I’m starting through Shadowlands again and trying to figure it out.
I had a horrible time with it previously, but I’m trying to steel myself, focus on my patience, etc. trying to make sure I fuly understand what’s going on before continuing.
I must say the themes and setup for it are actually good, but there is something about how it is presented that falls short in some way.
One thing I have noted this far is a real issue with naming. First we are introduced to the arbiter. then not too long after we are told about the archon. even writing this down now is starting to make my head spin. Both begin with A, both are terms that are not often used in everyday language. on top of this, It’s already taken me long enough to remember the names kah delen, kah sher and tal inara.
See, I’ve learnt from last time, that blizz will refer to characters that i’ve only met once and expect me to know who they are. so I now have to sit and look at every new character I meet and memorise these stupid odd names.
Why are they so weird? it’s not like they are even similar to common words so we can remember easily? like bibidi, babidi and buu ? Thy name these characters things that my mind is not equipped to easily remember. So I think maybe this is an issue… either that, or the devs didn’t spend enough time or consideration on making it clear which characters the player should be making note of.
Because they live in a plane beyond death itself… it would be really weird if these other-worldy beings just introduced themselves as “Hi i’m John” or something like that
That’s a real life logical reason, doesn’t necessarily apply to narrative.
Narrative has to be relatable.
Literally no reason why they can’t be named after familiar figures in real life mythology. and our own real life names sometimes come from the names of angels and other mystical things. also, names of things can be linked to familiar patterns that most people would be able to remember. so if they named a character sleip, and he was related to dreams somehow, then we will naturally remember that.
Probably the same reason a Pope or King took a number and new name
And names always had power
Your real name, or god forbid someone take hold on your True Name is a source of power
Bit like the tooth and nails and hair… keep an eye on your lost “parts”, the most ancient magics works with those, they are connection to you
Same with names
Power and knowledge
Of course Authority
And when eternity is before you, the last thing you want your past to come and bite you in the rear end
Are they even… creatures?
They are not alive, thats for sure, if they were, it wouldn’t be a surprise mosrtals wandering around Oribos…
They are dead with their own death realm, realm of… traders?
Constructs?
what the hell are they???
But one thing is sure: they are very alien and different from anything you could find on the Earth or Azeorth, so their name is fine reflecting their… strangness
except when many players have to expend great effort just to remember their names, its a problem surely?
names and designations need to be easily understood or the audience will spend so much time learning the new words and the names, that the narrative itself will become lost.
I can think of absolutely no good reason why the arbiter could’t have been called the judge. why the mnemis units couldn’t have been called memory units. it would have served the story a heck of a lot better.
“here is the greeter memory unit”, i understand that instinctively, immediately upon reading it…
“here is the greet mnemis unit” i’m having to put so much effort into parsing the word ‘mnemis’, and do mental somersaults to link it with the word ‘mnemonic’ each time, i completely miss the point of what she’s saying which is something so basic as " this is a greeter".
and it’s not even that important a thing for her to say, and by this point, its pushed all the plot of the game out of my head.
I suppose it is an attempt at giving a solemn and otherworldly ring to it. The same could be said about the way many of them speak. Those of lower status are much more personable and down-to-earth.