A question on Draenei and age

[Trassk]

Ok, so I'm leveling a draenei monk, just because i want to have a high level alliance monk and draenei seems a good pick.

Anyway, my profile for my draenei with TRP2 and MRP reads that he's roughly 2300 years old. Having read the life-span chart of all wow character races, Draenei are the only playable race not given an age limit since they are classed as immortal, can live forever, and that someone like velen is in the region or around 25000 years old.

Anyway, a dwarf whispers me critisizing my character profile for the age I've given him saying draenei can't be any older then around 250 years old, which I told him I used the lifespan chart and made it that he's lived a couple of thousend years, and its perfectly legit.

I guess what I'm wondering is does anyone else follow this, or is there some weird unspoken code of rpers not being allowed to make what is essentially an immortal race old.

[The Madgod]

did he have any proof as to why it should be only 250 max? I've never heard such a thing... then again, I try and RP here, where things tend to be of much higher quality, at least in terms of community. RP quality too, but that's more of an opinion than anything.

[Xeraxis]

Madgod would be best to answer your question but I have seen several RPers state their characters were around during the War of the Ancients so a character that is only around 2000 years old seems perfectly fine. Now the other issue that some RPers may have is the fact that you made them a monk which was virtually unknown to races other than Pandaren until recently. It would be akin to making a 2000 year old Death Knight in the eyes of some RPers.

[Aquamonkey]

Kinda late in the game for a career change.

I was under the impression that Draenei PCs created in WoW were a younger generation of Draenei than those who originally left Argus. I mean seriously, thousands of years old and they're teaching you how to hold a weapon?

This goes for Elves too.

[Xeraxis]

Kinda late in the game for a career change.

I was under the impression that Draenei PCs created in WoW were a younger generation of Draenei than those who originally left Argus. I mean seriously, thousands of years old and they're teaching you how to hold a weapon?

This goes for Elves too.

If said PC was a craftsmen for several thousand years and suddenly was drafted for defense of the Exodar it would be very likely they would have no clue as to how to hold a weapon.

[Aquamonkey]

If the said PC was a craftsmen for several thousand years and suddenly was drafted for defense of the Exodar it would be very likely they would have no clue as to how to hold a weapon.

I suppose, but they were constantly besieged by the Legion. The only time they knew peace was during the 1000 years they were on the Orc homeworld before the Legion came again. If ever there was a time where a Draenei would be born without learning basic self defense, it would be during that 1000 year window or after landing on Azeroth.

[The Madgod]

Kinda late in the game for a career change.

I was under the impression that Draenei PCs created in WoW were a younger generation of Draenei than those who originally left Argus. I mean seriously, thousands of years old and they're teaching you how to hold a weapon?

This goes for Elves too.

Not all Draenei were warriors. Many were civilians.

Also can you quote any quests in the draenei starting area which state or infer that you've got no understanding of how to defend yourself and you need to be taught? Would probably help.

This is honestly one of the most difficult aspects of character development in WoW. Blizzard did not do a great job of cataloging how these longer-living races develop and age, which is pretty annoying at least from my perspective, since a good chunk of the "playable" races (I say that since you CAN RP a race outside of the in-game choices, at least on forums, though it's harder) ARE those long-living races.

[Aquamonkey]

Not all Draenei were warriors. Many were civilians.

Also can you quote any quests in the draenei starting area which state or infer that you've got no understanding of how to defend yourself and you need to be taught? Would probably help.

This is honestly one of the most difficult aspects of character development in WoW. Blizzard did not do a great job of cataloging how these longer-living races develop and age, which is pretty annoying at least from my perspective, since a good chunk of the "playable" races (I say that since you CAN RP a race outside of the in-game choices, at least on forums, though it's harder) ARE those long-living races.

Weapon proficiency is a big step in learning self defense. Back in TBC, every new character has to go to trainers to learn how to use the weapons for their class. Once learned, they start with 1 skill point in that proficiency. Until they removed that system from the game, long after the Draenei were introduced.

EDIT: You literally couldn't hold a sword (equip), without having an NPC teach you how.

