Breakfast Topic: Player race desires
by Alex Ziebart 
Sep 7th 2008 at 8:00AM
Since the beginning of The Burning Crusade, I've wanted playable Ethereals. I don't care which faction or what classes, I just want to play an Ethereal. Heck, if all you could do with an ethereal character is walk around and emote, I would still roll one. I don't know why I'm so infatuated with them, but I pretty much like most things about them. Their design, their towns, the Consortium's debonaire way of operations.The other Burning Crusade race I want to play is an Arakkoa. Specifically an Arakkoa Priest or Paladin. I don't like the birdmen as much as the blinkymen, but I found myself incredibly intrigued by the few Light-following arakkoa scattered around. I wanted to learn more about them, but there wasn't anymore to learn, unfortunately.
Now that I'm in the Wrath of the Lich King Beta, my new fascination is the Vrykul. Aesthetically, they are by far the most awesome race in WoW, and they're steeped in Norse lore which is just awesome. Their women look like they could destroy me with their bare hands, and the men seem like they have enough hair customization options to put a player race to shame. If these became a player race, I would reroll so fast.
Do you guys have any races you would just love to see playable? I have a lot of friends that would adore the chance to play a Goblin but I couldn't do that personally. Not a fan of Goblins. Are you after something a little more 'out there' like Nerubians? Are you a fan of a race from another setting that you'd love to be added to WoW?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Jeremy Sep 7th 2008 8:07AM
I wanted to play a furbolg, and I did, using Dartol's Rod of Transformation. The costume is removed when you get hit, but as a hunter, that was at least avoidable.
Sirg Sep 7th 2008 9:44AM
Yes me too, I like the furbolgs. Ethereals is a 2nd choice, and a 3rd would be goblin. None said anything about ogres? :O
trogdor7 Sep 7th 2008 12:16PM
I'm still holding out for Worgen.
Cowy Sep 7th 2008 4:21PM
I also would love to see Furbolg
(and Pandaren, goblin, gnoll, and Kobold).
Blizzard really left the original world (pre-bc) rather unprofessionally unfinished for Furbolg. There's the Timbermaw fortress (I forget the actual name) in Azshara that has no entrance. Additionally in Timbermaw hold, there is a passage way that is blocked off with a round tree stump end. On my hunter I moved my body so my pet was on the other side of the entrance and used eyes of the beast to see what was there.
The passage continues for about 1-2 feet before abruptly ending in a cutoff. (Poor pet did a freefall through the world). Its a unfinished passage for sure, not just a decoration.
This entrance would be very ideal as a continuation of Timbermaw hold. The "real" timbermaw hold. Not the silly passageway with a handful of furbolgs. (Timbermaw hold is the major city for Furbolgs, and the best they could create was a skimpy passageway? I don't think so Blizzard. It would be nice if you could work on this game your started, and finish some old-world content instead of saying "oh, you're just nostalgic. We want to focus on shiny new content")
Anyway, a starting area could easily be connected to Timbermaw hold via that passage. Have the passage connect to a major city, with exits that lead to huge underground cavernous starting areas... filled with cave creatures, mossy stone and lichen, stalactites, stalagmites... glowing underground lakes... etc.
The awesome factor would be very high.
spf Sep 7th 2008 8:07AM
vampire
Core Sep 7th 2008 8:11AM
I dunno really, i'd say i'm pretty content with the current races out there. If i had to pick one it'd probably be a werewolf race... and then kill off gnomes once and for all!
Baggins Sep 7th 2008 8:10AM
I'm gonna go ahead and second the ethereals. An ethereal rogue (In Zaxxis stalker style robes) would look awesome. Much Ninja-ness
Or a warlock in Zaxxis stalker robes would also look cool.
TheSloth Sep 7th 2008 8:12AM
Ethereal's and goblins. Both races could not be so great at combat but rather specialize in crafting. Maybe the way they level would be different.
magicswordking Sep 7th 2008 12:31PM
Problem is if you add new races you probably have to add a new faction. My idea was always have a neutral faction that can align with either Alliance or Horde depending on how they develop their relationships in the starting areas.
