Was the war campaign in WoW just garbage? Cortyn says: No, it’s the perfect template for new story arcs.
Although only a small patch has been released in the past few days for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, there have been significant discussions and disagreements within the community. Many players are still divided on whether the war campaign and thus the story of Battle for Azeroth is quite good and exciting or “total garbage”. The two cinematics provided plenty of room for discussion. I have also spent a long time pondering this question, looking at the community’s statements and of course forming my own opinion on it.
I conclude: What Blizzard is building here is quite strong and the perfect springboard for many new storylines.
The end of the war is the beginning of conflicts
Some players may be annoyed that the war between the Horde and Alliance has now come to a (temporary) end. For some, it was even quite unsatisfying, as it seems again that the Alliance forgives the Horde all mistakes. Sylvanas is portrayed as the sole “boogeyman” and the mistakes of the other Horde members are forgotten.
But that simply does not correspond to what is shown in the game. After the completion of the war campaign in WoW, there are numerous dialogues between NPCs that indicate that the end of the war is not so easily accepted. Here are just a few examples:
- Some night elves want no peace, they want real retribution for Teldrassil. Tyrande is still missing and hunting Sylvanas and Nathanos, even though the war is over.
- The Kul Tiran question why they even joined the Alliance. All these battles were the reason why they left the Alliance to begin with.
- Humans are discussing how Saurfang was able to escape from prison. They have heard rumors that King Anduin freed him – if that were true, it would be madness. Elsewhere, Anduin is thought to be “too soft”.
- There are Sylvanas loyalists who still stand by the Banshee Queen, even if they loudly claim the opposite. They whisper the truth to “faithful players,” that they will always stand with Sylvanas.
The war against the Horde was something that fundamentally united the Alliance. They had a common goal to fight against. But as resources and especially troops became scarcer, the first conflicts began to emerge. Tyrande, the leader of the night elves, was angry that Anduin did not protect her in the struggle against the Forsaken at Darkshore.
Genn Greymane, the leader of the Worgen, still wants to reclaim Gilneas and get revenge for the death of his son – both of which are on Sylvanas’ account. Anduin’s repeated sympathy for the Horde or willingness to enter into peace agreements regularly infuriates the rather temperamental Worgen.
Moreover, there are some strange allies in the Alliance that still make little sense today. That void elves and lightforged draenei fight side by side is absurd – a little less absurd as long as they are up against a common enemy, but now there could also be disputes between these parties.
The conflict areas are there; they just need to be ignited.
Sylvanas’ big plans for the future
Basically, “Battle for Azeroth” has been the realization of Sylvanas’ grand master plan, which she unfortunately still does not communicate in clear statements. It should be clear by now that Blizzard has an idea with her, and this is not just a pretext to justify things like the war.
Already in the comic “Three Sisters”, Sylvanas emphasizes that in the end, her sisters will serve “death” and thus her as well. This basic concept of the veneration of death and its powers has not changed. Everything Sylvanas has done in recent years has led to more deaths.
This actually begins with the development of the plague in Classic up to Wrath of the Lich King. The plague was intended for the Lich King and his minions, but was then used in Cataclysm in Gilneas and later in virtually every military operation of the Forsaken, leading up to the complete destruction of Lordaeron (Undercity) in Battle for Azeroth.
She then confirms this in the “Loyalists” finale that only Sylvanas’ most faithful followers get to see. Here the Banshee Queen states that “countless souls were fed to the hungry darkness”. What exactly this means is not entirely clear yet. What is certain, however, is that these souls have probably arrived in the Shadowlands – that is the realm of the dead in World of Warcraft. This would also fit perfectly with the leak of the next expansion.
The Dark Lady does not shy away from a pact with Azshara to achieve her goals. She should very well know that Azshara ultimately only serves her own goals and wants to rule. Whether Sylvanas’ pact also includes a deal with N’Zoth or if the two women secretly conspired against the Old God is not yet that important.
For Sylvanas, it is clear: In the end, even the Old God will serve death. When the peoples of Azeroth fight against the armies of N’Zoth, it will result in many deaths on both sides. And that is exactly what Sylvanas still wants.
More dead for the hungry darkness. For what purpose remains to be seen.
Death has many exciting characters
This obsession with death is further fueled by the fact that Battle for Azeroth has prominently featured several characters related to death.
- Bwonsamdi is the Loa of Death and has been present in many cutscenes. He additionally has a master, about whom nothing is known so far.
- Princess Talanji (or now probably Queen Talanji) has a lifelong pact with the Loa of Death, which she inherited from her father – against her free will.
- The current Lich King Bolvar Fordragon is the “jailer of the damned”. He commands the army of the undead from Northrend and has already begun to pursue his own goals in Legion – for instance, he wanted to eradicate the red dragonflight and instructed the death knights to carry out several attacks.
- Taelia Fordragon is the still-living daughter of Bolvar (the Lich King) and will likely find out soon what has become of her father.
- Calia Menethil, the sister of Arthas, was killed by Sylvanas and then resurrected with a ritual that turned her into a strange hybrid of “undead” and “light-infused”. She is the rightful heir of Lordaeron and thus a potential leader for the Forsaken.
- Derek Proudmoore is the brother of Jaina and was resurrected by Sylvanas as a Forsaken, but then sent back to Jaina before his brainwashing. As a Forsaken, he tries to come to terms with his life and figure out if he still has a place in the world.
If you add up all these characters, you have a huge amount of exciting, potential story arcs, all dealing with death and its various facets in World of Warcraft.
Battle for Azeroth was a springboard for many new stories
In conclusion, I think that Battle for Azeroth may not resolve the big story arcs and provide answers everywhere, but it doesn’t have to. For me, BfA is more of a springboard into the next expansion, as it has introduced and developed many interesting characters, picked up existing story arcs, and established a solid foundation.
Even if Battle for Azeroth primarily served the purpose of ending the conflict between Horde and Alliance for a longer period, I still believe that it has laid the groundwork for new stories. Just because the Horde and Alliance are now pulling together doesn’t mean that the peoples within these two factions are always in agreement. And I want to see much, much more of these internal conflicts.
What is your opinion on Battle for Azeroth and the end of the war campaign? Are you satisfied and looking forward to what is yet to come? Or has Blizzard ruthlessly ruined the story?
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