The Unofficial Stonemaul Ogre Playable Race Discussion Megathread!

Community General Discussion
1507

With a new month comes my monthly routine of submitting in-game feedback of races I want to see playable, along with references to their respective megathreads. If you’re interested in doing this for races you want playable, I made a small guide on how to do that in-game here:

With the upcoming UI changes in Dragonflight, I don’t know if this process will change at all. If it does, I’ll be sure to make a new guide on it.

I don’t know how effective it is in the long run. Hopefully suggestions are something that get looked at and can bring people at Blizzard to look at our megathreads with an open mind as opposed to someone briefly looking at the suggestion and scoffing before deleting them. Still, it’s something that could potentially help bring in awareness that the Horde Ogre clans exist and how awesome they and other races would be as a playable race.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose. I still need to consider other avenues to show off playable Horde Ogre support as well. Suggestions are welcomed!

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1508

Honestly I hope it’s a smoother system than they have now… Like… Why does it take so long to load?

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1509

I have edited the main post of the megathread to include Crol’ka as a potential leader of the MU Stonemaul Clan in the leaders section. I’ll paste that part of the new update here so you don’t have to scroll all the way up to read it:

"The other possible leader could be Crol’ka.

You’re probably wondering who this Ogre is, and I don’t blame you. He is the wounded two headed Ogre in Warcraft 3 that ran to the Horde in order to get help in getting rid of Kor’gall, who was more in the business for himself at the expense of the MU Stonemaul Clan as a whole.

He actually is not in WoW at all to my knowledge, and he only got his name when Warcraft 3 Reforged came out. Where has he been? Maybe he has been there the whole time and in the background. Or maybe he won the lottery and went on a much needed vacation or something. He can always appear again, in which he should. Especially considering he was kinda important for setting events for the Stonemaul Clan to join the Horde in the first place.

Him becoming leader could come from two factors. The first being the mention of Tharg’s age and wounds, especially if that somehow leads to him sacrificing himself for the clan in some way (letting him join with his wife in the afterlife), granted I would prefer he just retire in peace. The other is the bravery Crol’ka had to reach the Horde in his wounded state while having pride and love for his clan.

Seems like a potential fit for a back-up if Tharg isn’t able to take up the reigns for whatever reason. It would be a good tie-in to Warcraft 3 also. Whatever the case, we do have two good candidate for the leader of the MU Stonemaul Clan at least."

Crol’ka, as I’ve mentioned before, seems like he would be a good fit. Quite frankly, I don’t know why he isn’t in WoW at all, given he is pretty important to how the MU Stonemaul Clan joined the Horde. Still, I wanted to put him out there as a candidate so he isn’t forgotten.

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1510

It would at the very least be nice to see him again.

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1511

I agree. I’m wondering if he ever had a name before Warcraft 3 Reforged or if that was something kept in mind but not in any of Warcraft 3’s files. I feel like he should be a NPC with the MU Stonemaul Clan, since he is pretty much one of their greatest heroes. Maybe if we see the MU Stonemaul Clan come back into the picture, we’ll see him again!

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1512

With the mention of various events going on in 9.2.5, I’m hoping we’ll at least see what the MU Stonemaul Clan have been up to.

I imagine Dustwallow Marsh could have been hit by undead pretty hard. Considering all the previous MU Stonemaul Clan members who died when they first lost their home, along with the dead that came from the attack on Theramore, both in Warcraft 3 and in Cataclysm. I assume there would be quite a lot of undead to fend off in the area.

Speaking of, as far as I can tell, we never run into any of the MU Stonemaul Clan spirits we saw in that one quest in the Shadowlands. May be as well, I suppose. I couldn’t really give them specifics on how their clan is doing other than a general “doing well!” comment. I’m sure they’d want more info on what they’re up to, but I’m still trying to figure that one out, myself…

Seeing as the MU Stonemaul Clan do have some relation to dragons in a way, I’ll be checking on them when 9.2.5 comes out and seeing what all events are going on in general. I suspect Dustwallow Marsh and Feralas may still be stuck in the Cataclysm timeline, but it’s worth a check. I’ll also keep an eye out for anything potentially involving them when Dragonflight launches, of course. Maybe we’ll even see where the AU Stonemaul Clan members went to.

