Goblin totems

[Northy]

It seems to me that they are forcibly taking the elements with their contraptions

Which is badass.

Tauren totems suck.
Orc totems are dull.
Troll totems are decent.

Watch the mass exodus of shamans race changing to goblin.

Count on it.

[Jenerena]

Oh come on, less of all the dreamy nature bullshit.

I think they look cool, shamans are cool. Besides, isn't lightning associated with electricity hmm?

[zorg]

Which is badass.

Tauren totems suck.
Orc totems are dull.
Troll totems are decent.

Watch the mass exodus of EXODAR shamans race changing to goblin.

Count on it.

Fixed^^ ;D
*me included ;D

[hesten]

I suppose, Goblins get a Tinker/Engineer class, who generates electric bolts, uses flamethrowers and such. For gameplay reasons it is called Shaman."

hahaha, rofl no way

A shaman is a shaman, not an engineer. Goblin shamans will cast spells like any other race, not use flame throwers.

[Ruargh]

goblin shamans are a tricky one :P
Shaman don't -use- the elements, it's more like wishing. They ask a certain element to do something for them and if that element likes/respects them enough they will obey and perform asked task. (go read 'Rise of the Horde' )
The problem with goblins is, that they usually don't care much for nature and the elements and tend to (ab)use it more often then respect it.

That said, from what I've heard so far about those bilgewaters they are the most selfless goblins ever. They're not mother theresa but it's a start. So it's not unthinkable that a few of them actually managed to get some leverage with the elements.
That or they just managed to find out how to bribe the elements, that usually works for goblins

On the totems, they rock!
They remind me a bit of motorboat engines stuck in the ground They look like they're actually 'pumping' up elemental energy straight from the earth en spweing it out on top. Just awesome

[Hypernetic]

Ok, a few things.

One, Shamans have pretty much nothing to do with "being attuned to nature", that's a druid's shtick. Shamans are masters of the elements (which in WoW is something quite different from what we consider to be "the elements" in the real world.) and are attuned with the SPIRIT world. Shamans can see the future and call upon the power of their ancestors for aid.

Two, totems are merely man made objects. What separates a shamans totem from, say, the guild bank in Thunder Bluff (which is a giant totem) is that they are imbued with the power of the elements, by the shaman. For example, to create the water totem, you collect water from all around the world and combine them to make a vial of "purest water". You then kill a corrupted water elemental and purify his bracers with the water, after which a minor manifestation of water imbues your ordinary piece of wood with the power of water.

Three, the Goblin totems make perfect sense. All other races have totems that represent their individual culture. Tauren totems are based on the actual totems they use in architecture. Troll totems are made from tribal masks. Orcs are a race that have been at war for so long, it's become a part of them. They used axes as their representation of power. Draenei totems reflect the same otherworldly aesthetics we see in their architecture and technology (Exodar for example, not actually being a building but a crashed space ship).

So, what is goblin culture all about? Goblins, similar to Gnomes, are a technologically advanced race of engineers (and business men, but that doesn't really matter for this discussion). Why would they build their totems out of tribal masks and sticks, carve them out of wood, or anything else? These are the same people who build race cars, rockets, and giant machines. So, their totems reflect their own culture, in the form of mechanical technology.

I really don't see any conflicts with lore, or otherwise here.

[Korv]

Anyone feel that goblin totems just dont fit in with the whole shaman theme? Shamans are supposed to be in tune with nature, not machanical, electrical shit.

supposed to be, yeah, but Goblins have found a way to do it with technology.

[gankhed]

A totem is something that channels the elements.

Goblins may not be FORCING the elements at all. Perhaps their totems are made to represent which element they are drawing power from. IE. The wind turbine, or the mixture of oil and whatever else to create fire.

Nowhere does it say they manipulate the elements into doing their bidding.

[Ruargh]

One, Shamans have pretty much nothing to do with "being attuned to nature", that's a druid's shtick. Shamans are masters of the elements (which in WoW is something quite different from what we consider to be "the elements" in the real world.) and are attuned with the SPIRIT world. Shamans can see the future and call upon the power of their ancestors for aid.

They are in fact in tune with nature, just on another level then druids

There are two very distinct belief systems which stem from the worship of nature; Druidism and Shamanism. While different in their effectuation, both belief systems share with each other their most basic concepts of animism, ancestor worship, and spirit guidance. Though both druidism and shamanism seem to be separated by a very fine line, the means by which they reach their ends can be classified in a fairly straightforward manner. Druids worship the spirits through plants, animals, and the fundamental spirit of the wilds. Conversely, shamans worship the spirits through the four fundamental elements of earth, fire, wind, and water

Quote from wowwiki on the subject of nature worship. http://www.wowwiki.com/Shamanism_and_nature_worship

Other then that I'm with you 100% :P

[Hypernetic]

They are in fact in tune with nature, just on another level then druids
Quote from wowwiki on the subject of nature worship. http://www.wowwiki.com/Shamanism_and_nature_worship

Other then that I'm with you 100% :P

Hmm, fair enough.

[Scoopjackson]

The goblins simply created their totems out of what they know best to channel the elements. This is no different than the Draenei and their flower pots or the Dwarves and their hammers; the list goes on and on. Your crying b/c you feel its cheating shaman lore? You obviously do not understand the concept of what a totem actually is. If a shaman uses what it is most intimate with to create a channel to the spirits/elements then wtf is wrong with that...

And I remember someone saying something about the metal swirl it's a screw as to deploy the totem in the earth so it's practical like goblins! ^_^