Why Durotar? A desert with almost nothing useful and why they didn't change it?

[A Chozo]

Because of the river, mostly.

[Voidwielder]

There was also Mulgore. Would be enough space for orcs and tauren.

They weren't aware of by the time they laid ground for Orgrimmar.

[Oneirophobia]

There was also Mulgore. Would be enough space for orcs and tauren.

Agreed, the Tauren can stay in Thunder Bluff and the Orcs could have lived around the base of it.

[Voidwielder]

Besides, given how Orcs build their infrastructure, I doubt Taurens would be happy with Orcs in Mulgore...

[Dalheim]

Someone had a talk with Drek'thar about this once, I don't remember who. This person asked him why they lived in cold, miserable Alterac Valley and didn't use the power of the elements to make the land more comfortable for them. Drek'thar flat out told this person that if he abused the elements in such a way they would never listen to him again.

That was Thrall. It was shortly after he arrived to meet with the Frostwolves, and he questioned it.

[Varitok]

Because Thrall was only Green Moses at that time, before he upgraded to Green Jesus. Of course he had to lead them through a desert.

[Fadewind]

IIRC, the Barrens changed after the orcs came to Kalimdor when the shit went down in Hyjal.

Also, the story with Drekthar is that he forced a river to move to save his fellow orcs. The elements are a chaotic neutral group of entities. They have their way and you follow it if you want to keep using their power

[Voidwielder]

Thrall chose Durotar both because the harsh conditions were suitable for the Orcs, and as an act of penance - if the Orcs could reclaim the land and use their rekindled connection to the Elements to make it into something new they could partially atone for the destruction of their own world through the use of the Fel.

Lol nothing about that rampage in Eastern Kingdoms and the genocide they caused.

[Aucald]

Lol nothing about that rampage in Eastern Kingdoms and the genocide they caused.

No, there wouldn't be? I assume you're referring to the Old Horde under Blackhand and Doomhammer as opposed to the New Horde that was unified under Thrall and re-embraced their Shamanic culture while casting off the legacy of demonic corruption?

[Deleted]

Because Thrall is originally African.

I found this hilarious thank you

[cparle87]

But what about not abusing them but asking for a favor in return of future help? I mean shamans do cooperate with the elements in a way and if that doesn't work Garrosh had dark shamans who could abuse them and even enslave the elements so in that case they wont have much choice but to obey and help them.

The elements are the ones who made the land like that in the first place. Trying to force them to change the land in a huge way when that's how they like it/made it could easily be seen as abuse. I remember in an old show in the 90s a villain got the power of the spirit of Earth and tried to turn the entire planet into a verdant forestland. She didn't realize the importance of different biomes and such and ended up causing a huge amount of destruction.

[Dreknar20]

Because Thrall wanted to punish his people and put them in a desert "to make them tough".

more or less

and conquering quilbor and harpies was prbly easier than the night elves

[Syegfryed]

more or less

and conquering quilbor and harpies was prbly easier than the night elves

honestly the quilboars are harder

[FelPlague]

Aside of Thralls dipshit explanation they really had not much to choose. They sailed to Kalimdor to establish the Horde and follow the Prophet and landed in a charred wasteland, not much could have been done about it. Look at the map, from where they landed they could choose between a desert (Barrens), a desert (Thousand Needles), a desert (Desolace) and a desert with a tiny bit of water and like 3 trees (Durotar). You could say there's Ashenvale, Azshara and Stonetalon Mountains but guess what, once they stepped a foot in there some asshole Night Elves started shooting without explanation.

Aside of that, Thrall mentioned that Durotar looked like Orc homeland, and by that time Blizzard had no idea how they are going to end up with Outland (hint: it looks like everything but Durotar).

*Without explination* not like the orcs killed their demigod and started harvesting their home land for resources or something...

[Dreknar20]

Couldn't the Hordes shamans call for help from the elements or the druids heal the land and restore it to have lush forests or grass lands?

well if it were that easy then poverty/resource scarcity should be non-existent in Azeroth

And if you need me to answer that then the whole point of the story in the game is to create conflict not ease it.

[AwkwardSquirtle]

You can't just control the elements as a Shaman, you ask for their aid. They formed Durotar as it is for a reason apparently. Maybe it's considered Therazane's territory? Perhaps biome diversity is crucial for the planet for some reason? Perhaps some elementals are still mad at the orcs for various trespasses?

[Zeos]

My speculation is that people probably tried to get capitol moved but people of Thrall's mind prevented that from happening for the sake of peace. This seems to be one Garrosh's main reasons for starting the Iron Horde and for many of the orcs joining him.

[Clone]

Someone had a talk with Drek'thar about this once, I don't remember who. This person asked him why they lived in cold, miserable Alterac Valley and didn't use the power of the elements to make the land more comfortable for them. Drek'thar flat out told this person that if he abused the elements in such a way they would never listen to him again.

I believe that was Thrall.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Psst. A few feet north of Orgrimmar is a plush, untamed wilderness with tons of resources. I mean, even if they had chosen the desert instead, they could have just jogged out their own north gate for their farming/survival needs. Just sayin'.

But, yanno, they were all -- not just Thrall -- like "fuk dat yo, less make our startin' home all da way souf of here whar itz moar desart an stuff, even tho dere's dose cool jungle izlands jus' a few feet from thar, 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111 herp a derp!!!!!"

[Osiria]

Thrall wanted the orcs to pay for their sins or something...
As for why they didn’t change Durotar. I always thought that it’s because they understand that nature doesn’t need some assholes to force it into their own idea of “good”. They aren’t night elves.

Yea, Night Elves just "force their own idea of good", because you can just force nature to do that, right? It's not like they literally follow nature. No, they're just forcing and the poor righteous orcs follow as it should. *rolleyes*

If you're not an Orc fanboy and Night Elf hater, I really don't know what kind of reasoning you're following there.