#moxie ruins warcraft

[mmoxie]

WoW Classic and The Wall

With Warcraft Classic on the horizon, I want to get some ideas I’ve had all in one place and produce a coherent vision for what to do when Warcraft Classic hits The Wall. I should probably start by defining The Wall.

The Wall is the end point of all content constructed for World of Warcraft up to the launch of The Burning Crusade. 

If you’ve done every single quest on Azeroth, run and looted every raid, constructed something Legendary for your class, gotten your most desired epic mount, and are wearing a complete tier set and enjoying its bonus, then all that is left for you is cyclical PvP content, and you have come up against The Wall.

Even if you haven’t done all that, if you’ve completed the final tier of content and don’t feel motivated to continue playing, that’s The Wall.

If you don’t want to log in because you’re lousy with epics and don’t want to hang out and fish in your Naxxramas gear, you’re sitting on The Wall.

Advancing into TBC has its own wall. Advancing into Wrath comes with a wall. Cata? Wall. MoP? Wall. WoD? Wall. Legion? Wall. Creating expansions is the tried-and-true method for advancing beyond the wall and having a stretch of gameplay that leads to the next one.

But for WoW Classic to have long-term success, we can’t move over the wall like that- otherwise we dilute the whole idea of Classic. We dilute its available gameplay, its available locales, the level of statistical power available to its players. 

We can’t move over the wall. But with WoW Classic, we have a complete and self-contained world. We have an opportunity to move the wall itself.

We don’t have to introduce new mechanics (necessarily) in order to move the wall. We don’t have to tweak balance, introduce a new tier of stats, add spells, anything like that.

We just have to increase the distance between ourselves and the wall by adding more content at level 60.

Not beyond level 60. Not to get past level 60. At level 60.

If you’re a purist, I get why you don’t want that. You’ve got the raids that are there now, and you like them, and that’s enough. You can run that forever. You still can, in fact, and what I’m about to suggest will make them more specifically desirable and relevant.

Let’s introduce a new raid. The stats on the gear that drop in it are on par with Naxxramas. The big difference is that the set bonuses are entirely different from the set bonuses available on Naxxramas gear. As an example, Tier 3 Shaman gear could be available from Naxxramas as the traditional Earthshatterer set which has an emphasis on healing and totems, but this new raid could provide a “Thunderhead” set which uses the same general level of coefficients to steer Shaman builds toward DPS.

You’d have to get all eight pieces over roughly the same amount of time, and you’d have no statistical advantage over a Shaman who geared in Naxxramas, but build diversity has been injected into WoW by way of these new “Side Tier” sets, so an ST Shaman can be relied on by their guild to do good DPS in the same way that a T3 Shaman can be relied on to do good healing.

This should not be done so aggressively that it homogenizes each class into a precise role like modern WoW- but it should allow each class to at least effectively perform in roles that its base talents would suggest it’s appropriate for.

It isn’t enough to just add a new raid, though. You don’t add new raids without the context around them. This leads us to at least two very exciting opportunities- Hyjal and Grim Batol.

We can start filling holes in the world map without altering it severely like Cataclysm did. We can tell stories that were always there that we just didn’t have the time or resources to tell, back in the day. On each continent specifically, due to Hyjal and Grim Batol, we can add a whole new zone with its own quest lines, zone-wide mechanics (a possibility introduced by silithus,) visual design, reputations, dungeons, and at least one raid each.

Because these aren’t leveling zones- they’re zones where XP is almost entirely irrelevant- you can change up how rewards are given. You can reduce gold rewards to avoid a hit to the economy, but add reputation tokens or trade-in tokens that can be used for longer-term rewards.

In this fashion, the map can be slowly and carefully filled to the corners. Side Tiers can be subtle and strange and bring differences in playstyle to the same role. They can bring visual diversity to the endgame where everyone is striving for the same armor, because you can get the same stats with a different look and different effects and procs.

The end result is a complete, border-to-border vision of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms with no mysterious holes or invisible walls reaching into the sky. A reason to explore everywhere, something to gain from adventuring even at max level.

This can be done for a really long time- much longer than the usual release schedule for expansions. You only have to move the wall when your population at-large starts to see it. You can take weird chances- maybe you take a departure for one patch and instead of adding to the continental world, you introduce a boat to Tel’Abim for a patch cycle where players are using bananas as currency and have to fight a boss that’s a big sendup to Donkey Kong or something. You can have fun with it. You can treat it like big “world event” patch releases like Shadow of the Necropolis, where a patch would drop and it would feel like time was advancing, but the whole world didn’t need to change to achieve that.