Much as I’m not expecting a whole lot, it’s better to leave no stone unturned. Hopefully, we’ll get some actual 9.2.5 info sooner than later.

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1513

I hope they add in Ogres they already have Pandaren skeleton and body shape so all they need do is reskin and be 1/3 to 1/2 head taller than Taurens and id think they have no issues with door frames. Also if they take a pandaren model and make is haunched and thin the waist on the male some they can make Furbog for alliance.

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Wanted to wish any moms a happy Mother’s Day!

Assuming we ever get playable Horde Ogres, I do hope that female Ogres will be treated with care and designed in such a way that would be fitting of what makes an Ogre an Ogre. They would be one of the features of playable Ogres that would generate a lot of marketing hype, and while not a lot of people would make a female Ogre character, they can do quite a bit to world-building in a good way and would be unique compared to women of other races.

As for my plans today, my mother wants to have some food BBQ’d, which is a good time to do so with record high temperatures. I’ll be able to munch on some delicious BBQ food in the near future!

Whatever your plans are, please have a fun, happy, and safe Mother’s Day!

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1515

Looking at the Dracthyr dragonkin model and animations seemingly coming from female Worgen and/or High Arakkoa models, I wonder if one of the Ogre skeletons & animations would get repurposed for a playable version of Ogres.

Blizzard seems to like to reuse assets to cut costs and development time, which is understandable and can work just fine when done right. Seeing as male Ogres have a model with several animations that are also shared with some of the Druid moonkin form (dance, riding mounts, attacks, spell casting, etc), I’m wondering how likely it would be to see that just expanded and some animations added or changed for a playable version of Ogres.

It’s something I’ve talked about before in several posts, but I feel like it could be more likely to see. I do think playable Ogres might look different from their NPC versions, much like how playable Nightborne look different than NPC versions, but I could see several animations and such being reused for a playable version.

The big question would be what skeleton/rigging would they utilize for female Ogres? Some have suggested the one model of the Blood Trolls (the Warmother I think), which could work, though I don’t know how much work and resources would have to be used to use the skeleton for a playable race. I’m wondering if one of the existing playable races would get utilized or if Blizzard might utilize the male Ogre rigging for female Ogres, just with some different animations and a dance.

The other question would be if it would be possible to use the skeletons/rigging in order to implement a two-head customization option. I imagine in terms of software engineering, something creative would likely need to be done to implement a two-head option on the customization options screen, let alone getting it to function. I assume it wouldn’t be easy, but seeing as we can transmog shoulders separately, I’d like to hope that it would be possible to have two-heads on a skeleton with their own customization options. Otherwise, we could see four skeletons/rigging utilized for playable Ogres, though with Dracthyr using three, it wouldn’t be impossible to see.

Seeing the Dracthyr dragonkin model got me wondering on what would be more likely with playable Ogres. I do think it would be reasonable to utilize one of the Ogre models into a playable model if possible, seeing as it already has a lot of player animations. I figure using that as a skeleton/rigging for a playable Ogre model would save a lot of time.

Regardless, the important thing would be seeing playable Horde Ogres someday!

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1516

Most likely.

but preferably not like this haha.

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1517

What I would hope for playable Ogre models is that what makes an Ogre an Ogre is shown through body language and animations, as well as having the general body weight that comes from most of the general Ogre models.

Someone had created an Ogre model using the male Kul Tiran skeleton, and while it does kinda work, it doesn’t really seem Ogre-like to me. I imagine if playable Ogres used the Kul Tiran skeletons/rigging, they would have a more beefy/rotund model that is fitting and animations to match.

