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by Allison Robert 
Jan 18th 2009 at 11:00AM
Even if you're not a roleplayer, the guides are fascinating. They're well-written, thoroughly researched, and a supremely entertaining (and sometimes funny) guide to the mindset of each race. The guides also give some background into how each race arrived at the perspective that it did, and points out that there are several race combinations (notably Tauren/Gnome and Troll/Draenei) who really know very little about each other, and must rely on the often-biased opinions of their faction colleagues. And even beyond that, it keeps digging into the shifting nature of politics within each faction: why are the Forsaken and the Blood Elves on shakier ideological territory with each other now? Why are the Night Elves so standoffish with the Alliance as a whole, and why do the Humans in particular react badly?
I honestly can't say enough good things about these guides. No, they're not official lore, and there's necessarily some conjecture based on game mechanics and vague ingame hints concerning what's going on, but they seem pretty damn accurate to me. If you're in any way interested in Warcraft's lore, or in understanding why certain things in the game work the way they do, the full list of guides is here.
If you're interested in roleplaying your race and class in-game, check out our own series of guides, All The World's A Stage.
Filed under: Horde, Alliance, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Lore, RP, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Sean Riley Jan 18th 2009 8:38PM
Heya,
I have to disagree with mages. The devastation of the Burning Legion was epic, while mages (like Jaina Proudmore) were a big part of the solution. I think most races draw a big firm line in the sand. (The Night Elves are an exception to the rule.)
As for SI:7... totally! They're both, at the same time. :) Have you ever watched season 1 Spooks? I think that's what they should be like. They're good guys. They defend the realm... even when the means to doing so is morally suspect.
And for the Forsaken? Yes. Human feelings toward the Forsaken... at least for those who know the full story behind them... should be pretty darn complex.
gearwhizz Jan 18th 2009 9:15PM
Mages have a pretty bad track record - Illidan, Medivh, Kel'Thuzad and Kael'thas have all done some pretty nasty things in their time.
nappassj2 Jan 23rd 2009 8:38AM
I dont know if this is the same guide Wowinsider pointed me to earlyer, but i dont really think you should promote it. Ok i've only started with the Troll issue with both, since I saw that as a real test.
The entire section on that basically stems from his initial statement of trolls being a tribal brotherhood, and you could guess what he'd have to say about each just by applying that mentality to each situation
an example of the wrong way of thinking would he his interpretation of their relationship with Orcs and Tauren. From everything i've read Trolls are deeply spiritual, even those who are not Witchdoctars and Shaman. Even a troll who said he was taking the enemies skull for a trophie, is doing so because its common practice since trolls have been doing that to keep vengful spirits from getting revenge for...well for millinia no doupt.
The Darkspear where weaker than their cousins in Stranglethorn and thus where lower class and abused. Like most trolls many of their lifestyle choices of the past was through necessity. Spirits of the dead going to come back and kill you? Take their heads and shrink em. Need food, eat whats edible even if it talks. Thats one of the main reasons Trolls have had any conflict with their neighbors besides territory issues (such as the Forest troll's issue with the High elves). Trolls where canibalistic because they where raised that way? Food is food, doesnt matter if it talks. And they see orcs' "Preachy" ways as a guide, to a better lifestyle.
If there is anything of theirs that conflicts with the Orc's and Tauren's Ideology its that they are still very spiritual (a troll warrior might secret a protective, if grizzly, artifact because he has been spiritual all his life, and even if his new friends say its barbaric, its not just something he can cast off). And any conflict with the tauren is just an issue of being pragmatic.
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Heck, and I doupt that the Darkspear have had much issue with the Night elves till recent seeing as no one knew they existed until 5-6 years ago. The conflict with the High elves would probably extend to their distant cousins on the southern end of the continent but mostly as an "Us vs them". I mean they are on the otherside of the continent, besides a few explorers and later, maybe Highelf merchants from theramore(and more recent blood elf adventurers) the most Darkspear have probably seen or heard of the Elves before the Horde was a few stories from their cousins up north.
You Should just as soon confuse the Darkspear trolls (which are the only trolls in the horde) with the other tribes as you'd confuse...uh...Humans and Vrykul. Sure they are related... but blood is only so thick