Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[username993720]

Allied covenant races makes zero sense. We had allied races because BFA was about a faction war where we needed new allies. There’s no reason for that anymore with the closer ties between the Alliance and Horde. Also it’d be weird for a denizen of the Shadowlands to be in the world of the living.

Not to mention if we were getting allied races from the shadowlands, we’d get them during this expansion, not the next one.

You help their covenant out, save the Shadowlands and gain reputation with them. Just like allied races. I think it is more than enough. Not to mention that their models quality.
Actually, it wouldn't be weird to see them in the land of the living because they're common fantasy races. Vampires, Fauns and Angels are missing from the assortment of playable races. And Gladiators too i guess.
BfA allied races started in Legion and ended in BfA. So, it isn't weird to get something an expansion later, after you help defeat the Jailer.

Yeah, but again allied races were part of the theme of BFA, not a feature we’d see moving forward as a way they would always introduce new races. If we get new races, they’ll be tied to the next expansion, not be left overs from this one.

Mag'hars and Dark Irons are literally leftovers of previous expansions. Besides, we have 9.2.5.

[Teriz]

You help their covenant out, save the Shadowlands and gain reputation with them. Just like allied races. I think it is more than enough. Not to mention that their models are already designed for playability.
Actually, it wouldn't be weird to see them in the land of the living because they're common fantasy races. Vampires, Fauns and Angels are missing from the assortment of playable races. And Gladiators too i guess.
BfA allied races started in Legion and ended in BfA. So, it isn't weird to get something an expansion later, after you help defeat the Jailer.

Sorry, I believe its a ridiculous idea and I don't see it happening. We'll see soon enough. I don't really see a need to discuss this.

[Ersula]

Undead Elves is one of the least likely races to become playable.

Blizzard has not shown any interest in them at all or they would have already become playable in BfA.

"Did you hear that? Blizzard has not showed any interest in me since BFA" ~ Sylvanas Windrunner

Lordaeron is full of Human & Elf corpses seems like one is just as likely as the other.

[Varodoc]

San'layn aren't undead.

However I do agree that light infused Undead are pretty likely. It would also give them a way to finally add Undead Paladins that people have been begging for since like TBC.

?????

After Kael'thas's failed assault against the Lich King, some of his greatest blood elf followers were slaughtered and raised into undeath as darkfallen. Prince Taldaram is one of these cunning and bloodthirsty vampiric beings. Always seeking to please the Lich King, he has entered the war-torn depths of Ahn'kahet in search of lost nerubian relics that can empower the Scourge's murderous ranks.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Pri...dventure_Guide

[Ersula]

San'layn aren't undead.

However I do agree that light infused Undead are pretty likely. It would also give them a way to finally add Undead Paladins that people have been begging for since like TBC.

San'layn are undead. They were specifically a Blood Elf attack force that got annihilated by the Lich King post-W3. The Blood Princes had unique features, but the regular San'layn were all physically indistinguishable from Dark Rangers. They would be the same race. I won't post the Calia Lilian scene again because I posted it repeatedly already but that scene were the Dark Rangers pledge fealty to Calia feels so much like an allied race precursor: They're even shown riding a unique mount: The unbridled Undead Wolf mount.

[username993720]

Sorry, I believe its a ridiculous idea and I don't see it happening. We'll see soon enough. I don't really see a need to discuss this.

So, you deny the quality of their models? Or the need for such races?

[Varodoc]

Of all the potential allied races, Lightforged Undead are easily the most likely to happen, and ironically Undead Elves are the least likely to happen.

Lightforged Undead would serve a double function from a story perspective, which would make their inclusion all the more sensible:

- They would serve as a mirror to the Alliance Ren'dorei. The Light-infused undead and the Void-infused elves.

- Calia Menethil as I said above is being pushed to be the next leader of Lordaeron and is even counted as one of the main leaders of the Horde in the Shadowlands intro.

- Before the Storm, a brilliant novel written by Golden, states that many Forsaken want to be reunited with their human kin. The Lightforged Human represent the final step towards this reunion, combining the undead aspect with the Light, which is the most important cultural aspect of the Human kingdoms.

