Anyone else feel like BfA is already over story wise?

[Very rare pepe]

I think blizzard shot their wad too early by releasing the cinematic for Shadowlands at Blizzcon. They got away with it with the BFA trailer towards the end of legion because it wasn't a massive thing. It was just the continuation of the faction war but showing us what they did in the Shadowlands trailer has made me not really care for things that will now happen in 8.3 story wise. Just my 2 cents.

[Sondrelk]

Agree. Both N'Zoth and Ny'alotha are legendary, highly anticipated entities in Warcraft lore. Now that we know what the next expansion will be about their patch feels redundant, like they're already dealt with. Then again, Azshara and Nazjatar were equally legendary, yet their implementation mid-expansion felt similarly lackluster. Maybe because Horde vs Alliance and especially Horde's inner conflict with Saurfang and Sylvanas were the top topics? I'd say so. There was too much noise.

Oh well, maybe I'll sing a different tune when the patch is actually here and playable.

The problem is that the old god storyline was not given room to properly breathe and unfold smoothly from a narrative perspective because of the faction war, and the faction war got hamstrung by the expansion ending on old gods.

A far better solution that has us end at the same location is if the expansion opened with old god stuff, then Sylvanas burns down the tree, flees the Horde to join Azshara/N'zoth but sadly leaving the Horde and Alliance in disarray as the Alliance no longer trusts the Horde after a second genocidal warchief, even if the Horde got rid of her immediately.

Now the story would play out mostly the same, just without the Battle for Dazar'alor, which could be swapped out for an Old God themed one that could just as easily use the faction specific boss mechanic. Have 8.2.5 end with Sylvanas running away from her hiding place, Horde and Alliance decide to work together again and by the time 8.3 hits the story has hopefully properly built up N'zoth and made the Horde vs Alliance plot a menial sideshow that feels like it served a narrative purpose as a barrier against N'zoth, and not as a distracting sideshow that simply prevents us from building up N'zoth at all.

[matrix123mko]

Agree. Both N'Zoth and Ny'alotha are legendary, highly anticipated entities in Warcraft lore. Now that we know what the next expansion will be about their patch feels redundant, like they're already dealt with. Then again, Azshara and Nazjatar were equally legendary, yet their implementation mid-expansion felt similarly lackluster. Maybe because Horde vs Alliance and especially Horde's inner conflict with Saurfang and Sylvanas were the top topics? I'd say so. There was too much noise.

That's why I perceive BfA as bad. It was just waste of potential.

Oh well, maybe I'll sing a different tune when the patch is actually here and playable.

I hope so. Maybe they will make us feel power of N'zoth. 8.1 felt stronger than it looked like on Blizzcon.

[Nightstalker]

The Sylvanas Story was not fleshed out enough especially around the Crucible release/quest. And the Shadowlands trailer etc has probably tanked interest in the "in-between-stuff".

[Greyvax]

It definitely feels dead. Especially after blizzcon.

When they announced that Ny'alotha was "all around us" just killed every ounce of hype it could have had. Just boring repeatable instanced content for a major lore zone. What they should have done was make a new zone with activities which contained the raid. Instead they are just placking existing zones with corruption. The raid looks cool but nothing else is noteworthy about the rest of bfa.

[Sondrelk]

That's why I perceive BfA as bad. It was just waste of potential.

I hope so. Maybe they will make us feel power of N'zoth. 8.1 felt stronger than it looked like on Blizzcon.

It feels wasted because neither the Faction war or the Old god story got the exposure it deserved.

The faction war got all the buildup, lucrative advertising space and perhaps most importantly, the rights to the endgame storyline and the second raid.
The Old god storyline got none of that, but instead got the final raid.

Blizzard could have tried to marry the 2 elements so that when we defeat n'zoth it feels like a victory for the faction war storyline, but instead it just feels like Blizzard decided to abandon the Faction war story after it didnt pan out well and figured N'zoth would makke just as fitting a final boss.

