance the Lore of their respective Core Race in some way.
By all accounts, the only thing really working against the Junkers at this point is that they happen to be Gnomes. Not sure that’s sufficient reason to consider them a poorly constructed Allied Race…
My issue is, if we have to get a gnome allied race, why not give us real mechagnomes? Alliance already got discount high elves, I fail to see any good reason to not give us real mechagnomes.
Because REAL Mechagnomes aren’t a RACE. They have no individuality, no identity, they are completely automitons; tools built by Mimiron for TItan Research and Maintenance of Titan Constructs. The reason they all look identical to one another is because uniqueness is NOT something that is functionally useful for them to have (unless they are in a leadership position). They also don’t have any semblance of a civilization or society to play off of … they serve a purpose for the Titans; little else.
Fair enough, but the lore and look of Junkergnomes could be better. The lore should of had them as real mechagnomes who could reverse the curse of flesh or something, and not make them look like cyborgs. Idk, it just feels like a waste of an allied race slot to me.
Now it’s really only little things holding me back from outright calling them an AR. Like the sort of claw/vice-like hands on some of the models, which makes some weapon choices… weird (like guns, if they get Hunter). And how the mechanical arms, legs, and feet will interact with gear.
I’ve wanted playable Jinyu, in their own right, since MoP.
I think they’re fine enough for what they are. Their entire premise (at least with King Mechagon) is that he IS obsessed with returning to their Mechagnome roots; and removing from themselves all vestiges of the Curse of Flesh. Those we’re working with are those that merely believe in limits to that goal; believing enhancing themselves with mechanical components should suffice.
Also, I am VERY forgiving to this topic because Gnomes are one of the single most (if not THE most) neglected PC races in this game by this point. Them getting content (and even an AR devoted to them) is something I cannot claim is a waist due to that reality. As a Gob Maine, I can only hope one day I can benefit from even what Gnomes are being allowed right now (in its own small way).
I still disagree, gnomes aren’t appealing to me and many others, but they still deserve an allied race, it just feels like a missed opportunity for Mechagnomes.
Junkers are about the closest one could reasonably get to Mechagnomes and have them remain as an actual race; with the civilization and culture that comes with being a race. One of the biggest concerns I have with GilGoblins as a potential AR actually stems from that right now; because by all indications from their presence in Naz’jatar … they are an extremely new race barely into its infancy in developing a culture or civilization atm (which seems like a rather lackluster foundation to build an AR off of).
That is why I wonder why some people want them so badly. In the case of Vulpera we get a survivor culture where even against heavy odds they want to fight. They are very crafty as well. Very Horde themed, of the non villain bat type.