I don’t know what part of my brain initially tricked me during my pre-order to think this saga meant we were going back to a factions, individual perspective of the World of Azeroth as a fantasy setting to explore whilst dealing with bandits and quillboar but I think its already very quickly wearing off after reading that cinematic spoilers list. The entire thing is just a set of stairs leading to an ever-increasing point of cosmic relevance to the World of Azeroth and its people as a whole which is the complete and utter opposite of what I want from Warcraft as a setting and as a game.
I’m well aware people will tell me “ah, but Midnight is focusing on the old world and the Belves and Elves!” Yes, its doing that to continue cementing cosmic relevance in the storytelling, and that’s incredibly obvious now given that it seems Xal’atath will be using the Sunwell to bring about Dimensius/A Cosmic War between the Light, Void and Titans which will either cause the Elves/QT to become a minor C-plot inbetween this storyline or will lead to it being inherently connected to the Cosmic War-in-Heaven A-plot, both of which are horrific options.
The Last Titan is all but guaranteed to be an out-and-out, War-In-Heaven style narrative that culminates in the arrival of all the different Gods and Cosmic Forces to the battlefield of Azeroth which means that no doubt the entire world lore-wise is going to be turned into a cosmic war hellscape that we just have to accept for the sake of destroying all the mythology and theology that was created back in WC1 and WC2 because Blizzard can’t decide what Azeroth and Warcraft actually are and keep going between ever-increasing extremes to try and solve the problems they have created by stripping this universe to its core and then lighting it on fire.
We all do different things with free will. Some of them might simply lack the desire to become something more than the directives that drive them, or lack the external stimulus that might compel them to do so.
To use the example of Mother, she’s been locked up in an underground facility for millennia with no exposure to anything but the monsters she has been charged with keeping contained. There’s not any room there for the development of a personality, there’s nothing that would stimulate any growth, even though she almost definitely has the capacity for it.
But then you look at the Titanforged of Northrend and just how many of them there were, just what sort of environments they were exposed to. They had every reason to develop more complicated personalities and more complex interpersonal relationships once their duty was complete. It’s no wonder that they became so human.
To boil it down, if you treat someone like a robot and put them in a situation where it’s difficult to be anything but a robot, chances are that they’ll behave like a robot. But exposure and interaction leads to growth.
I’ve got to wonder what ever gave you that impression. I mean, it culminates with “the Last Titan,” surely you had to have realised that it is going to be the most cosmic expansion ever with a name like that.
But yes, you’re likely correct about the elves. I get the feeling that they will be as relevant to Midnight as the earthen are to the War Within - the primary focus of a couple of zones, but far from the only thing that the narrative will revolve around.
Metzen told me to come home because we were focusing back on Azeroth. What I didn’t realise at the time was that he meant “I’m bringing Shadowlands TO Azeroth instead of everyone having to go to the Shadowlands”.
That’s what I pretty much immediately assumed what it’d be, but I think everyone was too busy doing the good old “Place: >:( vs Place (Japan) :O” meme but with Cosmic Lore and Chris Metzen
Chris Metzen is a talented hypeman who has a lot of good will, due to being the figurehead for the “good old days.”
Pretty much everyone was doom-mongering about WoW going into maintenance mode before BlizzCon '23, so the fact that he was almost solely able to turn that pessimism into curiosity and tentative excitement is a miracle.
The Horde is sorely needing development in terms of new characters and… well, the existing character roster largely being covered in two inches of dust. Not really holsing out for TWW and The Last Titan to amend that. Eh.
If it’s not at war, what motivation does the Horde even possess?
While this concern also affects the Alliance, the faction singular elements have motives beyond fighting or facing the Horde. I can easily believe them doing things that isn’t related to a faction War.
Horde has been done dirty by having to question twice their ruling system having left them incredibly poor in narrative potential in other places even though there’s plenty there. It’d be nice to see the Horde as caretakers of the land more often.
If I have to guess, their answer to that criticism would boil down to “characters are no longer Horde or Alliance, faction separation is a thing of the past.”
But unfortunately, that’s not enough. People will have their favourite races and factions, especially after they spent the majority of a recent faction drumming up faction pride. Combine that with the fact that the writers seem primarily interested in characters of Alliance origin at the moment, and it just can’t be helped.
But while I have my concerns, I’m going to try and to avoid doomposting about it too much.
At least we’re getting Lilian and Thrall, and at least some of the levelling weapons look neat in Horde hands, and at least the earthen are seeming more interesting by the day, to the point where some might even fit in the Horde.
At least there’s a chance of blood elf representation in the Midnight.
So I’ll avoid being too critical until the product is in our hands.
“Survival” is the almost universal theme of the Horde. Every people that falls under the umbrella of the Horde has narrowly escaped extinction and/or oppression. When they aren’t fighting for their right to exist or to be free, they should be rebuilding, physically, culturally, spiritually.
The orc heritage quest is a great example of this. Taking care of the land and seeking to renew the Barrens so that they don’t have to keep on chopping down Ashenvale is something else Blizzard could do, if they want to give the Horde any attention.
I don’t think this is a viable theme for Horde races anymore, Azeroth is full and most of the races work together now a days.
With everything that is possible in current day Warcraft, the Orcs should have no reason to chop down trees in Ashenvale anymore, when they can import it from one of its member states all across the world.
I think Raynardo makes a fairer point, let the Horde walk the path of caretakers of the World instead. Its stupid that the Horde, with all its shamanistic races and traditions, isn’t involved more on the whole Azeroth-Worldsoul-talking-to-heroes plot. If anything they should be more attuned to hear Azeroth then, for example, Humans or other Alliance(and certain Horde races).
But then again, I don’t think we should really talk about an Horde or Alliance anymore, since both factions overlap so much in everything now a days, you could cluster both factions into smaller subgroups like Caretakers of the World/Wild(Night Elves, Orcs, Taurens, Earthen), Imperialistic Kingdoms(Zandalari, Humans, Dwarves) etc🤷🏼♂️
We kind of have to, as players, since when they’re not being factional the default is always Alliance-coded characters.
Legion made that eminently clear, and TWW is repeating it a second time. If people want to see orcs or trolls represented, then they have to say “where Horde?”
I would agree with this, if it wasn’t for the fact that it would make certain elements of the community froth with rage.
There would be complaints about the hypocrisy and irony of the Horde that was responsible for some of the most destructive events on Azeroth being charged with taking care of it.
There would be complaints about how this would be stealing the thunder of other races such as the night elves who are supposed to be the caretakers of Azeroth, rather than the Horde races.
There would be complaints about how the Horde is supposed to be nothing but a monstrous legion of destructive warmongers and how them being anything less than that is a sign that Warcraft is losing its teeth.
Blizzard just needs to focus on what comes after the immediate struggle to survive. I know everyone’s sick of renewal after Dragonflight, but it really should be a period of healing for the Horde, whether that involves reclaiming their past, or abandoning bad habits, or making their lands actually habitable.
And learning to become caretakers of their land is a step in the right direction, just not caretakers of all of Azeroth, to avoid stepping on toes and creating drama.
If you have to factor in the worst elements of the community then sure, you’ll be frozen in place incapable of doing nothing.
It doesn’t have to be lands immediatly under the control of the Kaldorei either, although a form of diplomatic envoy with the Earthen Ring into Kaldorei controlled territory is still a story worthwhile to tell… Unless it has to be once again in the newest expansion if nothing else.
You really have to admit though that it’s a painful contradiction that the Shamanistic oriented Horde is doing more damage to the land than healing it. You have to wonder why Elementals don’t just universally agree that making friends with Horde is a big no no.
