Why couldn't Blizz do more with Vol'jin in game?

[jellmoo]

Blizzard has largely done a poor job with all of the faction leaders that aren't Orc or Human (with a special shoutout to Sylvanas I guess as well). They tend to get little more than glorified cameos sporadically, but little in the way of substance or character building.

[Zuben]

His ingame portrayal was indeed weak. Outside sources do little to buff a character, as many consider them more additional details than defining aspects, reading about them as bulletpoints of a plot synopsis (or missing them entirely).

So what we witnessed with our own eyes is how we recognize Vol'jin's tactical genius (sending troops head on to their deaths against a doomsday scorpion machine), combat skill (one-shotted by a clearly aggressive orc he was cautious of their entire time together AND whom he was facing at the time) and pride (trying to act tough on an Alliance player, only to immediately back down and pretty much beg them for help). He felt like a figurehead instead of an actual leader during the rebellion. After stuff like that I felt a true moment of defeat for my Horde, not because Orgrimmar was ransacked by civil war and Alliance had us at their mercy, but because we now had the most unworthy leader imaginable. Thankfully WoD mostly ignored Vol'jin's Warchief-status and instead focused on local heroes, us players and Khadgar, so Horde still felt strong and capable to me.

[Trassk]

Vol'jin ended up being a load of nothing. I wasn't happy with what turned out at the end of pandaria, ironicly it having some of the better feeling lore the games had in a while up until that final patch, but vol'jin really just came off as weak a character, one who prided himself from hiding in the shadows, when really it felt more like he did nothing with hiding in the shadows but watch his own people die.
His absence in warlords meant he didn't so anything to make him grow, and now 'dead' at the start of legion, giving the mantle to another character, his has been both the shortest and most lackluster leadership roles in the lore, even his father seemed to do more in leading the darkspear to kalimdor.

Why then is he having such a huge monument to him as if he was on level with Varian, I'm sorry, but he never did. Varian was on level with Thrall and Garrosh in terms of status, and both those did something to show they were on par with Varian. One ended up the villain so thats why he didn't get a monument.

The lores a mess nowadays anyway. Lore characters are a mess and the cringeworthy writing of making the player character the "main hero" is just fan-fiction levels of bad. I honestly don't feel any sense of faction left in wow, its just to disconnected from the story at this point that it doesn't matter whos leading what now, since our player characters are apparently better then any of them. /vomit.

[Syegfryed]

its because the devs now are stupid as fuck

the reasons of "chracters changes" are: "the team feels the leaders need a change", of alliance, maybe, but the horde? they made a early change from Garrosh to vol'jin, (and a big and good change overall, who would ever think a non-orc become the warchief?)

you know they are becoming stupid, and more dumb when they put a dead elf

[dokilar]

my guess is because the writers have no idea how to formulate a cohesive story, but thats just my absurd idea...

[Deleted]

That's easy, because all those hard Horde fans bitched about him. So Blizzard gave them what they wanted, they offed him and replaced him.


I kind of liked Vol'jin but on the other hand, I was never really Horde at heart. I disliked Varian though as he was a way for the humans to control the other nations making the Alliance a blue Horde. I hated that. Now Varian will die too, so I'm glad. But even then, Varian did get his time in the spotlight. Vol'jin... not really. All I know of him from the game is losing his islands then taking them back and then sort of leading the rebellion against Garrosh. There's also his Pandaria adventure, but that's in the book. As a warchief however he did absolutely nothing. Not in books and not in game.

[Ogren]

Blizzard has largely done a poor job with all of the faction leaders that aren't Orc or Human (with a special shoutout to Sylvanas I guess as well). They tend to get little more than glorified cameos sporadically, but little in the way of substance or character building.

This, basically. The dev team seem to have a specific priority set in place when it comes to the playable races they want to develop and races like Trolls, Gnomes, Dwarves, Tauren, etc. sit at the very bottom of that. They are merely there to be sidekicks and provide window dressing to Humans, Orcs, and Elves.

[Deleted]

I'm pretty sure there's a vol'jin urn... as in his body's been burned and the ashes that remain were put in a jar. I'd be impressed if Vol'jin came back from that

I just need a bucket of glue, some water and a shaman. He'll be on his feet in a few days.

- - - Updated - - -

You can come back from a lot of things when you're BFF with Bwonsamdi.

Maybe it will return only as a spirit. Anyway, I can't imagine a Zandalari patch without a strong implication of Vol'Jin, in a way or another.

