All the World's a Stage: Plot points for worgen roleplayers
by Anne Stickney 
Aug 14th 2011 at 6:00PM
The worgen are the newest race to hit Alliance side, and though they are humans affected by a curse, they aren't exactly the same as your run-of-the-mill humans we've been playing since vanilla. Worgen roleplayers have a ton of information thrown at them during the starting levels, but after the fight is over and everyone's moved on, it seems as though there's not much in the way of excitement or roleplay potential.
That isn't necessarily the case. The main issue I have with worgen -- and to a degree, their Horde counterparts the goblins -- lies in the fact that you are inundated with so much information in those first few levels. The story moves at a frenetic pace, and unless you're paying close attention, it can quickly become an overwhelming experience. Despite the relative lull after the starting experience is over, there is plenty for worgen roleplayers to use, even at level 85.
The fall of Gilneas
What happened The highlight of the worgen starting experience is the conflict between the Forsaken and the citizens of Gilneas. This erupts into a violent war, and it's a war that the worgen lose. The last thing a worgen roleplayer does in the worgen starting area is leave his homeland, with doubts as to whether or not it will ever be recoverable.
How this affects your character Gilneas is a kingdom that exhibits and highlights introverts at their finest. The Greymane Wall wasn't built for protection so much as it was constructed to keep the rest of the world out of Gilneas. Gilnean citizens are generally proud of their city and their homeland -- and don't really care for the rest of the world. There are, of course, exceptions, but the loss of home has the potential to hit a character hard.
What to consider Was your character a supporter of Greymane? Did he love Gilneas with all his heart? How does he feel now that that home has been ripped away? Was it a crushing defeat? Is he upset that he doesn't really have a place to call home, or is he of the opinion that home happens to be wherever he is currently at?
The worgen curse
What happened This is a relative no-brainer. Citizens of Gilneas found themselves afflicted with the curse of the worgen, a disease that caused them to transform into beasts. The worgen starting experience details some of the struggle of coming to terms with the balance between man and beast, and players learn how to transform from human to worgen and back again at this point in time.
How this affects your character Despite the fact that this was resolved during the starting experience, it doesn't mean your character has to be 100% comfortable with his worgen side. This curse isn't just about a physical change; it's about that curious conflict between man and beast, the thinking, logical half of a human being, and the bestial, primal side -- the thinker versus the killer. It's a bizarre dichotomy that isn't really something you resolve in a day or two.
What to consider How does your character view the worgen curse? Is he ashamed or afraid of his bestial side, or does he embrace it? Does the thought of having to deal with this for the rest of his life depress him, or is he making the best of it? Does he treat it with utter seriousness, or does he try to make light of the situation in order to cope?
What happened Not only were the Gilneans affected by the worgen curse in the starting experience, it was also revealed that this was the fault of the night elves. The night elves assisted the Gilnean people with their efforts against the Forsaken, and when that proved futile, they took the Gilneans across the sea to Darnassus and provided them with shelter and a home. The night elves are a foreign sort of thing to a Gilnean -- they weren't really discovered or spoken to until well after the Greymane Wall was constructed. The same goes for the draenei; these guys are utterly alien to a Gilnean citizen.
How this affects your character There are a few different things to think about with this situation. First, it was the fault of the night elves. They were the reason the Gilneans were even afflicted with this curse -- however, they are doing the best they can to make up for it, even going so far as to offer the former Gilneans a home. Second and almost more importantly, it was the night elves who offered the Gilneans a home, not the humans of Stormwind and the Alliance. And then you've got your neighbors the draenei -- demonic-looking creatures who don't look like anything you've ever encountered in your life.
What to consider How does your character feel about the night elves? Is he bitter and angry at them for even bringing this curse about in the first place? Is he grateful for the assistance, or does he view it as too little, too late? How does he feel about being taken to Darnassus? Does he feel welcome in Darnassus, or does he feel pitied? How does he feel about the draenei? Is he curious about them or frightened of them?
What happened Touching on the above, it was the night elves who rescued the Gilneans, not the human portion of the Alliance. Worgen make their home of sorts in Darnassus, and Stormwind doesn't seem to have an open welcoming place within its walls, despite the worgen's being human at heart. There is no Gilnean district in Stormwind, and while that may be a design decision, it can just as easily be made into an opportunity for roleplay and character development.
How this affects your character As a Gilnean, your character has been essentially shut off from the rest of human civilization for the better part of 20 years, at the very least. Either he was a follower of Greymane and considered this a good thing, or he was of the same mindset as Darius Crowley and thought the idea of a wall ridiculous. Regardless of which way he looked at the situation, it has still been a very long time since anyone behind the Greymane Wall has seen another human, much less sat down and had a conversation with one.
What to consider How does your character feel about the Greymane Wall? How does he feel about the rest of human civilization? Does he feel alienated from the rest of human civilization? Does he trust other humans, or does he view them with the same kind of haughty disdain that brought about the construction of the Greymane Wall in the first place? Is he open to talking with non-Gilnean humans, or is he wary of them in general? Is he eager to see what parts of history he missed out on in his isolation, or is it something he simply doesn't view as important or particularly care about?