WoW Classic is self-contained, and there’s no upper limit on the size of the container. You can put anything in there, as long as you don’t fuck with the numbers. As long as you don’t introduce any new tiers of power, you can get more and more creative with the rewards and the locations. You don’t want someone sailing back home from Tel’Abim at level 61 in a totally alien set of gear that allows them to cruise through older raids with ease, that’s an easy mistake to make. Just keep it simple, keep it similar, and you can go buckwild with everything else and make the world (of warcraft) more robust and expansive than anyone ever dreamed it could be.

You could have the most complete Azeroth ever, all without ever abandoning the feeling of Classic gameplay. Since you know the numbers are more or less sacred, you no longer have to focus on them, and can turn those resources outward into this enormously extended post-60 experience.

And then the wall isn’t your problem anymore. You’ve beat it. You’ll have players for life who never finish everything because there’s just so much and it’s not a linear path to address it all. Endgame goes from roughly five branches of content to fifty, and the game is immortal because of it.

[mmoxie]

Moxie, I was just reading a thread on the WoW forums about how the character of night elves has changed over time (specifically how they seem to be moving further and further away from the 'savage warriors' described in early materials, and more towards pacifism), and one of the comments mentioned that this might not have happened if night elves were part of the Horde instead. If you're interested in talking about this, what do you think would have had to be different (cont)

(cont) historically/politically for Night Elves and Forsaken to have swapped factions, and how do you think that would impact the dynamic of Horde vs. Alliance and the structure of WoW as a whole?

Well, I have to hand it to you for making the exact correct choice in who to swap. I want to talk about the Forsaken being part of the Alliance a little bit first.

Can you imagine the propaganda? The Alliance has always been a war machine- but now the folks on the front lines never have to sleep. I can’t imagine anything more emboldening for the Alliance than them finding out that Lordaeron is ETERNAL. Plus, on the domestic side, there’s so much genuine heart-warming magic to be found in families being reunited after the nightmare of the Scourge, welcoming back grandparents and parents they thought lost, preserving their history through eyewitness accounts.

By the Light, it’d be an absolute nightmare. Humanity would be entirely too strong if they welcomed the Forsaken with open arms- probably referring to them as Dearly Departed- or informally, just Departed- since, well... they haven’t been forsaken, in this scenario, but they have died. The Forsaken are the biggest boon to the Alliance that I can think of, and the Alliance that they create terrifies me.

With an Alliance like that, thank Elune that the Night Elves are part of the Horde.

Now let’s get to the meat of this issue: How do Night Elves interact with the Horde? What changes about them? What changes about the Horde?

It starts with the Tauren, when the Orcs arrive. The Night Elves and the Tauren have never had particularly good due cause to fight. They’re both people of nature and they both have a particular way of living, with neither getting in the way of the other- but these Orcs need a lot. Land, resources, access to regional politics and commerce. And they need allies, not more enemies. They just escaped from their worst enemies so far, the humans.

It’s the compassion of the Tauren that keeps the Night Elves from doing something rash. The Orcs head for the trees to get what they need, and the Night Elves nock their arrows- and the Tauren intervene.

“We will take them out of your woods,” the Tauren offer, “and show them where to hunt.”

The Elves aren’t necessarily impressed, but when have the Tauren steered them wrong? They’re skeptical about these Orcs- they’re the same color as the horrible magic that Azshara once pulled out of the Well. But they let the Tauren lead the Orcish party out of Ashenvale and back into Durotar.

They teach them about the thunder lizards, and how to cover their horn in sticky resin to smother the bursts of lightning. The Orcs can take it from there- they know how to tan hide. They start putting together encampments, and over time they get as familiar with Durotar’s game as any hunter that came before them.

Their quick adaptation impresses the Night Elves. Whatever this working relationship is between the Orcs and Tauren, it’s good for the land. Durotar is flourishing. Overpopulated species are getting hunted down to levels where other species can start recovering. They can hardly believe it, but the Orcs are bringing balance to the region.

And then the humans arrive, seeking allegiance. Presuming allegiance. Elves of other sorts have thrown their lot in with the Alliance, they expect sentinels to help them run down what’s left of Thrall’s Horde.

But the Night Elves hesitate. And then they say to the humans, “no.”

