I wouldn’t necessarily advocate for the re-implementation of the Classic WoW gameplay. In fact, in many ways I disapprove of their current un-pruning of abilities, as it feels like they’re doing un-pruning for the sake of un-pruning.
The gameplay is important but it’s not the key to what I’m getting at. I’m talking about the narrative structure of retail WoW in comparison to Classic. The “campaign” plays very much like a single-player game. There isn’t a lot of story within the actual world anymore. You run around and do random missions for people who communicate with you via telepathy. It all feels very ludic. I’ve made this argument before, but retail pretty much has a transmedial narrative these days. You can stay updated on the lore via YouTube and just enjoy the game for its ludic values. The narrative presents a colourful backdrop, and that’s about it.
I think this is especially the case with BFA. This expansion is filled to the brim with major events happening yet it’s not reflected in the game all that well. We kinda know what’s supposed to happen to the world, but it isn’t. Instead it takes places in instances, which further disconnects you from the world.
Still, I believe you are right. It’s way too late for them to change now. They’d have to drop their current story format and go back to designing world content like they did prior to Cataclysm. That is: no cutscenes, no predetermined linear path and no VIPs accompanying you wherever you go (granted, we saw some of these developments in WLK).
That’s also a thing… they can’t ever undo the giant narrative dumpsterfire that was Warlords of Draenor.
I understand what you meant now. You’re right, those little world stories made for a fun and interesting experience. And don’t get me started on world quests, I hate them.
I actually believe the cutscenes and cinematics are amazing, but the linearity is indeed what makes it boring. Everything has to be flashy and dramatic these days.
Problem is, that those themes not only lean on RL cultures, but also feed from rather specific ‘fantasies’.
These fantasies, for good or ill, are dominantly “white” themed.
Of course Blizzard could give the nord theme some twist that made them be black-featured vikings, or change the “European“ one to make it be about Asian knights.
But wouldn’t that defeat the purpose behind said particular angle in the setting?
Would people be willing to “sacrifice” a series of aspects regarding particular fantasies in order to implement these features?. They might be willing of course, but there might be others that want to preserve a particular angle regarding certain kingdoms.
In all, I think that the less disruptive alternative would be to either introduce new territories, or expand on how different terrains facilitated notable differences in the humans that inhabit them.
If you’ve spent your chance to develop a particular angle regarding a kingdom, do like the time when they introduced Frost Dwarves, or Taunka: explore how some new isolated culture facilitated facial distinctions.
Or put extra effort on those collectives you are already tacitly acknowledging as different: if Makasa is black, and hails from Booty Bay (regardless of her ancestry), then use it to pump more humans with features like hers in said zone.
Either highlight collectives like the Kurzen or the Wastewanders, or have us discover new islands in the north/south that present us for example with Inuit features for Asian (north), or black features (south).
A ClassicPlus should be possible, with alternative lore
Indeed, the wider gamedesign issue.
But this is what is attractive now for the wider audience, even if detrimental for us, core MMORPG players.
It’s not only WoW, but also SWTOR and ESO that took this solo rpg path from the begining…
Yeah the issue is definitely not Black nordic warrior fantasy, nor Black high elves fantasy “per se”. In fact it could even be much inspiring. The issue is not the skin tone is purely random among the humans of Azeroth - not realistic, yes, but it’s not something wrong in a magical world.
The only issue left is retconing. And doing so just in order to add perceived political progress in an already established fantasy world, without even proper retcon, because there won’t be any in-universe explanation. Such explanation would have brought more lore, and deepness.
(But I still think it’s better like this, instead of letting PCs have customisations that no NPC have at all, that would be far worse immersion-breaking.)
Now I just hope that the Darspear NPCs won’t get randomized sandfury troll skins, and that half of the Ironforge guards won’t get randomized Wildhammer features.
And regarding High Elves… my brain is still recovering from its ejactable seat, so I can’t tell what I expect now clearly.
There is an issue with this. Not as relevant with the human features, but definitely more so with other races.
With trolls, we have several skin options that downright point at enemy tribes. Guys we’ve been fighting, and killing, since classic (Ice, sand, and blood trolls).
If they implement these, not only as part of the “headcanon” custom options for players, but also as part of the active cast of NPCs in the setting and without an explanation…this is far worse than simply not implementing them.
Sandfury trolls patrolling the Echo Isles, or Drakkari going about Orgrimmar, is something that downright harms the settings credibility. It REQUIRES of an explanation, as otherwise, these are dudes we consider enemies.
It would be like having Naga in NE cities.
