[spoilers] 8.2 Rise of Azshara discussion thread

To be honest I didn’t expect them to ruin the story this much. Peace and love because Thrall returns and the elves have doubts, Siege of Orgrimmar 2.0 inc.

And Lady Ashvane… What is going through their minds? Possibly one of the most interesting characters introduced this expansion and she just makes a deal with Azshara and gets turned into a giant sea monster. I mean, what? They just scrapped her just like that? She could have turned the power of the Ashvane Trading Company and her knowledge of Kul Tiras to be of use to the Horde, but instead the deal she makes literally just ends in her being turned into a sea monster in the most cliché ‘we had a deal!’ ending ever.

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Can I have your gold? :0)

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It would have been interesting to see what their original ideas with her was. Remember that Ashvane was not meant to lead the pirates, instead another character named the pirate queen was supposed to exist as well. But at some point they fused her and Lady Ashvane together and re-wrote Ashvane’s story.

IDK what this story is anymore, it’s embarrassing to be a Horde player. Red team doesn’t deserve to exist at this point. The only reason it will survive is for gameplay. There is not a single reason the Alliance would allow the Horde to continue existing, and there’s no solid justification for why it could stand on it’s own anymore. The constant betrayals by it’s leadership, the infighting that is never taken advantage of by outside factors beyond old gods etc.

Red team being constantly used by blue team to fight itself but for some reason the blue gamer’s never capitalise on this beyond wanting to save the ‘real’ Horde? Why do they want to save the Horde wtf is going on? Why do you want to save an antagonist faction that is constantly trying to genocide them since the First War?

Anduin wanting to preserve / hold up a dead nation for no real reason is already bad enough, but now Jaina flip-flopping from dismantling the Horde, kill the Horde and now restore the Horde? Why?

Why will Zandalari players in anyway tolerate working with Jaina to free Baine after she and the Alliance slaughtered their king, the guy against joining the Horde?

Why does the Horde player want to serve this faction after it’s potential second big civil war? What’s even going to be left? The old nostalgia of Thrall’s Horde is dead and buried, it’s too tainted now. One half of us are being (obviously) duped into helping old gods because we don’t want to betray our faction, and another is happy to destroy what’s left of the red team in a second civil war if that means they can get rid of characters they don’t like, hoping this time we can retcon all Horde story before the Cataclysm. Well, attempting too anyway, because we were unable to do that with Vol’jin’s civil war.

Of course while this is all happening we’ll be hoping the Alliance doesn’t once again capitalise on this and dismantle red team like like they threatened to in MoP, because they have the justification to do it now. But I think we know they won’t, due to gameplay, and it will have to be awkwardly explained why they’re going back on their threats; which undermines them, and won’t be explained or developed further.

All we’ve been shown so far is the Horde is unstable, it is prone to corruption and infighting and it’s races can’t get along. Oaths are worthless and a individuals undefined, convoluted sense of moral honour often conflicts with others in the faction, embroiling everyone into a unstable crisis while their leaders score brownie points with the enemy hoping they’ll deal with their problems for them.

All I can say is I’m glad my sub is running out in twenty days.

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Classic friend… Classic is coming.

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Sheesh, at this rate there won’t be anyone to give my gold to.

Classic won’t mean sh*t, not on its own, it was fun but it’s outdated, they’ll just keep it around as an excuse to keep up their antics on retail and say “if you want insert something they later screwed over just play classic.”.

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I never understood why the Alliance would try to save the Horde/let the Horde remain. Yes, Thrall was a good lad and so are the taurens and things, but…the original Horde where all of this originates from was litterally an army for the burning Legion with the only goal being to conquer Azeroth and other worlds. The first Horde was set-up by Gul’dan of all people who then made a warchief title for a commander.

It is also weird for Thrall in particular, and the good orcs, to be so adamant to defend/maintain the Horde’s legacy, since that legacy is “demonic slaves meant to kill everything else.”

Like,…why? Why didn’t thrall rename his group of survivors to something that doesnt reflect/represent everything he hates?

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I won’t play classic myself. I’m not one to dwell on the past because of Nostalgia.

Wow is on life support, if we could see data about regular players or current subs, it would be a far cry from its peak.

I guess the Nelves really have been replaced, then.

Remember at the end of MoP when Wrathion was all “GOD DAMN VARIAN, JUST DESTROY THE HORDE ALREADY YA TOSSPOT, UNITE THE WORLD” and the panda was all “no u need to fight to be strong, diversity=strength, white and black fur, etc. etc.”

Wrathion did nothing wrong.

Shandris is there.

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I want to see a love story between Shandris and John J. Keeshan. That would be much better than the overarcing plot.

Well then. That changes things.

Is she the opposite to Thalyssra, or is that Jaina?

Does Shandris wear a cloak of invisibility or something?

The Horde and the Alliance both bring an important character as a representative (Jaina for the Alliance, Lor’themar for the Horde) and someone that is fundamentally tied to Azshara (Shandris for the Alliance, Thalyssra for the Horde). Shandris is there to specifically represent night elven interests in this plot line.

Could people please read up on what they’re complaining about, before they pine about how night elves aren’t involved at all?

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I do think that Shandris is a poor choice, given that historically she seems to have had zero interaction or real connection to Azshara. Someone like Jarod is probably a better choice.

But there is a NElf there for that connection, even if not my ideal option.

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Shandris isn’t Azshara’s personal archenemy the way Tyrande is, and her characterization is not as well-defined.

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From what I’ve read, the Shandris stuff seems a bit half-baked if I’m honest. Less like her own character, and more a token Night Elf presence. Still a weak choice compared to Tyrande.

I hope they spice her up a bit more, because this would be a great chance to develop Shandris as a character.

I think it would have been out of character for Tyrande to ditch Kalimdor post-night warrior. She’s there for vengeance against the Horde and ditching that to work together to beat N’zoth is just putting a 180 on her entire plot arc.

All I know about Shandris is this :

  • Adopted Daughter of Tyrande and Malfurion
  • Fought the Satyr in the Satyr war
  • Has the hots for Jarod Shadowsong.

Her persona seems to go toward the stern sentinel type during duty and good person outside duties… But it just doesn’t leave a strong impression. I don’t mean to diss on Shandris but she really lacks exposition and gravitas.

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