[bullseyed]

It's not even the last patch yet and I feel like they could end it now and have no story ramifications.

Might be the dumbest thing posted today.

End of life on the planet and shortly afterward the known universe, but otherwise no story ramifications.

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BfA was basically the N'Zoth expansion. He has been part of the story since the start, just not quite in the center - but thats not where Old Gods belong. They operate from the shadows, spreading their influence.

Being the final boss in an expansion and getting a variety of different content tailored to him is already quite a lot more then any of this breathren got, who were killed off in mid-content patches without much drama at all.

Every expansion since Pandaria has been the N'zoth expansion. He was manipulating things back then and ever since.

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Yeah, but the new casual playerbase doesn't give a shit about the lore: they only like the shiny celebrity lore figures like Illidan and Sylvanas.

That's why N'zoth is not the focus of his own expansion, and Sargeras only appears for fifteen seconds in World of Warcraft.

Bigger reason for N'zoth and Sargeras not appearing much is that there is no way a group of champions could defeat either one. But we have to win because story.

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Was watching a Bellular video today and he was speculating from some of the NPC chat in game. That N'zoth may survive the encounter in the next raid so it will be interesting if it is true or not..

We didn't run into Black Empire guys for nothing. We didn't set Xal'atath loose for nothing.

The same morons who missed all the N'zoth stuff in Pandaria through BFA won't see the Black Empire expansion coming after Shadowlands.

[matrix123mko]

It feels wasted because neither the Faction war or the Old god story got the exposure it deserved.

The faction war got all the buildup, lucrative advertising space and perhaps most importantly, the rights to the endgame storyline and the second raid.
The Old god storyline got none of that, but instead got the final raid.

Blizzard could have tried to marry the 2 elements so that when we defeat n'zoth it feels like a victory for the faction war storyline, but instead it just feels like Blizzard decided to abandon the Faction war story after it didnt pan out well and figured N'zoth would makke just as fitting a final boss.

Their mistakes:
1. Making faction war expansion after forshadowing old god expansion. Players(and NPCs too, honestly) were unprepared and it took months for Blizzard to make players want a war.
2. Not focusing on actual war. Making story about stopping the war instead which is weird considering their marketing campaign. Doing everything(cinematic team had to cancel their plans for Reforged to make Sadfang series) to convince Horde players to work with Alliance against their leader again.
3. Adding old gods(and naga) to solve the problems. Players wanted true N'zoth expansion, not old god patch like many others. Players hoped that BfA is filler before true Black Empire but they got rushed version of it as side story. Now N'zoth can't be used in near future.

Also, my conspiracy theory is that they wanted to make N'zoth expansion in first place and Zandalar/Kul Tiras story is a sign of it. My question is why did they go for BfA instead.

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It was over the minute Sylvanas threw (yet another) temper tantrum, spoke dismissively about the Horde (the horror!) and rode her broom off into the next expansion, thereby bringing the so-called "Battle for Azeroth" to a close.

Meanwhile...N'zoth? The big, bad Old God that somehow managed to outlast his brothers? The guy that's been foreshadowed on and off between now and Cataclysm? The dude who was supposedly "signing Deathwing's checks"? Yeah, he's filler content. Like Ruby Sanctum, just something to tide people over until Shadowlands comes out and we can return to the real story line featuring WoW's most important character!

As if Sylvanas was main character in BfA. It was Saurfang who devoured N'zoth.

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I think blizzard shot their wad too early by releasing the cinematic for Shadowlands at Blizzcon. They got away with it with the BFA trailer towards the end of legion because it wasn't a massive thing. It was just the continuation of the faction war but showing us what they did in the Shadowlands trailer has made me not really care for things that will now happen in 8.3 story wise. Just my 2 cents.

Yes. They could have gone Legion way and shown us undead Kael or Uther in teaser.

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We didn't run into Black Empire guys for nothing. We didn't set Xal'atath loose for nothing.

The same morons who missed all the N'zoth stuff in Pandaria through BFA won't see the Black Empire expansion coming after Shadowlands.

