Gelbin Mekkatorque and the Gnomes: Underutilized?

[KrazyK923]

I've been thinking about possible lore for 5.4 from the Alliance's side, and outside of the Draenei (Who I have regulated to never doing anything ever), one faction within the Alliance stuck out to me in terms of their absence: the Gnomes. I wanted to take a closer look at the Gnomes and their faction leader, Gelbin Mekkatorque. I wanted to ask a larger section of the lore fanbase a question, which you can find in my video about Mekkatorque here:



Essentially, would you agree that Blizzard's regulation of the Gnomes to a comedic race that is short and has high-pitched voices wasting what could be potentially interesting storylines with them? Even regardless from a Horde vs Alliance standpoint, because the same is applied to the Goblins. Feels as if the Goblins and Gnomes are regulated to the obnoxious tropes of "Short and Greedy" and "Short and high-pitched" respectively. I could make an argument for the Goblins (At least the Bilgewater ones) breaking this trope slightly more than the Gnomes, but it still feels that each race is entirely absent unless a technology is needed, which they are then trotted out to seem important for the immediate story before being shelved again.

The one and only example of the Gnomes fighting on their own in Cataclysm is against the Goblins, of course, in the Stonetalon Mountains. And even there, it's this whole zany "technology gone wrong" spin on what could have been an epic battlefield. I would like to think I give a good argument of where the Gnomes and Goblins could be utilized going forward, and I was wondering about others' opinions of the future of the two technological powerhouses of Azeroth.

[Alanar]

I dont know if it's just me.. , but I dont care for the gnomes at all i find them boring in every single way.. midgets aren't cool.

But thats my opinion.

[KrazyK923]

That's a major issue I have with their appearance in the lore, their claim to fame is that they are short. The lore really ignores everything else about them unless their technology is needed.

And even then, they are trotted out for the immediate story, and shelved the second after that one story is finished.

Especially when you consider that their faction leader doesn't exhibit any of the stupid tropes that the Gnomes are "popular" for (IE: Short and high-pitched voices).

[Verdugo]

There is no possibility for gnomes to act seriously. Their very purpose is comic relief. Them succeeding at something would be extremely out of character, bad writing.

[Maxilian]

I do agree that they should be utilized more, what the heck... THE HUMANS AND ORC SHOULD BE UTILIZED LESS!, i mean... Look the Taurens have almost no lore, the Worgens the same, LOOK AT THE DRANEAI! they have so much potential... but nothing! D:

[Alopex Major]

I agree with you, but I'd amend your statement to be "the entirety of the Alliance, maybe except that King guy". Draenei have had no lore in THREE EXPANSIONS, unless you count the Velen short-story, which wasn't in-game. They didn't even get a new class at Cata launch, the only race that didn't. I have a feeling that Worgen will have the same fate.

[KrazyK923]

There is no possibility for gnomes to act seriously. Their very purpose is comic relief. Them succeeding at something would be extremely out of character, bad writing.

And yet their entire history is evidence to the contrary of this supposed "purpose." It seems more likely that the players have given the Gnomes this purpose instead of the lore itself. As I explain in the video, their faction leader exhibits basically none of the dumb tropism that the rest of the race seemed doomed to. At the very most, Mekkatorque, during some of the Operation: Gnomeregan stuff, makes comments that could be seen as quirky.

It bounces back and forth between this very serious backstory, the fate of their city, and the fact that 80% of their race was destroyed by 1 person...and then being short. Hahahahah, they're short! Hehehe, shorties!

Like I said in the video, that argument of them being silly because they are short is so flimsy and childish that I don't even really consider it an actual reason.

[Verdugo]

As I explain in the video, their faction leader exhibits basically none of the dumb tropism that the rest of the race seemed doomed to. At the very most, Mekkatorque, during some of the Operation: Gnomeregan stuff, makes comments that could be seen as quirky.

Geblin is a naive fool that could only barely defeat few Troggs, such failure should be dead, but in warcraft universe, idiots survive while intelectuals go insane.

[KrazyK923]

Geblin is a naive fool that could only barely defeat few Troggs, such failure should be dead, but in warcraft universe, idiots survive while intelectuals go insane.

"Naive fool?" He trusted his best advisor and friend Sicco Thermaplugg, and had no reason not to. Thermaplugg was trying to overthrow him the entire time, but nobody was aware of it until it was far too late.

[Verdugo]

"Naive fool?" He trusted his best advisor and friend Sicco Thermaplugg, and had no reason not to. Thermaplugg was trying to overthrow him the entire time, but nobody was aware of it until it was far too late.

No, naive because he doesnt understand reasons behind war. ANY war.