Meanwhile Undead Elves are not likely, at all. If Blizzard wanted them to be playable, they would have added them either at start of BfA with Prince Dreven and his San'layn, or at the end of Bfa with the abdication of Sylvanas and return of Calia.

Undead Elves might be the hypothetical race that Blizzard is LEAST interested in. Upright Forsaken are more likely to happen.

But that's alright because if you want to play Sylvanas you can just make a Void elf and choose the appropriate transmog set. There are plenty of suggestions on WoWhead and transmog forums. Is there anything the Void elves can't do?

[Catastrophy349]

Anyone else smell that sweet, sweet announcement brewing up?

[Raetary]

Ah yes, it makes perfect sense for the caretakers of mortal souls, from the cosmic plane of death to walk around Azeroth like it's a regular tuesday.
Such an addition couldn't possible have lore-shattering implications. /s

Good god people.

They might add them because 1) they are pretty 2) they are popular and 3) money.
But having them hang around with us on Azeroth does not, under any circumstances, make any damn sense.

[Ersula]

Of all the potential allied races, Lightforged Undead are easily the most likely to happen, and ironically Undead Elves are the least likely to happen.

That they didn't specifically add Undead elf customization *when they could have* *even when there were a few 9.0 builds were they did* during the customization revamp tells me they were saving them for an allied race. Lightforged Undead are a possibility but with unrotted & holy eyes in the new customization, they kind of already do allow you to make lightforged undead. I point to The Hidden Need quest, that the Forsaken Elves *have* already gotten more focus than "Lightforged undead"

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

https://i.ibb.co/nsqmT5W/subrace-customization-mockup-darkranger-alliance.jpg[/IMG]

That they didn't specifically add Undead elf customization *when they could have* *even when there were a few 9.0 builds were they did* during the customization revamp tells me they were saving them for an allied race. Lightforged Undead are a possibility but with unrotted & holy eyes in the new customization, they kind of already do allow you to make lightforged undead. I point to The Hidden Need quest, that the Forsaken Elves *have* already gotten more focus than "Lightforged undead"

Don't know who made that mock-up but it looks pretty nice for a factionless character creator.

Though as long as factions remain we all agree "Undead Elves" would be strictly Horde, right? On which note picking between NElf or BElf as their base could be a unique feature for them.

[Ersula]

Though as long as factions remain we all agree "Undead Elves" would be strictly Horde, right? On which note picking between NElf or BElf as their base could be a unique feature for them.

I was envisioning the Undead Blood Elves would be Horde & the Undead Night Elves would be alliance. Calia would want Lordaeron to be neutral like Dalaran.

[Kiria]

Don't know who made that mock-up but it looks pretty nice for a factionless character creator.

Though as long as factions remain we all agree "Undead Elves" would be strictly Horde, right? On which note picking between NElf or BElf as their base could be a unique feature for them.

Not necessarily the undead nightelves could rejoin their sisters.

[Varodoc]

That they didn't specifically add Undead elf customization *when they could have* *even when there were a few 9.0 builds were they did* during the customization revamp tells me they were saving them for an allied race. Lightforged Undead are a possibility but with unrotted & holy eyes in the new customization, they kind of already do allow you to make lightforged undead. I point to The Hidden Need quest, that the Forsaken Elves *have* already gotten more focus than "Lightforged undead"

When you said "9.0 build", I hope you were not referring to this headcanon fanart?

[Ersula]

When you said "9.0 build", I hope you were not referring to this headcanon fanart?

The red eyes were in some early builds.

Not necessarily the undead nightelves could rejoin their sisters.

Yes, The Hidden Need shows those Undead Nightelves are still loyal to the Alliance but seek out Calia for guidance as an undead: Plus Calia is already a giant Alliance sympathizer. A neutral Lordaeron.

[Hitei]

Ah yes, it makes perfect sense for the caretakers of mortal souls, from the cosmic plane of death to walk around Azeroth like it's a regular tuesday.
Such an addition couldn't possible have lore-shattering implications. /s

Good god people.

They might add them because 1) they are pretty 2) they are popular and 3) money.
But having them hang around with us on Azeroth does not, under any circumstances, make any damn sense.

Not that I'm arguing that Shadowlands allied races are particularly likely, but this line of reasoning doesn't really hold up.

