The War Within 11.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Varodoc]

If 11.0 is a revamp, we might see them again as antagonists.

Are they needed though? If Blizzard wants another expansion centred around primitive warmongering barbarians, they can just make a third faction war expansion.

[Varodoc]

Yes it is.



I'm just saying it's a possibility that we'll see them again as minor antagonists if we return to Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.

I've always thought a 3rd faction was necessary for the simplistic, linear Horde/Alliance binary. One could imagine that creatures like Quilboars, Gnolls, Murlocs, Troggs, Kobolds come together under the same banner to counter the forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Why not. That Mongrel Horde story wasn't a bad idea.

The problem with "Mongrel Horde" comprised of those races is that it's kind of redundant, when you have orcs and goblin... which is why I suspect they were ultimately scrapped in WoD. Garrosh's followers already consisted of mongrel races, the orcs and goblin, so they didn't really need to give him gnolls, murlocs, troggs, and kobolds... that would have been redundant. The True Horde/Iron Horde was already a horde of mongrels.

If you're suggesting they should be a playable faction, then I disagree. I think it would be a waste of resources. I don't doubt that there are some people out there who like playing an ugly primitive beast (often used as comic relief more than anything, so they're not even treated seriously like other monster races, such as orcs and trolls), but it would be too much effort for only very few people to enjoy.

[Varodoc]

What do you mean by "resource waste"? And what makes you think that would be too much effort?

Bruh, are you seriously asking why making 5 new playable races with unique skeletons wouldn't take a lot of resources?

And it would obviously be too much effort since they are monsters and monster races are not popular.

[Varodoc]

I find it funny that because you're against it's obviously too much effort and everyone agrees with you. If you're against it, you're against it for personal reasons. "Bruh".

Loll, it literally took them 8 years to introduce 5 new races with unique skeletons (blood elves, draenei, goblin, worgen, pandaren) and you think they're going to make those mongrel races playable in 11.0? Sure bro, It's totally just my personal opinion.

Whether you agree with Me or not is irrelevant, I know that I'm right and I'm speaking facts. If you want Mongrel Horde as a concept for expansion villain, sure, we can talk about it. But playable Mongrel Horde is obviously never going to happen.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

We don't need a third faction.

[Varodoc]

We don't need a third faction.

Especially not one comprised of exclusively joke monster races, who would even play it? It would be dead on arrival.

[Kiivar86]

Blizzard's had enough of a hard time with two factions, they don't need to throw a third in there.

Anyway, trade post update for April. Overall reward is the Blades of Elune transmog, 1h sword transmog.

Nothing else in it really excites me so another month of saving I suppose.

[draugril]

We don't need a third faction.

Eh, with cross-faction everything, this is the first time in the game’s history the concept is viable.

[Shadowferal]

Eh, with cross-faction everything, this is the first time in the game’s history the concept is viable.

I felt MoP was a missed opportunity regarding a "neutral" faction.

[draugril]

I felt MoP was a missed opportunity regarding a "neutral" faction.

It wouldn’t have worked, then. WoW already had a bisected playerbase for no tangible mechanical reason. If they had made the recent changes back then, it could have worked.

[Shadowferal]

If you knew how much more interesting that would make factions. A trinity is factually the highest stakes, but I guess it's not planned anyway. WoW has become more simplistic, more Disney. To complicate this with real stakes around 3 faction would not fit with the direction taken at the moment. But who knows how tomorrow will be.

I've loads of ideas on independent factions, among so much else. After writing a bunch of stuff today I realized it might be too much. I'm considering changing terms and names and simply write a book.

What I thought a good idea in an earlier post;

I want to see 'mini-races' who are their own faction. They'll be attacked (and killed) on sight by any Horde and Alliance guards, they have their own system where they carry out objectives and gather resources throughout the world which they can then trade with through neutral factions. Just a way to populate the world again with players who have to survive in this highly hostile place and obtain highly exclusive achievement and items for their mains that way. Murlocs, Virmen, Kobolds and Quilboars would be a perfect first batch.

Interesting...a culture of desperation.

Yes exactly. The player enters the same world they've been conquering for decades, and experience it through the eyes of the underdog again.

