A faction is deceived in the raid “Battle of Dazar’alor” in World of Warcraft. Blizzard employs a narrative trick here.
The raid “Battle of Dazar’alor” is unique in World of Warcraft, as players experience it from different perspectives. Both sides share only a few bosses; for the rest, one relies on the narratives of a scout. And it is precisely here that World of Warcraft demonstrates a narrative twist that is too often encountered in wars: The truth dies first.
Different dialogues depending on the faction: This circumstance is most evident in the fight against King Rastakhan. Before the fight begins, Genn Greymane urges the troll king to surrender. However, depending on which faction is playing the fight, this dialogue unfolds differently.
This is what Alliance players experience: Heroes of the Alliance experience King Genn Greymane relatively calmly as he storms the throne room with the army. He calls for King Rastakhan to surrender in the name of King Anduin Wrynn. Rastakhan refuses, to which Greymane simply states, “Then so be it. Heroes… you know what must be done.”
This is what Horde players experience: Horde players enter a narrative from the scout’s perspective and are presented with a different dialogue that is significantly more aggressive. Here, Greymane not only commands that Rastakhan should surrender, but also insists that he “bow before his new master, King Anduin Wrynn.” Furthermore, Rastakhan is to hand over his daughter as a hostage. When Rastakhan refuses, Genn becomes unequivocally direct and announces, “Heroes of the Alliance… slay him! No mercy for these savages!” A decidedly darker tone than with the Alliance.
What is the truth? As Alliance players experience the fight from a “real” perspective, their perception likely corresponds to the facts. Horde players experience the battle as a flashback scene narrated by a scout. Therefore, it is probable that the scout embellishes the scene slightly and places harsher words in Genn Greymane’s mouth than he actually chose.
Blizzard cleverly uses the raid’s narrative structure to stoke the conflict between Horde and Alliance with minor details. One can only hope such nuances will be referenced later and integrated into the story.
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