Giving players some more race variants
by Mike Schramm 
Jun 16th 2008 at 6:00PM
I have to agree with Michael on WoW LJ: it would be nice to have a little more variance in the types of races that we choose at character creation. Of course, due to lore reasons, all the trolls we create are Darkspear Trolls, and likewise, all of our Taurens are of the Bloodhoof variety. But it would be nice to have a few more options, especially since we now know that some of the "foreign" tribes and clans might have a member or two interested in joining the Horde.None of Michael's suggestions would really work -- the Taunka are almost a completely different race, the Forest Trolls can't be very happy that we've killed their leader, and neither the Dark Iron Dwarves or the Iron Dwarves are very friendly to either Horde or Alliance. But there are possible variants out there -- the Zanadalar tribe might have some members interested in joining the Horde, and certainly the Mag'har Orcs are friendly to players. Alliance doesn't have as many options come to mind, though all players are Bronzebeards, I believe, and surely the Stormpikes are Friendly by now.
We've got new hairstyles coming in the next expansion, of course, but it would be nice to vary up the races a little bit, and have even different backgrounds within the race choices. RPers would love it for sure, and even for other players, it would give a little more meaning and power to playing through the various racial areas in the game.
Filed under: Horde, Lore, Expansions, Virtual selves, Analysis / Opinion, Trolls, Tauren, Orcs, Dwarves, Alliance, Factions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Xonate Jun 16th 2008 6:08PM
I'm pretty sure the Stormpikes are just a powerful family within the Bronzebeard clan. However, seeing some dwarves from the Wildhammer clan would be really nifty, as they are most definitely friendly with the Alliance.
csarcops Jun 17th 2008 1:20AM
I RP my dwarf as a Wildhammer, I just think they're cooler than the Bronzebeards.
Jason Jun 17th 2008 6:48AM
Stormpike Clan is not part of Bronzebeard's clan. The Stormpike guard in Alterac Valley is part of the Stormpike clan. They are part of the Alliance though, just like the Wildhammer.
@ Mike Schramm. How can you forget the humans? Theramore, Arathor remnants, Kul Tiras are all Alliance. Not to mention the difference between individual models as shown in Old Hillsbrad Foothills!
Camaris Jun 16th 2008 6:08PM
Well, of course the Alliance have humans. Granted, they basically all look the same, but at the moment only the nation of Stormwind is playable. Kul Tiras (mostly an unknown at this point in time) and Theramore are other major human nations currently in existence. It seems that there is some tension between "Jaina's Alliance" operating from Theramore and the Azerothian alliance.
Gnomes have leper gnomes (and sand gnomes!) as their counterparts, although those are just properly evil and corrupted, and no reason to become playable.
Of course, the biggest race variant everyone wants to play is an Eredar, which is basically an overgrown (and sunburnt) Draenei ;)
Siona Jun 16th 2008 6:19PM
Broken, plz!!
Siona Jun 16th 2008 6:30PM
Ack, replied to soon.
Anyway, what I was gonna say was that Broken would make alot of sense from a standpoint. The Kurenai support the Alliance, and Nobundo is a major figure now in Draenei culture as the driving force behind shamanism. While the draenei may be iffy, if not all out prejudiced, against them, I would suggest that they join the Alliance all-out.
Same for the Mag'har. They are what the orcs have been looking for for years now -- their noble heritage. They have ALOT to offer the Horde in the ways of culture, if not numbers, being so few... and Garrosh is moving to Azeroth to fight in Northrend.
And for the people who'll say they'll just be the same as Draenei and Orcs, NOT true. Yes, they are/were essentially the same race. But they're still different in two main ways: Broken are mutated draenei, and orcs are mutated mag'har. They could have totally different racials than their brethren and be playable, and I seriously hope Blizzard considers them in the future.
:3
Super Guest Man 9000 Jun 17th 2008 2:06AM
"orcs are mutated mag'har"
Actually normal orcs are "mutated". The normal skin color of the orcs was brown, the demonic energys they were exposed to turned their skin green. The brown skined Mag'har are untouched by the demonic taint.