I hope they think the same. Blizzard can always put Xal'atath in Dragon Isles patch or even in Shadowlands.

[Alanar]

For me, it ended with the War Campaign and Sylvanas going rogue. I know it's "important" that N'Zoth hits the dust but I just can't care for some reason.

Same here.. and with the super bad dragonball z ending.. god its bad.

[Sluvs]

It's not even the last patch yet and I feel like they could end it now and have no story ramifications. They've taken one of the most anticipated villains in Warcraft history and shoved him into a literally irrelevant patch with zero continuity.

They should have done a WoD and killed it off after 2 raids, just imply that N'zoth is watching and waiting until he gets his own xpac, I'd take that any day rather than butchering good potential even further. Putting him in as a side-arc while they are roleplaying Game of Thrones is not only an insult but a massive waste of a well anticipated villain.

I guess that's what happens when you roll a dice and land on the B-Team expansion though. Super salty they've swept my voidy boy under the rug with a casual "maybe later" and not even the slightest effect on the world.

Well they made such a big deal out of the war and it's campaign that honestly it's not that surprising.

It feels like this because we where told that the main story was the war.

[Itori]

For me, it ended with the War Campaign and Sylvanas going rogue. I know it's "important" that N'Zoth hits the dust but I just can't care for some reason.

Its kinda like at the end of TBC and we kill illidan and then sunwell hits and we're like ...lolwut?

[Aggrophobic]

Story? I have not read or really looked at any story in WoW for the lats 15 years or so.

[Lochton]

I can't, for we still have 8.3 to go.

[RadasNoir]

As if Sylvanas was main character in BfA. It was Saurfang who devoured N'zoth.

I'd say you won't have to worry about that with the next expansion, but considering that it literally takes place in the afterlife, there's a good chance Sadfang may yet make another appearance. I doubt his time in the Maw will have improved his disposition any....

[BloodSense]

It feels that way because it doesn't follow typical narrative structure and thus feels jarring and disjointed. Every expansion since wrath on has followed a traditional narrative design though not always at the same pace. Set up your exposition in the leveling/story experience through the first content patch, introduce characters and the world. Rising action takes place usually from the second content patch onward to bring the conflict to its head, and then in the final content patch you have your climax followed by your story resolution. BFA doesn't do that. You could make the argument that N'zoth is the main conflict, but BFA was not marketed that way, it was marketed as a war between the two factions. Imagine watching the original star wars trilogy, except Vader dies in the end of ESB, and the emperor is introduced for the first time in ROTJ as the new villain. We see him briefly in the first 2 films, and hes mentioned several times, but without Vader as the main antagonist of ROTJ, it would have felt like shit.

Frankly, unless you're really big into the lore, read/watch the alternate media material, or played a shadow priest in Legion, chances are you had never even heard of N'zoth prior to BFA. Even then, only the alliance leveling zones really deal with him as the entire horde leveling experience is based around G'huun. The horde isn't really introduced to any "mandatory" story content about N'zoth until the Xal'atath quest line.

The story would have been better served by having N'zoth as a mid tier raid boss, who the alliance and horde manipulated into freeing and killing by Azshara who than takes his power for her own. Move all the Sylvanas shit to the last patch and have the alliance and horde come together to fight a Void Lord empowered Azshara to end the expansion.

So yeah, the story feels like it's over for this expansion because the story that you were sold, the driving force of this expansion, is essentially over until shadowlands unless you're a big fan of the alternate media.

[matrix123mko]

I'd say you won't have to worry about that with the next expansion, but considering that it literally takes place in the afterlife, there's a good chance Sadfang may yet make another appearance. I doubt his time in the Maw will have improved his disposition any....

Yes. I could have said that at least he is gone but Shadowlands makes it annoying. We can even end up with him being main Horde character in Maw.

