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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast topic: Faction fanboyism
by Allison Robert 
Oct 25th 2009 at 8:00AM
These guys are, for lack of a better word, awesome. Their emotes are fantastic. They sell an evil penguin pet and a cool fishing item (the Mastercraft Kalu'ak Fishing Pole) that probably won't be replaced for the duration of the expansion. Their ships are giant turtles traveling along beautiful coastline with a vendor on board (seriously, riding these at night = an endless series of Kodak moments). They get my vote as the faction that immerses you most thoroughly in what they need and what they're doing to survive in an increasingly hostile Azeroth, and I'm wondering if, given Northrend's various difficulties, they might be convinced to seek warmer climes just so we don't have to give them up.
Agonizing rep grinds have plagued the game since classic, but the Tuskarr are such a well-realized bunch that even at exalted I love hanging around their villages. What's your favorite faction, and is there anything about them you'd like to see repeated with future reputation grinds?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Factions
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 5)
Piper Oct 25th 2009 12:02PM
I bet you are thinking of the _one_ fun daily, Bootarang. :) That was counterbalanced by the stinker quest for the Fel Glands. It is easy *now*, but in the Netherwing heyday, the Fel Gland quest had a crappy drop rate and was quite bugged when you went to feed the peons. The relics was another that was generally annoying and fairly bugged. The rest were forgettable.
Revanchist Oct 25th 2009 8:56AM
I may just be weird... But I actually enjoyed doing my Argent Tournament dailies to work for getting Exalted Grand Champion...
Definitely my favorite faction(s) is the Argent Dawn/Crusade. their tabards are awesome :P, their themes are awesome, and finally their instances all drop epics!
Who wouldn't enjoy that...? :)
Nari Oct 25th 2009 9:04AM
I've always had a soft spot for the Sholazar Basin factions. For me, they're chasing the Kalu'ak in terms of well-realised factions. They've got strong identities, well-distinguished yet interconnected. And they both have, in their own fashion, a sense of almost childish innocence about them.
Arcanalor Oct 25th 2009 9:16AM
To note... I seem to recall quest text somewhere stating that Tuskarr died mere days after leaving Northrend. I think it was those pirate quests in Howling Fjord.
On topic, I'm a bit of an Argent fan. Up until doing Battle at Light's Hope, I didn't have a single favorite. All that changed after. Its hard to not feel something when watching all the brave defenders struggle against the Scourge. Well, before Fordring blasts onto the scene and calls Arthas out. Its hard to NOT like a faction whose leader wields the Ashbringer, after all.
From a mechanics standpoint, I loathe rep grinds. Only two of my 80 characters have even gotten exalted with one of the dungeon reps.
Josin Oct 26th 2009 9:07AM
"Its hard to NOT like a faction whose leader wields the Ashbringer, after all."
Until he wastes countless labor hours and kills hundreds (thousands?) of would-be soldiers in a futile arena grounds that he had built on top of an ancient Nerubian kingdom. Good plan, Tirion.
bisquite9248 Oct 25th 2009 9:22AM
I want more sen jin like factions, (the trolls of the coast of STV) small isolated pockets of civilization striving to find thier own in a reforged vanilla wow.
intorachel Oct 26th 2009 7:47AM
I think you mean the Zandalar Tribe.
nosauz Oct 25th 2009 9:26AM
Really I felt like the Kaluak were a really petty race, their way to combat the wolvar was to kidnap their children revealing them to be ignorant and intolerant people. The dailies made me feel like they were just a bunch of simple people which I guess fits their aesthetic but to me the lack of "substance" makes me really sad because they had so much potential. Inuit/Native American lore is a very lore rich society linked in shamanism, but instead they capture the more "primitive" side of these cultures which is dissappointing.
I'd probably say one of my favorite factions would be the bronze dragon flight, specifically the keepers of time, their basically time police and dragons, how fucking awesome is that! It's like an elite squad of dragon enforcers doing back to the future time travel stuff which is just in my imo fun and qwerky, and who doesn't love cromie, though I'm confused if it's right for me to like "her" so much.
Irem Oct 25th 2009 9:51AM
They weren't kidnapping the children to "combat" them, but to ensure that the wolvar would survive if the adults were killed (I don't think they knew of any other tribes). It was supposed to be an ethical dilemma I think, the way a lot of stuff in Northrend is, but the Kalu'ak had their hearts in the right places.
