The storyline of Patch 8.1 in World of Warcraft is receiving criticism. Even the “Red Shirt Guy” has nothing good to say about the story and finds it to be “damn bad”.
Patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance, the next chapter of World of Warcraft, brings a lot of story again, this time set on Darkshore. While the Horde is trying to secure its supremacy, the Alliance strikes back.
However, this narrative has many flaws and issues in the eyes of some players. Even the “Red Shirt Guy” believes that it is poorly written.
Who is the “Red Shirt Guy”? Ian Bates became known as the “Red Shirt Guy” when he pointed out some gameplay errors regarding the lore at a BlizzCon. He asked why Falstad Wildhammer was not in the game, even though his character was alive. Even the former story chief Chris Metzen had to ask, “Isn’t Falstad dead?” – and was mistaken.
Since then, Bates has been honored in the game with an NPC of his own and repeatedly explains lore mistakes and issues.
Spoiler warning: Since this is about the storyline of Patch 8.1, there will be spoilers. You have been warned.
Lore errors and issues in the staging
This is the storyline of 8.1: In the questline of Patch 8.1, which takes place on Darkshore, it mainly revolves around two things:
- Tyrande becomes a Night Warrior through an ancient ritual (which turns her eyes black and is supposed to grant her great power)
- and Nathanos wants to raise the night elves Sira and Delaryn as Forsaken.
The first blunder is the presence of a certain corpse during the resurrection of Delaryn and Sira. As Alliance players, they see the corpse of Astarii Starseeker. However, both in the game and in the associated short story, she was burned alive. Therefore, finding her body in an intact state is impossible.
The second, more significant problem from Bates’ perspective is that the entire questline on both sides is “poorly written.” By this, he does not mean that he dislikes the course of the story, but rather how it is staged.
The Horde is successful, although NPCs claim otherwise
The problem from the Horde’s perspective: From the Horde’s perspective, the experience should feel like a defeat, as the NPCs say so. After all, the Horde lost one of the Val’kyr, a significant loss for the Banshee Queen. Yet, it does not feel like a defeat. All other objectives of the mission have been successfully accomplished. Not only were both night elves Sira and Delaryn found, both were also successfully resurrected.
And even better: Both seem very eager to help the Forsaken and join enthusiastically.
While the storyline tries to convey that the “Army of the Black Moon” is a massive threat to deal with quickly, the opposite is true. The troops, commanders, and also Sira are eliminated without much difficulty.
Alliance: The Night Warrior is incompetent and weak
The problem from the Alliance’s perspective: From the Alliance’s perspective, the whole situation is even a bit silly. We see Tyrande performing the ritual to become a Night Warrior, and it is repeatedly said beforehand that she will be much more powerful than before. Once the ritual is complete, Tyrande says the following words:
“Teldrassil burned because I chose to spare Saurfang. Countless innocents were murdered. Entire families wiped out in a matter of heartbeats. The time for mercy is over.”
What sounds like a cool declaration that Tyrande is going on a revenge spree turns out to be ridiculous just minutes later.
Tyrande breaks into the Undead’s camp and freezes all Forsaken with the power of the moon – but does not kill them. The Forsaken are merely incapacitated, and since one of the Forsaken still speaks, the spell does not seem fatal. Moments later, Tyrande even explicitly states that Malfurion should not kill the Forsaken. That is not exactly a clear “The time for mercy is over.”
The fight against Nathanos also turns out to be disappointing. Instead of demonstrating her newfound power, Tyrande is stopped by the Val’kyr after just a few seconds. She breaks free and hides in the shadows until Malfurion arrives.
Of course, it is Tyrande’s first fight as a “Night Warrior,” but the fact that she is immediately overwhelmed by Nathanos and taken out by the Val’kyr doesn’t speak well for a successful warrior who supposedly gained more power.
Especially the comparison of Nathanos Blightcaller’s fight with Genn Greymane in Legion, a relatively young Worgen (compared to Tyrande’s age), makes the whole situation even more ridiculous. Because there, Blightcaller was at a disadvantage and could only escape because the airship exploded.
The problems of 8.1: In summary, the Alliance appears weak in the questline, Tyrande incompetent and inexperienced, and what is described as a “victory for the Alliance” is actually a clear victory for the Horde.
No chance for improvement?
This is the suggestion from the Red Shirt Guy: Bates admits, however, that he does not believe Blizzard will make significant changes to the questline. After all, the recordings of the voice actors are already in the game, and that is usually the last step. However, he has some ideas on how to salvage the scene:
- For example, it would be more sensible for Nathanos to die in the fight with Tyrande and then be resurrected by the Val’kyr, which would kill the Val’kyr. Then it would feel more like a victory for the Alliance.
- Alternatively, the fight could happen in such a way that Tyrande gains the upper hand in the fight, and just at the moment when Nathanos is about to lose, the night elves are resurrected, and he is brought to safety.
Bates does, however, note that the associated cinematics have not yet been unlocked. While they may provide some more context, they probably won’t be able to fix the blunders and problems of the storyline.
What do you think of the upcoming story in Patch 8.1? Or would you rather wait and see for yourself before making a judgment?
Patch 8.1 is receiving even more criticism – Horde players are forced into a role they don’t want.
