The Queue: It's just a game
by Adam Holisky 
Dec 2nd 2009 at 11:00AM
I might be wrong with this one, but I think World of Warcraft is just a game. I mean, it's something we all do in our spare time, and have fun with, right?
And it doesn't really matter, because at the end of the day everything is just pixels on the screen.
But maybe I'm off base here, and WoW isn't a game. Maybe it's real. What is real? Is there a spoon? I see dead people.
Retadinman asked...
"Why are draenei hated so much? The "lorelol" retcon wasn't really that big, but since my main character and posting avatar on the Forums (who are the same) are draenei, I get a lot of hate. Why is this?"
I think there's a legitimate academic discussion that can take place over the draenei retcon and the associated lore. Retcons are something that should typically be avoided, and Blizzard deservedly should take some flack for it. Of course, this is an ongoing tale, and it could be considered that the draenei are just another chapter in the book, that sort of thing. But, so go the arguments...
Now, the part about people giving you crap for rolling a space goat? They're just being immature and forgetting this is a game. There's a certain segment of the WoW community that gets all up in arms over their class and race, and take anything that's against them as a personal insult. It's just a game, we forget that all too often. Even though you're not personally insulting them by playing a draenei, they take your very presence as a problem, particularly in lore discussions. My advice? Ignore them.
RogueJedi asked...
"Why hasn't Blizzard shut down any more gold sites?"
We don't know, first of all. Secondly, Blizzard has gotten sites shut down in the past, but we don't know under what pretenses they were shut down, and any speculation we throw out there would be potentially slanderous, so we want to avoid that.
Remember that Blizzard's ToS, which says gold selling and buying is against the rules, is not the law. For a site to be forced to close, it has to be against the law civially or criminally. We don't know the specific situations in relation to the law, and we likely will never know, so it's best just to not say anything we don't know much about.
And everyone who says that Blizzard takes a cut from the gold selling sites is lying, there has never been any evidence of that, and any suggestion otherwise is proposterous.
Hyacinthe asked...
"Is Blizzard seriously not planning to itemize things for bear tanks?"
Because the druid kit does not rely on the defense stat and takes much from core and universal stats such as agility, stamina, and armor, there does not need to be gear specifically tuned to druid tanks (although there is some). Instead, druid tanks roll with rogues and cats. This isn't a bad situation, and is about equal with the other classes. Warlocks, mages, and shadow priests roll together (more or less). DPS paladins, warriors, and death knights roll together (more or less). Plate tanks roll together (more or less). And healers... well... healers are just nuts and roll on anything that they need -- same with hunters.
Remember, it's not about the gear, it's about the way your class interfaces with the gear.
Alex started the discussion...
What's your favorite WoW site, besides WoW.com?
Like Alex, I visit a ton of sites every day, and have several hundred in my RSS reader. On a daily basis I find myself visiting MMO-Champion, WoWWiki, and Wowhead. There are about 30 or so that I'll visit once a week, and another 50 that I'll frequent at least a few times a month. I'm working on a very large list of WoW resources for everyone, and that should be posted in the next couple days.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW.com crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column! Leave your questions in the comments and we'll do our best to answer 'em!Filed under: The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Kragragh Dec 2nd 2009 11:09AM
Heroic Presence is a good reason alone to play a Draenei, and the nice starting area. I think I'm still wearing my Tabard of the Hand at 63. (Until I can get the Illidari one)
But they could have done a better job with that retcon. Hell, even dressing it up with time travel or something. Another dimension. Something. It does kinda suck to just plop it in. It reeks of uncreativity.
robert Dec 2nd 2009 11:20AM
\__|
traptinacivicsi Dec 2nd 2009 11:25AM
From what I understand, the only real retcon was the start of their story and that with Sargeras.
Draenei were the race that corrupted sargeras was the old story, and now they are just the first and most powerful race that he came across when he was making the legion.
Why can't we just chalk it up as 'that's all that we knew then, and since Kil'jaeden and Archimode have shown up and talked to whoever, we now know that it is the way it is now."?
I happen to love the draenei lore :)
loop_not_defined Dec 2nd 2009 11:30AM
I don't understand how time travel or alternate dimensions are more creative...
Rhabella Dec 2nd 2009 11:36AM
"I don't understand how time travel or alternate dimensions are more creative..."
If it works for Captian Kirk and JJ Abrams, it can work for Blizzard. :)
Cyanea Dec 2nd 2009 11:36AM
What Traptin said. I never saw a problem with the Draenei, and don't think they're LOLore. You think that a medieval-ish society that barely understands space/time knows the complete through-and-through history of a foe they just started fighting relatively recently (compared to how long the Legion's actually been around)? We didn't know about the Draenei until now because they've been hiding until now.
Karilyn Dec 2nd 2009 11:37AM
It really makes me wonder why Blizzard bothered reconning that at all.
