How to subvert expectations

[Wilfire]

Let's start by defining what subverting expectations actually is.

While reading a story, people form certain opinions about the characters and speculate about what they might or might not do in the future. Those are expectations.

Expectations are subverted when the actual outcome differs from the expected outcome.

People value different outcomes according to their own internal criteria. Some people don't like it when their expectations are subverted because they enjoy predicting the plot correctly. Some people like it when their expectations are subverted, provided that the actual outcome, when evaluated against their internal criteria, is superior compared to the expected outcome.

It's hard to objectively assess outcomes but practice shows that there is some overlap between how different people assess them. Case in point, most people agree that the Last Jedi and Season 8 of Game of Thrones sucked.

Now, subverting expectations is good when the actual outcome is better than what people expected. When the actual outcome is worse, it would have been best not to subvert expectations. Let's take a look at a few examples:

1. The Burning of Teldrassil
Due to the intentional ambiguity surrounding the Burning of Teldrassil that was created by Blizzard themselves, people expected it to either be a false flag by the Alliance or N'Zoth's forces. Turned out that there was no twist at all and it was just Sylvanas going crazy. Were expectations subverted? Yep. Did people like it? No, it fucking sucked.

2. The Siege of Lordaeron
When Sylvanas started to blight bomb the Alliance, people expected Anduin to pull a deus ex machina out of his ass to save the day because the outcome of the Siege of Lordaeron was already known. Just like people expected, Jaina showed up and deus ex machinaed the Alliance not once but twice. Were expectations subverted? Nope. Did people like it? It was meh, bad but not as horrible as the Burning of Teldrassil. Could've it been great? YES! Just have Anduin bring gas masks and show that he is a competent military commander (therefore subverting people's expectations of him being a moron that has to be saved by aunt Jaina). But nope, Blizzard sacrificed potential character development for a "cool, badass moment".

As we can see, sometimes expectations have to be subverted but other times it's best to just give the fans what they want. Too bad Blizzard writing team is holed up in their sacred, negativity-free "dojos" and won't hear any feedback. A shame really since in the past they did show that they are capable of delivering a good twist. Case in point: Illidan tearing a rift to Argus was not wholly expected, was foreshadowed beforehand and totally fit Illidan's MO.

tl;dr write a story that the FANS enjoy, not literary self-wankery.

bonus point: civil war stories suck in general because they are character-driven stories and therefore lay bare everyone's motivations. When your characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts, civil war stories devolve into complete shambles like BfA where it's one "MUH HONOR" dumbass side vs. another "MUH GENOCIDE" dumbass side.

[Varodoc]

Your expectations will be subverted once Sylvanas comes out of nowhere at the end of patch 8.3, kills N'zoth, and puts an end to the Old Gods once and for all.

[Verdugo]

My expectations will be subverted when the ending will be good.


Spoilers: it wont be.

[AxellSlade]

I really hope at the end Daenerys wounds up being stabbed by Jon Snow and dies.

[Friendlyimmolation]

your expectations will be subverted when you think the story can't possible get any worse and then it does.

I can see it now. "The Alliance kind of forgot about Sylvanas."

"Saurfang kinda forgot he planned the war"

Baine Kinda forgot talking is one thing and actually doing anything is another"


"Nzoth kinda forgot that the Alliance and Horde raids will kill everything even him"

[matrix123mko]

Just have Anduin bring gas masks and show that he is a competent military commander (therefore subverting people's expectations of him being a moron that has to be saved by aunt Jaina). But nope, Blizzard sacrificed potential character development for a "cool, badass moment".

But they wanted to develop him as a moron. This is what Anduin is about. Idealist puppet of everyone: Wratchion, Jaina, Greymane.

[The Stormbringer]

That would have been a sick move, if the Alliance had just whipped out gas masks and Gnomish fans/shamans blasting wind to blow the Blight back towards the Undercity, all while Anduin gives Sylvanas the middle finger.

[Arrashi]

At this point ? I don't think its possible in BFA without "lolrandom" twist.

[formerShandalay]

your expectations will be subverted when you think the story can't possible get any worse and then it does.

I can see it now. "The Alliance kind of forgot about Sylvanas."

