The people's with the highest standards of living

I will be ranking all the playable races by how well off I think they are in terms of standard of living. Feel free to make adjustments, since I will be ranking them subjectively, if you feel a ranking is wrong, feel free to point it out. We’ll start out from worst and move up to the best. I suppose we could use real world standards as a baseline to compare, I don’t know what else to use.

Worst quality of life - Darkspear Trolls. Living standards appear to be very basic, very primitive technology, their magic styles negligibly make their lives better.

Poor quality of life - Forsaken. they live in tombs, underground cities, very unhygienic places, and seeing as how Forsaken can’t enjoy many luxuries (cant taste food for example) little resources get put into improving the quality of life. And this was before they lost everything in the 4th war.

Poor quality of life - Void Elves. When they left Silvermoon, they didn’t bring much with them. Spending most of your day fighting off the spooky voices in your head means you have little time for things like quality of life or luxuries. Probably classifies more as experimental weapons than a people.

Poor quality of life - Vuplera, a scavenger people with little resources or wealth, who live in a desert. Life is hard for them, though they endure.

Medium quality of life - Zandalari Trolls. They are more civilized, and seem to have more wealth than the Darkspear. The upper castes live in relative luxury.

Medium quality of life - Tauren. While they don’t partake of many luxuries, they do seem to be well off in terms of having their basic needs met. Mulgore is plentiful in resources, and many Tauren are skilled craftsmen.

Medium quality of life- Orcs. They seem to be industrious enough to etch them selves out a decent existence, though the warlike attitude means they put much of their resources toward war efforts rather than improving their quality of life.

Medium quality of life - Worgen. Gilnean worgen probably lost most, if not all of their wealth when Gilneas fell and they had to leave everything behind when they evacuated. However, thanks to the generosity of the night elves and of stormwind, Gilnean Worgen are able to live decently.

High quality of life - Dwarves, especially Ironforge ones. They seem to be an industrialized society, who put plenty of resources into good foods and beers. Ironforge is a very safe, cozy place to live.

High Quality of life - Stormwind humans. Humans seem to live well, Stormwinds economy is strong, its people productive. There is no shortages of food. But there is wealth inequality. The nobles live lives of extensive luxury, while commoners live mediocre lives.

*High quality of life - Night Elves. Their strong connection to nature through their druids allows them to readily have available food, timber, and many other resources. The average individual seems to live well. There is a form of aristocracy, but wealth inequality does not seem to be a problem. *(Since the burning of Teldrassil, and the night elves current state of a refugee population, they have slipped down to Medium quality of life. However, Stormwind seems to be helping keep them from slipping into poor quality of life category).

High Quality of life - Draenei. Very advanced technology, and a very spiritual people. Though technically a refugee population, their powerful technology, magic, and generosity toward each other allows them to live good lives.

High Quality of life - Gnomes. Also a refugee population, but again, extremely advanced technology and engineering skills lets them barter with the alliance in exchange for good pay and good lives. People go out of their way to hire gnomes when they need help with an engineering problem.

High quality of life - Goblins. Advanced tech, and a very commerce oriented people. While some of their number may live in slums the races combined wealth probably makes them the richest race on Azeroth. (Though there is extreme wealth inequality).

High quality of life - Blood Elves. Much wealth and magic seems to be put toward luxury in Silvermoon. Lavish wines and feasts are common. The Sunwell, a perpetual energy machine, can power virtually anything, making nearly any project far easier. As Highborne, they probably have large wealth inherited from their ancestors, especially the nobles.

High quality of life - Nightborne. Again, much resources put into lavish feasts and wine. Magic used to make life easier, and they appear to be a very wealthy people, perhaps even competing with the goblin race in terms of total wealth.

Highest quality of life - Pandaren. They aren’t the richest people, but they probably make the best foods and drinks, and live in balance, thus their society is probably very chill, and doesn’t have many of the problems others on this list have. Pandaria is a very bountiful land in terms of harvests and resources. They may not be able to get every luxury they want, but they probably live the happiest lives of anyone on this list.

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Standard of living is extremely contextual and subjective. Perhaps amend your post by stating that you’re comparing it to an anchoring standard (let’s be honest, it’s humans/IRL humans).

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I think Benedikt actually had a good idea on exploring stuff like this.

I can’t find the exact post, but, if you think about it; the Forsaken don’t actually need anything for comfort or necessity, and you could measure the standard of living of the Forsaken by the normalcy that surrounds it. Beds would be like sports cars - lavish luxuries they don’t actually need. Owning a building that doesn’t exist for some more useful purpose like constructing goods, big flex there, too.

Something that focuses less on poverty versus wealth, but wasteful luxury for an individual coming out of a situation that is more or less apocalyptic survival.

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I think in order to make statements about this, we should definitely first record certain things.

Let’s say, a few basic criteria.

Fundamental needs

  • Access to drinking water
  • Access to food
  • Possibility to reach adulthood

Basic Needs

  • Access to Education
  • Ability to complete vocation/education without being threatened by war or death.

Advanced Needs

  • Possibility to accumulate wealth
  • Possibilities not only to satisfy basic needs, but to have those in abundance
  • Possibility to grow old
  • Stable living environment and care

Luxury

  • Access to great wealth (Theoretical)
  • Safe living environment

Anything lesser than 5 is in this case means Poor quality of Life
Anything lesser then 7 in this case means Medium quality of life
Anything less then 9 in this case means Advanced quality of life
Anything equal 10 or higher in this case means high quality of life

So, lets start with ORCS as an example

Fundamental needs

  • Access to drinking water - Nop 0
  • Access to food - Partly 0,5
  • Possibility to reach adulthood - Partly 0,5

Sum=1

basic

  • Access to Education - partly
  • Ability to complete vocation/education without being threatened by war or death. - nop

sum:0,5

advanced

  • Possibility to accumulate wealth - yes
  • Possibilities not only to satisfy basic needs, but to have those in abundance - nop
  • Possibility to grow old - partly

sum:1,5

Luxus

  • Access to great wealth (Theoretical) - nop
  • Safe living environment - nop

Sum= 3

So, orcs are in a poor quality of Life.