There were new Ogre NPC models created for the enemy Ogre clan in the new starting area that was a bit different from the regular Ogre model. I think the head may have been a bit bigger or so, among a few other changes. I remember not liking it as much as the other Ogre NPC models since it didn’t seem quite right in proportions compared to them.

Size of course is another issue, in which I’d realistically see playable Ogres being a bit bigger than Tauren, myself. It’s something discussed many times before here, and likely will be discussed several more times in the future.

With a playable Ogre model, I want to see decent models that give personality with body language and animations. The Vanilla and Draenor models do have some of that, though I would love to see such things expanded onto playable models. Especially with some potentially great idle animations for two-headed Ogres.

I’ll have to think of some example animations that would give playable Ogres a great Ogre-like personality. It’s a bit hard to put into words at present, but I think it is something important to really give character to Ogres and for players to form attachments to their Ogre characters.

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1518

I’ve been thinking some on getting another Ogre question to keep on hand in the off chance we ever see Blizzard do another Q&A stream in the future. Not that I expect to have any questions of mine to be answered, but it is still worth a try.

We kinda got an update on the MU Stonemaul Clan with Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, where they’re doing fine and expanding their holdings in Feralas in some fashion (having done so since Cataclysm). While an actual in-game update on what they’re doing would be nice, I did think of another potential question to post regarding the AU Stonemaul Clan.

As you may know, some of the AU Stonemaul Clan members came with us with the AU Mag’har Orcs and other Draenor denizens and beasts. However, we never saw what happened to them, as they aren’t in Orgrimmar (to my knowledge) and never showed up anywhere in BfA afterwards.

I suppose another question to consider is the Dunemaul Clan and what Megs Dreadshredder is up to with them. I assume they’re still technically part of the Horde, and with the MU Stonemaul Clan being the most important clan to be part of a playable Ogre faction, I’m not as worried about them. The AU Stonemaul Clan, however, can easily just be integrated into the MU Stonemaul Clan and bring with them AU Draenor Ogre designs for armor, buildings, and so on, so it’s something worth being a reminder in some fashion.

It seems like having a question asking what happened to the AU Stonemaul Clan would help bring attention to them and a reminder of them being part of the Horde. Again, not that I’d expect an answer at all regarding them in a Q&A stream and I don’t know what the chances are of a general Q&A stream again in the future, but it’s worth a try at least.

Speaking of Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, I finished reading it awhile ago and didn’t see much else about the Horde Ogre clans anywhere else. Nothing about the AU Stonemaul Clan or the Dunemaul Clan was in the book that I saw. A shame, but at least something was said about the MU Stonemaul Clan and how they’re still happily part of the Horde.

As I said, I don’t really expect much answered regarding the Horde Ogre clans from a Q&A, but it’s good to have something prepared for just in case. You never know if it could get addressed in such a stream, and any chance to show off how people want playable Horde Ogres in general is always helpful.

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1519

I found that very disappointing and I really feel sticking with the in-game Cata timeline for the book did play a role in that regard. Only what ifs remain but I do hope that one day, we can actually get a real update for Dustwallow in which the Stonemaul unite with the other clans, reclaim their home, and turn Stonemaul Hold into a Stronghold or Fortress.

Though I do in the event of the Stonemaul becoming playable I do wonder exactly who their leader would be. Like we know that Draz’Zilb and other Stonemaul desire Tharg to become their leader, though he is hindered by his injuries and age. So Blizzard could use Tharg, but they could have Draz’Zilb as the faction leader as he cares about the future of the clan and would be a great way to focus on the ogres magical history over the dumb brute aspect for playable ogres.

Though I really do think in the event of playable Ogres, Blizzard would just have Rexxar reassume leadership.

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1520

Finally something different people are advocating for. NO MORE ELVES.

