(WoW) Storytelling
While my WoW sub is a few days lapsed, I'm still keeping tabs on the game. I'm not sure if 8.1 will bring enough to draw me back in, I may sit out 'til 8.2. That remains to be seen. Overall, the Battle for Azeroth story hasn't been hugely compelling to me. There are some characters I like, but other than getting Jaina back (which was awful complicated, really), I don't feel like I've done much save housecleaning for the Kul Tiras isles.
That, however, may just be due to the Alliance perspective.
One of the talking points to come out of the recent news is enabling and involving players by giving choices to make with repercussions. First off, I'm skeptical of that in an MMO. Next, the only example given seems to be whether to support Sylvanas or Saurfang - and that is a Horde-only decision. And other than some lines of dialog, I don't know what the different outcome could actually be. Things are plotted out expansions in advance, so there's virtually no way the winner of this Horde-internal conflict is really up in the air. And you can't very well split the Horde player base in a gameplay way based on their choice.*
* Technically, I could be surprised, but I just can't imagine Blizzard putting that much extra work into story branches and gameplay changes.
Another talking point has been Sylvanas herself. Some people seem to think her mustache-twirling evil of late is new. That's... silly. Well, okay, the cartoonishness of some of is may be, but the evil part really isn't. I've been convinced since WotLK that she's just plain evil - not complex, not protecting her people, evil. The Wrathgate might have required a little reading between the lines of what was conveyed in the game, but if she didn't plan it, she knowingly allowed it to happen. She's shown time and time again since that she won't play by any rules and will take anything given to use to her own ends, not anyone else's.
But all this makes me wonder. What's better:
- Alliance: Pretty much the "good guys" in most ways. Reactionary in the ongoing war. No real meaningful choices/conflict/stories internally.
- Horde: Currently following a clearly-evil leader. Internal strife with questionable moral choices, but little control over them (short of simply not doing quests).
I feel like the Horde is being given the more interesting story currently, but the trade off is getting stuck with near-cartoonish levels of villainy. I genuinely am not certain which I would prefer to experience in the game, but I don't think players of either faction really have reason to be happy...
That, however, may just be due to the Alliance perspective.
One of the talking points to come out of the recent news is enabling and involving players by giving choices to make with repercussions. First off, I'm skeptical of that in an MMO. Next, the only example given seems to be whether to support Sylvanas or Saurfang - and that is a Horde-only decision. And other than some lines of dialog, I don't know what the different outcome could actually be. Things are plotted out expansions in advance, so there's virtually no way the winner of this Horde-internal conflict is really up in the air. And you can't very well split the Horde player base in a gameplay way based on their choice.*
* Technically, I could be surprised, but I just can't imagine Blizzard putting that much extra work into story branches and gameplay changes.
Another talking point has been Sylvanas herself. Some people seem to think her mustache-twirling evil of late is new. That's... silly. Well, okay, the cartoonishness of some of is may be, but the evil part really isn't. I've been convinced since WotLK that she's just plain evil - not complex, not protecting her people, evil. The Wrathgate might have required a little reading between the lines of what was conveyed in the game, but if she didn't plan it, she knowingly allowed it to happen. She's shown time and time again since that she won't play by any rules and will take anything given to use to her own ends, not anyone else's.
But all this makes me wonder. What's better:
- Alliance: Pretty much the "good guys" in most ways. Reactionary in the ongoing war. No real meaningful choices/conflict/stories internally.
- Horde: Currently following a clearly-evil leader. Internal strife with questionable moral choices, but little control over them (short of simply not doing quests).
I feel like the Horde is being given the more interesting story currently, but the trade off is getting stuck with near-cartoonish levels of villainy. I genuinely am not certain which I would prefer to experience in the game, but I don't think players of either faction really have reason to be happy...
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