What's the deal with Ironforge?

[Not Againnn]

Why is it not even on the map as an Alliance capital city?
Why isn't it utilized in the story anymore?

In all my years of playing, Ironforge was the capital for the Alliance in-game, not Stormwind. Thoughts?

[BrillGates]

No transmog or portals, for some weird reason.

[Gungnir]

Why is it not even on the map as an Alliance capital city?
Why isn't it utilized in the story anymore?

In all my years of playing, Ironforge was the capital for the Alliance in-game, not Stormwind. Thoughts?

Because "muh human potential" and the fact that you can pretty much remove every race on the alliance except for humans, because they don't matter.

[Volardelis]

I don't know what map you are looking at, but Ironforge has that alliance icon that the other alliance capitals have on the world map and the eastern kingdoms map. Even Darnassus has one (but it is greyed out, same for Undercity for horde)

[AwkwardSquirtle]

Because "muh human potential" and the fact that you can pretty much remove every race on the alliance except for humans, because they don't matter.

Well the alliance races are humans, small humans, smaller humans, furry humans, fat humans, and then elves and draenei.

[Linkedblade]

Why is it not even on the map as an Alliance capital city?
Why isn't it utilized in the story anymore?

In all my years of playing, Ironforge was the capital for the Alliance in-game, not Stormwind. Thoughts?

I'm not sure. I remember more people populating IF than SW until BC came out.

However, it has gotten its share of store. Between the Dwarf heritage and Dark Iron, they have gotten lore updates. We're buddies with Magni helping gather Azerite for the heart of Azeroth.

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Well the alliance races are humans, small humans, smaller humans, furry humans, fat humans, and then elves and draenei.

Pointed ear, purple humans and blue cloven tentacle-faced humans.

[Not Againnn]

No transmog or portals, for some weird reason.

I miss IF being the spot

[Nerovar]

Well the alliance races are humans, small humans, smaller humans, furry humans, fat humans, and then elves and draenei.

This is too true. Races in WoW really boil down to humans with a gimmick (at best).

[seleri]

When they added an AH to all cities, people started using the cities they liked most and were most convenient. That same patch, iirc, linked all of the LFG and Trade channels so it didn't matter what capital you were in. Stormwind won out and has been gradually made into the main Alliance hub as the years progress.

[AlmightyGerkin]

Started with Orcs vs Humans it will end with Orcs vs Humans. And only place associated with those 2 factions will remain and rest is irrelevant.

[Soon-TM]

Why is it not even on the map as an Alliance capital city?
Why isn't it utilized in the story anymore?

In all my years of playing, Ironforge was the capital for the Alliance in-game, not Stormwind. Thoughts?

Not enough Human Potential (tm), I'm afraid. It looks like all of the racial capitals will be left to rot aside from Org/SW (which only have receive minor updates since MoP anyway). Btw, only the Loa know when there will be a replacement for those huge holes left at Tirisfal and Teldrassil, not to mention Southshore, Brill, Gilneas, Taurajo, Theramore, Auberdine/Lor'danel, etc.

[MatadorMedia]

Blizz has some weird infatuation with Stormwind. Everyone treated Ironforge as the Alliance capital in Vanilla (and will again during Classic, I hope).

[ShimmerSwirl]

The nice thing about Lagforge was the big open area next to bank where everyone could be in one spot but you could still actually see people. people would jump down into the forge channel thing to do secret drug deals. and it was a small city yet there was lots of hidden places to hide.

[Whitedragon]

Blizz has some weird infatuation with Stormwind. Everyone treated Ironforge as the Alliance capital in Vanilla (and will again during Classic, I hope).

only reason for that was the AH, once more AH's where added to the other cites IF slowly died out.

[Dhrizzle]

only reason for that was the AH, once more AH's where added to the other cites IF slowly died out.

Ironforge gave easier access to all the lvl 60 dungeons and raids, Stormwind was about the same travel time to the Blackrock instances but Ironforge was better for Plaguelands and connections to Kalimdor for Dire Maul, Onyxia and Silithus.

[Powerogue]

It has an heirloom vendor tho. :O

And it's not burned down, so that's a bonus.

[seleri]

Everyone treated Ironforge as the Alliance capital in Vanilla (and will again during Classic, I hope).

Doubt it. Unified trade/LFG and additional auction houses were added in 1.9, which means they'll be in Classic. The only reason people congregated in IF originally was because it had the auction house.

Ironforge gave easier access to all the lvl 60 dungeons and raids, Stormwind was about the same travel time to the Blackrock instances but Ironforge was better for Plaguelands and connections to Kalimdor for Dire Maul, Onyxia and Silithus.

Pretty sure Stormwind to Booty Bay to Ratchet is much better than Ironforge to Menethil to Auberdine.

[Whitedragon]

Ironforge gave easier access to all the lvl 60 dungeons and raids, Stormwind was about the same travel time to the Blackrock instances but Ironforge was better for Plaguelands and connections to Kalimdor for Dire Maul, Onyxia and Silithus.

Once connected flight paths where added people didn't give much credit to IF being a better staging point, many just used Booty bay to cross continents.

- - - Updated - - -

Pretty sure Stormwind to Booty Bay to Ratchet is much better than Ironforge to Menethil to Auberdine.

I believe he is referring to the Theramor boat.

[Eugoogolizer]

I think the main reason originally was travel time to where people really wanted to get most often. In vanilla, all the endgame stuff was closer if you started from IF (save for ZG). In TBC it was just tradition, I guess, but it started to fall off because SW was closer to the portal to get back to Outland. Wrath was when it really slowed because the boat was actually in SW and you didn't have to fly and then wait for a boat. The final nail in the coffin for IF was the Cata zone portals. Nothing else can compete when one place has a significant advantage in time spent traveling.

I knew a few other people with engineering who kept their hearth at Shrine until the portals were removed. It had an AH, portals to all capitals & Northrend Dalaran. Then just popping over to SW for the Cata portals if needed.

[seleri]

I believe he is referring to the Theramor boat.

Oh right. Still, Theramore isn't much closer than Ratchet. I'd say SW is the overall most convenient city.