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It feels that way because it doesn't follow typical narrative structure and thus feels jarring and disjointed. Every expansion since wrath on has followed a traditional narrative design though not always at the same pace. Set up your exposition in the leveling/story experience through the first content patch, introduce characters and the world. Rising action takes place usually from the second content patch onward to bring the conflict to its head, and then in the final content patch you have your climax followed by your story resolution. BFA doesn't do that. You could make the argument that N'zoth is the main conflict, but BFA was not marketed that way, it was marketed as a war between the two factions. Imagine watching the original star wars trilogy, except Vader dies in the end of ESB, and the emperor is introduced for the first time in ROTJ as the new villain. We see him briefly in the first 2 films, and hes mentioned several times, but without Vader as the main antagonist of ROTJ, it would have felt like shit.

The Emperor example is so common nowadays.

Frankly, unless you're really big into the lore, read/watch the alternate media material, or played a shadow priest in Legion, chances are you had never even heard of N'zoth prior to BFA.

It is hard to believe but I am lore fan.

Even then, only the alliance leveling zones really deal with him as the entire horde leveling experience is based around G'huun. The horde isn't really introduced to any "mandatory" story content about N'zoth until the Xal'atath quest line.

Yes, they shouldn't have made separate stories if the end is the same.

The story would have been better served by having N'zoth as a mid tier raid boss, who the alliance and horde manipulated into freeing and killing by Azshara who than takes his power for her own. Move all the Sylvanas shit to the last patch and have the alliance and horde come together to fight a Void Lord empowered Azshara to end the expansion.

That would not give justice for N'zoth.

So yeah, the story feels like it's over for this expansion because the story that you were sold, the driving force of this expansion, is essentially over until shadowlands unless you're a big fan of the alternate media.

I am afraid it is also over for me. I will play but I don't feel they will do it properly.

[Ludvig]

Not that I've ever really cared about WoW's lore but for me it was over before it began. I just felt it made no sense to start the whole faction war again, it felt forced even back in MoP after working together (more or less) against Deathwing/The Lich King.

BfA's "lore" is an insult to human intelligence. Everyone with their "master plan" (Sylvanas, Azshara, N'zoth etc.) that never end up being unpredictable or being impressive in any way. Nathanos holding his own against people leagues above him due to someone on blizzard with a thing for Sylvanas self-inserting is just cringe worthy and embarrassing. Night elves supporting genocide on their own people because "Elune abandoned them" or something and willingly turning undead to help their enemies turn the tide against friends and family. What the actual...? Blizzard has confirmed that they still have their free will as well so this is literally their choice. I can bring up more, but I cba.

In the end I just made up my own canon where the faction war never started and everyone co-existed and lived happily ever after with the defeat of the burning crusade or something. Unrealistic, but still less so than what actually has happened in BfA. At least it's wholesome.

[BloodSense]

Not that I've ever really cared about WoW's lore but for me it was over before it began. I just felt it made no sense to start the whole faction war again, it felt forced even back in MoP after working together (more or less) against Deathwing/The Lich King.

I honestly feel like they overestimated how much everyone cares about the whole faction thing and "bring the war back to warcraft" and soon realized most people don't give a shit and quickly changed direction which is why the story telling feels so erratic. I used to give them a lot of credit because in the end it is an MMO and they are not exactly built for story telling, but after seeing what SQENIX did with Shadowbringers, Blizz is really going to have to step their game up in the story department.

[Sithalos]

N'Zoth who?

[Polarthief]

8.2.5 would have been a nice end, assuming we actually got Horde and Alliance being playable together. 8.3 should be a tiny raid, not the biggest one of the expansion.

I honestly feel like they overestimated how much everyone cares about the whole faction thing and "bring the war back to warcraft" and soon realized most people don't give a shit and quickly changed direction which is why the story telling feels so erratic. I used to give them a lot of credit because in the end it is an MMO and they are not exactly built for story telling, but after seeing what SQENIX did with Shadowbringers, Blizz is really going to have to step their game up in the story department.

Or undo their retarded philosophy. They did it with Classic when "you think you do, but you don't" and now it has more subs than live.