Here's a brief example of how the story could have been written without retconning:
There was a civil war among the Eredar. Archimonde and Kil'jaeden lead a faction which wanted to expand the Eredar power, while Velen's faction was a decenter group who fought back against them, believing it was not the right of the Eredar race to subjigate other races.
Archimonde and Kil'jaeden's faction won the war, and went on to conquer worlds unhindered by the rest of their race. They corrupt Sargerus and found the Burning Legion like existing lore said.
Velen's Faction lost the war, and the surviving remnants went into hiding, fleeing across the twisting nether, and renaming themselves the Draenai.
Jabadabadana Dec 2nd 2009 11:38AM
The Draenei were some race of crappy little weak farmers, 1 of various races on Draenor that got massacred by the orcs on their way to dominating their own planet.
They come back in WC3 as some bitter, old, wheezing bunch of insurgents who don't even really have a horde to fight anymore.
In WoW they come in as actually being the same thing as the demonic Eredar, space travelers, and paladins.
WC1 - WC3 makes some sense...
WoW lore was just a wtf moment.
loop_not_defined Dec 2nd 2009 11:45AM
"It really makes me wonder why Blizzard bothered reconning that at all.
Here's a brief example of how the story could have been written without retconning:
There was a civil war among the Eredar. Archimonde and Kil'jaeden lead a faction which wanted to expand the Eredar power, while Velen's faction was a decenter group who fought back against them, believing it was not the right of the Eredar race to subjigate other races.
Archimonde and Kil'jaeden's faction won the war, and went on to conquer worlds unhindered by the rest of their race. They corrupt Sargerus and found the Burning Legion like existing lore said.
Velen's Faction lost the war, and the surviving remnants went into hiding, fleeing across the twisting nether, and renaming themselves the Draenai."
Ummmm....I'm almost certain that the example you gave *IS* the official lore. Were you being sarcastic? I think I'm missing something...
loop_not_defined Dec 2nd 2009 11:50AM
Oops, missed a few points:
The main difference between your version and official:
*Sargeras found Eredar, instead of Eredar finding Sargeras. (this is the only admitted retcon)
*Velen's Eredar didn't war with Sargeras' Eredar. He saw where things were going, so they packed up and left.
kabshiel Dec 2nd 2009 1:08PM
The Sargeras retcon wasn't a huge deal for me. What was a big deal was changing the Draenei from stealthy, shamanistic, potato people into friendly demon paladins. But Burning Crusade was just one big lollore after another.
VioletPheonix Dec 2nd 2009 1:35PM
"It really makes me wonder why Blizzard bothered reconning that at all.
The wowwiki has a link to a metzen post where he basically said the Retcon was an accident. They didn't set out to do it, he just messed up pretty bad.
Killchrono Dec 2nd 2009 10:59PM
I never got the people who were up in arms about the whole Draenei retcon. All it did was change a small passage in the Warcraft 3 manual that had little to no bearing on anything that happened in the previous three games. Yes, I understand it was important to Sargeras' betrayal, but they still had the Nathreziem as a corrupting influence, and I'm sure they'll create any number of new demonic races to help explain his corruption. The point is though that it ultimately wasn't important. Heck, Metzen admitted he FORGOT writing that passage, which is why he made the mistake in the first place. That's how miniscule it was in the greater scheme of WoW lore.
Personally I think the new version of the Draenei/Eredar story is better. But then again, I'm one of the few people who liked a lot of the lore in TBC, so I might just be an oddity on that one.
Chris Dec 2nd 2009 11:09AM
I havent done any playing on the PRT, is there going to be FP to the Icecrown citadel instances?
Neuropox Dec 2nd 2009 1:30PM
Nope. Only way is to jump on your mount and fly over. Closest FP is Crusaders peak or that one near the Scarlet city.
Wolftech Dec 2nd 2009 2:21PM
I think Dalaran might be a bit closer :)
Jason Dec 2nd 2009 3:26PM
Why did this get downrated? Sure, it's not the most elegant question, but it's a legit one.
wow Dec 2nd 2009 11:12AM
I would say it certainly is a game, but not "JUST" a game.
Is the bible "JUST" a book?
Is Mountain Dew "JUST a drink?
Yes, and no.
I leave you with this... "Live every week, like its Shark Week"
-Tracy Jordan
Holgar Dec 2nd 2009 11:17AM
Depends on your point of view, I think mountian dew is just a drink myself.
Sky Dec 2nd 2009 11:20AM
A lot of people are addicted to WoW (myself included) but at the end of the day its still JUST a game.
A lot of people revere the bible but at the end of the day its JUST another book.
A lot of people (myself included) crave for mountain dew every day but at the end of the day, its JUST another drink.
And yes, that hot girl in your class is JUST another girl, she takes a dump just like the rest of us