gestation period?

[Wyrt]

You're right - I forgot biology and evolution only focused on humans. Obviously it evolved to be that long for a purpose - one reason being neural complexity. The issue is that often the baby is too large to be naturally birthed, and due to modern medicine we removed the selective nature of adaptation.

Most of the races in WoW are comparable size to humans. So their women wouldn't be able to give birth to things much larger than humans are. The longer gestation period would not be beneficial to them since the size of human babies is about the size that is naturally feasible.

[Mykey93]

Most of the races in WoW are comparable size to humans. So their women wouldn't be able to give birth to things much larger than humans are. The longer gestation period would not be beneficial to them since the size of human babies is about the size that is naturally feasible.

Biologically speaking, size =/= gestation time. But at this point, you're using science and fantasy interchangeably and I'm disappointed with myself for arguing about biology on a WoW forum.

[Wyrt]

Biologically speaking, size =/= gestation time. But at this point, you're using science and fantasy interchangeably and I'm disappointed with myself for arguing about biology on a WoW forum.

What would be the point of increased gestation time if they aren't growing bigger? Pregnancy isn't really the greatest state for animals to be in.

[Mykey93]

What would be the point of increased gestation time if they aren't growing bigger? Pregnancy isn't really the greatest state for animals to be in.

Development is complex. Seasonality - Being a newborn offspring isn't the greatest state to be in during the winter.

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What would be the point of increased gestation time if they aren't growing bigger? Pregnancy isn't really the greatest state for animals to be in.

Development is complex. Seasonality - Being a newborn offspring isn't the greatest state to be in during the winter.

[Deleted]

Illidan pregnant Maiev GG

[Aquamonkey]

You're right - I forgot biology and evolution only focused on humans. Obviously it evolved to be that long for a purpose - one reason being neural complexity. The issue is that often the baby is too large to be naturally birthed, and due to modern medicine we removed the selective nature of adaptation.

Chronicle says that the Well of Eternity "accelerated the cycles of growth and rebirth." This led to the development of the trolls, and later changed dark trolls into night elves.

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It's worth noting there are in-game Draenei children but no in-game Night Elf children (but there are in-game Blood Elf Children). Of course, there are also in-game Orc and Human children as well.

There's a night elf baby in Shattrath and in Challe's Home For Little Tykes.

There's also this:

[Magical Mudcrab]

Orcs might have a shorter period, and im pretty sure its stated somewhere that they are usually born in groups not one like Thrall,

I like to think that Orcs are like many breeds of sharks, where they fight to the death in their mother's womb as babies. Only the strong is born.

[Aurabolt]

I like to think that Orcs are like many breeds of sharks, where they fight to the death in their mother's womb as babies. Only the strong is born.

You're thinking of Tiger Sharks, which cannibalize their siblings while still in the womb. Only the strongest of the litter survive long enough to be born.

I dunno if there's any lore on an Orc pregnancy but I'm sure it'll be retconned to only be one baby at with multiples being uncommon or rare.

[Golden Yak]

Garona mentioned in Last Guardian that 'orcs are fecund' and 'large litters are common'. Could be different for different clans, some might have fewer offspring on average. And 'common' doesn't mean 'always', there can certainly be cases of single births.

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

In real life nature, maturation tends to be inversely proportional to a creature's intelligence. Therefore one would assume that most of the PC races would mature at similar rates to humans with the less intelligent races like the Orcs, Trolls and Night Elves maturing slightly quicker than than the others.

Another way you could look at it is by comparing the races to the animals they're based on. Eg. Orcs and pigs, tauren and cows, murlocs and frogs, goblins and New Yorkers, etc.

Or you could just throw all common sense out the window and do what you want because no one is really going to care.

[Wildmoon]

In real life nature, maturation tends to be inversely proportional to a creature's intelligence. Therefore one would assume that most of the PC races would mature at similar rates to humans with the less intelligent races like the Orcs, Trolls and Night Elves maturing slightly quicker than than the others.

Another way you could look at it is by comparing the races to the animals they're based on. Eg. Orcs and pigs, tauren and cows, murlocs and frogs, goblins and New Yorkers, etc.

Or you could just throw all common sense out the window and do what you want because no one is really going to care.

I don't think Orcs and Trolls are that much less intelligent than Humans though. Night Elves certainly are not less intelligent than Humans.

[Friendlyimmolation]

In real life nature, maturation tends to be inversely proportional to a creature's intelligence. Therefore one would assume that most of the PC races would mature at similar rates to humans with the less intelligent races like the Orcs, Trolls and Night Elves maturing slightly quicker than than the others.

Another way you could look at it is by comparing the races to the animals they're based on. Eg. Orcs and pigs, tauren and cows, murlocs and frogs, goblins and New Yorkers, etc.

Or you could just throw all common sense out the window and do what you want because no one is really going to care.

Orcs/night elves and trolls could all be argued to be smarter than humans. Not sure where you assumed any of the races were "dumb"

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

Or you could go with your own little headcanon like these people. ^

The world is your oyster, go wild!

[Friendlyimmolation]

Or you could go with your own little headcanon like these people. ^

The world is your oyster, go wild!

for someone throwing around the word headcanon i'm sure you have actual sources for your claim?

[Frumpy Frumpy Frak]

for someone throwing around the word headcanon i'm sure you have actual sources for your claim?

Sources like the actual game literally giving them less intellect?



Don't tell me gameplay=/=lore, base stats are meaningless to gameplay, they're there purely for flavour i.e. lore.

[Aucald]

Sources like the actual game literally giving them less intellect?



Don't tell me gameplay=/=lore, base stats are meaningless to gameplay, they're there purely for flavour i.e. lore.

Night Elven intellect is 20, as is Human intellect? All of the Alliance races save for Worgen (for some reason, despite Worgen being original Humans who've lost none of their skills or memories) are 1-2 points from one another. Sad story for the Horde, except for Blood Elves and Goblins who somehow eclipse both Humans and Night Elves handily.

I think I'd take these ratings with more than a few grains of salt.

[thesentinelblue]

Gestation for elves should be all around the same. Same goes for trolls as they are the ancestors of Elves.

I wonder if elves can breed like trolls with a mad dash of up to 50 mates in one night.

[Friendlyimmolation]

Sources like the actual game literally giving them less intellect?

[img]http://i.imgur.com/1pjxDuY.png[img]

Don't tell me gameplay=/=lore, base stats are meaningless to gameplay, they're there purely for flavour i.e. lore.

So basically you ignore every piece of lore where orcs are demonstrated to be as smart as humans and you post this graph, put your fingers in your ears and go "lalala"

Sorry but no, until you can actually pull up something your entire point is flawed. Post an actual source showing orcs being dumber than humans.

[Aucald]

About the only thing you could say is that the Orcish culture values physical or martial strength over intelligence, but there are plenty of examples of Orcs whose intelligence matches or rivals Humans, Night Elves, or Draenei. Gul'dan, Ner'zhul, Thrall, and Gorefiend are all examples of very intelligent and cunning Orcs.

[Aquamonkey]

Don't tell me gameplay=/=lore, base stats are meaningless to gameplay, they're there purely for flavour i.e. lore.

They're meaningless to gameplay now. Not when WoW launched.