Ideally the faction would consist of:
Ethereals
Arakkoa
Goblins
Tuskarr (they're far cooler than the Vrykul, trust me)
and of course the Pandaren.
The idea for me would be that they'd have more powerful racial abilities, racial limitations, fewer classes, three total I'd think, but one unique class per race. They'd not have the ability to take on any hero classes, since they'd effectively have ones built in.
Friday_Knight Sep 7th 2008 10:06PM
Pandaren do no actually exist in the WoW lore. They are just a joke thrown in as silly hidden content.
Yeah I know there was one in WC3. It was a silly easter egg, not an actual part of the Warcraft setting.
Don't get me wrong. I'd be happy if they officially made Pandaren part of the lore. I like the flavor of the race and the pandas are some of my favorite heroes in DotA ("We bring PANDAMONIUUUUM!") but they are just not actually in the lore.
Super Guest Man 9000 Sep 8th 2008 2:29AM
Friday_Knight, Yeah not so much: http://www.wowwiki.com/Pandaren
They started out as a joke but now are a part of lore.
Mith Sep 7th 2008 8:12AM
Goblins or Naga
dan Sep 7th 2008 12:45PM
Also in the green and scaly camp: Drakonids.
Gurluas Sep 7th 2008 8:14AM
High Elves damnit, give me alliance High Elves so i can leave the horde for good without being forced to play an 'ugly' race.
ZakuraX Sep 7th 2008 10:52AM
The alliance sendt the blood elfs on a suicide mission, that is why they don't want to be in the alliance.
That there is alliance high elfs in Stormwind alone kind of goes against the lore
Dart Sep 7th 2008 12:17PM
As a devoted member of the Horde. We don't want you metro-elves either. Give the Alliance High Elves!
magicswordking Sep 7th 2008 12:21PM
It doesn't go against the lore, it is well known that the High Elves still exist and oppose the Blood Elves, and never joined them. They are noted for glowing blue eyes as opposed to green, which is Warcraft code for all things demonic.
There are significant contigents of High Elves in the Hinterlands, Loch Modan, Stormwind, and Theramore (at least as far as storyline goes, most Alliance-loyal high elves live in Theramore, they fled with Jaina instead of sticking around with Kael'thas Fancypants)
There is a High Elven faction in Wrath, The Silver Covenant, which is the Alliance-only Dalaran faction, they're militantly opposed to the Blood Elves and the rest of the Horde for that matter being allowed into Dalaran and the Kirin Tor at any level. Their leader is Veressa Windrunner, Sylvanas' elder sister (Alleria Windrunner is the eldest and alive, somewhere, with Turalyon).
ILikePvPbuthatePvPers Sep 7th 2008 4:47PM
Vereesa is a sucky ass character. I hope her big sister, Sylvanas, eats her brains.
Oh and please, these High Elves who remained Blood Elevs were citizens of other nations, so they don't know the hardship the Quel'Thalas High Elves (that became Blood Elves) have gone through.
Also some numbnuts from Theramore attacked a High Elven ship thinking they were Blood Elves hence why there's two High Elves near Ratchet that gives quests to Horde players.
magicswordking Sep 7th 2008 5:40PM
I think the point is, there are two distinct variants of highborne elves at this point, three if you count the Naga.
High Elves do not feed on other beings' magical energies to sate their addiction. They meditate or seek aid from the Night Elves, whose moonwells can "cure" them so long as they stay nearby.
Blood Elves use trapped demonic souls to power various magical constructs, will suck the essence out of anything to get a magical fix, and a few of them will absorb demon's blood because they're total crackelves at this point. At the beginning of BC, and it has been seen since, they have operated their city as something of a police state, evident from the minute you go through the gates. Demons hidden away in closets, gnomes in cages, more and more green glowing demon-crystals, brainwashing of the populace. That may be changing, though, with leadership entirely in the hands of the not-insane Lor'themar Theron, however.
So my point was that High elf != Blood Elf, to the guy who said it "went against the lore".
vakond Sep 7th 2008 8:27AM
My main reason to reroll warhammer is to play a goblin:)
Biggest fun evah!