They like these orcs. They hunt well, they fight bravely, they’ve brought no war to Kalimdor. The presumptuous Alliance, on the other hand...

And so it comes to pass that Tyrande Whisperwind calls Cairne Bloodhoof and Thrall to her temple. Vol’jin doesn’t much approve of being left out of something as big as this, and convinces Thrall that he should come too. The Trolls aren’t really news to the Night Elves, for a number of reasons, but... Vol’jin doesn’t think his people are being given a fair shake by the regional powers-that-be. Now’s his chance.

So, with the Alliance pouting in their boats, straining their ears as hard as they can and getting nothing for their efforts, these four leaders have their meeting. Prayers are said, introductions are formally made, explanations are given- and then Tyrande proves herself to be a politician unlike the other three:

“When they want something, they send their vassals to me. And as a matter of the Moon’s own compassion, I make arrangements to give them what they need. But then I look at you, Thrall.”

She pauses, and gives him a long, scrutinizing squint. “You brought your people here, and you thought to take from us. Once. We were ready to defend ourselves and our forests that day, but you put your weapon down and you paid attention to the ground beneath your feet. You haven’t thought to take anything ever since. Haven’t even asked.”

She pauses again, leaning back in her chair and bobbing an ankle, looking as contemplative as a woman as old as the world should.

“I like that a lot better than a man who fills my harbors with his expectations.”

Cairne didn’t have anything to say. He simply exchanged a confirming nod with Tyrande, and Thrall joined him in quiet agreement. Vol’jin... simply had to get some things off of his chest. All this talk about the success of the Orcs- hadn’t his people also traveled far? Lived honorably? Worked hard for their claims?

He was a young troll in those days, with a fire in his belly and wearing his dignity like a crown. He felt slighted- weren’t his ears the same as hers? She never said a word about his people- how could he know what she thought of them?

But Tyrande was patient. It was refreshing for a great many reasons to have someone be so direct with her. She had a feeling that if they did form this Horde, it would be Vol’jin she relied on the most to keep her feet on the ground.

So she stood and smiled and reached out to him, and said, “If you wanted my attention so bad, you should have invited me to your isles.”

And as laughter rang out between the four of them, the Horde was formed in earnest.

The world would never know a more dedicated family, or a more incredible fighting force.

With their founding leaders becoming actual friends instead of just political allies, they always put their whole hearts into faction conflicts. The Night Elves found themselves learning from the Orcs- tanning and metalworking in the orcish fashion, practical placement of spikes, the rich history of their clans and the traditions that came with them. Likewise, the Night Elves learned from the Trolls in a different fashion- the lines blurred between their hunters and shadow hunters, the darkness of the moon’s own nighttime becoming an ally to all of them. Magic derived from the night was no different than that of nature, or the blood within one’s own body- new understandings were reached about what was natural and good, with all of them agreeing that the arcane and fel were vicious corrupters for which they had no use.

They began to build together. Elven stonework fortified towering Tauren buildings, surrounded by sprawls of Troll and Orc construction, bone and hide and metal and wood rising up in rings around central totems and towers and bluffs. There was still an Orgrimmar, still a Thunder Bluff, still a Darnassus, still the Echo Isles, but they came from all directions to the place where their trade routes all met- the Crossroads- and built something for every citizen of their new Horde.

This city that the Horde built was something the Alliance could never approach, let alone break. While humans built the tower of themselves higher and higher, the Horde’s cooperation and sense of family made them all as strong as each other.

The Night Elves’ sense of protectiveness over the forests spread further outward, to the territories of the Horde. The lands where they all hunted had to be protected. Where they tilled and slept and held their festivals were just as sacred as the woods.

When the Alliance comes seeking war, it’s the Night Elves they run into first. They get one warning- turn your ships back, or they will be sunk.

The Alliance does have its footholds, but they find themselves up against an enemy that is fueled by compassion. The Horde has what it needs, it only seeks to expand its territories when it absolutely must. Why can’t these interlopers from across the sea do the same?

But the Alliance keeps coming, and the Night Elves keep deflecting them.

The Night Elves joining the Horde ultimately creates a Horde that functions as a powerful, insular family, every tribe and clan is sacred, there is a space for every tradition. The Night Elves themselves have no need to turn away from their traditions as hunters, because they have allies in the Tauren to join their druids, and allies in the Orcs to join their hunts, and allies in the Trolls to do both.

