What was the point of hiring Christie Golden?

[Fetus Rex]

She is a an agenda pusher, there is no denying it. Before Blizz was pushing childish notion of clean war with her on board they are pushing gender nonsense. She is not not on the level of ESO kosher qwertyasd+ but one day we will reach it.

[RobertMugabe]

Because Blizz felt they needed her. While there are some game-lore discrepancies and character favoritism, I think she was an overall good addition. The main issue I see with her is a lack of balance. They're a writing team, but there doesn't seem much voice to balance out Christie's visions. Sure, having Anduin becoming a more level headed version of his father is all dandy. But did he really need to cry during a cinematic or for his bones to ache? I feel like she has decent ideas with some weird executions, but can write really nice niche little things.

Sometimes I wonder if the writers pick their "favorites" and mostly write individually, with some loose overarching plot connecting their visions. They should determine narrative foundations together, instead of giving each other nearly free reign in diff sections of the story. Feels disjointed.

Are you talking about the BfA intro cinematic? AFAIK she wasn't even hired when they were working on that one.

[Beloren]

Lots of armchari critics here, whodon't know half hte lore, often get it wrong showing they don't understand, and clearly have no accomplishments, aspirations in writing or directing a narrative across multi media platofmrs.

Those who lay blame at Christie Goldens feet..shame on you... shame on you. I'd like to see you do better.

[The Stormbringer]

If you've seen her writing, then you're an absolute idiot for believing them. This is the same dumb bitch that gave Genn Greymane A TAIL.

You're not very nice, are you?

Also, she was just doing what should've been done from the start. Werewolves without tails is stupid as hell.

[Mehrunes]

I'm not talking about Golden specifically, just the idea of the team taking on bonafide authors. Golden was probably tapped because they had a good working relationship with her due to her prior work on the novels and short stories - so it would make sense to use someone already knowledgeable on the product and all that. I don't think Golden is a terrible author, but neither is she great, kind of middle of the road I would say. Certainly capable enough, and she's an award-winning author with a NYT bestseller under her belt.

I already made a comparison to E. L. James in another thread about Blizzard's writers recently, but hey, if it fits. 50 Shades of Grey was an NYT bestseller. And there's no power on earth that'd convince me that book or its author are even remotely good. Golden's NYT bestsellers came during the height of WoW's popularity. Consequently, there was a large amount of WoW fans wanting to buy them. Especially in regards of Rise of the Lich King, as Arthas was a fan favorite since TFT.

As for the general idea of bona fide authors, it seems to me Blizzard took only authors like Golden. Because WoW still suffers from terrible consistency, continuity and ever-shifting canon (and in regards to game in particular, also poor pacing), just like it always did.

[zlygork]

I think the biggest problem with the BfA story is that we are constantly left in 6 month long pieces of suspense, which is way too fucking long. Put it on a book format, where one chapter immediately follows the next and the story would at least be acceptably average, if not good. I assume this is Golden's first experience writing for a patch-based story line, and perhaps the blame in this precise case, should not be pointed at her.

Then again, I am of the mind that not a single aspect of wow is a single person's responsability.

[Powerogue]

The story has been more consistent and impactful. Whether you like that impact or not, it's impossible to say she hasn't "made her mark on the story."

[Mehrunes]

What's wrong with Eledgy? I mean, you pick something you think it's shit. I'll pick something I think it's good.

You mean the Elegy where Alliance talks about the legion of spies Anduin sent to Orgrimmar (and whom he ordered to make their presence known to Sylvanas and the Horde) and that they sent a Night Elven army to Silithus with the intent to contest Horde's Azerite mining operation through military means, yet the Horde is not only presented as the aggressor but also as an unprovoked one?

Or the Elegy where Tyrande has the means to go to Darkshore and actually uses it, but instead of doing anything to help her people she abandons them all to burn, effectively proving Delaryn and Sira right in advance, and chose to save just her husbando?

Or maybe the Elegy where Night Elves, who on one hand are Golden's precious Alliance, but on the other are not precious enough due to lacking human potential, and as such were utterly humiliated in their own turf by Horde rogues, despite supposedly being the masters of their forest?

[Dagoth Ur]

Don't know how much she's to blame for the state of the story and all, but I'd prefer she didn't write stuff where Horde's story intersects with Alliance's, with her obvious favorites and agenda pushing. If she's passionate about Jaina, Our treasure or whatever, let her do that, I don't care, but if I've rolled Horde for the exact reason to avoid those, then allow me to do it.

[RangerDaz]

Why do so many people try to paint Golden as WoW's SJW Boogie(wo)man?

Sometimes I'm not a fan of some of her ideas and storylines, but really she just does what they tell her to write about. And Blizzard is always allowed to ask her to changer her stories whenever they please.

