The covenants are not out yet, not by a long shot… but that doesn’t have to stop me from musing what could be done if this kind of system is carried over into the future, does it? I like the basic idea, so I’ll just assume it will work out fine and what they are trying to do will actually work here. Players do feel some agency in choosing their covenant, based on caracter philosophy and optical rewards, with enough gameplay changes to make it actually feel interesting but not enough of a mathematical difference to force progress players to choose one specific covenant.
Now… this is obviously the evolution of the Class Order idea they tried out in Legion, but instead of being bound by your class choice or your race like you are to the factions, you are free to choose, and instead of having to invent 13 campaigns they can focus on the more managable number of four. Both sound like good basic ideas to me… and I really see no reason to think that they would only work in otherworldly settings like the Shadowlands.
In Azeroth we have loads of neutral factions, all with slightly different goal. All of them want to perserve Azeroth, like the covenants want to perserve the Shadowlands, but their style and their methods are very different. Most of these neutral organizations became class orders in Legion… but most were not class exclusive before, and they wouldn’t have to be in the future. With some of them it might be easier to fit other classes in, but in general I think it wouldn’t be that hard to do. And if not the organizations behind the class orders, there are still other neutral groups around - and even more could form.
Apart from making it possible for all classes to somehow fit in as helpers of these factions, there should also be a variety of themes, so that the choice is actually kind of meaningful. The Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring aren’t really that different in their usual goals and activities, for example, so having them as seperate factions might make the choice a bit too small-scale.
So… what I’m interested in is your ideas. I’ll stick to the Shadowlands formula and expect four factions to be the right number. So:
Which four neutral factions (new or old) of Azeroth might be a cool combination for future covenant-style gameplay?
To make my personal, and not very thought-out list:
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Minders of Azeroth: Basically a nature-themed faction consisting of the Cenarion Cyrcle and the Earthen Ring, saving the world Captain Planet style. Ruthless towards those who hurt Azeroth and its creatures.
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Designers of the Future: We’ll build a suit of armor around the world that can deal with any threat! …or something like that. A science- and technology-focused faction not very strong on empathy, but strong on results. Might include Kirin Tor stuff, too.
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The Protectors of the Innocent: Well, the name is kind of self-explaining. Focussed on the people of Azeroth, these guys would first and foremost be interested in saving and protecting lives. The super heroes that save the village from the monster, heal their sick and bring food to the starving. Real altruists… I mostly thought of Light-wielders and monks for this, but should be general enough to be a possible fit for most.
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Slayers of Evil: Well… I think you can guess what those guys have on their minds. Whatever new threat we might face in this hypothetical future addon, they really, really want to smash it. Find it, hunt it down, kill it. The best defense is a strong offense. We can always rebuild later, but first we have to ensure that there is a later. Whatever the cost. The DK, rogue and DH class missions come to mind, but a more aggessively minded pala might fit just as well.
So… the basic idea here is that we have one faction focused on the world, one focused on powerful stuff, one focused on people, and one focused on the enemy. I think most characters should fit there, somewhere… And those factions might even last longer than one addon. They could, at least.
So… what’s your ideas? Or since we’re on the internet, just tell me how my opinions and ideas are wrong and horrible, that’s fine, too.