They are never asked to compromise their spirituality in order to make peace with a political ally in the way that they might be if they belonged to the Alliance, and they are never asked to be part of something that is happening primarily on the other side of the world. Everyone they want to protect is right there in Kalimdor, right in the Horde they call home. Their closest allies nurture their own traditions and make them better at what they do. Knowing that they’re safe to do so, they even start rebuilding their ruins in Azshara and the surrounding areas.

It’ll be a while until the Lich King loses control of a large population of Scourge, and those wayward Undead are embraced by humanity.

When that happens, the Alliance incursions along the coasts of Kalimdor will become dramatically more... persistent. By that point, the Alliance will be so damn mad that they aren’t allowed in Kalimdor that they’ll pick a fight just for the sake of it.

And that’ll be another post. Goodnight.

[mmoxie]

for the ask meme: i think i already know a good deal of your answers to this but id like to see them all in one place, world of warcraft

WELCOME TO MOXIE RUINS WARCRAFT EPISODE 2

Let’s start on the large scale and get more granular as we go along.

1) People need to be willing to talk to the undead. The reaction to the undead phenomenon needs to stop being “unholy abomination!” That’s your granddad. That’s living history. The undead phenomenon is one of the most far-reaching and most interesting things that ever happened to living creatures in this setting, and so far only the Trolls have even a slightly nuanced perspective on this. Everywhere else, it’s just, “uh-oh, you died! That sure sucks, let’s not talk!”

2) We all know Chris Metzen adores hot dads. I won’t deny the man his fetish, it’s a fetish that shaped the entire franchise. We wouldn’t have Warcraft without Metzen’s fetish for burly silver foxes with hearts of gold and paternalistic protective instincts. There’s something about them that makes him feel very safe, and that feeling is the beating heart of Warcraft. All I propose is that the hot dads love each other, instead of being written into relationships with women that Blizzard scrambled to make up because they knew whichever hot dad du jour might need some heartbreak and anguish in a few months.

3) Speaking of women, there sure aren’t a lot with agency right now, are there? Let’s fix that. The Hot Dads can go off on Hot Dad Quests together, as emissaries and adventurers and warrior-kings, why not, but I want to see powerful queens and princesses and military officers. We get some of that with Sylvanas, but I don’t think they did a great job with Jaina. I think they could, but they’d have to start by making her colder. She’s a wizard- but she’s a politician. She doesn’t use her wizard powers to open up a portal to the Realm of Infinite Shotguns whenever she’s angry- she should be calculating, strategic, every bit as smart as she’s supposed to be. Her fury should be something that casts a huge shadow, something impending that you try to avoid, not “uh-oh, there goes Proudmoore with the fireballs again!” Give me complicated, thoughtful, incredibly powerful women filling these godlike roles that the men are filling. Also, swap the roles of Genn Greymane and Mia Greymane. Let Genn take a more active role in the evacuation of Gilneas while Mia takes a more direct approach to treating with the Night Elves. You know Tyrande appreciates seeing another woman in charge. They’d have a lot to talk about.

4) Give us something small to fight. Not non-threatening, just small. Right now, Guild Wars 2′s setting is basically being assaulted by the Illuminati. The White Mantle are an excellent villain organization and they’re so insidious that you find their influence literally everywhere. They feel inescapable. They feel really, really spooky. And I feel like Warcraft could have that REALLY easily- for good guys, and for bad guys, even locally! Imagine if they ramped up the SI:7 v. Defias conflict with these huge new levels of espionage where you can’t trust anyone because everyone’s an agent for one or the other. And that’s just in SEK! Look at the remnants of the Burning Blade clan in Kalimdor. What if they were big? What if they were as much a dangerous force hiding in every shadow as they used to be? Influencing local politics, winning over local orcs to demonic influence, being a group you have to pick apart from the bottom to the top, instead of a big monster whose head you just cut off and get it over with. Wouldn’t that be great? Wouldn’t it be great to fight something that could surprise you, even scare you?

5) Add sliders to the fucking character creation. This one’s the only mechanics-based fix you’ll hear out of me. Swatches suck. At least give me that whole “choose a swatch and then use these mini-sliders to iterate on it” so my character can be visually distinct. Let me goof up my Draenei or Tauren’s horns. Let me make my character short or fat. Just, do the work on this one, Blizzard. Nothing would make the experience of playing the game more exciting to me than seeing characters that don’t all have the same body type and color scheme.