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Cinematic Project Director Terran Gregory and Senior Game Designer Steve Danuser sat down to discuss the story and lore of World of Warcraft!
- The Process
- The in game story is planned out months and sometimes years in advance.
- Cinematics have always functioned as an important point in a story in Blizzard games' history, and it started with the Wrathgate in WoW.
- The game can create good ambient story, but cinematics shine in telling the more emotional story points.
- Story in Battle for Azeroth
- Bfa was a good opportunity to bring Jaina back into the story and develop all the different experiences she has had throughout the story.
- People have strong feelings about the state of the Horde right now, and the conflict allows good storytelling and depth to develop.
- The two philosophies of honor and conquest is the core of the ongoing story within the Horde.
- Zekhan was already planned to be in Old Soldier as Saurfang's counterpart before players fell in love with him.
- Bwonsamdi was influenced a lot by how his voice actor embodied him.
- Christie Golden wrote the dialogue for the Bwonsamdi and Rastakhan cinematic.
- There will be a lot more interaction between Talanji and Bwonsamdi going forward.
- Flynn was super fun to develop as a counterpart to Talia.
- Cinematics and Cutscenes
- Prior cinematics were pretty self contained, but as the story has progressed, a lot of cinematics have bridged to the next.
- The team has weekly meetings where multiple departments discuss the cinematics being developed and how to improve them.
- Cataclysm was when a lot of the new cutscene technology was developed and this is why there are a lot of in game scenes (Uldum) because they team had a new toy that they ran wild with.
- The Terror of Darkshore cutscene was a moment to show the ferocity of the night elves seen in past games.
- Customization
- The night warrior customization was a way for players to support Tyrande's transformation and vengeance for Teldrassil.
- Golden eyed Blood Elves was a story choice to represent the light's role in the cleansing of the Sunwell.
- Storytelling
- The team wanted to let the player have some agency in the direction of the Horde and not just watching it develop.
- Perspective has a major role in storytelling. There can be a difference between a character making a mistake and a write making one.
- The Saurfang quest is not necessarily fundamentally changing the questing system of the game, but it was a moment to add meaningful choices to the story.
- Choices will be used when it makes sense to create a more invested story.
- The payoff for your choices will be meaningful.
- There are moments in the Battle for Dazar'alor that haven't been seen yet. Terran showed off his Mekkatorque shirt with a "hint hint" when he said this.
- Olds Gods and Azshara are coming!
- The war between the Horde and Alliance will culminate in something deep and meaningful.
- There is so much passion and love for the characters on the team and they want to do right by them.
- Christie Golden coming on board was a huge win for the story team.
- The team hopes that when Battle for Azeroth's story concludes and the "last funeral pyre is lit" players will have seen it as a great story that changed the world of Azeroth.
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