Zones, races and the real life counterparts.

[Deleted]

I play World of Warcraft, and have done so for about six years, for the zones. I like to explore and, having just started MoP after quite a long break from the game, I'm thoroughly enjoying these new lands. I've always been interested in the cultural inspirations for each zone and I like to compare each to what I would consider to be their real life counterparts. Some are easier to identify that others.

Here's a few examples:

Loch Modan/Dun Morogh = Loch is Gaelic for lake and Dun for fort in Scotland, where I'm from = Scotland
Stormpeaks = Norse naming conventions and mythological influences = Norway
Grizzly Hills = Quite clearly Canadian, reminds me of British Columbia wildlife footage. Some mistake this zone for Norway, but look to Howling Fjord for that.
Uldum = Egyptian naming conventions and mythological infleunces = Egypt
Pandaria itself = Heavily influenced by Chinese mythology, of course.
Teldrassil = The name is Scandinavian, but the Night Elves are more Celtic to me. Something about their aesthetic and their land is like something out of Celtic Folklore.
Barrens = African plains

Just as the zones have clear real life cultural counterparts, so do their inhabitants. For example:

Dwarves = Scottish
Trolls = Jamaican
Tauren = Native Americans

So which real life places and cultures have influenced some of the zones in the game I haven't mentioned? Do you agree with the above choices?

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Bumping just once.

[Eucep]

The worgen, or better said, the Gilnean people, victorian england. I even think the area itself is modelled after north part of england and scotland.

[Salted Beef]

'Merica, fuck yeah.

[Deleted]

'Merica, fuck yeah.

Fixed that for you kind sir !

[FuxieDK]

Uldum is NOT Egyptian... It's a town, in Denmark, with 1387 inhabitants.. --> http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uldum

[Wildberry]

Hellscream's Orcs=Germans in the 30's and 40's?

[Deleted]

Sindorei are pre colonial arabia.

[Noomz]

I play World of Warcraft, and have done so for about six years, for the zones. I like to explore and, having just started MoP after quite a long break from the game, I'm thoroughly enjoying these new lands. I've always been interested in the cultural inspirations for each zone and I like to compare each to what I would consider to be their real life counterparts. Some are easier to identify that others.

Here's a few examples:

Loch Modan/Dun Morogh = Loch is Gaelic for lake and Dun for fort in Scotland, where I'm from = Scotland
Stormpeaks = Norse naming conventions and mythological influences = Norway
Grizzly Hills = Quite clearly Canadian, reminds me of British Columbia wildlife footage. Some mistake this zone for Norway, but look to Howling Fjord for that.
Uldum = Egyptian naming conventions and mythological infleunces = Egypt
Pandaria itself = Heavily influenced by Chinese mythology, of course.
Teldrassil = The name is Scandinavian, but the Night Elves are more Celtic to me. Something about their aesthetic and their land is like something out of Celtic Folklore.
Barrens = African plains

Just as the zones have clear real life cultural counterparts, so do their inhabitants. For example:

Dwarves = Scottish
Trolls = Jamaican
Tauren = Native Americans

So which real life places and cultures have influenced some of the zones in the game I haven't mentioned? Do you agree with the above choices?

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Bumping just once.

The entirety of Northrend has a very northern hemisphere feel to it. The lore around the Titans is inspired by Norse gods and myth.
Pandaria is China and everything in it is China.
The Old Gods are very much inspired by Lovecraft's C'thulu mythos.
As for races, well, most of them are painfully obvious so no need to point those out. Some of them have multiple influences. I think most things are really obvious, and if you can't figure most of them out, you need to go back to school :P

Many of the creatures, if not a vast majority of them, are all inspired or straight-off loaned from real life. There's simply so much of it that it becomes difficult to name everything individually.

I'm more interested in knowing the less known things and what they reference to.

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Uldum is NOT Egyptian... It's a town, in Denmark, with 1387 inhabitants.. --> http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uldum

I don't remember seeing pyramids in Denmark.

[FuxieDK]

The entirety of Northrend has a very northern hemisphere feel to it. The lore around the Titans is inspired by Norse gods and myth.
Pandaria is China and everything in it is China.
The Old Gods are very much inspired by Lovecraft's C'thulu mythos.
As for races, well, most of them are painfully obvious so no need to point those out. Some of them have multiple influences. I think most things are really obvious, and if you can't figure most of them out, you need to go back to school :P

Many of the creatures, if not a vast majority of them, are all inspired or straight-off loaned from real life. There's simply so much of it that it becomes difficult to name everything individually.

I'm more interested in knowing the less known things and what they reference to.

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I don't remember seeing pyramids in Denmark.

Maybe so.. But Denmark is still featured in the MoP trailer (a bit late for Uldum, but still) --> http://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments..._the_mists_of/
http://i.imgur.com/frztL.jpg

[Shinrael]

I do that too. Some time ago the dam near my town got...eh. The water was let out of it for some reason and there was that hill I usually climb for a good view of the dam. I must say that it looked like Mulgore. Well not exactly but... There was that small narrow river going through what was now a valley surrounded by cliffs and hills. Maybe because I've always considered the mysterious land behind the Dark Portal from Vanilla's login screen to be Mulgore :P But it looked a lot like it. One of my best moments ever.

[Nazaraki]

I want Vrykul to be playable!
We scandinavians demands it!

[FuxieDK]

I want Vrykul to be playable!
We scandinavians demands it!

