As someone that typically likes to always RP as taking part of the current plot in at least some capacity, I have to admit that I’m very nervous about the premise of Shadowlands. I’ll be forthcoming and admit right away that I know little about it (though I expect most are in the same boat here), but I’m especially worried that the “average adventurer” isn’t going to have the means of even being in the Shadowlands. Thus, we’ll have to stick to RPing outside of the ongoing narrative or pluck some reason out of our butts to justify our participation.
I’ve been nervous about this in past expansions as well – especially Legion, with all of us being the sole wielders of legendary artifact weapons. But the community seemed to adapt pretty quickly and just say that they’re fancy weapons of our own creation or whatever. But with Shadowlands, what if the means of getting there isn’t provided for the average person? How will you deal with this?
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No idea what most of the lore will be, but I’m hoping that as usual there will be some portal system to take you there. So once all the heroes clear the way, the rest of us muppets can take the supply lines portal over and explore. Much the same as Nazjatar in this expansion, none of my characters were -on- any of the ships that sunk, they just took the established portals there latter.
(Well maybe the rogue was on a ship, passed out drunk after trying to steal a barrel of rum from the cargo hold by drinking it all.)
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I definitely feel like this is going to be a very bad expansion for the RP scene. Maybe, if the expansion itself turns out to be good and can draw people back, the RP community will still be able to flourish as its own environment just from the new surge of activity… but in terms of lore, I can’t shake this sinking feeling in my gut that Shadowlands is going to be even more of a inspirational dead end than Warlords of Draenor turned out to be.
It might be cool or interesting on its own. I just can’t imagine how I will integrate any of this for my characters.
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First, imma get a relic from Nya’lotha
Second, take the relic i just retconned in from Emerald Dream/Nightmare
third, go to the Maelstrom
oh no magic stuff is happening!
bam, shadowlands
I pretty much do that all the time, anyway.
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Pretty much what people above are saying. If my characters can’t go there by conventional means, I’ll just… ignore the storylines and go about my business, doing whatever it is an Isa does.
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I am not optimistic I can say that for sure. I don’t really like how BFA turned out just as I didn’t like how WoD turned out but I really liked Legion, Wrath, Cata and TBC overall. Overall most of the expansions were good enough I am totally going to give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment, but we’ll see when we start seeing news from the alpha if we should be really worried or if Blizzard actually listened to feedback and the narrative improves.
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I think if the covenants are sufficiently aesthetic / interesting, people will be RPing with them. Lore or otherwise. As for the entire idea of Shadowlands? Eh. I’ve stepped away from Blizzard so I don’t account for much. People figured their business out in WoD and Legion and so on and et cetera. People, particularly RPers, will solve the issues themselves. I’d be much, much more worried about everything else frankly than “will we find a way”.
Because the answer is yes, RPers find a way.
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I got into WoW shortly before Burning Crusade dropped. Vanilla had its own idiosyncrasies, but wasn’t too out there as far as fantasy settings went I adapted. The next thing I knew, there were classical high elves in the Horde, blue goat people with spaceships in the Alliance, and demons from outer space.
Then my character has to go through a portal into a world that looked like an increasingly trippy series of acid metal posters in order to face down a buff shirtless tribal tattoo riddled half-demon elf badass, dual wielding double-bladed swords named STORMRAGE.
Nothing I’ve experienced in WoW since then has matched that sudden shift in scope, tone, or lore.
All I can say to Shadowlands is: bring it. 
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From my understanding anyone that went into the Shadowlands with the Hero got sent into the Maw. At least that is what I think they said at Blizzcon. So with that in mind no one really would be able to RP in the Shadowlands. Something about how since the Hero character is close to Azeroth or whatever they were able to get free of the Maw. But Tyrande is also supposed to have a questline so maybe they changed their minds on that? Or her Night Warrior powers allowed her to. We do have the pre patch which will have the Scourge out of control and invading so that is something I could see people using to RP while getting through Shadowlands.
I’m more worried about them doing a time skip after Shadowlands…
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This sums up my feelings toward it as a Pandaren RPer, but needed a Goblin’s touch to properly convey it!
I do think the covenants are going to be very hit-or-miss for people. They seem like something you can’t ignore even if you’re not in one (RP wise). Xing is a more simple Pandaren and won’t be joining one IC. But, due to the aesthetic changes the provide (and that we don’t fully know about), she’s not going to be able to pretend like they don’t exist either. Someone is going to walk up to her looking like some angel or spawn of heck. Going to raise questions! Looking forward to the interactions.
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(Statement): Unit Exacitor shall invent a device to temporarily cause all vitals to cease and immediately place the affect individual into stasis, allowing for a journey to the Shadowlands naturally.
(Alternative): If Demons can get there I’m imagining some mages with portal spells can figure out how to do it once the sky has literally shattered.
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Considering from what I understand the PC is the only one who is super special enough to escape super hell and traverse the actual shadowlands?
DK RP’ers: Been there, done that. Hated it so much that we came back.
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FFXVI did this, and it killed the rp for me.
“The whole expansion takes place in a tangent realm where only our hero can travel.”
…
But for WoW? I doubt it’ll be like that at all. Sylvanas shatters the veil between worlds. Everyone going to Northrend will be able to see the Shadowlands like the Upside Down that it is, looming over us.
And from what was available at Blizzcon, I don’t think it’ll be the story of one ‘hero’ taking on the whole thing.
So for me, this is no different than defending Azeroth from the Burning Legion. It’s a new threat.
And I’ll be honest, I look forward to being around san’layn atmosphere as a Worgen. >.>
It really just depends on how they present it.
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im not nervous because by the time its out ill probably be on a sunny beach, wondering where my eyes went
Yeah, I’m kind of hoping that either:
A. Canonically it’ll be a situation of “Uh…the Shadowlands is broken right now due to unforeseen circumstances.” and all souls get effected by the mess until it gets fixed. (Makes me kind of think of the Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett where folks couldn’t properly die for a while when Death went into retirement, so weird stuff started happening to people who were meant to die, yet couldn’t.)
B. Something along those lines becomes the accepted RP headcanon to make up for the fact that not a whole lot of people are keen on RPing the Champion of Azeroth-style narrative.
(It’s really hard for me to imagine there only being one person who is “the hero” in an MMO.
In my head, I always like to think that it’s actually multiple people who contributed to all of these things, but the accomplishments tend to get attributed to one mythological figure that probably doesn’t actually exist because it’s difficult to hunt down whoever did these things. So, storytellers just make up this vague Hero of Azeroth figure, and exaggerate the heck out of everything to inspire youths who may want to become heroes themselves one day.
It’s silly and a bit of a stretch, but since that’s how mythology tends to play out in real life examples, I could see it.)
(Commentary): Don’t forget Hildebrand.
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