Gratz
Comic 1190 - Camp fire laughs.
Author Notes:
I'm sad to say but I think the story is really struggling. I had hope for some fun story telling like we got doing MoP but instead it feels so much less. I don't have a real understanding of why and I've been trying to figure this out for months now. But I've only figure out a handful of points so here they are.
1. The story had a faulty start: I am of the opinion that the story could have been given a much better moral gray if they had started like that. I think the Alliance should have attacked Undercity due to presser from Graymain. This would have allowed the Alliance to instigate and deal with questions of when is it better to let past events go? As for the Horde they still should burn Tendressil in the same manner. The framing of this would have pushed the question when is strategic distraction used as justification for barbaric acts. So both sides would be dealing with some internal questions.
I won't go on to the rest of the story but I feel that changing up the inciting events would have set up a better frame work to build on.
2. Saylvanus is boring: I can't talk much on how the game plays from the Alliance side of things right now. But on the Horde end it's stupid. Garrosh was a problem leader but as the story progressed players where constantly given stuff on the side that showed people wern't happy with him and even help worked to fight against him in some points. With Saylvanus it's just her running around doing bad things and we only get a small handful of quests with people opposing her. The story feels bad because we only get to be bad most of the time. Saylvanus also is suppose to come across as some kind of master mind but we never see her figure something out, lay a plan and then spring the trap! We are only ever at the end of the trap. I think Baine is a perfect example of this. How did she know it was him? Where was the spy? How did she secure her power to imprison him with out the Tauren saying "screw you! It's on now!" It's just a pile of stupid convenience on top of stupider convenience! She is only smart because we're told she's smart! However the way the story is presented an ANGRY ORC was far more cunning then her!
3. How are we not the most important person in the whole word?: This kind of ties back into the Saylfanus stuff but really. Look at player history, Picked be a commander in WoD, Picked to be class champion in Legion, Picked to carry the world heart in BfA! By this point from a narrative perspective we should be the most influential person on the whole dying planet. If the Horde player would say, no to Saylvanus then based on our position in past lore that would be devastating to her. If they where to speak with the other side then again the lore would suggest that other would listen. We are way to big for our shoes now and I feel it hurts the game's narrative structure.
4. Things feel dull: We battle for Dazanalor is a cool raid structure I feel it is missed used. We once again have a raid about attacking a Horde city, killing a Horde leader (even tho he has been a problem in the past and is only potential horde leader) And to top it off seems all Alliance leaders get away ultimately safe. From a narrative perspective is SoO again. But again from a Narrative point it would suggest that the Zandalar decided to join the Horde after this raid but functionally they never weren't joined with the Horde before the raid! So this whole thing feels pointless in the over all structuring of the expansion. I think this would have worked better had there been more friction between Rasuken and the Horde and some events happen such as the horde not being able to compete with the Allience on a navel level because they really didn't have that Zandalar fleet and have that impact the story earlier in the expansion so when the raid happens and the Zandalar join the Horde now there is real risk of what that union can mean.
Those are just four ramble points about my a few of my thoughts on BfA right now. Share you thoughts, maybe you have something you like the share and I can see some good points in the game.
(next update 3-25-19)
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I’ve personally got more problems with this story than previous, but tbh Wow isn’t really known for its awesome consistent story imo, but its doing something right on some end if its lasted this long and is that influential, big things like Wow are underappreciated in that aspect, companies take from it and emulate it and its beena phenomenon for a long time, despite the story flaws and game flaws I can say it still hits the mark
Keep that smile on!
2. Sylvanas is cringe-worthy throughout. Sylvanas has never NOT been evil since she was corrupted into a banshee by Arthas. You could not play through Wc3 and not understand this. The only reason she wasn't identified as such in Wrath was because she was also fighting the Lich King and we halfway gave anyone that was a buy. The Forsaken have never been an easy fit in the Horde. It's been a marriage of convenience and shielding. Sylvanas is all about protecting Sylvanas, and the Forsaken are buffer between Sylvanas and oblivion. The Sylvanas that was shown rationalizing the war as a way to push the Alliance out of Kalimdor and put an ocean between them? That was the fake Sylvanas. The Sylvanas that burned Teldrassil out of spite? That was leaded Sylvanas.
3. I would have sworn I heard you make the case that the player had become TOO important after WoD and Legion. I thought you were looking forward to just being a foot soldier again. But you are correct, BfA is a complete reversal of Legion. A friend on Twitter posted a SS where Liadrin was saying "give yourself a rest, paladin, you deserve it." In Legion, this player was the Highlord, and Liadrin had been working for HIM. Even the Speaker for the Horde, is nothing more than a mule ordered hither and yon. Moo-haw....
4. It is dull. I am literally playing now so I can help Baine. I'm keeping up with this in the hope that I can free him from prison, and possibly help him become Warchief. Given the recent track record of everyone that holds that position, I'm not sure why I wish it for him. I'm not having fun, I'm not enjoying the story, I'm not in a guild so have no one to raid with or M+ with. I'm a gear spindle, accumulating more gear so that the fauna becomes less of an irritation than it is. And now I'm having to do it on two characters if I want the "Two Sides" achievement. It's not fun, it's a series of chores, amplified by the horrendous frack-up that is the gear system in this expansion. Just today I completed two emissaries for two pieces of 385 Azerite gear that were completely useless, while still stuck with a 370 weapon. And as a P.S., while the WQ gear rewards scale to a point, they stop at 355, and the Assaults award nothing higher than 370. Fail.
For what it's worth, Elliot Lefebvre, editor of Massively Overpowered, agrees with you. He's done a 4-part series on what he sees wrong with the expansion, the last part of which is THE STORY.
To really make his point, he even wrote what could have been a better version HERE.
This is contingent on NOT doing the War Campaign, which unless you're only raiding, doing M+, or PvP, there's no other reason for the expansion after 120.
Blightpimple...Blightpimple I *want* as a raid boss. That would get me back into raiding to be able to punch his pale face purple on a regular basis.