Wielding Azerite is a startling experience that fills one’s body with an abundance of energy, heightens comprehension, and causes one’s mind to be filled with brilliant and innovative ideas. [Anduin Wrynn] compared the sensation to the [Light], but much more intense and more physical than spiritual.[[20]] [Velen] considered the sensation to be similar to holding a piece of a [naaru].[[23]] The exact effects seem to differ from person to person:
When Anduin Wrynn held an Azerite pebble, his weariness and the grief for [his father] vanished, replaced by surging energy. His mind raced with strategies to ensure a lasting peace benefiting every being on Azeroth. Furthermore, his body reached new levels of strength, dexterity, and control, making him feel like he could move mountains, end war, and channel the Light into every dark corner. He felt exultant, but the same time perfectly calm and certain how to channel the rush of power. Even when he placed the Azerite in a handkerchief in his pocket and was no longer directly touching it, the sensation remained present and noticeable, albeit less intense.
(Its from the wowpedia page on azerite and cites bts but I don’t have enough good boy points to link stuff)
And honestly, that kinda falls in line with the interview question that claimed Anduin’s pride played into him attacking Undercity. If he was filled with a sense of power and certainty and plans to bring peace to all of Azeroth, he would possibly see Sylvanas as an obstacle to those plans. Especially if he were goaded on by the likes of Genn (before he was neutered)
I legit believe that some guys at the top and a few writers actually wanted to make an Alliance soul finding quest but being more nuance than the Garrosh Uberorc ideology and using Trolls at the main actor to show the shaddy past of the Alliance that nobody wants to talk much.
However with the team of writers being changed in Legion and the incorporation of the likes of Golden, that few people that wanted a more grey faction war was out-voted and the whole expansion re-written to give the Alliance faction their high ground of morality while shoe-horning and giving spotlight to their pet characters (Jaina, Anduin and Nathanos) with the build up toward SL as their emergency button in case nobody liked their tolkienshi story and keep their jobs.
This does not seem to be the case. About thirty-five minutes in Metzen explained how the idea to burn Teldrassil and make Sylvanas dastardly came from up top from the game team, and then later they came to the story team to ask them to express these ideas that the game team had decided on, and that specifically Golden was not in charge of what happened:
I remember that Azerite was originally compared to plutonium, but it never really delivered on that outside of pirates blowing up a gate and Horde and Alliance building giant, and pretty much useless, tanks.
Though I am inclinced to say that Azerite was never going to be much more than a MacGuffin, serving no other purpose than to just get the overall plot and conflict rolling. (Though it does not entirely fit the description of a MacGuffin, as Azerite was used to a certain degree and played a certain role.)
Like Calavar already said: The “What” was already decided on, but the “how” had to be tacked on afterwards.
I think Shadowlands was always going to happen regardless of how Battle for Azeroth played out in the first place. The only major difference would have been the ‘grayness’ of the conflict.
Right now the conflict in BfA is as gray as a rainbow. You had the Alliance as the good guys, the Horde as the bad ones and not much else in between. (Also making statements from some Alliance leaders after Orgrimmar outright ridiculous like Moiras. “Yeah the Alliance and Horde did some bad.” Yeah, right Moira. Please point me to the whole “Alliance committing a genocide” in BfA.)
But this statement goes against what Afrasiabi said that the writers are left with all the liberty to push whatever story they want and I doubt the Top is really having long meets for the next expansion theme (Ion himself has showed in many interviews his knowledge in what happens in the story is superficial)
Speaking of Golden, she is a senior writer now and likely the second most important person in that deparment only after Danuser and I don’t buy for a second they aren’t going to voice their disgust whenever they see something they don’t like or try to push their agenda (Just take a close look at Nathanos spotlight in BFA and SL is going to be even bigger than most neutral npc we’ve quested so far or Jaina going from “beware of my” to “let’s do a groupal hug”)
Considering the SL foreshadow started really hard after during 8.1.5 when the expansion was still very critized and Sylvanas thoughs were declared non canon with the statement in SL that she has been working for years with the Jailer, you can pick clearly they rushed the start of the next expansion just like they did in the past.
Probably she meant the backstory of the races that are part of the alliance now, besides probably she isn’t found of her clan history with trying to wipe out the dark irons and caused them to summon Ragnaros in desperation.
Not really. For example, Terran Gregory described how Afrasiabi decided that for Tides of Vengeance the Night Elves were going to return to Darkshore, but that’s all Afrasiabi declared and left the writing of “Terror of Darkshore” entirely up to Gregory.
So both Metzen’s and Afrasiabi’s statements are likely true.
Whatever story Metzen thought he was working on with the BfA cinematic doesn’t match with the expansion we got. We know he was surprised by the burning of Teldrassil.
But there’s a lot in BtS that doesn’t match the way things are developing either. Sylvanas’s thoughts about the events of Legion have been retconned already, and her plan to attack Stormwind never appeared anywhere except in that book.
So I wonder, does BtS represent an intermediate rewrite stage that was then rewritten again?