Most of the people in the Shadowlands are not "caretakers of mortal souls!". The upper ranks of some of the covenant forces are caretakers of mortal souls.

The majority of the Kyrians in bastion (you can observe this in pretty much any hub area) are aspirants who are training to one day move past their burdens, earn their wings and become people who serve in guiding souls. Most of them are just regular people who spend their days doing mundane shit like taking care of animals, doing chores, blacksmithing, organizing materials, etc. meditating in their free time to work on getting closer to ascension. There's not much reason they couldn't do all of that on Azeroth--if anything it seems like a good assignment. "Go to this important mortal world, help them in their tasks to defend the balance, learn from them and reflect on yourself and your place in the universe". Definitely a more enlightening experience than taking care of anima serpents or collecting purians.

Maldraxxus doesn't take care of souls to begin with, they are just the armed forces of Death, and we already know that they get sent to other planes to deal with external threats. It makes a great deal of sense for them to send envoys to have a more concrete presence in other realms after what just happened. Helping Azeroth hold the line and maintain balance is helping the Shadowlands stay secure and avoid incursion from any other cosmic force gaining to much strength.

The Night Fae spend most of their time screwing around. We focus on a few Sylvar that are specifically guardians of groves, but most of them either have generic, mundane jobs much like the Kyrians, and many of the secondary spirits just seem to be living casually as civilians. After their reconciliation, why wouldn't the Winter Queen be okay with sending some of her followers to work with Elune's chosen in the mortal world, more carefully stewarding the balance of life and death. It also means they can keep a better eye on what is happening with the Loa and Ancients on that side.

Venthyr is really the only faction where a majority is tasked with soul stewardship. Putting aside that most of them seem to be characterized as self-centered and might very well just go back to the mortal world of their own accord if an option existed, I don't think it'd be unreasonable for the Court to send a few individuals over as an emissary force. It's a win-win situation for Venthyr to help kill "problematic" forces. The mortal world and balance stay safer, the Venthyr get more souls to rectify and draw anima from. Everybody wins.

[Santandame]

And part of the theme of Shadowlands has been bringing these disparate groups together to fight for a common cause. They may not be allied races now but they were absolutely intended to be that way at some point. I still think they'll add them. Maldraxxi would be a good bandaid fix for not having Ogres for the like 10 people that want to play one without wasting development time on what would be the least played race by far. The Satyrs would fill an aesthetic that none of the races currently have. Kyrian are a way to do Vrykul without actually doing Vrykul. Venthyr are just cool as hell and I personally would love to play as one.

Point is all of four of them have male/female models and extensive animation work done. Their whole story the entire expansion has been learning to put differences aside and work for the greater good of the Shadowlands. They are capable of existing outside of the Shadowlands just fine. The only one that would be kinda fucky would be Venthyr because of the light. Even that you could probably ass-pull some lore to explain that a player Venthyr was chosen specifically because they somehow don't have that weakness.

How on earth are Kyrian and Vrykul in any way comparable, both model wise and aesthetically? That's some EXTREME mental gymnastics.

[Makorus]

Oh, that part makes perfect sense. So the rift between life and death just...stays open, never addressed again?

They already treated it as a catastrophic and existential threat, but the logistical issues that come of that are myriad.

...Blizzard dun curr, though.

But Shadowlands races can leave the Shadowlands, and could do that before that.

We have Necrolords spying on the BL in the Afterlives video.

[Vakir]

But Shadowlands races can leave the Shadowlands, and could do that before that.

We have Necrolords spying on the BL in the Afterlives video.

You're right! But, forever? Adventuring around?

It's not an issue immediately, I just see it being a narrative problem later as a "wait, why don't they just go to X or Y?"

...but again, WoW plays fast and loose, so it ultimately doesn't matter. If they're cool races people wanna play, why not?

[Nightshade711]

I personally don’t think we’re getting any SL allied races.
It might’ve been planned at first but I don’t see any reason storyline wise why they would now.

I am fully expecting whatever race and/or class we might get next xpac to be released with either prepatch and/or the preorders though.
If we get a new class they’re 100% coming in prepatch. New race might come in 9.2.5 with preorders depending on what’s going to be happening in 9.2.5