Vol'jin's son (which will poof into lore) will steal Vol'jin's urn to put in it... the remnants of Kel'th... no, no, the remnants of that guy who took the echo isles, forgat his name then he'll go on a trip to the Sunwell to resurrect him. NO! A trip to the Nightwell to resurrect him. And then they'll travel to Suramar to summon Kil'jaden. Who will go towards Mount Hyjal. Using fel Zandalari. Undead fel Zandalari. And Tyrande, Malfurion, Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall will gather a mighty force to defend the tree enough for wisps to gather and blow Kil'jaden up. And then Bolvar... no, Bowtsandy will contact that troll guy telling him his magic is leaking and he needs to get to Zandalar to merge with him.

[Ripitgood]

They are doing the final fantasy technique, meaning they are going to destroy the world and restart it. Giving the developers more artistic freedom. At the moment the development of the game in a standstill due to bad writing, design, decisions, and mistakes of previous expansions, prior to Wotlk.

"Mistakes of previous expansions, prior to Wotlk". My dear friend this would imply that BC was a mistake? Are you feeling ok, must we call a medical professional to examine you for some sort of head injury?

Because, BC/Wotlk, are the best Expansions WoW has received.
While I'll admit Illidans story was a bit blasted, they're working on changing that with Legion. So please, do tell.

[LazarusLong]

"Mistakes of previous expansions, prior to Wotlk". My dear friend this would imply that BC was a mistake? Are you feeling ok, must we call a medical professional to examine you for some sort of head injury?

Because, BC/Wotlk, are the best Expansions WoW has received.
While I'll admit Illidans story was a bit blasted, they're working on changing that with Legion. So please, do tell.

BC Lore and it's representation in game was shit. That is why they are retconning it with Illidan novel and Demon Hunter starter experience.

[Sevro au Barca]

I wish they could have done more with Vol'jin as well. His tenor as Warcheif seemed short and uneventful in-game. My hope going forward is that they'll manage to do great things lorewise with everyone else using these deaths as effective plot devices. Except for what I think is slightly too many lore characters' deaths the storytelling and lore of Legion looks incredible. The last expansion I was this excited for from a plot perspective was WotLK.

[Stormspellz]

Because wow storytelling has always been subpar, and its only gotten worse over the years, the big dive started with deathwing & timetravel silliness of Cata

[Tuesdays]

Blizzard is ending the Warcraft franchise.Thats the only explanation i can think of for killing so many named characters.They've given up on the lore.

Make way for the Diablo MMO.

Kill off the popularity of WoW (game) cash in on products and cinema / animation sales. Make WoW F2P with cash shop, open pristine servers for 5 dollars a month.

Release Diablo MMO.

/rejoice

[Kanogan]

I strongly believe Vol'Jin will return (while Varian will definitely stay dead).

I think so too. Perhaps with some voodoo/spirit realm stuff?

[Arrashi]

Make way for the Diablo MMO.

Kill off the popularity of WoW (game) cash in on products and cinema / animation sales. Make WoW F2P with cash shop, open pristine servers for 5 dollars a month.

Release Diablo MMO.

/rejoice

But how would diablo MMO be any diffrent from what diablo is now ?

[Tuesdays]

But how would diablo MMO be any diffrent from what diablo is now ?

How is Warcraft any different than World of Warcraft?

[Florena]

Make way for the Diablo MMO.

Kill off the popularity of WoW (game) cash in on products and cinema / animation sales. Make WoW F2P with cash shop, open pristine servers for 5 dollars a month.

Release Diablo MMO.

/rejoice

If they were planning to kill off WoW they wouldn't be putting this much effort into Legion. They won't intentionally sabotage WoW, especially with it still making money.

And even IF they have plans for a Diablo MMO, which is a big IF, square enix still has Final Fantasy XI up and running despite releasing FF XIV. It's not impossible to keep two MMOs up under one company concurrently.

[Arrashi]

How is Warcraft any different than World of Warcraft?

You still didn't answer.

[Beet]

Blizzard is ending the Warcraft franchise.Thats the only explanation i can think of for killing so many named characters.They've given up on the lore.

Rofl. Yeah that's it man. They're gonna end the franchise that made them who they are.

You don't really believe that do you?

[Tuesdays]

If they were planning to kill off WoW they wouldn't be putting this much effort into Legion. They won't intentionally sabotage WoW, especially with it still making money.

And even IF they have plans for a Diablo MMO, which is a big IF, square enix still has Final Fantasy XI up and running despite releasing FF XIV. It's not impossible to keep two MMOs up under one company concurrently.

Kill off wow as the Flagship, not the game itself, guess I could have worded it better.