Do you think BFA’s story is worse than WOD?

[Soon-TM]

Not yet, because BfA still has the opportunity to cover up the Teldrassil mess and all these 4d chess schemes. WoD's biggest problem was the main antagonist - Grommash has suddenly became the best friend of Draenei who he slaughtered few days ago. That was the result of changing the main plot as devs had wanted to put the Burning Legion stuffs to make a connection with the Legion expac. So.. unless we face the worse situation in BfA, like everyone suddenly praise the grand design of Sylvanass who rescued all races of Azeroth, I consider WoD still has the worst story arc of all expansions.

Idk, WoD was a complete mess in a lot of aspects, including the story, but that was due to blizzard's decision to throw WoD under the bus, nothing else. But unlike WoD, this time Blizzard seems to want to carry out the full schedule for BfA, so there isn't (presumably) any cut content that might explain the abysmal writing.

Case in point: Sylvanas burned Teldrassil out of her free will, or she was (is) being manipulated by someone or something else. In the former case, we have Illidan 2.0, i.e. the guy (or girl, this time) who took a lot of frankly !@#$ed up decisions for the ultimate good In the latter case, we have yet another Warchief who gets a little too high on Old God koolaid and ends plunging the Horde into the second civil war in a decade.

In short we have two very interesting outcomes: Garrosh 2.0 or Illidan 2.0. That is assuming that writers won't go full retard and pull the Kerrigan card.

[Trient]

Idk, WoD was a complete mess in a lot of aspects, including the story, but that was due to blizzard's decision to throw WoD under the bus, nothing else. But unlike WoD, this time Blizzard seems to want to carry out the full schedule for BfA, so there isn't (presumably) any cut content that might explain the abysmal writing.

Case in point: Sylvanas burned Teldrassil out of her free will, or she was (is) being manipulated by someone or something else. In the former case, we have Illidan 2.0, i.e. the guy (or girl, this time) who took a lot of frankly !@#$ed up decisions for the ultimate good In the latter case, we have yet another Warchief who gets a little too high on Old God koolaid and ends plunging the Horde into the second civil war in a decade.

In short we have two very interesting outcomes: Garrosh 2.0 or Illidan 2.0. That is assuming that writers won't go full retard and pull the Kerrigan card.

You've got a point there, let's see how they end this story in 8.3. But I think they will not make another Garrosh or Illidan.. even though blizz these days are quite doubtful, at least they know what character arc they made before and try to avoid the exact same scenario. Like Illidan crushing that Naaru in 'Rejection of the gift'.

And I don't agree the Kerrigan card is same with the Slyvie Card, because Kerrigan's redemption plot has been in progress for all three chapters of Starcraft 2. Sylvanas has no sign of being a 'Dreanor is free' yet.

[Kyphael]

Nah, as bad as the faction war story side of BfA is, I dig some of it. WoD was all bad. Interesting concept but ultimately a bad idea and waste of our time and an expansion.

[Wildberry]

Also, funny how these BfA hate threads keep polling round the middle despite claims everyone hates it. Business as usual.

Do you think that BfA slightly beating WoD in polls reflects well on BfA? Congratulations, the "Worst Expansion Ever™" is offering stiff competition to BfA.

[jstnw89]

BFA's story is god awful..

However, time travel / alternate universe shit is the worst in my personal opinion... Add on to that they have all these well known characters brought back to play around with and they subsequently wasted and shit on them one by one

[Aleksej89]

I think that BFA story is TOLD much worse than WOD (and any other wow expansion) story.

Everything before 8.2 (azshara) feels way too slow and too prolonged and a lot of characters are behaving inconsistently and illogically and contrary to their previous characters.
On both alliance and horde characters i found it impossible to actually get into the story because it simply makes no sense in so many aspects and events.

If we could look at the entire BFA expansion story as a script everything that happens before 8.2 could be told in a few sentences.
The real BFA story is coming only with the arrival of 8.2 and whatever comes after that.

Everything before 8.2 felt like a dragged out expansion launch event - something that should have lasted for a month or two has been stretched out over 10++ months.

[Hyral]

Do you think that BfA slightly beating WoD in polls reflects well on BfA? Congratulations, the "Worst Expansion Ever™" is offering stiff competition to BfA.

No, I think this particular poll being in the middle reflects that the claim "everyone hates BfA" is wrong. Clearly it's not everyone and this isn't even a "worst expac" poll but one about the story, WoW's story has never been impressive.

There is a poll about enjoying BfA which is what I was referencing on my post and it was also in the middle, just on par with how every expac has been treated since Wrath, a bunch of people screaming it's the death of WoW and then the other people who are just playing the game. The sky is falling and it's business as usual.

[Zandalariprelate]

WoD was just wasted potential (And great potential at that).

BFA never had potential, and should've just been an Old God expansion, since that's basically what it is...

It has potential in building up new plots while the factions were put down for good, damm Argus why you didn't won?