[Arrashi]

Gnomes are comical reference and they should stay that way. Forcing lore focus onto them would result only in even more alliance whining (blizz dont treat us seriously booooooo). The only gnome lore that would make sense, would be one of they experiments going terribly wrong (is that even suprise ?), creating some abberation for us to kill. And hopefully taking lot of gnome lives in process.

[KrazyK923]

Gnomes are comical reference and they should stay that way. Forcing lore focus onto them would result only in even more alliance whining (blizz dont treat us seriously booooooo). The only gnome lore that would make sense, would be one of they experiments going terribly wrong (is that even suprise ?), creating some abberation for us to kill. And hopefully taking lot of gnome lives in process.

Again, people keep saying "Comedic relief," but their history is all the opposite of this supposed purpose, and their leader doesn't have any of the comedy.

I still charge that the role of "comedic relief" was thrust onto them by the players because they are short, and ultimately that purpose is really quite pointless. You can have comedy without making something absolutely ridiculous.

[Verdugo]

Again, people keep saying "Comedic relief," but their history is all the opposite of this supposed purpose, and their leader doesn't have any of the comedy.

What history, they hardly have any history, they just helped alliance in second war and became victims of their own "ingenuity" (who thought making system to vent iradiated gas to city would be good idea... oh yeah, gnomes). Later in cataclysm, entire batalion got cursed and steamrolled by a giant fireball.

You should want them to be killed, you dont want such failure to stain alliance, right?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I do think they should be more utilized. Gnomes should be the main tech guys of the Alliance, yet Humans have taken that role for no reason.

[KrazyK923]

What history, they hardly have any history, they just helped alliance in second war and became victims of their own "ingenuity" (who thought making system to vent iradiated gas to city would be good idea... oh yeah, gnomes). Later in cataclysm, entire batalion got cursed and steamrolled by a giant fireball.

The entire history of Gnomeregan and Thermaplugg's betrayal? And even before that, what we do know of the Gnomes don't point to "comedic relief." It points to a technologically advanced race that happens to be short.

You're free to think the lore is dumb, I don't really care if people do, but at least get it right. It wasn't just an accident that Gnomeregan happened the way it did.

I do think they should be more utilized. Gnomes should be the main tech guys of the Alliance, yet Humans have taken that role for no reason.

Yeah, it's strange. The Gnomes are still credited for being the inventors of the Skyships that the Alliance are now using, but they hold virtually no role in Mists of Pandaria. Like I said in the video, Blizzard seems fine trotting them out to abuse them for technology, but then ignore the actual characters of the faction. Sloppy storytelling imo.

[Verdugo]

You're free to think the lore is dumb, I don't really care if people do, but at least get it right. It wasn't just an accident that Gnomeregan happened the way it did.

It wasnt an accident, but somehow it had to be possible, Thermaplug didnt repurpose entire city into a death trap, it was already like that, he just needed to push the button.

[KrazyK923]

It wasnt an accident, but somehow it had to be possible, Thermaplug didnt repurpose entire city into a death trap, it was already like that, he just needed to push the button.

What? I'm not sure what you're even talking about. Everything that happened was either directly because of Thermaplugg or because of his incompetence. He didn't set out to destroy 80% of his race. He didn't plan on his own filtration system on failing. He didn't plan on the gas killing more than 30% of his race.

He purposefully proposed the plan to deal with the Troggs to Mekkatorque knowing the gas was stronger than just to kill the trolls but didn't know it was so strong as to kill 80% of his race

He purposefully told Mekkatorque the incorrect information so the High Tinker would enact his plan.

The layout of the city has absolutely nothing to do with it. If anything, the city's layout was more than optimal. If Thermaplugg's technology didn't fail, then the city would have been capable of doing what Thermaplugg's actual plan was.

[Verdugo]

What? I'm not sure what you're even talking about. Everything that happened was either directly because of Thermaplugg or because of his incompetence. He didn't set out to destroy 80% of his race. He didn't plan on his own filtration system on failing. He didn't plan on the gas killing more than 30% of his race.

The layout of the city has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Are you even reading what I post? I dont care about his intent. That city was made as a death trap, but somehow gnomes are still considered genious when they cant even design their city properly.

[KrazyK923]

Are you even reading what I post? I dont care about his intent. That city was made as a death trap, but somehow gnomes are still considered genious when they cant even design their city properly.

Yes, I'm reading what you wrote, and it makes no sense. I'm still not sure how the city was designed to be a death trap. Once again, miscalculations were made and what would have been a good way to stop the Troggs actually turned out to be a death trap.

I have no idea what grade you're using to judge proper city design.

Once again, the city's design has nothing to do with what happened. It was all the failure of Thermaplugg's technology and his failure to even enact his own plot properly.

[Hyde]

Their time to shine will come when the next xpac after the next xpac would let us play as Tinkers. Gnome VS Goblin Technocracy Supremacy.