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Tharg seems like the most likely choice, although the emphasis on his age and wounds from Draz’Zilb makes me wonder if he would be set up to eventually die a heroic death. Moreso since he had a wife who was killed in the attack by Onyxia’s minions on the Stonemaul home that sent the Stonemaul Clan running. Tharg could still stay alive and be fleshed out more, of course, but a lot depends on the Stonemaul Clan’s story that would be implemented with playable Horde Ogres. As I said, I don’t see him becoming a corrupted leader like the other MU Stonemaul Clan leaders have been, since that would just be utterly disappointing.

Draz’Zilb doesn’t seem that interested in leading, based on his flavor text on the subject since he still points towards Tharg. He seems more like a second-in-command at best considering his role. I always imagined him leading an excavation of Dire Maul, since he would be easiest to work with the Blood Elves and Nightborne wanting to study there along with other races who would assist or go treasure hunting. In relation to that, I’ve always suggested he become the new Gordok King and take over the Gordunni, since he would be trusted by the Horde in such a role and it would be easier to get the Gordunni Clan to obey a Gordok King and help the Horde as opposed to slaughtering them all.

As I recently mentioned, Crol’ka seems like a contender if they put him in the game. As a reminder, he is the two-headed Ogre who ran to the Horde to get help for his clan and got seriously wounded along the way in Warcraft 3. Seeing as he never got a name until Warcraft 3 Reforged, he might have been forgotten. Would explain why he isn’t in WoW at all to my knowledge. But as a MU Stonemaul Clan hero and someone who cares about the well being of his clan, I could see him becoming leader if Tharg is unable to for some reason. Even if Tharg becomes leader, seeing Crol’ka appear in WoW would be great to see, as he deserves better than to be forgotten.

It is a good thing we do have a couple of options with Tharg and Crol’ka. A lot just really depends on what Blizzard would want to do with the MU Stonemaul Clan’s storyline when making them a playable Horde race. Hopefully, we will see playable Horde Ogres become a reality someday so we can see what is done with the leader of the playable faction (or leaders if we go the multiple clan route with the playable Ogre faction.)

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1522

After reading this I just can’t help but image Tharg’s death being the catalyst to unite the Horde ogre clans together. Like Tharg and/or Draz’Zilb are trying to unite the Stonemaul, Dunemaul, and AU Stonemaul together, but there disagreements preventing the union, then the ogres get attacked, they push the attackers back, but only after Tharg wins the ogres respect by sacrificing himself while killing the leader of the attackers. Thus in honor of Tharg’s strength and sacrifice, the ogres unite in his memory, and have the counter attack to show off their combined might.

In that event, the Ogre union could name themselves the Thargar, in honor of Tharg.

I know what you mean. Though since Blizzard has done the reluctant leader story with the Horde (for example Lor’themar who expected to be a temp until Kael’thas went all Legion, Voss who plans on being a temp, until a more suitable leader is established, and Thrall had shades of this in Shadows Rising) I could see them pulling that kind of thing with Draz’Zilb, if he ends the playable Ogre leader.

I have to honest I’ve never thought about the possibility of him being the leader of the Stonemaul. Though I was just mainly surprised that Blizzard decided to create a new character for Reforged over just taking one of the existing Stonemaul and having them be the unnamed ogre who turned to the Horde for help. It did feel weird to me, especially because it’s another character from the Founding of Durotar campaign that hasn’t arrived in WoW like the Tauren Tagar and Bovan Windtotem.

However while Blizzard has established new racial leaders like Talanji, and thus do have the option to establish either Tharg, Draz’Zilb, Crol’ka, or who ever, I can’t help but wonder if they would take the easy way out and have the story make Rexxar the leader again. In that scenario I could see the Stonemaul came under attack, word gets sent to the Horde, and Rexxar leads the Horde forces that come to their aid. The quest chain would show Rexxar’s connection with the Stonemaul, build up how they had been hoping for his return, have Rexxar decide that he had a responsibility to them, and end with them reestablishing Stonemaul Village as their home, with Rexxar stepping in to lead them once more.

