What's the deal with Ironforge?

[DeltrusDisc]

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?

In all my years of playing, Stormwind has been the actual capital of the Alliance in-game, not Ironforge.

The King of Stormwind is also the King of the Alliance.

[MatadorMedia]

In all my years of playing, Stormwind has been the actual capital of the Alliance in-game, not Ironforge.

The King of Stormwind is also the King of the Alliance.

Lol okay. Ironforge was the main hub through most of Vanilla.

High King of the Alliance was a voted position during Cataclysm.

[letssee]

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?

cata happened

[Gadzooks]

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.

A lot of the late game questing took place there, too, and specific things like Winter Veil. Didn't a lot of the FedEx quests start and end with the Explorer's Hall?

It was convenience, too - Stormwind was a pain to get around in pre-flying, IF was a big circle.

I remember splitting my time between both, because of the tram. Easy to get back and forth, with the occasional horde invasion. IF on my server was always packed, because like someone said, there was more room to mingle - and SW didn't have the gnomes dropping from the ceiling to spell out a gold seller's website show. SW always felt cramped to me in vanilla, and I was always falling into the canal.

[blobbydan]

Green humans, Cow humans, Blue humans, Pointy eared humans, Jew humans, Panda Humans and Dead humans.

[D3athsting]

I remember playing vanilla and entering IF with a 2gb ram pc was stutterfest because it was always uber crowded

[matrix123mko]

All Capitals need some help. Adding barber, transmog and AH would be nice first step.

[Grimbold21]

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?

Imagine placing all the commodities that SW has in the other cities, the game would even look more of a ghosttown. Not that i mind, I prefer IF

[Irian]

Because fuck using all these amazing assets that art designers made, Stormwind and Orgrimmar only.

I'm convinced there's just like, one guy on the WoW team that has this bizarre hang up with all this stupid shit like portals being removed from everywhere and cities not named Stormwind being ignored and sidelined. They're probably in charge of the holiday transmog restrictions as well.

WoW's developers are so weirdly out of touch and specifically focused on the most menial, inconsequential shit.

[Orby]

Back in vanilla to TBC, maybe WotLK (I think most max level players were in Dalaran) Ironforge was always the main hub for Alliance players, Stormwind used to also get it's fair few of people but it was mainly Ironforge.

It really sucks that everyone is forced to go to one city for all their needed instead of allowing choice.

Think Blizzzard did it to assure everyone can be together for easier trades and needs rather than running all around the world going to different cities, I mean in an MMORPG, heaven forbid.

Exodar needs some love :P

EDIT: Also I don't think the Horde had this as a major issue in vanilla, Thunderbluff, Undercity and Orgrimmar all seemed to have a pretty good amount of players in them, with Orgrimmar maybe the most popular. But I remember playing Horde I stayed in Thunderbluff most of my time, at least post-Auction House patch :P

[salate]

When I played Night Elf, it was so epic to sit in IF, because... I love winter and big forge

[josykay]

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

Also, Ironforge was the better overall spot, with MC, BWL, BRD, and LBRS/UBRS nearby! In addition, Ironforge was much closer to the connection to Theramore, meaning, the way to Onyxia was relativly shorter. Also the way to Stratholme, Scholo, and Naxx was shorter. And technically the way from IF to Silithus is also faster.
Only ZG was closer to SW. It was simply a matter of shorter routes.

[Twdft]

Just put exits to every capital into the portal room and more players would hang around in Ironforge again.

Imagine placing all the commodities that SW has in the other cities, the game would even look more of a ghosttown. Not that i mind, I prefer IF

With sharding I don't think that's a valid reason anymore. But sharding isn't really solid yet, they have to work on that. It's basically 50/50 if I get put into an empty Stormwind or get into a wildly populated shard even ungrouped.

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.

I never roleplayed but back in classic before logging out I used to go into one of the empty houses of the Great Forge, undressed my character and go to /sleep :-)

[RobertMugabe]

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?

It is on map...

WTF are all these people in this thread about?! OP is talking about some shit ingame and everyone else just jumps on the lore

- - - Updated - - -

Back in vanilla to TBC, maybe WotLK (I think most max level players were in Dalaran) Ironforge was always the main hub for Alliance players, Stormwind used to also get it's fair few of people but it was mainly Ironforge.

Ironforge was definitely a ghosttown already in Wotlk. IF was the "main" capital in vanilla and tbc not only because of the Auction House early on, but also because it had the best flight points and it was close to Menethil Harbor.

SW became the "main" capital in Wotlk when they added the dock, which got the ship to Darnassus and to the Borean Tundra, which was then just way more practical.

[Whitedragon]

Also, Ironforge was the better overall spot, with MC, BWL, BRD, and LBRS/UBRS nearby! In addition, Ironforge was much closer to the connection to Theramore, meaning, the way to Onyxia was relativly shorter. Also the way to Stratholme, Scholo, and Naxx was shorter. And technically the way from IF to Silithus is also faster.
Only ZG was closer to SW. It was simply a matter of shorter routes.

MC BWL BRD and L/Ubrs where almost the same distance from SW and IF, and once connected Flight paths where added most people didn't give much thought as to how close IF was to a port or to EPL, most people just used what ever port was closer to their city of choice (BB for SW, Men for IF). Also keep in mind that SW had all the PvP vendors.

[Khaza-R]

Same can be said for Silvermoon, Exodar, and Thunderbluff.

[DeltrusDisc]

Lol okay. Ironforge was the main hub through most of Vanilla.

High King of the Alliance was a voted position during Cataclysm.

Lots of people being there =/= actually the capitol.

Though... as a Night Elf, none of you are my kings or queens. Short-lived races.

[Thage]

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 in WotLK Blizzard decided to triple down on humans and orcs, when Magni was the de facto leader prior to Varian's return.

[DividnQ]

It may not formally be the capital, but honestly every time I go looking I find that IF has about three times as many people as SW anyway.
As much as I love IF, I kinda wish people would congregate at multiple different capitals rather than just one.
But SW has the convenience of the mage quarter and the dock to bring you everywhere, which hurts everwhere else.
Darnassus and Thunder Bluff need some love.

[Soon-TM]

Darnassus and Thunder Bluff need some love.

I think it's a lil' too late for love now But Exodar might use it as well!