Warcraft Short Story: "The Calling"

[Rosenivy-area-52 (Rosenivy)]

@Zelestriana-wyrmrest-accord

A better idea would be to be this story content in the game where it belongs and written by a professional writer instead of letting a bad fanfic writer write it.

looks at the name of the author

[Sentenzå-sargeras]

It’s a work day and I’m in the cube farm. I’m not reading that honestly. I skimmed it and didn’t see anything going on.

[Lirani-nordrassil]

He’s maybe overreacting a bit to what happened. He’s as good as one can be in Azeroth, and what happened to him is certainly terrible, but not really comparable to other things in that world, especially since he wasn’t in control. So I dunno, it’s described similar to PTSD. I guess he just cares too much for his on good.

[Sentenzå-sargeras]

To be fair, believing beyond a reasonable doubt you are a sinless good boi literally gives you magic powers in that setting so maybe it isn’t a surprise he bought into his own hype and it all came crashing down hard when reality hit him.

Never really had any room for doubt about who he was early on. While most of us go through a phase where we grapple with our humanity, I suppose Anduin never got to experience that.

Still, as I said, he can literally read minds so this plot should be wrapped up quick.

[Daiza-gilneas]

@Lirani-nordrassil

If someone doesn’t want to read everything:

Anduin lives a simple life in Stormsong Valley and is plagued by trauma, nightmares etc. because he feels guilty for almost hurting his friends, even though his body was controlled and he wasn’t truly responsible for those actions.
He keeps his true identity a secret and meets a family, as well as a fox (unfortunately not a Vulpera), who help him regain some courage and trust.
He leaves the fox with the family when he eventually continues his journey.

He also hears the Radiant Song, which leads him to start moving towards Silithus and get the plot of TWW started.

[Sentenzå-sargeras]

From a Meta perspective the radiant song is kind of hilarious.

“Hey guys plot machine started.”

“Understandable, have a great day.”

[Lirani-nordrassil]

From that perspective, you’re probably right. Anduin, with his unwavering belief in peace, had always been somewhat overly trusting and naive. In that sense, he had to realize at some point that things don’t always work out as one would like, and some things simply can’t be controlled, leading to the collapse of his beautiful bubble world.

@Daiza-gilneas

He also hears the Radiant Song, which leads him to start moving towards Silithus and get the plot of TWW started.

You’re right, I may have written about his further journey a bit too imprecisely.

[Starlagosa-dentarg (Starlagosa)]

@Daiza-gilneas

Time to go sit on a hill in Stormsong valley for a while.

That’s what I was thinking too!
It would be cool if they at least put the grave in game there.

[Tiffany-ravencrest]

@Zelestriana-wyrmrest-accord

A better idea would be to be this story content in the game where it belongs and written by a professional writer instead of letting a bad fanfic writer write it.

So I guess you are saying you are more professional than a writer for the New York Times?

[Tiffany-ravencrest]

@Haugsp-sargeras

Nothing captivates world of Warcraft like a sad, miserable downer and his pet fox

Sad and miserable would be the small minority of people in Warcraft forums who burn with the need to hate something.

It was a good story by a very good writer.

[Zovoketh-kelthuzad]

Overall I enjoyed this piece. I can’t speak to it personally, but the PTSD theme of the story seemed to be handled with care. Anduin interacting with and relating to a regular family as he was navigating his trauma was a nice touch for his development, and the Fox is cute.

To give it some criticism I will say the family in the story is a tad run-of-the-mill (haha). Most of the conflict is Anduin’s internal one, but the external forces Anduin contended with were disappointing, and the main plot rearing its head was awkward to put it mildly, though I can’t put all the fault of that at Golden’s feet.

I wish Christie Golden well on her future endeavors. Warcraft’s story IMO is at its best when focused on the small-scale, character-driven interactions and moments and the challenges that they face. This short story was pretty exemplary of that and I think she did a good job.

[Skalpy-darkspear]

@Lirani-nordrassil

not really comparable to other things in that world, especially since he wasn’t in control. So I dunno, it’s described similar to PTSD. I guess he just cares too much for his on good.

That’s not really how PTSD works but ok.

[Tiffany-ravencrest]

@Jalip-wyrmrest-accord

I have always thought that Christie Golden was a lousy writer. This one reinforces that belief.

Put her to shame. Show us how you can write a better story. Here’s the setting, Anduin is just back from Shadowlands. What does he do? Where does he go? How does he deal with what he had become?

Go for it, show us what really good writing looks like.

[Skalpy-darkspear]

“Anduin came back from the shadowlands feeling really good even though bad stuff happened to him because worse things have happened to other people and he wasn’t in control”

The end I guess.

[Lirani-nordrassil]

I am aware that it can have different origins for everyone to bring it about. I spoke from my perspective and compared it to other things in the story. Obviously. Feel free to look at it in your own way.

[Haugsp-sargeras]

@Tiffany-ravencrest

Put her to shame. Show us how you can write a better story. Here’s the setting, Anduin is just back from Shadowlands. What does he do? Where does he go? How does he deal with what he had become?

Go for it, show us what really good writing looks like

You understand the logical fallacy of “if you don’t do x profesionally, you can’t critique it”, surely?

I’m not a professional chef, but if my food’s too salty, my food’s too salty.

While the post you quoted doesn’t really contain a semblance of criticism and is just a vague insult, your response isn’t really appropriate either.

[Skalpy-darkspear]

But your food isn’t too salty.
Your food is bad and you’re a bad chef, or something.

also you’re ruining the restaurant I guess.

/s

Point is there’s a difference between being a critic and being a knob.

[Tiffany-ravencrest]

@Haugsp-sargeras

You understand the logical fallacy of “if you don’t do x profesionally, you can’t critique it”, surely?

If all you are saying is that someone is a lousy writer, then that’s not a critique, that’s little more than name calling. What about their writing is lousy? What do you know that the editors of the New York Times don’t know? Why won’t you share this knowledge with the rest of us?

[Haugsp-sargeras]

@Tiffany-ravencrest

If all you are saying is that someone is a lousy writer, then that’s not a critique, that’s little more than name calling. What about their writing is lousy? What do you know that the editors of the New York Times don’t know? Why won’t you share this knowledge with the rest of us?

I mean, yeah.

@Haugsp-sargeras

While the post you quoted doesn’t really contain a semblance of criticism and is just a vague insult

Just don’t forget my thing either.

@Haugsp-sargeras

You understand the logical fallacy of “if you don’t do x profesionally, you can’t critique it”, surely?

I’m not a professional chef, but if my food’s too salty, my food’s too salty.

@Haugsp-sargeras

your response isn’t really appropriate either

[Tieve-thrall]

Wow, some of these comments are very cruel towards Christie, but hardly surprising coming from the wow community.

I enjoyed the story a lot, made me tear up a few times.