The Unfortunate Racist implication of Human Exceptionalism

[Caedmun-moon-guard (Caedmun)]

Oh hey it’s one of these threads! One that implies some weird racist undertone to the game. My favorite one was years back, when a blond haired light skinned blood elf poster was accusing the actual Alliance player base of choosing their faction due to white supremacy. Fortunately, (or sadly from an entertainment standpoint), the OP here isn’t QUITE so bonkers, but, definitely hyperbolic.

So hyperbolic in fact that it feels like satire. But to answer the question? I haven’t played a human character since Vanilla-BC, where I played a female human paladin shut up.

I’ve never, not even once, felt like some sort of “human exceptionalism” had any impact on my experience. I’m much more concerned with the nature of the character’s personalities and choices making sense than what character model they use. The closest I’ve gotten is wishing for more, say, dwarf or gnome development, or wondering what this or that group is up to. But who doesn’t wish those things for story elements they are interested in?

Same this is true during the stints I’ve mostly played on team red too. Until Sylvanas decided to trade in sanity in favor of being 4d-Xanatos, most of the Horde narrative boiled down to “orc drama”. Just the nature of the game. If I read posts like the OP seriously, I imagine them like the wild haired “Aliens!” meme guy. But, usually I read them as so over the top that I can’t imagine it as anything but a troll or satire.

[Akiyass-moon-guard (Akiyass)]

How many times have we seen a male-human paladin post that Anduin should kick Tyrande out of the Alliance or that High King is a literal Emperorship?

Can Tyrande just leave? Can that happen? I am sick of the factions, I just want to be left alone in my forest.

[Imfernal-emerald-dream (Imfernal)]

I read through this whole thing in anticipation for the words “race traitor” to come out of Rivendel’s mouth and damn, it got close. The anticipation was killing me. One day folks, we’ll get it one day.

[Drahliana-earthen-ring (Drahliana)]

But when it comes to Stormwind, there’s nothing distinctly Stormwindian, except the blue/gold and the lion motif,

The whole architecture is Stormwind Human… as the Human capital of the East Kingdom’s it’s profoundly Stormwindian especially after the major remodel. You would never mistake it for Darnassus, Ironforge, or Borallus.

[Hengist-moon-guard]

The whole architecture is Stormwind Human… as the Human capital of the East Kingdom’s it’s profoundly Stormwindian especially after the major remodel. You would never mistake it for Darnassus, Ironforge, or Borallus.

Perhaps you’re misunderstanding my point. Yes, there’s been a refresh, but it’s mainly a matter of increasing detail. The essence is pretty much the same.

No, I am talking about the context of distinct cultures of playable human races. As represented in game, Gilneans and Kul Tirans now how their own unique architecture (and cultures, but let’s stick to architecture for now). However, elsewhere, human cities employ the generic architecture used by the nation of Stormwind.

Examples, as used by the other human kingdoms:
Alterac: Ruins of Alterac
Lordaeron: Tyr’s Hand
Stromgarde: Stromgarde Keep
Kul Tiras: Theramore
Dalaran: Nethegarde Keep

It’s in this regard that I would say:

But when it comes to Stormwind, there’s nothing distinctly Stormwindian, except the blue/gold and the lion motif,

[Drahliana-earthen-ring (Drahliana)]

Perhaps you’re misunderstanding my point. Yes, there’s been a refresh, but it’s mainly a matter of increasing detail. The essence is pretty much the same.

No, I am talking about the context of distinct cultures of playable human races. As represented in game, Gilneans and Kul Tirans now how their own unique architecture (and cultures, but let’s stick to architecture for now). However, elsewhere, human cities employ the generic architecture used by the nation of Stormwind.

Examples, as used by the other human kingdoms:
Alterac: Ruins of Alterac
Lordaeron: Tyr’s Hand
Stromgarde: Stromgarde Keep
Kul Tiras: Theramore
Dalaran: Nethegarde Keep

That’s because all of these places have a common cultural seed… Stromgarde…the first of the Human cities. Kul Tiras evolved in isolation from the mainland Alliance of Lordaeron.

[Hengist-moon-guard]

That’s because all of these places have a common cultural seed… Stromgarde…the first of the Human cities. Kul Tiras evolved in isolation from the mainland Alliance of Lordaeron.