[Wildberry]

No, I think this particular poll being in the middle reflects that the claim "everyone hates BfA" is wrong. Clearly it's not everyone and this isn't even a "worst expac" poll but one about the story,

That's not what this poll is reflective of at all. Someone can still hate BfA, and vote for its story over WoD. They might find alternate universes and time travel particularly offensive (Again, tying WoD isn't much of a feat), or their complaints with BfA could rest largely with its dismal gameplay.

As far as who hates BfA, it's certainly everyone with taste.

WoW's story has never been impressive

It's funny how often this line gets trotted out to defend bad writing in WoW. Yeah, sure the story was never top-tier as far as fiction goes, it's a video game. It's certainly been much better than it is currently. Don't be disingenuous, you and I both know there's been a shift in quality.

There is a poll about enjoying BfA which is what I was referencing on my post and it was also in the middle,

Yeah, let's take a look at some of these people "enjoying" BfA from that thread:

I'm enjoying it, but I'm getting bored of playing World of Warcraft. Thinking about unsubbing for a while to return later when there's more story and a new heroic raid.

(source)

Only mass market MMO'esque game that has competitive gameplay value, that will be true until the end of the game or when they get rid of arena or raiding alltogether in a future expansion, and no classic pvp or pve is not competitive.

(source)

It's okay.

(source)

Not sure if anyone actually reads posts on here, but I'm enjoying BFA.
...
I come at this game with an understanding that BFA is a video game meant to hold my attention for about a month.

(source)

I'm quite enjoying - I raid a couple of times per week which is great but I also like to work on old content things which keeps me going. If I was solely doing current content I think I'd be pretty bored.

(source)

It's certainly not been a constant member of my gaming routine, but when I do play I enjoy it.

(source)

All in all not my favorite x-pac. Definitely liked Legion more (until Argus). But it sure beats Cata and WoD
...
Poll could use an option "I don't enjoy it so I quit" and "I don't enjoy it, but play for different reasons"

(source) (Notably from one of the biggest white knights on this site)

Enjoying it? Well, yes. I am still playing. I do enjoy mythic+ that I run with friends, and I got back to raiding recently, so, there is something in it for me.
That being said, there are parts, especially the results of some story/writing decisions, that I am very much not enjoying.

(source)

These are some really impassioned defenses of BfA!

just on par with how every expac has been treated since Wrath, a bunch of people screaming it's the death of WoW and then the other people who are just playing the game. The sky is falling and it's business as usual.

Yeah, complaining is complaining, right? Complaints about X are as valid as complaints about Y. If the sky didn't fall then, it won't fall now, etc.

Do you actually believe this nonsense, or is this just another bit from the "It's always been this way" routine?

[Hyral]

That's not what this poll is reflective of at all. Someone can still hate BfA, and vote for its story over WoD. They might find alternate universes and time travel particularly offensive (Again, tying WoD isn't much of a feat), or their complaints with BfA could rest largely with its dismal gameplay.

As far as who hates BfA, it's certainly everyone with taste.

It's funny how often this line gets trotted out to defend bad writing in WoW. Yeah, sure the story was never top-tier as far as fiction goes, it's a video game. It's certainly been much better than it is currently. Don't be disingenuous, you and I both know there's been a shift in quality.

Yeah, complaining is complaining, right? Complaints about X are as valid as complaints about Y. If the sky didn't fall then, it won't fall now, etc.

Do you actually believe this nonsense, or is this just another bit from the "It's always been this way" routine?

Buddy, chill out. You are coming assuming too many things. You seem to like combing through posts so feel free to look at my history, I've said before the high points of this game's story to me was Wrath and MoP and it's been in a constant decline since then. Including now. I'm not defending this game's story at all, specially since I personally consider everything after MoP non-canon. However I do think what we have right now, even if it's a "remake" of MoP, is still better than the jump the shark story that was WoD. But that's like saying licking the floor is better than licking a toilet.

As for the poll I was replying to you saying it is not reflective of the expansion's reception since the poll is about the story. A point you support by saying

Someone can still hate BfA, and vote for its story over WoD.

The opposite can also be true. However, much like you can't say this poll is proof the expansion is the winner of "worst expac" award, since it is not representative of the expac's reception, only its story, I was also wrong in saying it is representative that it is not hated, since it is possible to think it is better than before and still hate it.

I see you've quoted posts that will support your perception this is the worst thing ever, I don't care to read them. A person can post that and not vote. A person can vote and not post. A person can say they are enjoying it but are bored of the game so vote not enjoying or viceversa. Many of those could be the ones voting the on the fence option. I also don't see you quoting 100+ posts so clearly they are not representative of every vote that was casted, they are not even 10% of the votes casted for enjoying. Nor would I expect them to be. I just see a poll and it's split in half. Clearly not everyone hates the expac, like some people are obsessively trying to claim. I don't expect everyone to love it either.