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Very true, I had forgotten that Forsaken hardly “need” anything. Thus technically anything is a luxury for them.

Wish granted.

Great. Well, not to be a buzzkill, but I think while it’s certainly a fun exercise to do, it’s kind of inherently racist. I loathe to be that guy, but saying stuff like “trolls have primitive technology and their magic is not as good [as humans’]” is pretty… questionable. I’m certain they think they have a great quality of life.

Idk, just a thought.

I am not racist against Trolls. I gave the Zandalari a higher ranking, because they deserved it. Darkspear tech is factually stone age era.

So i´ll start with every Race now, seperated in Horde and Alliance:
i´ll start with horde
Horde: Darkspear

sum:1,5

Sum:0,5

Sum:1

0,5
Sum= 3,5

Darkspear: Live in poor Quality of Live

Tauren:

2,5

1

3

1

sum: 7,5

Tauren Live in Medium Quality of Life

Forsaken:

3

1

3

1

Sum:8 Forsaken Advanced Quality of life

Bloodelves:

3

1

4

2

Sum:10

bloodelf: High quality of life

goblins

2,5

1

3

1

Goblin:7,5, Advanced Quality of Life

Suramar:

3

2

4

2

11: Nightborne High quality to life

Zandalari

3

2

4

10: Zandalar: High quality of life

Vulpera:

1,5

0,5

1

Vulpera:3, poor Quality of life

Highmountain:

3

2

3,5

1

Highmountain=9,5 High quality/Advanced Quality of Life

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Alliance:

Human (Stormwind)

2,5

1

4

1,5

Human of Stormwind-> Sum: 9 => Advanced quality of life

Dwarfs of Ironforge:

3

2

4

1,5

Dwarfs of Ironforge -> 10,5: High quality of life

Gnome:

3

2

4

Gnomes-> 10,5, High Quality of Life

Nightelfs:

2,5

0,5

0,5

1

Night elfs -> 4,5, Poor Quality of Life

Draenei:

3

1,5

3,5

2

Draenei -> 10, High quality of life

Worgen:

2,5

0,5

1

1

Worgen-> 5, Poor quality of life

Lightforged Army

1

1

2,5

lightforged ->4,5, Poor quality of life

Voidelves:

1

2

1,5

Voidelves->4,5 Poor Quality of life

Darkiron

2,5

1,5

3,5

1

Darkirons->7,5, Advanced quality of Life

Kul’Tiras

3

2

4

2

Kul’Tirans -> 11, Hih quality of life

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Horde - Allianz Comparison

High Quality of Life Horde

10: Zandalar: High quality of life
11: Nightborne High quality to life
10: bloodelf: High quality of life

Alliance High Quality of Life

Kul’Tirans -> 11, Hih quality of life
Draenei -> 10, High quality of life
Gnomes-> 10,5, High Quality of Life
Dwarfs of Ironforge -> 10,5: High quality of life

3:4


Advanced quality of life

Horde:
Goblin:7,5, Advanced Quality of Life
Sum:8 Forsaken Advanced Quality of life
Tauren Live in Advanced Quality of Life
Highmountain=9,5 High quality/Advanced Quality of Life

Alliance:
**Human of Stormwind-> Sum: 9 **
Darkirons->7,5, Advanced quality of Life

4:2


Medium Quality of Life

Horde:

Alliance:

both zero

0:0


Poor Quality of Life:

Horde:
orcs
Darkspear: Live in poor Quality of Live
Vulpera:3, poor Quality of life

Alliance:
Night elfs -> 4,5, Poor Quality of Life
Worgen-> 5, Poor quality of life
lightforged ->4,5, Poor quality of life
Voidelves->4,5 Poor Quality of life

3:4

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I would add factors like

  • ability to succeed in vocation of choice
  • free access to knowledge (I differentiate knowledge and education here, education is a basic whereas knowledge is lifelong)

As criteria too, which I would rank poorly for several races. Quality of life isn’t just about quality for the standard individuals of the race, it’s also for the outliers who do not wish to take up traditional roles in their society- how well do they do? But obviously quality of sustenance is still a higher ranked factor.

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Darkspear get to chill on the beach in little bungalows and herd dinosaurs for a living if they don’t want to become soldiers.

Wouldn’t exactly call that terrible.

I’d argue the Zandalari should be higher ranked. They live in a huge, sprawling city of stone and gold with multiple inns/restaurants, plenty of options for recreation, and unlike most Azerothian races have a predisposition toward enjoying the jungle and wilderness regions of their home. They’ve also enjoyed what is probably the most peaceful existence on the planet outside Pandaria until very recently.

Even their Casteless, who are vagabonds mostly, get to live in relative safety and have a god who looks out specifically for them.

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The Post probably would have been better titled.

“Best Matches To My Entitled Suburban Materialist Lifestyle”.

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If that were the case, I wouldn’t have ranked the pandaren the highest, as I pointed out, they aren’t the richest people on this list.

Thrall’s balls, Zahir, could we get a ‘hide details’ on that wall?!

And some of the responses to this fun thread… I swear, if it’s not about racism or Night Elves, some people here will make it sure it is.

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