Imawarriorbrah Oct 25th 2009 10:16AM
See, the Kalu'ak aren't kidnapping the children as an attack to the Wolvar race, they have realised that all life is precious and with the scourge destroying all forms of life all over Northrend they didn't want to see a more primitive form of life wiped out because they managed to evolve into a more sentient race yet.
So, ok they are playing god a bit by trying to change the very lifestyle and culture of a race, but they are only doing it to protect the Wolvarr from extinction.
But then again, these aren't pacifist hippies.
The Tuskarr are a race like any other who's very way of life has been threatened by the sudden emergence of the Vrykul (and their ancestor's ghosts popping up everywhere, see Howling Fjord quests) the dead themselves mobilising and attempting to end their way of life, and of course, the killing mist.
So all things considered, for a race that doesn't necessarily have to do anything but look out for themselves, them trying to save the lesser races of Northrend (the sea-cows, the Wolvarr etc.) is pretty damn noble.
Dreyja Oct 25th 2009 10:17AM
Yep, you kind of misunderstood that quest. They were actually working for the long-term good of both races. They are hoping for wolvar that can be raised without an irrational hatred of the Tuskar. They accept that they are part of the same world and don't hate them. That's pretty darn enlightened considering the wolvar just want to wipe them out.
More lubs for the Tuskar! ;)
PeeWee Oct 25th 2009 11:45AM
In short, L2R Quest Texts.
videvekartuspaan Oct 25th 2009 9:28AM
i have to say, the tuskarr are what made me love borean tundra. those guys are flippin awesome. And i love the Shatari skyguard and the kurenai, ive gotten to exalted with both( nether rays FTW)
Karilyn Oct 25th 2009 9:29AM
I am sad that the Tus'kar did not get more screentime during WotLK
The same for the Kvaldir. At least the Kvaldir got themselves a daily quest for the Argent Tournament.
I hope both races show up again in the Cataclysm.
splodesondeath Oct 25th 2009 9:57AM
There are slight problems for those two races about leaving Northrend though. As it was pointed out above, Tuskarr can't survive outside of Northrend's frigid climate. The Kvaldir on the other hand are basically always where there are Tuskarr (and always trying to kill them as well, cf. Hrothgar's Landing)
It is possible that cooling in a continent or another could have say, cause an avalanche in Winterspring which spread down into Azshara (a long fall if you ever flown from the two). Tuskarr and Kvaldir could "chill" at the north tip of the zone and fish or kill each other.
Draelan Oct 25th 2009 2:53PM
Actually, the Kvaldir seeming to only attack the Tuskar would appear the be mere coincidence. Most likely because the Tuskar are spread along the coasts.
There was a drop quest added 3.2.2 to the Kvaldir at Hrothgar's Landing called "Kvaldir Attack Plans". Essentially, it says that it's a map marking numerous major horde/alliance cities along the coasts of Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms as places for the Kvaldir to attack, and it says they will do it after consulting the "Heart of the Mists" which is a sort of scying gem in the cave on Hrothgar's Landing. You then have to steal the gem (to delay them) and return it to the Argent Tourny grounds. You're basically told that you probably delayed them long enough to warn the horde/alliance, but more than likely the attacks will still occur.
So, the Kvaldir can, and most likely WILL continue to be involved in the next expansion. (Afterall, why add a quest like this AFTER Hrothgar's Landing was introduced if it means absolutely nothing?) My guess would be that they'll either be part of the pre-Cataclysm event, and/or will be raiding coastal towns in the expansion itself.
(cutaia) Oct 26th 2009 11:07AM
Hey, if those crazy folks up in Netherstorm can find a way to grow lush jungles in that environment, why can't the Tuskarr make themselves a refrigerated winter wonderland in the middle of Stranglethorn for their quest hub? With waterslides and everything. :D
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Oct 25th 2009 9:33AM
I'd like to see rep grinds for rebel factions of Naga and Vrykul, or just annex them into the Horde/Alliance. IDC.
kololo Oct 25th 2009 9:35AM
Am I the only one who misses the consortium? I really enjoyed their rivalry with the Gonlins. Sure they were a bit to Sci Fi for WoW, but it was the best new race introduced in TBC. The lore was pretty interesting, and I really dug their names. They were sort of like Arab traders of old, mixed with space pirates.
Marcosius Oct 25th 2009 9:46AM
Consortium were an awesome bunch of ... "people". We can only hope they'll make a comeback in some remote part of Azeroth, as allies.