I don’t see how using in-universe racism/fascism as a storytelling device is inherently lazy. The execution can be, but that goes for anything.
Personally I wouldn’t feel motivated at all as a horde player for another faction war if the premise is “the alliance is still angry over horde atrocities and wants them punished”. My immersion’s far too broken to be able to rely solely on in-universe actions as an impetus to get reinvested. The horde’s hook would need to be somehow reestablished first, which… still comes down to them having been formed as protection against prejudice.
Granted, I’m a doomer that thinks it’ll never be feasibly doable because it requires parity in misery at this point, and maybe the “best” thing for the game as a whole is to leave the horde permanently morally behind for the sake of alliance fans who understandably don’t want a crap-feeling story arc themselves.
The entire point of creating a good villain is to make us want to hate them, a really good villain is one that the readers can even empathize with. Arthas is known for being a fantastic villain because we went with him on his journey, he was a flawed hero who became the evil he was trying to fight, all so he could save his own people (which is why he damned himself by picking up Frostmourne).
Even when he died at the end of Wrath of the Lich King, we could empathize with him, because here he is, vulnerable, clutching the ghost of his father and asking if it’s finally over. If his torment, and the torment he inflicted on others, has ended.
When you write a racist character, you can’t empathize with that. You can’t ‘understand where they’re coming from’ you certainly can’t cheer them on or feel sad when they kick the bucket. They’re a villain, sure, but they’re not a good villain, not a well written villain.
And any work you put into the character to give them other reasons to be the villain? They’ll be completely overshadowed by the racism.
It’s just a lazy way to write villains. It’s really that simple. It does the job, but no work is required by the writer at all to sell the evil.
How can you end racism in a story where different races actually exist? These are centuries old grievances most between trolls and elves and humans vs everyone else. A few progressive leaders are not enough. I was happy when Baine remembered what the centaurs did to his people. Being peaceful in a world driven by war is just not realistic.
I feel like this isn’t as malicious as it’s being portrayed.
Certain spices and oils have often been used as or in perfumes. Cardamom, Juniper Berries, Coriander, Ginger etc. If you look at the modern Wrathion model rather than the MoP one, Wrathion does look like the type of character who would use a perfume or two.
It might not even be an extremely strong perfume, but it’s being picked up on by a Niffen, and they are mole people with extremely strong noses.
Honestly if you were to ask me what Wrathion smells like:
Well, first I’d ask if you’re related to the guy who tried to fanfic the molecular makeup of Tali’s sweat from Mass Effect because what the hell.
But secondly I’d imagine lots of perfume too, though that’d be because I first thought of some upper class medieval noble dandy since western Euro is still what I default to in fantasy depictions. I wouldn’t have clocked that as a middle eastern stereotype, though that would be my ignorance on the topic talking.
So I guess I could see it being a genuine accident? But I think it’s also more than fair to be critical of even seemingly-innocuous stuff since Blizzard as a company is still “new” to not relying on bad stereotypes.
I don’t think they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt regarding ignorance of racist tropes after 30 years of their liberal and recurring use in ever obscure ways
And you wouldn’t be wrong, as spices were trafficked all over the world by the Arabians and Portuguese. That’s how Europe got most of its foreign spices, through trade.
Which is why I think this is honestly just a quest designer pointing out the fact that Wrathion likes to use fragrance to smell nice. Is it a bit weird to point out? Yeah, maybe, but it is a Niffen, and again they have powerful noses and are able to pick up scents that most others wouldn’t bother with.
Well I HOPE I’m not being racist from that assumption, and I’d like to think the quest designer isn’t intending it either. But I’m white and it’s not really up to me to decide if I’m being offensive to other people. I’d think the same applies to quests like this, where feedback could help adjust or clarify the game content to make sure it doesn’t come off that way.
It’s true that WoW developers have used racist tropes in the past. This is undeniable. But given how the quest and world designers did wonders for the Tuskaar by reaching out to Inuit people and making changes based on the feedback they got from those people, I’d honestly be surprised if they deliberately went and pissed all that good will away just so they could put something racist back into the game.
That theory flies about as well as a lead balloon.
But people will see what they want to see often enough. Can’t change that. Blizzard has apparently been given feedback on the dialogue though, so if it turns out that it was thrown in by someone trying to be a bit racially insensitive, it will likely be changed. If it turns out it was just someone trying to say: “Wrathion just likes to smell nice.” then it will likely stay right where it is.
In Baal’s case, it honestly looks like he’s basing his opinion off of Wrathion’s Mists of Pandaria appearance. Which is… a take? I guess? But Blizzard scrapped that model (probably due to issues with racist stereotypes if I had to take a guess) and the new one doesn’t have any of those racist stereotypes visible anymore.
I think that implies that any racist depiction has to be maliciously added. That’s why I tried laying out my thoughts about how Wrathion would smell, if I had written it; it’s not because the end result doesn’t need iteration if my intentions were innocent, but rather that it could be an ignorant oopsie.
It’s not even the spices that’s odd. It the whole Well, he smells like sweat too, which seems to be implying that Wrathion is…well, dirty and trying to cover up the smell.
They could have just said he smells nice and left it at that
Okay, but you’re using the wrong context and appearance to make that accusation.
You’re using what’s happening surrounding Wrathion in Dragonflight, while holding up his Mists of Pandaria model, which yeah, was pretty on the nose and very stereotypical, to claim that it’s racist.
But Blizzard isn’t using that model. Wrathion is no longer wearing silk robes of that style, he doesn’t have a turban, they took the criticisms that people had of that model on board and removed them when they redesigned him for Battle for Azeroth.
So now he’s just a dragon with a visage form that has dark skin. And he’s clearly one that likes to flaunt his appearance and apparently smell nice while doing it. Spices and oils were, and in many ways still are, used as fragrances. So I stand by what I said earlier, I don’t think this is as malicious as you’re making it out to be.
But that being said, I’m also not going to yell at you and call you a moron or fool for having the thoughts that you have. That would be immature of me. If that’s how you think? Well so be it.
I didn’t know this myself until I read about it but “flop sweat” is a term about sweating due to nervousness. Basically the text is trying to say that the Niffen can smell Wrathion’s fear, not that he has B.O.
It’s just how it’s worded in game that seems to implying the complete opposite of their intention. Blizz does this a lot.
We’re talking about character who stared down the horrors of Pandaria, what he went through as a young whelp, helped fight the Black Empire and even stabbed an actual old god with an evil dagger.
What’s this dude have to be nervous about after surviving all that?
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