Do you have a source for this, or is it an educated guess? It’s certainly consistent with what we know, I will grant that, but I don’t see it being necessarily the case that Stormwind retains this generic human flavor when others haven’t. Up until “modern times”, Stormwind has arguably been the least physically accessible human kingdom, and thus have their own good reasons for developing a distinct flavor.

I think the truth is more that what we might call the “Stormwind Style” just hearkens back to the RTS building models, and that Blizz doesn’t want to deviate from them, because the Stormwind buildings represent the iconic Alliance buildings.

[Roghter-ghostlands (Roghter)]

Can’t include links in posts, because it’s very important that only be used for clips of Bender laughing.

But if you read the WoWpedia article on Arathor, the original human state, you’ll see it is the origin point for all of the human nations in game.

It’s references are the in game history text “Arathor and the Troll Wars” and “The Seven Kingdoms”

[Hengist-moon-guard]

Thank you for the response, but I should have been more clear in my prior question. I did know about the Arathor origin of the Seven Kingdoms. What I meant to ask for was a lore source that confirms that that the reason SW architecture is undifferentiated from “generic human architecture” is its holding to that earlier, common tradition. Because I’m much more inclined to believe that it’s simply because the developers really just didn’t have the time and resources to come up with lots of different models.

Case in point, for many years the Forsaken used human architecture too, with the dark/gloomy reskins. Is it canon that they actually rebuilt most of their buildings, or was the refresh just something that the devs had always meant to exist but had more pressing priorities to work on?

[Roghter-ghostlands (Roghter)]

What I meant to ask for was a lore source that confirms that that the reason SW architecture is undifferentiated from “generic human architecture” is its holding to that earlier, common tradition.

Ahh, then no. We are left with 3 scenarios it seems. Scenario 1, the Arathi Empire schismed and 5 of its 7 constituents evolved on identical architectural lines, unlikely. Scenario 2, the Arathi Empire schismed and 5 of its 7 constituents were architecturally stagnant for almost 3,000 years, hard to imagine but in line with other time jumps in this fictional universe. Scenario 3, of course Stromgarde relies on older and more militant architecture, of course Alterac is going to build their houses to survive the bitter cold winters, but Blizzard isn’t going to adopt wholly new aesthetic styles for nations that don’t exist anymore.

I understand why you choose to believe Scenario 3, personally I do as well. But Scenario 3 is a game development decision and not a lore explanation. So not only is it not an alternative to the other two, it actually makes one of the other two likely.

[Hengist-moon-guard]

Great points. My hope is that the generics are non-canon, but I totally agree that they’re not going to do stylized treatments to the lesser/defunct kingdoms.

[Faelinthia-moknathal (Faelinthia)]

@Hengist-moon-guard

Case in point, for many years the Forsaken used human architecture too, with the dark/gloomy reskins. Is it canon that they actually rebuilt most of their buildings, or was the refresh just something that the devs had always meant to exist but had more pressing priorities to work on?

It seems to be canon that the Forsaken previously used dilapidated buildings from pre-Scourge ravaged Lordaeron. In Cataclysm, Brill was updated with the Forsaken architecture and an NPC there comments on it.

Quest: The New Forsaken
Deathguard Dillinger: Speaking frankly, the Forsaken of yesteryear were a sniveling, pathetic group. We huddled together in decrepit old human buildings, hiding from the Scourge, cowering from the Alliance, and groveling at the foot of the Horde. Look before you now, and see the product of the new Forsaken. We have made our mark here on Azeroth, and that mark will grow.

For the other human kingdoms, I think there is a good chance they each have their own style of architecture and just use the Stormwind architecture as a placeholder.

Tiragarde Keep (in Durotar) is a Kul Tiran fort that uses it but Kul Tirans are now established to have their own architecture.
Tiragarde Keep:

Ambermill (in Silverpine Forest) is a Gilnean Village that uses it but Gilneans are now established to have their own architecture.
Ambermill:

Pyrewood Village (in Silverpine) is another Gilnean Village that previously used it before Cataclysm but was updated with Gilnean architecture in Cataclysm.
Pre-Cata Pyrewood Village:

Post-Cata Pyrewood Village:

[Bektokal-zuljin-820778]

Chill

[Hengist-moon-guard]

Wow, thanks for all of those details. They show that the generic model is a placeholder at least some of the time.