Too be honest ,… even thinking about this makes me even more sad on so many levels.
Don’t want to. Just want to get over BFA and forget it. In order to do so I just sincerely hope they build up a new Teldrassil and NE ressurection story in SL for 10.0
Else it will most certainly be the last time I even consider playing WoW and move on.
I just paused for whole of BFA now and only came back because of some development directions in term sof Tyrande and some hints for regrow of Teldrassil happened.
So if Blizzard can deliver it, fine, I can be with WoW again, if the disapoint me again, it’s finally over. Either way.
Reading that me realize how weird it is that we didn’t see Sylvanas going all out with the Forsaken-making this expansion. We should’ve seen the Forsaken gathering corpses from the battlefields to get more soldiers (and intel…), but they only did that with Darkshore.
I am 90% sure we will see that in SL as side story strangs.
Blizzard loves to rehash content no matter how much it is hated. And they developed the warfront system, so they will keep using it.
I see this happening in SL probably with Turalyon on the throne and the NEs up for vengence. Remember we have our top diplomat currently running the NEs: Maiev.
Well with every soul being tossed in the Maw, mass raising them would have been counter productive to the overall goal. Her not wanting to do so should have been warning sign, particularly Lor’Themar who had arguments with her over that very matter.
They likely obfuscated her not doing this with the raising of horde troops at UC, Raising select Night Elves at Darkshore, Zelling and Amalia Stone (who died and was raised without getting a whiff of the Maw), and raising older dead from before the “Maw Funnel” becoming active like Derek and Valentine, even when it made no sense.
Basically fewer times but more controversial so they stayed in everyone’s mind and we didn’t notice the out of character restraint. As loathe as I am to compliment them over BFA, they did a nice job on this part.
Now you have me wondering if Valentine went back where he should have been or went to the Maw…
To add to this, some other things that were built up in BtS and never went anywhere:
Sylvanas’s plan to raise all the inhabitants of Stormwind as undead (seems counterproductive if you’re trying to send souls to the Maw to feed the Jailer)
Azerite’s effect on the mind of a person who touches it
Azerite in general–it was built up as this all-important resource that the Horde and Alliance would be fighting over, and in the actual expansion, only Magni and Lady Ashvane really seemed to care about it
And I’ve been searching for the quote, but I know I remember some dev saying that BfA would wrap up the faction conflict for good. At the time, I expected that we’d end the expansion with both sides having Azerite stockpiles and mutually assured destruction.
Anduin’s opening line is particularly interesting: “Champions of the Alliance! The time has come for us to claim what is rightfully ours! The final push to retake Lordaeron keep commences at dawn. The Horde and their Warchief will answer for their crimes!”
Could this be a bit of dialogue left over from a version of the story where the Lordaeron attack came first? The fact that Anduin’s speech opens with the emphasis on “claim[ing] what is rightfully ours” sounds a little out of place with the storyline as it eventually happened. And the mention of the “final push to retake Lordaeron” makes it sound like there has been an ongoing campaign for some time. The vague reference to Horde “crimes” would still fit, if we assume that was part of the justification for invading Lordaeron.
It’s not definite proof, of course, but it is interesting. If the story did get rewritten in a hurry, they’d want to keep as many of the old voice lines as they could.
Taliesen (Alliance Main) confirmed he was the one who inspired Golden (probably Alliance Main) to use Calia Menethil for the character in the script she was given for the book; the Undead Forsaken Character Raised By The Light was not Calia originally but did exist and was going to be part of the storyline.
Metzen (notoriously lover of Honorable and/or Anti Hero Horde) worked on this cinematic, he was surprised at the burning of Teldrassil
Both Danuser and Golden like Game of Thrones; Danuser liked the Red Wedding episode.
Afrasiabi wrote Honorable Stonetalon Garrosh, he insisted the Horde would be honorable again during the WoT and that Sylvanas in BFA wouldn’t be MoP Garrosh 2.0, and he has since left Blizzard
The roles/titles/responsibilities of Afrasiabi are being rolled into Danuser’s, hierarchy is thus All Story Team/Writers report to Danuser, Danuser reports to Bottegoni.
When the Horde bombs Brennadam, it is in vengeance for something unspecific as per Rexxar, who is generally extremely honorable. Furthermore, the Horde players are never asked to participate in this siege, and it is only seen by the Alliance.
The inclusion of the San’layn into the Horde is only ever seen by Alliance players, the Horde is not told at all about any of this, let alone about the San’layn murdering Horde members or Alliance members.
The Goblins trying to rob the Zandalari is only ever seen by Alliance players, the Horde is not told at all about this.
Brother Pike makes it seem like the use of Void among the Tidesages is forbidden, but Brother Zelling makes it seem like it was extremely widespread among the Tidesages and only a faction was 100% anti-Void.
The attempts of the Alliance to work with the Blood Trolls is not seen by the Horde either, and also didn’t amount to anything in the narrative.
Jaina is seen entering the Throne Room, but is not part of the Rastakhan fight.
Siege of Lordaeron cinematic does not mention Teldrassil.