The one responsible for freeing N'zoth is...

[EbaumsTipster]

If the racial leaders of the Horde were anything but background characters, the tauren, the blood elves, the nightborne and the highmountain would have left the Horde the minute Sylvanas burned a fucking World Tree for no reason at all.

And the pandaren would have left it immediately after SoO...

Video game. Playable factions > lore and logic.

[Soulwind]

Video game. Playable factions > lore and logic.

Sure, the best way to avoid situations in which they are forced to ignore logic and write characters acting out-of-character in order to justify the gameplay around a specific event they came up with is... to discard that event entirely and write something else.

They never had a chance of making a faction war believable or interesting. And it seems everyone except for them knew that, as it was a reaction shared by many to the announcement of BfA.

I don't know if the factions or the players learned anything from SoO, but Blizzard certainly didn't.

[Faroth]

I mean, it also says you're compelled to tell Anduin if you're Alliance-side, and I doubt that part is mind control. Also, you're already aware that N'zoth is controlling the knaifu earlier, so it's not like you couldn't have told anyone about this prior even if you were MC'd by the knife, which I'm unconvinced by.

The PC being an Old God puppet solves all these problems.

So wait.... do Alliance players hand the knife over to Sylvanas as well?

[EbaumsTipster]

Sure, the best way to avoid situations in which they are forced to ignore logic and write characters acting out-of-character in order to justify the gameplay around a specific event they came up with is... to discard that event entirely and write something else.

They never had a chance of making a faction war believable or interesting. And it seems everyone except for them knew that, as it was a reaction shared by many to the announcement of BfA.

I don't know if the factions or the players learned anything from SoO, but Blizzard certainly didn't.

The best thing to ACTUALLY do would be to skip the whole story completely (if not almost completely) so that we can have more employees that work on class design instead of writing quests and soap opera material. Back to Legion design!

[Varodoc]

So wait.... do Alliance players hand the knife over to Sylvanas as well?

No, thankfully the Alliance player character hasn't resorted to moronic betrayal yet. But seeing Blizzard's persistence in writing Alliance characters as gullible fools, I could see Sylvanas deceive the Alliance player character in the future. But not in 8.2.

[Super Dickmann]

So wait.... do Alliance players hand the knife over to Sylvanas as well?

Luckily it's not quite that bad yet. No, you just go tell Anduin about how the knife is missing and he says he's very sad about Sylvanas and how evil she is.

[KrakHed]

You know, that last part is likely to just get me saltier as this goes on, but making Sylvanas, who's whole shtick was breaking free from mind control and commit herself to imposing her own will and by extension that of her followers into a mind-controlled patsy does get on my tits. I kind of expected it to annoy me even more, but at this stage it's mostly just funny.

Honestly, it just sounds fitting. Remember how Alleria was able to resist the Void? Alleria has certain principles. There are things she wouldn't do, such as kill her son.

Sylvanas is a hypocrite who would do anything to win, and all her morals and beliefs are less substantial than air. She stands for nothing, and so falls for anything in the end. In short. Her lack of 'muh honor' means she's a perfect pawn.

[Varodoc]

Remember how Alleria was able to resist the Void?

The first mortal to successfully defy the shadows' whispers, actually.

[KrakHed]

The first mortal to successfully defy the shadows' whispers, actually.

That sounds like bullshit, but I'll let it slide. She's able to resist because there's something she values other than herself. That was the presentation.

Sylvanas has no means of defense.

[Super Dickmann]

Honestly, it just sounds fitting. Remember how Alleria was able to resist the Void? Alleria has certain principles. There are things she wouldn't do, such as kill her son.

Sylvanas is a hypocrite who would do anything to win, and all her morals and beliefs are less substantial than air. She stands for nothing, and so falls for anything in the end. In short. Her lack of 'muh honor' means she's a perfect pawn.

Given that to facilitate this Sylvanas and the Forsaken had to be entirely rewritten within the span of one masturbatory book to achieve that end I can't exactly praise Blizzard for this achievement. And besides, it's nonsense. The PC can have muh honor and he's still the only reason she gets MC'd by the old gods, so that's mostly a moot point. Even pure conviction in wanting to achieve a certain end, like destroying the world, as is Benedictus' goal, allows him to use both the Light and Void and I'm hard-pressed to believe that Sylvanas is less committed to not going to hell than Benedictus was to do whatever the fuck he wanted to do.

[KrakHed]

Given that to facilitate this Sylvanas and the Forsaken had to be entirely rewritten within the span of one masturbatory book to achieve that end I can't exactly praise Blizzard for this achievement. And besides, it's nonsense. The PC can have muh honor and he's still the only reason she gets MC'd by the old gods, so that's mostly a moot point. Even pure conviction in wanting to achieve a certain end, like destroying the world, as is Benedictus' goal, allows him to use both the Light and Void and I'm hard-pressed to believe that Sylvanas is less committed to not going to hell than Benedictus was to do whatever the fuck he wanted to do.

