Fun fact: until Chronicles released, both fel magic and necromancy were considered forms of arcane magic. There are plenty of remannts of this in the game (For example the human warlock in Ratchet talks about the arcane, and the books from WoTLK make a big point about how necromancy is a forbidden form of arcane magic, the arcane wraith boss in the nexus shouting “CHAOS!!”, arcane magic being described as “the forces of the Twisting Nether”, etc.)
So no: the arcane was not limited to humans or even the Alliance as a whole. In vanilla, warlocks were explicitly considered to be arcanists. Even Trolls and Forsaken could be mages in vanilla, so even without getting technical what you’re saying just doesn’t make sense.
I’m also just not sure what point you’re trying to make here, or how it relates to what Solarion is saying.
I do personally wish the classes remained more unique to the factions, even just in terms of flavor, aesthetic, and lore.
Like, instead of Alliance having shamans, they have “tide-sages” and “wildhammer seers” or whatever. Meanwhile the Horde has Blood Knights and Sunwalkers.
But this times are over now, because Blizzard failed to bring a good faction war into the game. They can’t even write a simple storyline about the nipple man in SL.
But far more commonly throughout history people hold on to grudges for generations upon generations.
But in either case I think applying real world logic to a fantasy world more often than not brings in some extremely distasteful implications down the line. So it’s not really an argument worth pursuing.
You just defeated your own argument here by admitting the problem is the writers not the concept.
I don’t hate nuetrality. In fact, I’m in favor of it. Both alliance and horde have banded together and set aside differences numerous times to take down big baddies and even quote unquote gods of the warcraft universe. Petty squabbles over territory at this point is like… what are doing? You okay over there? Did you stub your toe?
With regards to pvp, there’s already the mercenary thing. I like to think of bgs as training grounds.
The fact that there are only a few left doesn’t contradict my argument that they’re friends now.
But it’s also completely irrelevant because manpower isn’t a factor in Blizzard’s storywriting. Otherwise, the blood elves would have died out three times already. Especially after they split up 4 times (high elves, horde/kael’thas-bloodelves/void elves) and fought each other.
They are the same people. They even call themselves Illidari.
Yes, because Bolvar was no longer the Lich King. During Legion, you actively work with him as against the Legion.
You’re right here. I hadn’t played the raid yet. But I guess it’s fine to do the firelands the third time since it’s not horde/alliance?
Actually “arcane” was just an adjective until WCIII. Before that it was elemental (ever wondered why the mage summons an elemental?) and various dark and light powers. Each new version of the game shifted it a bit
By WCIII, magic that did not originate from some form of faith was just “arcane” as you describe. That form we now call “arcane” was reasonably well fleshed out as a human/highelf style by then, even though Blizzard had yet to make it something strictly different from fel.
It may have just been an adjective in the first few games, but the lore got fleshed out a lot when Metzan went from an artist to a creative director.
I know the RPG isn’t canon anymore, but Metzan actually wrote a lot of it and he went into a ton of detail about what Arcane magic is supposed to be.
In short, arcane magic is “pure” magic, distinguished from “divine” magic, which is magic filtered through a divine source or powered by faith.
“Pure” magic is the energy of the Twisting Nether, which is why vanilla WoW’s class description for mages says they harness the power of the Twisting Nether, one of just many examples. It’s kind of inspired by the way magic/psychic powers work in Warhammer. It’s energy drawn from a chaotic realm where thoughts become reality. Arcane magic was described as being inherently volatile and chaotic, with fel being the arcane in its most extreme/corrupt/pure (depending on who you ask) form. It’s also the reason why the Arcane is addictive, and why demons are attracted to arcane magic. Because Fel and Arcane are the same overarching branch of magic. Both the RPG and WoTLK include necromancy as another dark arcane art as well.
Metzan talks about arcane magic in an interview on the Blood Elves before TBC came out as well. If you’d like I can try and track it down. It’s on Youtube.
This lore is reflected all over the game even today if you know where to look for it. Especially stuff in vanilla and the first few expansions. Netherstorm, for example, was described on the original TBC website (still accessible via wayback) as a place ravaged by chaotic arcane energy from the Twisting Nether. There’s also Anomalous from WoTLK, who is an arcane wraith who literally shouts about “CHAOS!”
Now that the arcane is “order magic” it doesnt really make sense anymore. But that’s how Warcraft is I guess XD
We’re talking about the wow dev team. They made their official lore books (Chronicles) only a “viewpoint”, which was basically the dumbest comment they could have done to damage their own reputation.
I personally stick to the official race data from the RPG books, if I will ever get them anywhere and Chronicles.
Not everyone does, that is what I am after. There is no need for mandatory hatred and artificial conflict. Faction wars could become based on choice. In the Burning Crusade the Skryers stood against the Aldor and they were joinable factions but, they never actually came to blows. We could have that kind of faction wars thou. Join one faction or another or stay out of their conflict altogether, each choice bringing their own rewards. Meanwhile the Horde vs Alliance conflict could cool down to simply friendly rivalry and only fighting it out in sport arenas. There could indeed be conflict, but it doesn’t need to be the same conflict.
Fun fact: Chris Metzen said at the time that these books are supposed to be the ultimate compendium to clarify and straighten the lore.
However, the person who said that they are just a viewpoint (Steve Danuser) is not even a writer of Chronicles. He wasn’t even involved in vol 1. It’s just a lazy excuse for retcons and plotholes.
Nonsense. He explained why. Just because you haven’t personally had a reason to grow and mature enough to change your thinking and realize there’s a better way than hanging onto the past because it eats you alive and poisons your soul, doesn’t mean other people can’t. Especially Genn.
What, “same people?” Sylvanas burned down Teldrassil. No one else. The Horde has to live with that shame forever. They (not the Sylvanas cultists who will obscenely wear that insanity as a badge of sociopathic honor), deserve some healing.
That’s a really dumb thing to say.
Sylvanas could hardly have been the hand behind every catapult that loosed the flaming shot, so clearly she’s not the sole soul responsible.
I never understood it. Slogging a myriad of different cultures together and expecting them all to play nice. Some with not so kind histories, and some just a few years ago seeing the face of your attacker. Some with beliefs that are the antithesis to your own or a culture that’s just antagonistic.
I don’t think necessarily we have to always to be enemies, but we don’t have to be friends. There can be proxy wars and stuff.
And every generation is born stupid and new (not implying anything) so we’ll find new things to be upset about ,reasonably so and maybe unreasonably so.
Is it possible to add a third faction? If so, why not?
^This.
The entire Horde is responsible for all the things it has perpetrated; Darkshore, Theramore, Southshore, Gilneas, Ashenvale, Teldrassil, Stormgarde, Brennadam, etc. You kinda loose track at this point. Not just the currently reigning Warchief is responsible.
That being said, one should not define a faction based on race. There will always be groups that do not agree with the actions of a faction and would prefer to join the other faction. Unfortunately, Blizzard still defines everything based on race even after 20 years… so yeah. Pretty outdated & questionable system.
Not just the currently reigning Warchief is responsible.