9.0 prepatch allied race

[Villager720]

The amount of evidence in favour of Vulpera is pretty overwhelming. They use the goblin skeleton as a base, I figure that is enough.

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Also this. If it was just meant to be a sub-race system, they'd have called it that. Allied races is a deliberately broader term. Sub-races have dominated in BFA because for many years that is what the people asked for. Now all the requests have been more or less met they can experiment a little.

Right, not saying they won't be playable. Just that they don't line up with any previous allied race, and that makes me skeptical.
The only thing that has differentiated an "allied race" from a "race" seems to be their "sub-racy" relationship to past races.

[I am disappoint]

8.1 Vulpera and Sethrak (as faction)

What are you talking about?

[Villager720]

Also this. If it was just meant to be a sub-race system, they'd have called it that. Allied races is a deliberately broader term. Sub-races have dominated in BFA because for many years that is what the people asked for. Now all the requests have been more or less met they can experiment a little.

But what does qualify an allied race then? Why aren't Zandalari just a "race"? Not countering your narrative, just asking for clarification.

[ro9ue]

I think we'll get a set of allied races in 8.2.5 or 8.3.

Most likely it will be Vulpera (H) and Mechagnome (A), they seem the most complete.

For 9.0 I suspect we'll get a set of 4 allied races:

Sethrak (H) and Ankoan (A) from 8.2 content, and then something from 8.3 content. That in my opinion will be something really desired by the community, if Rexxar and Thrall are front and center, and then there are more conflicts with the elves, I can see Mok'Nathal (H) and High Elves or Half-Elves (A).

There are other possibilities for allied races for sure, but this just feels like it will make sense.

Ethereal are a honorable mention for Alliance if they don't do Half-Elves/High Elves.

[I am disappoint]

Introduction of Allied Races in Legion
Vanilla faction somewhat removed/discontinued
-Zandalari Troll as faction
-Thorium Brotherhood as Darkiron Dwarves

We have mechegnomes, deepsea jinyu,

Some allied races will come with 9.0 pre-purchase:
8.1 Vulpera and Sethrak (as faction)
8.1.5 Siege of Zul'dazar: Zandalari Trolls and Kul'tirans (officially unlockable but marketed pre-BfA)
8.2 Rise of Azshara patch: Gilblins and Deepsea Jinyu, Mechagnomes
8.2.5 Warfront Outland races Saberon and Botani (probably have taken refuge in the Overgrowth) in the Barrens
8.3 Sanlayn and Lightbound
8.3.5 - ???

Wildcard allied race: Tortollan neutral race.

Cycle 1 Allied races:. Introduced in late Legion/BfA pre-purchase
From Pre-BfA Legion Allied Races
HMT, Nightborne
Void Elves, Lightforged
BfA - KT and Zandalari Troll.
Mag'har Orcs and Darkiron Dwarves
Your thoughts?

Here's a bold thought. How about... no more new Allied Races this expansion? Legion gave us 4, and we got 4 in BFA. It's enough for now. There are more races than anyone can possibly need anyway. If they give us new races it should be completely new races, and not just reskins, like Vrykul, Naga, Ogre, Arakkoa or Ethereal. If none of those, then might as well not do any. Exception are High Elves for Alliance.

[Obelisk Kai]

But what does qualify an allied race then? Why aren't Zandalari just a "race"? Not countering your narrative, just asking for clarification.

In reality I think Allied race is less of a lore term and more a catch all term to describe a system that is, at heart, a sub-race system but one that is not limited to variants of existing races.

An Allied race doesn't have the expectations that come with the core races. There is no starting zone experience for them. There is probably no brand new model built from the ground up, in fact they likely use an existing model which is reskinned.

Once those parameters are set, all that has to happen is that they have to join the prospective faction.

It's really doing new races on the cheap.

[Yuelle]

I don't expect more than 5 more, 1 for each remaining core race. I hope for sanlayn for undead. Saberon for worgen would be a decent juxtaposition to vulpera I think. That leaves pandaren which I have no idea what they'll do. Probably some out of thin air cousins to pandaren.

[Yarathir]

But what does qualify an allied race then? Why aren't Zandalari just a "race"? Not countering your narrative, just asking for clarification.

Because they don't have a totally new skeleton, no 1-20 leveling zone, a vendor with 3+ racial mounts.

[metzger84]

the day furries are introduced into the game is the day i hit the uninstall button

[Obelisk Kai]

Right, not saying they won't be playable. Just that they don't line up with any previous allied race, and that makes me skeptical.
The only thing that has differentiated an "allied race" from a "race" seems to be their "sub-racy" relationship to past races.

I get the scepticism if treat the Allied race system as a sub-race system, but the Allied race system is a bit more than a sub-race system and by 'a bit more' I mean it can accommodate races such as the Vulpera. And the evidence for Vulpera is pretty overwhelming.