No we don't.. ;-)

[Deleted]

Draenei, I've always found, have a very exotic vibe to them - mainly from eastern regions. Many people say they have russian accents, hinting at north-eastern influence. Some Draenei NPC's also wear turbans and the like, suggesting a heavy middle-eastern vibe. They are also inspired heavily by travellers - after all, they had to keep moving from planet to planet, and Draenei literally translates to "Exiled ones".

I also agree with Gilneas being heavily inspired by victorian England. Lots of the terrain and foliage is inspired by the british climate, such as the birch trees and large, rocky cliffs. Gilneas also plays upon the stereotype that England is ALWAYS raining and gloomy, which I find kind of funny being from the country myself. :P

[Deleted]

Night Elves are Asian with stone architecture based on classic Greece and Rome. Their music, architecture, themes, outlook and diet are all rooted heavily in various Asian cultures from India to Japan.

Of course... I didn't think about it like that when I wrote Celtic. I was thinking of wisps, tree worship, druidic culture, etc. See what I mean? But yes, you're right in all of that actually.

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Uldum is NOT Egyptian... It's a town, in Denmark, with 1387 inhabitants..

...That's not the point of this thread. Look at the architecture, the naming conventions, the land itself... Clearly Uldum is based on Egypt, even if there so happens to be a town in Denmark called Uldum.

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The entirety of Northrend has a very northern hemisphere feel to it. The lore around the Titans is inspired by Norse gods and myth.
Pandaria is China and everything in it is China.
The Old Gods are very much inspired by Lovecraft's C'thulu mythos.
As for races, well, most of them are painfully obvious so no need to point those out. Some of them have multiple influences. I think most things are really obvious, and if you can't figure most of them out, you need to go back to school :P

Many of the creatures, if not a vast majority of them, are all inspired or straight-off loaned from real life. There's simply so much of it that it becomes difficult to name everything individually.

I'm more interested in knowing the less known things and what they reference to.

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I don't remember seeing pyramids in Denmark.

I agree with everything you just said.

[Pancunchi]

Fixed that for you kind sir !

Wrong country goyim

[Deleted]

Draenei, I've always found, have a very exotic vibe to them - mainly from eastern regions. Many people say they have russian accents, hinting at north-eastern influence. Some Draenei NPC's also wear turbans and the like, suggesting a heavy middle-eastern vibe. They are also inspired heavily by travellers - after all, they had to keep moving from planet to planet, and Draenei literally translates to "Exiled ones".

I also agree with Gilneas being heavily inspired by victorian England. Lots of the terrain and foliage is inspired by the british climate, such as the birch trees and large, rocky cliffs. Gilneas also plays upon the stereotype that England is ALWAYS raining and gloomy, which I find kind of funny being from the country myself. :P

That sounds about right. Being from Scotland I'd say WoW needs a zone that is constantly overcast and cold, even in the summer months. Heh.

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Also, the trolls might have a Jamaican accent, for whatever reason, but their architecture is clearly influenced by Aztec/Mayan cvilization. A hint of African "voodoo" practice"?

[Wildtree]

Hellscream's Orcs=Germans in the 30's and 40's?

nope.. not nearly..

[Vensu24]

Silvermoon - Arabian Palace.

[Krixooks]

Races

Humans: American/British (sense of duty and naval themes)
Dwarves: Scottish (strong warrior & drinking culture)
Gnomes: American/Irish (eccentric & intelligent)
Night Elves: Animist/Hippy (with some asian culture bits thrown in [night elf /bow and kimchi and stuff])
Draenei: Russian (strange difficult language, very foreign and unknown)
Worgen: Industrial Revolution Old English (top hats and chimney stacks)

Orcs: Militaristic American (this is the hardest, orcs are a mashup)
Tauren: Native American (peace pipes, teepees etc)
Trolls: Jamaican/Islander (get up stand up, stand up for your rights)
Undead: Dry/Macabre English (very Charles Dickens)
Blood Elves: Posh English (feels like colonial English expats in India/China/SEAsia/Africa)
Goblins: New Yorker American/Business American

Pandaren: Chinese

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Silvermoon - Arabian Palace.

Wow yeah you're right, architecture in wow is a whole 'nother topic too

the harems and bazaar in Silvermoon, you're spot on

[Deleted]

Races

Humans: American/British (sense of duty and naval themes)
Dwarves: Scottish (strong warrior & drinking culture)
Gnomes: American/Irish (eccentric & intelligent)
Night Elves: Animist/Hippy (with some asian culture bits thrown in [night elf /bow and kimchi and stuff])
Draenei: Russian (strange difficult language, very foreign and unknown)
Worgen: Industrial Revolution Old English (top hats and chimney stacks)

Orcs: Militaristic American (this is the hardest, orcs are a mashup)
Tauren: Native American (peace pipes, teepees etc)
Trolls: Jamaican/Islander (get up stand up, stand up for your rights)
Undead: Dry/Macabre English (very Charles Dickens)
Blood Elves: Posh English (feels like colonial English expats in India/China/SEAsia/Africa)
Goblins: New Yorker American/Business American

Pandaren: Chinese

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Wow yeah you're right, architecture in wow is a whole 'nother topic too

the harems and bazaar in Silvermoon, you're spot on

Perfect. Absolutely perfect analysis. I particularly agree with your dry macabre English Undead. A fictional character I like to compare with the Forsaken is Scar from the Lion King. Jeremy Iron's accent is very mischievous, relying on word play in a subtle but effective way.