A different perspective on that "candle." A source of currency perhaps. *shakes fist at human mage* "Ya big bully! *translated from kobold*

Candle Rock would be their capital and from Candle Rock they're able to enter a subterranean network that allows them to access in countless caverns and mines (and catacombs) across Azeroth. If they can harass players who are questing there, then they get bonus rewards.

[loras]

If you knew how much more interesting that would make factions. A trinity is factually the highest stakes, but I guess it's not planned anyway. WoW has become more simplistic, more Disney. To complicate this with real stakes around 3 faction would not fit with the direction taken at the moment. But who knows how tomorrow will be.



Full of people, I'm sure. You know, a lot of people like fantasy, and so... "wacky" monsters. After if we have vulperas and pandas, I don't see why it would be so unthinkable.

Bolded for truth.
Binaries always settle in uninteresting ways, it starts to get interesting at three and more.

Also factions should be easier now that all players seem to have sort of become "mercenary adventurers", free to choose their own loyalties and enemies (to some extent anyhow).

Frankly i'd join any faction that'd maximise the amount of elf players i could kill (thank god for free for all pvp zones).

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Binaries always settle in uninteresting ways, it starts to get interesting at three and more.

Thats a very absolutist statement.


And no I don't believe the factions's identity are diluted despite what people like to say on here.

[Khaza-R]

So long as they continue to get rid of faction barriers in PvE, there's no reason they couldn't add more factions.

And from a lore stand point, it would probably be better if they did. Whittling the game down to just Alliance vs Horde was necessary for the game they wanted to create in 2004. But after nearly 20 years the factions have become so diluted of any identity it would be nice to return them to having independent flavor.

[Skytotem]

So long as they continue to get rid of faction barriers in PvE, there's no reason they couldn't add more factions.

And from a lore stand point, it would probably be better if they did. Whittling the game down to just Alliance vs Horde was necessary for the game they wanted to create in 2004. But after nearly 20 years the factions have become so diluted of any identity it would be nice to return them to having independent flavor.

The big question is how to make multiple factions meaningful.

How do you figure that'd actually work without just forcing people to make more alts to do the few exclusive quests for that faction?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

How do you figure that'd actually work without just forcing people to make more alts to do the few exclusive quests for that faction?

People already create alts to experience their exclusive class quests and racial storylines (every starter zone since Wrath, and heritage questlines).

[Shadowferal]

The big question is how to make multiple factions meaningful.

Horde/Alliance metric needs to exist for the point of reference. (Them and us)
Certain cultural specifics tend to form bonds. Case in point, druids. Nelf and Tauren share a belief structure. It baffles me that the next logical step of forming a stronger relationship has never been written. No instead we got Cairne swearing allegiance to Horde...
Nelf and Tauren should have formed their own faction.

[Schwert]

Just because two groups are on opposing political factions, doesn't mean they can't get along and do things outside the factions either.
We've been doing it since the start.
Your ally is my enemy is a fun story element to dabble with from time to time.

And not every conflict between the Horde and Alliance is going to - especially now - involve every single race at the same time outside like, the odd foot solider, who may or may not share the opinions of the more peaceful / hostile members of their race.

The idea that because some groups are similar means they'll hold hands all the time is also not good.
The Night Elves ignored the Tauren in the past during a time of dire need. The orcs did not. It makes perfect sense that despite them both being nature themed races, one would join with the people who ensured they weren't killed off.

[Varodoc]

You do realize EVERY Cosmically Magical being is outside the normal cycle of Life and Death that Mortals go through, yeah?

Old Gods are a bit unique, sure. But that's more so due to their nature as Void beings. Their death ordeals are still similar in terms of Cosmic Law, however.

Strange, I don't recall seeing Xe'ra, Rezan, or Zovaal continue to influence the living world with whispers and powers after their physical deaths (unlike C'Thun, Y'Shaarj, and Yogg-Saron)

[Shadowferal]

Just because two groups are on opposing political factions, doesn't mean they can't get along and do things outside the factions either. We've been doing it since the start.

Since vanilla? Don't think so.

The Night Elves ignored the Tauren in the past during a time of dire need. The orcs did not. It makes perfect sense that despite them both being nature themed races, one would join with the people who ensured they weren't killed off.

That was how Blizz wrote it originally. And considering Varian's words of "monstrous races" back in WotLK they meant to continue the idea that Tauren are no different.