[Deleted]

i am pretty sure that Draeneis also is immortal(actually Night elf is also now. due to the world tree - And i know it was destroyed in warcraft 3, but in hyjal in 5.2? firelands they remade it) but saying you are that old is not unrealistisk, i mean people like velen is very old

[Darmalus]

Unless you are in a state where anyone can be attacked at any time, I doubt people who don't need a weapon learn how to use one, instead focusing on more relevant skills. Even in a siege, craftsmen would focus on making better weapons and armor for the real fighters, rather than learning to fight themselves. After all, if they go off to fight, who will make the weapons?

[Aquamonkey]

Unless you are in a state where anyone can be attacked at any time, I doubt people who don't need a weapon learn how to use one, instead focusing on more relevant skills. Even in a siege, craftsmen would focus on making better weapons and armor for the real fighters, rather than learning to fight themselves. After all, if they go off to fight, who will make the weapons?

I'm not saying they have to be in the reserve army, but they should at least know how to hold a sword.

[Xeraxis]

Weapon proficiency is a big step in learning self defense. Back in TBC, every new character has to go to trainers to learn how to use the weapons for their class. Once learned, they start with 1 skill point in that proficiency. Until they removed that system from the game, long after the Draenei were introduced.

EDIT: You literally couldn't hold a sword (equip), without having an NPC teach you how.

Game mechanics =/= lore/RP

[The Madgod]

Weapon proficiency is a big step in learning self defense. Back in TBC, every new character has to go to trainers to learn how to use the weapons for their class. Once learned, they start with 1 skill point in that proficiency. Until they removed that system from the game, long after the Draenei were introduced.

EDIT: You literally couldn't hold a sword (equip), without having an NPC teach you how.

That's a gameplay mechanic that was in the game long before the draenei came along. I wouldn't use it as evidence to suggest that draenei, or any race for that matter, didn't know basic self defense prior to learning the skills they needed for their particular class.

[Viradiance]

Not a problem. That guy just didn't know what he's talking about.

I prefer to RP my Draenei as relatively young, personally. That whole ancient mystical wisdom doesn't really roll in my books.

Draenei age at roughly the same age as Humans until they reach 'adulthood', at which point they stop aging, or age at an absurdly slowed degree (to the point of Velen looking the part of a venerable human at over twenty-five thousand years)

[Yunru]

http://www.wowhead.com/npc=21284 look like monk to me. So you could play it like a monk (with a difrent name). Smiliar like blood elf paladins are called blood knights.

As for roleplaying you could say you came from outland.

[Aquamonkey]

Game mechanics =/= lore/RP

That's a gameplay mechanic that was in the game long before the draenei came along. I wouldn't use it as evidence to suggest that draenei, or any race for that matter, didn't know basic self defense prior to learning the skills they needed for their particular class.

What about class abilities? You used to go to trainers to learn how to use those too. Same with mounts. If you throw out 1 mechanic you have to throw out all of them.

[Xeraxis]

What about class abilities? You used to go to trainers to learn how to use those too. Same with mounts. If you throw out 1 mechanic you have to throw out all of them.

Yeah and learning your spell ranks from a trainer as well as riding are both game mechanics. I'm not certain you're aware that RP does not have to be restricted to gameplay mechanics.

[Aquamonkey]

Yeah and learning your spell ranks from a trainer as well as riding are both game mechanics. I'm not certain you're aware that RP does not have to be restricted to gameplay mechanics.

Makes it harder when what you want to RP isn't supported by the game.

*I climb aboard my valiant steed and charge off towards the horizon as the sun hangs low in the sky*

Oh wait, I can't because the horse trainer refuses to teach me how to ride one.

[wontonheroe]

To answer OP's question- http://www.wowpedia.org/Timeline_(fr...al_site,_2004)

Yes Velen is at least 25,000 years old, so to put your draenei anywhere less than that would seem acceptable. Making up the 250 mark seems a bit weird obviously. Also, I would say neither draenei nor night elves are immortal. They just possess extremely long lives. The night elves lost their immortality with the loss of the world tree.

[Vorticough]

Well there seem to be quite a few cases that support Draenei being a long, long-lived race. Like Jessera of Mac'Aree, he was apparently born on Argus. Though, war and being hounded by the legion probably make these Draenei few and far between. As far as I see it, they can live to be pretty fuckin' old.