"The initial story of the Shadowlands doesn't really fit adding Allied Races"

[Revamp Man]

racials already cause massive problem in both pve and pvp, adding more racial for just reskins is bullsh8t that shouldn't happened
reskinned races should been barber shop customization for the already existing races, instead of a new lvl from scratch toon with classes we already have since ages
so my problem is both the fact that we wanted customization for already-existing races since ages not what we got, and also racials while a mandatory are given to a half-a88ed reskinned to increase the problem even more

It's not that much of a problem though lake people blow the racials way out of the water when they say that it's required for something the only time that I can remember a racial being actually required is probably world first Jana but at the same time that's the world first lizard can't tune and counters around that

for PVP well it's not balanced and it never would be and it never will be and it never has been PVP is always been a shitshow

but yes give us fewer races because people want more stuff to do in the barbershop and less actual story I mean giving us an allied race with the heritage armor that we have to level from scratch is fine because leveling doesn't take that long currently and in the next expansion you'll be able to get it done in about 2 days if that considering you'll be able to hit max level through doing one expansion so in that sense you can level up in a day if you do it right

But hey I guess I just like having options and interesting additions to the story so I'm part of the problem

[ro9ue]

I'm sorry, but fucking *what*?

We're strictly allying with one of four new races in Shadowlands, that we're going to spend the entire expansion alongside. That is much more than we got for Void Elves. The only plot we got at all for those guys initially was a shoehorned quest specifically to recruit them. But regardless of the fact that there will be four heavily prominent potential allied races in this new expansion, are we forgetting that A) Zandalari trolls were in the BfA features trailer even though they weren't available until 8.2, and B) the first allied races in BfA were ones that were heavily featured in the *previous* expansion, instead of the new one? The idea that there wasn't a story-based reason to decide against allied races in 9.0 is insulting. It's because they didn't want to put the effort in, and they need to stop pretending it's not. Vol'Dun is a story that fits adding Sethrak. Naz'jatar is a story that fits adding Ankoan and Gilgoblins. Darkshore is a story that fits adding Night Elf Forsaken/Worgen. Shadowlands in its entirety is a story that fits adding the four Covenants as playable, after a campaign like Mag'har and Dark Irons got.


I dunno man, I'm just tired of them saying "It wasn't in the story" as a poor-ass excuse of an excuse to not include things that should obviously be there. the Vindicaar comes to mind.

So I agree and I'm a bit worried about it for one reason - future allied races in the cash shop. They can asspull Mag'har out of an alternate dimension for an Allied Race so we know the story answer is bullshit.

[crakerjack]

Yea, we're not recruiting any races from the shadowlands. In BFA it was more of a "we scratch your back, you scratch ours" scenario. This isn't the case in shadowlands. These covenants know we're powerful because we were able to escape the maw in the intro questlines of shadowlands. They've never met anyone who was capable of doing that, so therefore they seek out the players/champions to help further their cause. Our only purpose in shadowlands is to find a way to "free" ourselves from something/someone which is what Sylvanas claimed. While in the shadowlands, we're only there to help the covenants and stop some evil from continuously enslaving us. I'm sure it has something to do with the nascent titan: Azeroth.

[Gaidax]

Yea, we're not recruiting any races from the shadowlands.

I would not outright say that. I too think it's highly unlikely, but they left just enough leeway there for this to actually happen, so who knows.

I am sure they will introduce more allied races (or whatever they will call them next time) in future, after all people liked that one and who knows, they might end up conjuring lore reason to have some race from Shadowlands joining up and it might not even be faction specific.

[crakerjack]

I would not outright say that. I too think it's highly unlikely, but they left just enough leeway there for this to actually happen, so who knows.

I am sure they will introduce more allied races (or whatever they will call them next time) in future, after all people liked that one and who knows, they might end up conjuring lore reason to have some race from Shadowlands joining up and it might not even be faction specific.