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1523

I… kinda like that. lol

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I’m sure Rexxar would make an appearance at the very least, though I don’t know if he has any interest in leading them again.

I always imagined Rexxar would potentially take over his father’s clan at some point, which could lead to playable Mok’nathol being open at some point in some fashion. It seems a bit more meaningful for Rexxar to do that as opposed to taking over a clan of Ogres again. Not that I am against such a thing.

Not to mention that having an actual Ogre leader means giving Ogres more of a presence. I wouldn’t expect an Ogre leader to be one of the top stars of the game, but it feels more fitting to see an Ogre leader being the voice of Horde Ogre clans on the council, as well as seeing what all would be done with them design-wise. Otherwise, it kinda just feels like Ogres are just there and don’t really have a voice in the Horde if a non-Ogre character is made as their racial leader, even if Rexxar is part Ogre.

I elaborated my thoughts on Rexxar leading a bit more in this post if you’re interested in seeing what all I have to say:

As I said, I’d be fine with Rexxar taking up the lead. Especially if it meant we finally got playable Horde Ogres. I do think an actual Ogre leading the playable Horde Ogre faction, or Ogres if multiple clans are involved, is more fitting and adds a bit more weight to seeing playable Horde Ogres getting a bigger role in-game (in more ways than one).

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1525

With all the rumors going on of at least one possible new race of some kind for 9.2.5, I wanted to bring up this old video by MrGM about the four allied race ID’s that were datamined during the Shadowlands alpha, who explains the significance of the playable race ID’s in general:

At the time, people speculated that this would lead to the four Covenant races becoming playable. A lot of the race models shown here are a bit odd for playable races however, so it is unclear if this was possibly added as placeholders for future playable races, whenever they would be.

It’s up in the air whether we will see at least one new race in 9.2.5 and if we do, what they would be. Still, this is something I wanted to bring up since rumors seem to be blazing across the forums and other WoW related media websites.

Ideally, it would be great to see a couple of pairs of new races. Granted, I would much prefer them to be races people have been requesting for a long time as opposed to races that come out of nowhere. Hard to really know what to expect. Moreso as there continues to be various hints and things of suspect, like with the 9.2.5 splash screen being encrypted on the PTR and preorders for Dragonflight not yet being available still.

If we did get multiple races, I don’t know if playable Horde Ogres would be one of them. Yes, the expansion would be fitting for the MU Stonemaul Clan to appear, but I’m imagining all the work that would need to be done for them to become playable. I don’t know if it would be something announced for a smaller scale patch or something we’d be more likely to see announced for an expansion’s launch.

While I would happily welcome playable Horde Ogres, I’d want them to be given love and care so people wanting to make their Ogre characters would be satisfied. Especially those wanting two-head customization options. I’m not sure what all would be paired with them on the Alliance if this did happen also. I’ll try to keep an open mind when it comes to possibilities of new playable races, but hope will always be there in some form.

It seems like we could be getting closer and closer to an announcement of what is to come in the near future. I’m hoping that we’ll hear something sooner than later. Regardless of what happens, I’ll still continue to march for playable Horde Ogre support as best as I can!

Dream big, Ogre fans! :cut_of_meat::japanese_ogre:

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1526

So I was looking at the updated first post and noticed the class section and that you mentioned how Dragonflight is giving all races priests, mages, and rogues.

Now in light of that, I just wanted to add a fun fact: During the Founding of Durotar Campaign the Stonemaul actually did have priests units, you can notice this when clicking on the various Ogre NPCs in their village during the Second Act.

To be honest it really helped make the Stonemaul rather unique, since no other Ogre clan had priests. Kind of shame that they didn’t have an Ogre priest with the other Stonemaul to help show how unique they were in compared to the other clans.

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