[George Costanza]

social justice points.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

They hired her because they liked the way she wrote in the Past when they contracted her. Players use her as a scape goat because they don’t understand that every thing she has done was blizzards orders and she was used to flesh out thoses orders. As far as bfa goes she didn’t even work in the story at the start and we don’t know if she is still following blizzards premade orders or not.

[chubbybunny]

Makes me laugh at all the people hating on writers... However I will say this to you all.... Who out of you and her is more famous and earning money from her writing?

All you "she is crap" moaners... Get off your arse and write something better and then we can listen to you all.. Otherwise Just shut up and crawl back under the rock, Keyboard Trolls...

[Rozz]

Are you talking about the BfA intro cinematic? AFAIK she wasn't even hired when they were working on that one.

Oops! I was being hyperbolic and just meant her preference to primarily show Anduin as an empath . As for that specific cinematic I'm not entirely sure if she was hired then or if the cinematic team was taking inspiration from her writing if at all.

[Zequill]

I'm sure BFA gonna have a twist just like Legion got one (Xe'ra getting destroy by Illidan). The issue is having those forums whines for 1 year and a half is not worth it.

[Krom]

The first problem with your question is assuming she's anything more than an average at best writer, and that's being generous.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I think she was mainly brought for PR purpose in pre-BFA. Bestseller author gonna write BFA kewl story and shit.

She didn’t even work on the start of bfa so it’s more likly she was hired to work on post bfa story stuff.

[Mehrunes]

I will never agree with this trend of 'if every character isn't edgy its bad writing' mentality I see constantly. If you think Anduin and co are bland I respect your opinion and its valid but that doesn't mean its bad writing. Y'all literally are frothing at the mouth over Golden because every single time the story doesn't go where you want its her fault and her fault alone despite that being so wayward and illogical. Drop the conspiracy theories and bitterness, if you hate the story that much write your own fanfics and pretend that's canon instead. There's nothing wrong with expressing dissatisfaction (esp for a product you pay for) but I see people do it with such a lack of grace and civility its gross.


Seems to me you guys just hate the Alliance because they honestly don't fit your concept of masculinity. Solidarity and goodwill between allies is literally a core tenant of the Alliance and has been since its inception, critiquing their lack of complexity is fine. This is def one of the more productive flaws to talk about, but the solution to this most certainly isn't 'lets have Genn eat babies and Tyrande try to snipe Anduin.' There are ways to include inner friction without making the Alliance lose its identity, the Alliance should not and won't ever be a blue Horde.

Get over it.

Given how you make things up to get offended by (and fuel the rest of your post), I'm not sure if you're really in position to tell people to get over anything. You pulled things like "'if every character isn't edgy its bad writing' mentality", "seems to me you guys just hate the Alliance because they don't fit your concept of masculinity" or that "lets have Genn eat babies and Tyrande try to snipe Anduin" out of the nether. What does Alliance even have to do with masculinity?

No one complains about your beloved Baine because he's not edgy, but because he's a traitorous and hypocritical Alliance doormat. Cairne wasn't edgy either, yet he's much more positively received. Perhaps it's because Cairne's biggest aspiration in life wasn't the idea of his god-boiking Blanduin using his cut off body parts for certain purposes.

Likewise, Anduin doesn't get criticized as piss-poor writing because he's masculine in the wrong way, but because he's so goddarn perfect that he has an built-in plot devise literally telling him what's moral or not in the form of his magical bones. And everyone around him, including people that are thousands of years old, fawn over him because of how amazing and wise he is.

Also, there's a threshold of incompetence where one does no longer deserve the criticism they get to be nice. Blizzard's "writers" passed it years ago and moved so far away from it they can no longer even see it. They are consistently serving the players the storytelling equivalent of shit on a plate. They reap what they saw and if they get uncivil criticism they only have themselves to blame.

Finally, the idea that Alliance is a core tenet of the Alliance since its inception isn't really accurate. High Elves needed the humans to use a thousands years old vow they made to be dragged into it and then left immediately after the Second War. Alterac outright betrayed the Alliance. Gilneas and Stromgarde clashed with Alterac, with each other over what should be done with Alterac's land and with Lordaeron and its dominant position. And then they both left as well. Kul Tiras pursued the Orcs on their own without sparing a single thought to the rest of the Alliance that didn't want to be dragged into another war with the Horde after the Scourge imploded its biggest member and after the Gnomes nuked themselves. And then Alliance repaid Kul Tiras and ignored their plight to help them avenge Daelin's death. Which ended with Kul Tiras also leaving.

[Fixxit the Gnome]

Imagine thinking Golden's milquetoast takes on social issues is pushing a far-left agenda.

[Shampro]

She didn’t even work on the start of bfa so it’s more likly she was hired to work on post bfa story stuff.

She's writing the in game cinematics. She's been at Blizzard since production was well in development. You can go to her twitter yourself and see her talking about her pride in all the million Jaina cinematics she has written, as well as a few others, incluing Old Soldier/Lost Honor.