Which leads me to the conclusion I was saying. I'm not sure what you are attributing me with believing but in my years of playing this game it has been the same in every expac since Wrath, people screaming it's the end and the other half just playing. This does seem like more of the same overreactions from the community. Some complaints are valid and some are not, god knows Blizzard never listens to feedback so many things are bound to be shit, but overall it depends on who you ask. But the reaction of people screaming it's all over has always been the same in my experience. Having a poll about enjoying the expac being in the middle just cements that to me. Business as usual.

[Varanus]

wod was better because faction conflict in bfa is forced and makes no sense.

This pretty much sums up my opinion. To be honest, most of the Horde vs Alliance stuff in previous expansions, I didn't like. MoP made the "most sense" for it to be there, imo. Wrath for example: We're all in NR to defeat the Lich King. And even if the battle at the beginning of Howling Fjord wasnt pointless enough, you have the fighting over the resources in Wintergrasp, plus the airship battle in ICC. Why? WHY did we have a HvA fight in ICC itself. That made no sense. And BfA seems to be an entire expansion based on faction conflict for the sole purpose of faction conflict. With a plot so forced it feel like a really bad fanfic. Its like the Dragonball GT of Warcraft. : |

[Gelannerai]

Mmmmm, “Tyrande had her revenge” might just be on par with “Draenor is free.” That was the one thing I thought BfA hadn’t matched just yet, but there it is.

[Wilfire]

WoD at least had the decency to confine itself to butchering AU characters. We only really lost Thrall (debatable, he was a lost cause since Cataclysm) and Maraad to that travesty.

BfA is butchering characters left and right. Half the main cast is now salvageable. Think about this going into future expansions. Do you want another round of Saurfang, Thrall and Baine whining about honor?

[God Save The King]

Time travel will always be far worse than anything else they could write.

[Mehrunes]

Also, funny how these BfA hate threads keep polling round the middle despite claims everyone hates it. Business as usual.

You're reaching really hard here. Half the votes here are that BfA isn't worse than WoD. That in no way, shape or form translates to it being good and enjoyable. "Not worse than WoD" isn't any standard whatsoever. People can vote for that option and still hate BfA just fine.

No, I think this particular poll being in the middle reflects that the claim "everyone hates BfA" is wrong.

Except it doesn't because there's no logical link between the two.

[Eurhetemec]

That the first option is even close really says that people are not being reasonable or sensible about this. WoD's story was an appalling mess all round and aborted time travel into an amazingly even worse AU story and basically invalidated itself. BfA is at worst slightly unexciting at times (like most expansions) and has a very badly handled subplot involving Sylvanas.

[Villager720]

Glad to see this ratio is finally moving toward sanity.
There wasn’t a single thing in WoD story-wise that wasn’t a disaster or wholly irrelevant.

BfA has issues, but it also tells a cogent (even if not “good”) story.
WoD was a galactic dumpster fire.

[Timester]

WoD's story only failed when it was rushed at the end. BfA's story is trying to be complex, but it's the most badly and boringly written xpac story since day one.

[Hellspawn]

If its really worse has to be seen in in the final patch... but its worse in the sence that WoD was at least isolated and almost nothing from it was brought over to Azeroth.

[Margamanthak]

BFA's story makes no sense because no one has the slightest idea what Sylvanas is up to or what her end goal is besides "second death is terrifying" and "lets genocide everyone". Before the Storm reveals her ambitions to genocide the Stormwind Kingdom and raise them as undead, and she had no qualms about genociding the Night Elf Population (despite rationalizing it as a plan B for demoralizing the Alliance should the plan A of killing Malfurion fail, there really is no justification for destroying a purely civilian target when any sane person would recognize the end result of antagonizing rather than demoralizing the enemy). Even the Horde leaders are beginning to believe that her end goal is wanton, unbiased destruction of, at the least, the entire Alliance, rather than the military victory she claimed.

Were she a reasonable leader, she would be letting the Horde leadership in on her plans, so they, at least, know her endgame and the justification for her plans. Instead, she is dividing the Horde just as effectively as she is dividing the Alliance, destroying anyone who dares question her leadership and methods, and is convincing even Death-aligned demigods that she is crazy, unhinged, and on the path to destroying the world. At this point, any attempt Blizzard makes to justify her actions and keep her as a leader of the Horde will backfire massively as the Horde player base fractures itself just as surely as the in-game Horde will fracture at such an idea.

WoD had its middle chapter gutted (cutting out the Shattrath chapter and significant character development for several characters), and the time travel nonsense annoyed a lot of people, but at least it was a coherent, relatively logical, and somewhat interesting, if rushed and poorly handled late-game, story. WoD is what happens when you jump ship too early because you're scared instead of sticking to your guns, while BFA is what happens when you turn a faction leader who is seriously concerned with the limitations of her own peoples' existence and turn her into a rabid, genocidal monster who doesn't tell anyone anything and who decides that the ends justify the means.