People can be mindcontrolled, sure. People can be broken. The Void can overwhelm dudes.

It's just easier if they never try to fight back in the first place. You don't need to turn in the quest, do you?

[Super Dickmann]

People can be mindcontrolled, sure. People can be broken. The Void can overwhelm dudes.

It's just easier if they never try to fight back in the first place. You don't need to turn in the quest, do you?

2000 azerite is a hell of a deal. Here's to hoping Sylvanas at least gets 10g for her services.

Also, just datamined that she might be getting coup'd, which is either really good if it means the faction war continues or the worst case scenario a patch early if not.

[Shampro]

Imagine still giving credit to Blizzard on thier storyline in 2019, just because you dislike Sylvanas.

Lul.

[KrakHed]

Imagine still giving credit to Blizzard on thier storyline in 2019, just because you dislike Sylvanas.

Lul.

Who's giving them credit? The story is shit.

2000 azerite is a hell of a deal. Here's to hoping Sylvanas at least gets 10g for her services.

Also, just datamined that she might be getting coup'd, which is either really good if it means the faction war continues or the worst case scenario a patch early if not.

If the coup happens, all that's left is to see how the Alliance reacts. If the Alliance does nothing and the war continues, that'd still be shitty. If the Alliance finally does something aggressive, all's well.

[Super Dickmann]

If the coup happens, all that's left is to see how the Alliance reacts. If the Alliance does nothing and the war continues, that'd still be shitty. If the Alliance finally does something aggressive, all's well.

That's how I see it too. If the leaks are real and the coup succeeds, Baine attempts to make peace but the Alliance are actually hawkish and tell him to fuck himself, then there's hope and the only bullet we'll have left to dodge on the Horde's long-term prospects is Calia.

[Faroth]

Honestly, it just sounds fitting. Remember how Alleria was able to resist the Void? Alleria has certain principles. There are things she wouldn't do, such as kill her son.

Sylvanas is a hypocrite who would do anything to win, and all her morals and beliefs are less substantial than air. She stands for nothing, and so falls for anything in the end. In short. Her lack of 'muh honor' means she's a perfect pawn.

She stands for something!

Her own survival. At all costs.

That's how I see it too. If the leaks are real and the coup succeeds, Baine attempts to make peace but the Alliance are actually hawkish and tell him to fuck himself, then there's hope and the only bullet we'll have left to dodge on the Horde's long-term prospects is Calia.

Honestly, they've got a pretty easy inspiration to look to for something like that.

Look at The Two Towers opening scene at the tower of Orthanc.

Saruman: You have fought many wars and slain many men Théoden king, and made peace afterwards. Can we not take council together, as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"
Théoden: We shall have peace… when you answer for the burning of the westfold, and the children that lie dead there. We shall have peace, when the lives of the soldiers, whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows… we shall have peace.

The notion that the Horde should finally pay for their actions is a solid foundation for the Alliance to refuse a simple peace treaty and fairly believable position to take. If they're dead set on continuing that conflict, the Alliance refusing to forgive and forget is a reasonable way to do it.

[KrakHed]

She stands for something!

Her own survival. At all costs.

And is that not something the Void offers readily? Survival instinct and selfishness is its domain.

[Super Dickmann]

The notion that the Horde should finally pay for their actions is a solid foundation for the Alliance to refuse a simple peace treaty and fairly believable position to take. If they're dead set on continuing that conflict, the Alliance refusing to forgive and forget is a reasonable way to do it.

While I'd have preferred this not involve killing one of the longest running Horde characters and maiming the Forsaken beyond recognition if they do actually go against type and let the Alliance call for vengeance, I'd have fun with it. I'd still shit on Baine and Saurfang on forums of course, but the faction will be servicable.

Mind, the more I see, the more it looks like that's not what happens. It's not a coup, it's just Alliance and Thrall teaming up to bail Baine out. And, another thing I've wanted for ages, those who weren't witness to Jaina's get out of jail free card calling her out on the Purge and sticking with Sylvanas.

[Nerovar]

She must stand trial in Pandaria.

[Zandalariprelate]

From the quest text, it appears that the blade exerts a compulsion that forces our hands - the will of N'Zoth is bent entirely on ensuring we bring the blade to Sylvanas, completing the plan. Our reason for bringing Xal'atath to N'Zoth was a misdirection as well. The Naga planned to create some kind of super-powered storm that would scour the surface of all life. In attempting to stop this we inadvertently aid Xal'atath and deliver powerful relics to N'Zoth. The mission is completed, but an even worse set of events is caused.

Mind you, this same kind of "compulsion" act happens when we originally gave Inigo Montoy the phylactery of Kel'Thuzad, or when we free Darkspearker R'khem from the Saronite Mines in Icecrown.

Bolvar kinda does that when he gives you the blessing and whisper to your mind to raise x person, even when Darion protest. I like this kind of twist when powerful villains are actually using their mental powers instead of just whispering to you about how much you sucks