PimpyMicPimp Jun 17th 2008 2:56AM
Broken are far cooler than the stupid space goats we have right now.
JuicedCardinal Aug 13th 2008 5:14PM
Super Guest Man 9000, thanks for repeating what Siona already said.
Autumnbear Jun 16th 2008 6:19PM
You meant to say 'more class options for our current races', right? Because after many years of waiting, we still have players crying for Gnomish Healers, Human Hunters, Orc Mages, and Undead Pallies.
More races... There's no where to stick new races and their beginner zones.
Siona Jun 16th 2008 6:30PM
Not if you do it the same way as the DK, just higher levelled in bigger zones. Or do what the orcs and trolls, and gnomes and dwarves, do and have more than one race start in one area. *shrug*
Tumnus Jun 16th 2008 6:20PM
A lot of Alliance players would probably love to play a Broken. I think there was even an article on here about that on here a while back.
Vidi Jun 16th 2008 6:24PM
Lore doesn't matter. Lore can be rewritten in a heartbeat. Some new development in racial politics can lead to almost anything.
Example: Sure, the forest trolls may be upset we killed their leader, or a clan within them may be happy about it as it led to their rise to power, or a caste within the forest trolls is no longer being oppressed.
And applying new storylines to any of the races is so easy even I can do it.
The problem I see with the community is it always seems to think that just because the lore says so it must be that way always. But that doesn't allow for an ever changing ever evolving world which is what we all crave, isn't it?
Stoneblade Jun 16th 2008 6:23PM
Personally, I would love to play a Revantusk Forest Troll... A bigger, burlier variety than your average Darkspear Jungle Troll. Despite the recent unpleasantness with Zul'Jin, I don't forsee the Horde losing Revantusk Village as a refuge point in the Hinterlands, anytime soon.
And, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to Broken Draenei, either.
ILikePvPbuthatePvPers Jun 16th 2008 6:31PM
There's that green troll skin for Forest Trolls and there's already a dark gray dwarf skin for Dark Irons.
Reinard Jun 16th 2008 6:37PM
Er, I'm pretty sure all Tauren aren't Bloodhoofs. That's just the ruling tribe. Likewise, all Alliance Dwarves aren't Stormpike/Bronzebeard whatever. They're Ironforge Dwarves.
All orcs aren't Frostwolves because Thrall is, are they? The only one you mentioned that really does seem to be right are the Darkspears.
Gavin Jun 16th 2008 6:37PM
I like the Trolls a great deal and I'd really like to see some new Troll subraces.
DO WANT!!!!
Mr. T Jun 16th 2008 6:38PM
I always thought that a good April Fools joke would be to allow players to play any class and race just for April Fools, maybe a week. I guess it would be too much of a pain to relevel a character. Maybe it could be like winter's veil and you step into a chamber and pick it.
And I totally agree with each race having it's own background.. and perhaps even going further when you choose a class. Just makes for more variation and more interest.
Kadamon Jun 16th 2008 6:44PM
I had this nice little rant/post going, and then my window closed and deleted it.
The Broken would be easy to add in, they've got everything except that you can't play them. The Mag'har? Add in a color pallette and you're pretty much well done.
Daniel Whitcomb Jun 16th 2008 6:58PM
On RP Servers, I know a lot of Tauren who roleplay Grimtotems or other non-Bloodhoof Tauren, a lot of Dwarves who roleplay Wildhammers (I RP one myself), and a lot of Trolls who RP non-Darkspear tribal members.
I honestly don't have a problem with it. It seems pretty likely that Thunder Bluff, as a sort of universal Tauren Homeland, has all tribes of all Tauren nations living there, and thus it is likely that you can assume that your Tauren is from any tribe.
Since said Dwarves, Tauren, or Trolls wouldn't look amazingly different from the default skins for them we already have, I'm not concerned about Blizzard offering Mechanical support for it, although a bit more lore support might be nice.