"Saurfang kinda forgot he planned the war"

Baine Kinda forgot talking is one thing and actually doing anything is another"


"Nzoth kinda forgot that the Alliance and Horde raids will kill everything even him"

Saurfang already forgot he planned the war and was excited about it. Either that or he forgot that in war people on your side die too. Not that I thought the Alliance "strategy" of making Rastakhan give up was any kind of good or even a strategy at all, but Saurfang is the last one who should say anything about people who die in this war the he started.

The Alliance already kind of forgot about Sylvanas by going after Rastakhan and the Zandalari (apart from their fleet, which ok, they had to go for that, but the rest was just stoopid)

And well... unless N'Zoth actually subverts our expectations and makes us join him or gains anything from dying to us, that's already a given, at least if he's actually the 8.3 boss.

So at least in these things my expectations are going to be subverted no matter what, because I expect them to go for another 'Oh noez, I was so close' from N'zoth and a 'b..b..bbb.....ut... we almost won, why are we losing now and why has Sylvanas suddenly become so strong?' from the Alliance.

[Mehrunes]

Blizzard's way of subverting expectations is telling the players that there's going to be a twist to a story and then delivering none.

[Friendlyimmolation]

At this point ? I don't think its possible in BFA without "lolrandom" twist.

Anduin kinda forgot he wasn't boss of the gym.


As for "lolrandom" our character hit our head and blackout and wake up in a cart headed for Helgen

[formerShandalay]

I thought that it would be so cool if after we defeat Azshara and N'Zoth goes free, the water walls would crumble down and we'd all drown in the circle of stars and arrive in Nyalotha. I'm not sure how they would do this in game, except maybe with a cutscene, but that would be kind of a bummer again, because it would then be inconsequential and we'd just get right back to 'ok, he's shown us where, let's go kill him'... which again, I wouldn't like.

[Arrashi]

Anduin kinda forgot he wasn't boss of the gym.


As for "lolrandom" our character hit our head and blackout and wake up in a cart headed for Helgen

"Stand up, there you go. You were dreaming. Whats your name ?"

[GreenJesus]

Yeh that's the thing. Saurfang was all for the war until Sylvanas burned the tree. He planned the whole thing. He was all onboard the plan to eventually attack Stormwind with a navy fleet for Sylvanas. So him playing the "muh honor" and "this war is pointless" just doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. He wanted this war and the common people of the horde support it.

[Tiwack]

Don't haggle yourself. Be happy with what you get, there's no refunds.

[Jericho21]

Your expectations will be subverted once Sylvanas comes out of nowhere at the end of patch 8.3, kills N'zoth, and puts an end to the Old Gods once and for all.

You mean when she comes outta nowhere as the Void Lords' new avatar and rekt's shit up

[Dagoth Ur]

"Stand up, there you go. You were dreaming. Whats your name ?"

It's going to be like that, but instead of St.Jiub it's going to be St.Anduin who'll send you off to space.

[RichardRoe]

I really dislike how the entire expansion is building to some "great twist" where Sylvanas supposedly brilliant plan will be revealed...

It would have to be something incredibly clever and epic to justify all the buildup. But of course it looks more and more like we're in for a "the twist is that there is no twist" scenario and that it all just fizzles out as Garrosh 2.0.

[Mehrunes]

I really dislike how the entire expansion is building to some "great twist" where Sylvanas supposedly brilliant plan will be revealed...

It would have to be something incredibly clever and epic to justify all the buildup. But of course it looks more and more like we're in for a "the twist is that there is no twist" scenario and that it all just fizzles out as Garrosh 2.0.

That's the best type of twist though. I mean, it totally worked for The Happening.

[Powerogue]

tl;dr write a story that the FANS enjoy, not literary self-wankery.

I cannot remember the last time the fans enjoyed anything. Even the "golden years" of WotLK/BC were "why is Illidan & Co evil for no reason whatsoever?" and "the LK is showing up so often during questing just to monologue he doesn't feel like a threat" was the butt of every joke.

The story has always been this quality, emphasizing rule of cool > consistency. For the most part until BFA made more controversial story choices for the sake of high stakes faction conflict drama, people only complained less because less players even bothered to learn what was going on in any given expansion.