[Yarathir]

the day furries are introduced into the game is the day i hit the uninstall button

So you hit the uninstall button in 2005?

[I am disappoint]

but one that is not limited to variants of existing races.

So far it has only been variants of existing races. It is pretty much limited to that, because they wouldn't waste new races on an Allied race slot.

[Yarathir]

I get the scepticism if treat the Allied race system as a sub-race system, but the Allied race system is a bit more than a sub-race system and by 'a bit more' I mean it can accommodate races such as the Vulpera. And the evidence for Vulpera is pretty overwhelming.

The allied race system works at its best when you can say: "Hey, this is a group of new people I met on this new continent that helped me and that I helped in return and decided to join me."

I honestly think that if we had allied races in MoP, Jinyu would've been an Alliance allied race, for example.
Or in WoTLK, Taunka.

[Obelisk Kai]

That's entirely different. No matter how you slice it, Kul Tirans aren't made on the human rig and Zandalari (males) aren't made on the Troll rig. On the flip-side, Vulpera are on the Goblin rig, but aren't at all related to Goblins.

And again, the Night Elf male skeleton got used twice, which also indicates that there is no "Okay, we've already used this skeleton, so we'll use this other player skeleton next until we've used all player skeletons once." pattern.

Even if you disagree that the connections matter, a case can be made that each Allied race so far has some sort of connection to an existing core race and extrapolating from that to the possible final two might suggest Worgen and Undead would be the basis for them.

Now I definitely not saying that is the case, merely stating that I can see where such an idea comes from.

[Yarathir]

So far it has only been variants of existing races. It is pretty much limited to that, because they wouldn't waste new races on an Allied race slot.

Kul Tirans are essentially a new race in terms of animations, model and skeleton.
You can say "well uhm they are a human variant" but that's in lore only. The technical work went into them is borderline new race level.

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Even if you disagree that the connections matter, a case can be made that each Allied race so far has some sort of connection to an existing core race

Yeah, but the justification for that is extremely flimsy and all over the place and feels a bit self-serving if anything. Hell, even Ion Hazzikostas said they don't intend for the allied races to just be subraces, or just pure reuse of old races.

[Fahrenheit]

I'm fairly confident that we're going to get Vulpera (H) Sethrak (A) as one pairing. It just makes sense, from using Cata race skeletons as their origin and the inherent animosity between the two going back thousands of years.

The other pairing is a little tricky based on what the Horde would get, as I'm pretty confidant Mechognomes are going to the Alliance. Lightborn Undead could go either way, Calia could take over the mantle of the Forsaken after Sylvanas is gone, or she could stay in cahoots with Anduin, or it could stay that only Calia exists, and there will never be anymore than Lightborn Undead than her. The other strong possibility is Mok'Nathal using the Kul Tiran frame as a base, KT is the only unique model for an allied race so far, so it's not crazy that Blizzard might reuse it.

[zlygork]

The Allied race system really seems to consist of two main points:

1- The fantasy where you are recruiting your new allies. Regardless of whether they have some sort of blood ties to another race on your faction or not.
2- The relatively lower work load resulting from not needing a new 1-20 experience (which tbh also gets really tiring for altoholics), lesser amount of mounts, etc.

I see where the fanbase sees patterns such as "it has to be related by blood lorewise" or "it has to reuse all animations", but the fanbase has sort of an obsession with patterns. Blizzard can be accused of laziness or greed if you want, but following a pattern like this religiously doesn't really respect either of those accusations, it's just limiting the system's potential for absolutely silly reasons.

Edit: ok 3, add in the rep grind to give casual players a sense of purpose and create a contrived excuse for an extra 2 weeks of game time per player.

[I am disappoint]

Kul Tirans are essentially a new race in terms of animations, model and skeleton.

They're Pandarens in terms of the model and skeleton and they're variants of humans.

[Mighty Parrot]

Can I haz Centaur, now pls?

On that, I would love to see Saberon and Botani as playable, (Saberon for the Horde!). But with the crap we did to them in WoD, I’m willing to be that’s a no and the Botani are (I think) parasitic, using anything else other than them as a breeding ground to grow. I forget, there was a quest to rescue an Orc child but they never did harm him...I can’t remember what they planned to use the child for.

I main Horde but as with the Kul Tirans, I’m also looking forward to playing mechagnomes and Vulpera.

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I'm fairly confident that we're going to get Vulpera (H) Sethrak (A) as one pairing. It just makes sense, from using Cata race skeletons as their origin and the inherent animosity between the two going back thousands of years.

I played both side in Voldun... I can’t see how the Sethrakk would join the Alliance...they only have one quest in escorting Vorthik (?) to the temple to deliver the crystal thing and that was it. Horde wise, we have multiple quest in helping them kill the Faithless and help revive Sethraliss.

[Yarathir]

They're Pandarens in terms of the model and skeleton and they're variants of humans.

No.
10ch...