While I agree gameplay comes first, the PC themselves is more of a tool for the story then the focus of the story. In Legion we were the focus, I’ll say that, as we were the leaders of entire organizations. In BfA it’s less so, we’re more errand Boys then generals or heroes. We do kill big threats but many other times the problem is solved by, say, a character using a massive magical power to trivialize the obstacles ahead, like Jaina’s entire role in the Battle for Undercity, or Saurfang getting Sylvanas to quit.
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Notice how I said with my pals. I wasnt implying I did. I’m implying blizzard designs the game expirience around the player and writes in some shlock to justify it all. That’s how it’s always been.
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Maybe they don’t care about the politics, but they get a fat paycheck out of it and a chance at whatever fancy thing was left behind by the Threat of the Week.
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Still the story is told through the pc’s POV, either you are a errand boy or the ashbringer, the POV is yours not anduins, not sylvanas’s not saurfangs.
One of the central complaints about the games is that it stopped being about YOUR CHARACTER a while ago. Your character is merely an observer of the story. The story is about how confused the horde is and Anduin teaching them how to be honorable.
If you take a look at Vanilla through WotLK when a racial leader shows up you know it’s a big deal. Now they are basically always around. They need to drastically step that back and put the focus back on the PC uncovering the story instead of a racial leader telling them the story. It looks like they are doing this in shadowlands so I’m hopeful.
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I dont see anduin stopping Nzoth, i Think the game is too much about the PC it effect world building in a bad way. I think your to focused on a minor part of the story, I can tell you as a alliance player our story wasnt about anduin teaching the horde anything.
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Faction Pride is an advertising slogan and, franky, pure tribalistic crap.
However, I don’t think humanity existing in fantasy is an egotistical thing. I think it’s a thing of inspiration. Nothing new is under the sun, as everything we see right now is influenced by cultures, historical events and world views, both new and old.
Humanity is one such inspiration, in that we are a truly unique and fascinating species. Out of the thousands of animals that occupy Planet Earth, we were the only ones smart enough to invent forms of communication, make use of critical thought and bypass the needs of evolution by our ability to envision, test, deduct and create.
We’re having this discussion, right now, with devices we somehow made from electric rocks, with its messages traveling thousands of miles in seconds. Humanity has left the planet and walked upon the distant moon. Humanity has made weapons so powerful, so long reaching, that it can end all life on the planet.
That is astounding. That is awe-inspiring. So when I think of humanity and their ‘quick to master’ trope in fantasy, I see it only in the way our history reflects us in real history and how that could form a very clear idea that we are capable of great things.
Why it’s humanity that leads the Alliance narrative? A lack of imagination, by my wagering. I don’t think it’s deliberately implying racism by showing both the best and worst humanity has to offer.
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Just wanna say I like your transmog Gladwell.
While I do generally agree with you, we’re not the only species to do this, but we are the one best suited for it. Elephants, Chimps, Parrots, Crows, and some other animals can all communicate and use critical thought, though generally to a lesser degree. We are the only species to truly form civilizations though, so were the base of all fantasy civilizations. I think the bigger issue is Euro-centrism, were most fantasy writers use Europe for their generic fantasy kingdoms. Other Civilizations of the world get left behind, or forced to be some fantasy race that really only captures the most barebone aspects of it.
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Kat and Drach be like those people who say to people with depression “Just stop being sad.”
Wow, I am cured.
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No I am saying stop crying wolf specially when there’s actual issues you can cry about instead like the burning that actually happened or wot
I don’t care if you think bfa made nelves look weak or the story was bad those can be real issues for you and that’s fine but anduin being imperialist is a fantasy him having the most screen time isn’t true either genn probably had the most he was everywhere this xpac for the alliance
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Then why are you here?
Never said this… I said Stormwind and the Alliance is imperialist.
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I agree completely with this. However…
This is my objection to humans leading the way in these stories - Every fantasy species is as humans as the actual humans. They’re all written by humans, inspired by humans, and have clear connections to different human cultures, traditions, and traits. Therefore, why do only one of these human-inspired species get to have the special perks of being human?
In fact, when real-life human traits were being split up to create new fantasy species, it was the gnomes who were made to represent human ingenuity. It’s practically the only defining point of their culture! (Goblins have a bunch of that trait, too, just mixed with some more mercantilism and explosiveness.) So why aren’t gnomes (or goblins) the leading face of their faction, the experts in every field because they’re quick to pick it up? (real answer: because they look too funny for audiences to like seeing them everywhere.)
Of course, the main reason for this trope is because human characters tend to appeal to the widest amount of the human audience. But as an MMO where people can and do choose to play non-human-looking human variants, why not give humans their own cool niche instead of making them a tiny bit of washed-out everything?
(I still want to see Stormwind emphasize the Brotherhood of the Horse, maybe bring Stormwind Conjurers back, have more emphasis on the Cathedral and religious structure, and get back the scheming shenanigans of the House of Nobles. Those, to me, are very Warcraft human themes that got ignored or watered down to nothing in favor of generic human units doing everything.)
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They aren’t to saying it doesn’t make it true
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I mean… It’s hardly a stretch. The Alliance being a domineering, imperialist regime is kind of the whole grievance the Horde has with them. And that grievance has merit.
The Stormwind Banner is the Flag of the Alliance, the Title of High King is subject to the human tradition of hereditary monarchy. We have seen other races dressed in human armor and Stormwind colors. Mostly during MoP and WoD. We have seen The High King use land belonging to another race of the Alliance in a bargainingship with the Horde, and assert his command over other racial leaders.
These are the characteristics of a relationship between vassals and the dominate state.
We also see Stormwind put ahead human interests before the interests of nonhumans, so much to the disagreement of their other human allies (Genn).
Coincidence that in BfA, the Night Elves lose their territory, but humans gain Stromgarde, Kul Tiras, and Lordaeron now has an Alliance Puppet ruler? Maybe… I like my theory more.
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The horde is the ones who invade the alliance for land since when did alliance gain lorderan what puppets ruler ? Btw focusing on the zanda navy is specifically so the alliance can do what it wants at sea to supply attacks on kalmidor lol this isn’t about theories either stormwind is imperialist or it’s not all lore is there
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Calia… In fact, the Horde’s Leadership now is comprised of puppet rulers for the most part. Calia is not Forsaken, she is more Alliance than Horde. Happens to be personal friends with Anduin and jaina. Baine, a personal friend of Anduin and now arguably Jaina as well, who also put Alliance interests before Horde interests with the return of Derek. I am not saying that wasn’t the right thing to do, it was, but he was a traitorous act to the Horde regardless. This was the 2nd time he put ahead Alliance interests before the Horde, the first time was warning Jaina about the attack on Theramore. Thrall, a personal friend of Jaina, and who freed Baine, a traitor of the Horde.
We can have a philosophical discussion about the values of the Horde, and Sylvanas being the real traitor and blah blah blah… But that wouldn’t be helpful, because this is a discussion about the political nature of Azeroth, not the virtuous nature. From a purely political standpoint, Baine, Calia and Thrall are Alliance aligned characters.
It isn’t though… Blizzard has not said Stormwind is or isn’t anything. All we have to go off is what we see… and where I am sitting, I see the Alliance and the Horde as both totalitarian regimes.
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Calia isnt the ruler of the undead lol
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It appears Blizzard is setting her up to be. She has Forsaken followers.
Blizzard said she wasnt gonna be at blizzcon already
Voss is the leader it looks like
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