It's different though from legion/bfa because in those scenarios we were helping them and they were helping us. There was mutual reasons as to why we sided with each other. I don't know the storyline/lore of shadowlands since it's not out yet, but blizzard did confirm at blizzcon that the 4 covenants will seek our help because they acknowledge that we're powerful. We might help them, but in no way shape or form are they helping us. We're there for our own reasons which doesn't include helping them, but I'm sure we will all the same.

Compared to Zandalari who we helped free their queen, defended the capital city from the alliance invading. Same goes for Kul'tiran. Horde tried assualting Boralus and the alliance helped defend the city. In return they helped the alliance assault the Dazar'alor. Because we were assisting them and they were assisting us, it made sense that they became allied races. That's not the case in shadowlands based on what blizzard confirmed at blizzcon. But like you said, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if blizzard rewrites the lore to accommodate. Unlikely, but plausible.

[Gaidax]

It's different though from legion/bfa because in those scenarios we were helping them and they were helping us. There was mutual reasons as to why we sided with each other. I don't know the storyline/lore of shadowlands since it's not out yet, but blizzard did confirm at blizzcon that the 4 covenants will seek our help because they acknowledge that we're powerful. We might help them, but in no way shape or form are they helping us. We're there for our own reasons which doesn't include helping them, but I'm sure we will all the same.

It is exactly same as Legion, really. It's almost 1-to-1. Take word "Legion" and replace it with "Maw".

A threat looming over covenants in shambles, we swoop in, get them up to speed, kick threat's butt using power of covenants we rebuilt. Covenant race goes all <3 on us and joins us to go ahead and tie loose ends whether it will be Sylvanas who helped to make this Maw thing into a threat or another existential threat that is not revealed yet (Void/Light/Global Warming/Whatever).

There is certainly a way to introduce some as race options. It probably won't happen, but it can.

- - - Updated - - -

Overall, I think "the initial" is a keyword here. If indeed there will be revealed some more serious threat going forward, it would make sense to join up. After all, I imagine Void would be a bad news for Shadowlands as well and it's coming next. Overall, this "Jailer" is some throwaway plot device villain, a stepping stone on the inevitable confrontation with the Void.

[Amnaught]

can't leave the shadowlands... how would it work?

.......Magic.

[Sencha]

Who cares about allied races?

[Vynestra]

Why would the factions add new races to bolster their forces when they aren't even really important at the start of shadowlands?

Doesn't really make much sense to add them.

[TayFarr]

They’re dead people/spirits. How are the incorporeal gonna go to Azeroth to fight for the Horde or Alliance? It literally makes no sense.

I'm pretty sure that same applies to the undead race, that we have in wow
They're dead people but also reanimated, yet they're a race.

[ChairmanKaga]

You forgot the most important aspect of this: Nightborne had to be handed out and after spending an entire Expansion building them up Blizzard really, really, REALLY wanted them to join the Horde. Exclusively. So they had to pull something from their behind to give the other faction.

The amount of whining if the Nightborne were given to the Alliance as "just more Night Elves" would have been amazing.

[kamuimac]

I'm sorry, but fucking *what*?

We're strictly allying with one of four new races in Shadowlands, that we're going to spend the entire expansion alongside. That is much more than we got for Void Elves. The only plot we got at all for those guys initially was a shoehorned quest specifically to recruit them. But regardless of the fact that there will be four heavily prominent potential allied races in this new expansion, are we forgetting that A) Zandalari trolls were in the BfA features trailer even though they weren't available until 8.2, and B) the first allied races in BfA were ones that were heavily featured in the *previous* expansion, instead of the new one? The idea that there wasn't a story-based reason to decide against allied races in 9.0 is insulting. It's because they didn't want to put the effort in, and they need to stop pretending it's not. Vol'Dun is a story that fits adding Sethrak. Naz'jatar is a story that fits adding Ankoan and Gilgoblins. Darkshore is a story that fits adding Night Elf Forsaken/Worgen. Shadowlands in its entirety is a story that fits adding the four Covenants as playable, after a campaign like Mag'har and Dark Irons got.