Personally, as someone who also plays Forsaken, I’d love to see a little more distinctiveness in the old Lordaeron buildings as well. It’s too much to expect, I know. But if the ruins of their capital city look much more elegant and slender than Stormwind, why would their towns look the same? It’s a pipe dream, but it would be nice to see the remaining Lordaeron buildings (Hearthglen, Tyr’s Hand, etc.) in a similar mould, halfway between the stout blockiness of Stormwind and the sleek elegance of High/Blood Elf.

[Borigrad-auchindoun (Borigrad)]

New theory: Arthas is gonna help us kill Sylvanas, and he’s gonna say something like “I Know what kind of monster Sylvanas is, I used to be her until you saved me from myself, time to repay my debt to azeroth.” Cause blizz can’t themselves but have another Blonde haired, blue eyed and white human be the hero of the story.

[Nioruf-thrall (Nioruf)]

Am I the weirdo for thinking that trolls are pretty cool, despite also liking Blood Elves?

[Akiyass-moon-guard (Akiyass)]

Honestly, there wasn’t a race I didn’t like until World of Warcraft launched.

back in 2002, Night Elves were always my favorite, but I liked orcs too, trolls were an awesome and unique design, Kael’thas was super cool and the Blood Elves had the Legolas aesthetic that was popular at the time with the release of Lord of the Rings. Arthas was the personification of my edgy, goth teenaged years, and the undead was the goth aesthetic I always loved.

The came WoW. Much of what drew me to Night Elves is being retconned and/or deconstructed as Blizzard takes them in the direction of the typical Tolkien Wood Elf Tropes, which was a nich originally occupied by Blood Elves. Orc became blundering idiots who can’t keep themselves out of a war, even when their lives literally depend on it. Trolls still have a cool and unique design, but they are little more than the sidekicks to the blundering idiot orcs, and Blizzard’s go-to filler content, making their cities dungeons and raids.

Blood Elves became notorious for switching sides, and were depicted as preppy high school “mean girls” tropes, with equally preppy men only with somewhat homophobic undertones. We were forced to kill Kael’thas, who was the only iconic Blood Elf Character from WC3, and the namesake of the race itself.

All in all, the race that was handled the best in WoW from WC3 was the Forsaken… but that was only initially. Now with all of Sylvanas’ shenanigans, there is little the Forsaken have that I can still enjoy.

Honestly… I love Night Elves out of spite at this point. A refusal to allow Blizzard to ruin something I enjoy yet again.

The other races I enjoy? Well, they are the races that have just been mostly ignored by Blizzard altogether. Gnomes and Dwarves are lucky, honestly. They don’t have to worry about Blizzard destroying everything that makes them enjoyable with content.

Notices Mechagon at the corner of her eye.

No… No, it can’t be…

[Fythra-madoran (Fythra)]

Heck no! I like many of the races in this game, but my two favorite are Blood Elves and Trolls.

[Carmageddon-bloodsail-buccaneers]

New theory: Arthas is gonna help us kill Sylvanas, and he’s gonna say something like “I Know what kind of monster Sylvanas is, I used to be her until you saved me from myself, time to repay my debt to azeroth.” Cause blizz can’t themselves but have another Blonde haired, blue eyed and white human be the hero of the story.

As I and others pointed out in a different thread, Blizzard would be insanely tone deaf to write a narrative that has Arthas, of all people, getting to triumph over Sylvanas, his most famous victim.

[Raselle-kargath (Raselle)]

Admittedly it could depend upon what “part” of Arthas we’re talking about. If it’s just plain Arthas, that’d be a problem. If we encounter some “Matthias Lehner”-style remnant of the positive humanity he ignored as he fell to corruption and cast away upon becoming the Lich King, then it’s not necessarily the same thing as handing the “real Arthas” a triumph over her, since that’d arguably be the same sort of entity that was trying unsuccessfully to stop him all along, and would have justified grounds for wanting to atone for failing by trying to prevent another “Arthas” from winning. Especially if it’s made clear that the “real” Arthas who did all those terrible things is still languishing in the Maw, while as in Icecrown said remnant of his fading better self can do little more than passively help the player rather than actually try to stop Sylvanas or the Jailer himself.