I dunno man, I'm just tired of them saying "It wasn't in the story" as a poor-ass excuse of an excuse to not include things that should obviously be there. the Vindicaar comes to mind.

no new class

no new race

no allied races

no content for casuals

WoD 2.0 confirmed.

[GreenJesus]

I mean it makes sense. Why would dead spirits in the afterlife want to join the Alliance or Horde?

- - - Updated - - -

I'm pretty sure that same applies to the undead race, that we have in wow
They're dead people but also reanimated, yet they're a race.

Except they exist in our world and not the shadowlands. Why would they care about some mortals faction rivalry?

[Biske]

Remember how relevant Mag'har orcs were in BFA?

The best part about that was how like, the logic behind locking allied races behind a reputation is that you're supposed to be befriending that group/race so have them join the ranks of the Horde/Alliance, but for both the Dark Irons and the Mag'har, the reps had literally nothing to do with the allied race. Like, not only do the Mag'har have nothing to do with the Honorbound (a faction that's already part of the Horde, mind you), but they're on an entirely different planet in a different REALITY as the faction you have to gind rep for.

[Amnaught]

Why would the factions add new races to bolster their forces when they aren't even really important at the start of shadowlands?

Doesn't really make much sense to add them.

Read the whole post. Zandalari were in the features trailer for Battle For Azeroth, they weren’t added in the initial patch, we got allied races from the previous expansion first (Lightforged, Nightborne, etc)

E.G. there was 100% as much “story” reason to have Ankoan and Sethrak at the start of Shadowlands and still get the covenants playable later. It was a design decision, not a story one. They lied and thought no one would notice.

[GreenJesus]

The best part about that was how like, the logic behind locking allied races behind a reputation is that you're supposed to be befriending that group/race so have them join the ranks of the Horde/Alliance, but for both the Dark Irons and the Mag'har, the reps had literally nothing to do with the allied race. Like, not only do the Mag'har have nothing to do with the Honorbound (a faction that's already part of the Horde, mind you), but they're on an entirely different planet in a different REALITY as the faction you have to gind rep for.

Same with the Void elves. You do this rep to make friends with sad boi Draenai and then you get the right to do the quest line that creates the race that never existed before.

[LostSinclair]

What i took from the wording is that there will probably be a set of Allied races or two in Shadowlands but they will not be in 9.0, probably not till 9.1 or later and I see a lot of people talking about how all the covenant races are "dead/spirits/not capable of crossing over" there is a huge ass hole in reality/death above ICC I'm pretty sure that last one is not an issue and we already have undead races on azeroth as well as ghosts/spirits, it would not be a big leap to have one of the more "solid" races cross over to azeroth most likely under the guise of fulfilling whatever their covenant/zones deal is like the vampires are supposed to be repenting for sins and becoming better the blue people are trying to earn their wings(literally) not so sure about the literal scourge undead or forest goat people(I have seen any female models yet and that is the first thing I look for when scouting a possible AR) but they could totally do this if they want to.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Key word here, initial.

They also said in an interview that if players want ARs they will happen.

They also clearly gave the Covenant races player skeletons.

They also at the Q&A said "wait and see" about Allied Races.

I think most people can connect the dots.

[How dare you]

The best part about that was how like, the logic behind locking allied races behind a reputation is that you're supposed to be befriending that group/race so have them join the ranks of the Horde/Alliance, but for both the Dark Irons and the Mag'har, the reps had literally nothing to do with the allied race. Like, not only do the Mag'har have nothing to do with the Honorbound (a faction that's already part of the Horde, mind you), but they're on an entirely different planet in a different REALITY as the faction you have to gind rep for.

Not to mention the Dark Irons have been a part of the Alliance since Cataclysm, and have been trusted since they've proven themselves in MoP, and have accompanied us to Draenor in WoD, with several notable characters.

[Nyel]

Allied races are a feature of the past now. There won’t be anymore, not in 8.3.5 (don’t get your hopes up, it’s not happening), not in 9.0 and most likely not in 9.1.

There might be two new allied races in 9.2 to give players a reason to play but even that sounds unlikely.