What happened The worgen have two major things working against them. First and foremost, there is the worgen curse, which obviously affected these humans in a profound way that sets them apart from the rest of the Alliance races, including the humans. The second is that because they are Gilnean, they aren't really known or trusted. Keep in mind, they built a wall closing off their kingdom from the rest of the world. It was an attitude of self-sufficient pride, and that self-sufficiency, that pride that sometimes borders on arrogance, was pretty much the downfall of the Gilnean nation. So it's not just the worgen curse that makes them different; it's the fact that they closed themselves off in the first place.
How this affects your character Your character may or may not be greeted with open arms by other roleplayers. He may be looked at in disgust or even fear in some situations. Even mentioning that he is Gilnean will probably earn him a stare or two -- and that worgen thing? That's going to get a lot of looks as well. Other races, be they human or Alliance in general, may treat your character with a wary uncertainty. On another level, there's a certain degree of culture shock that every Gilnean experiences. While they've been tucked behind that wall quietly going about their business, the world has gone on without them and made some serious strides.
What to consider So how does it feel to be an outcast on not one, but two different levels? Is your character comfortable with speaking with other races? Does he view this as an opportunity to finally see the world, or does he view it as being unwillingly dragged on an adventure he'd rather not have? How does he handle the culture shock? Is he curious about what has happened outside of the wall, or is he bewildered and confused by the sheer amount of history and events? Does he embrace learning, or does it simply frustrate him and make him angry?
That's the hardest part of roleplaying a worgen. You have to keep in mind that while you as a player know everything that's been going on in Azeroth, your worgen character has absolutely no idea. Every experience, every zone your character travels through while leveling, every person they speak to, every river, every tree, even the sky is something that is utterly new, strange, and completely foreign to that character. It can be delightful, it can be amazing, it can be stunning, it can be frightening -- the reactions are all up to you. And that makes for a uniquely entertaining roleplay experience.
All the World's a Stage is your source for roleplaying ideas, innovations and ironies. Let us help you imagine what it's like to sacrifice spells for the story, totally immerse yourself in your roleplaying or even RP on a non-RP realm!
Filed under: All the World's a Stage (Roleplaying)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris Aug 14th 2011 6:57PM
Lets not forget that to see a lot of the worgen lore you actually have to be horde. No bias from blizz here....
Leviathon Aug 14th 2011 7:14PM
Or buy a comic or the upcoming book.
zweitblom Aug 14th 2011 7:19PM
Ah yes, Blizz has it in for those Worgen. Or wait, wasn't it the Horde? Or the healers? Hunters too, and Paladins! To the ground, baby!
The way the story unfolds makes it just about impossible for Worgen players to witness it. Or what do you suggest - them sitting on the back of Sylvanas' horse? But hey - you didn't suggest anything, you actually just sprouted the age-old whine about Blizz 'being biased'. Keep watching the skies!
Professor Orc Aug 14th 2011 7:21PM
I don't think what happened with the Worgen storyline was what Blizz really intended. After finishing up the Worgen and moving on to the goblins they realized that the goblins could benefit from azshara as a 12-20 zone.
But since this wasn't originally planned Blizz did not have enough time to add an appropriate Worgen experience. To do so they would have had to rework the ending of the Worgen storyline.
Then you would have the issue of taking away the Forsaken 12-20 experience. To keep both Forsaken and Worgen storyline they would have to do something so different and would require such a large amount of work that other parts of the game would have suffered.
People often call Blizz lazy for not adding certain features, or being biased. But so few people have worked on a long-term creative project like a video game, movie, or novel. When doing those you have to balance quantity with quality and when you have a limited time frame your forced to not add in small things that take a lot of time so you can include large things that don't take as much time to do.
Whenever anyone finishes a creative project like this they are ALWAYS left with regrets. What if I did X instead of Y? Almost every artists would do a project over again if they could.
It was not a goal for Blizz to show slight bias to the Horde but because of developments they couldn't have foreseen it ended up turning out that way.
I am 100% certain that if they could go back to cata's development with what they knew now, they would find a way to balance the Worgen storyline with Horde storyline.
Sorry for the long rant :)
pritch66 Aug 14th 2011 7:24PM
Again with the horde bias, it’s like warcrafts 'race' card. The game is open and anyone, no matter what your mains' race is can create a char on the opposite side of the conflict. If you or anyone *really* wants to see any lore point that cata has brought with it you can. It is incredibly easy to start a fresh Forsaken and level it past all these said Worgen lore points in one afternoon.. I almost accept the horde bias argument when it comes to racials and actual game-altering stuff (not that any racial is a frikkin burden on a half competent player) but pulling that old chestnut out for lore seen whilst questing? Too far man, too far...
Wolfrunner Aug 14th 2011 7:29PM
Professor, I mostly agree, except that in the current state of the story, as best as we can divine, the worgen actually reclaim Gilneas and have a very strong hold on it. However, there is almost no way for someone who has not done the Forsaken questlines to know this. Blizzard could have, at the least, put in a quest, or have a letter sent to all worgen players, or something else, relatively quick and simple, to give them that information.
Imagine playing as a human, doing quests that state Stormwind is burnt down to the ground and then moving on, while in the actual current story, Stormwind has been rebuilt and is holding against a Horde seige. You as a human never get to learn that your capitol city, that your home, has been reclaimed. If you go back, you still see Horde banners in the streets and you still see the ashes. However, if you play an orc, you learn that a massive army is camped in those ashes and that Stormwind is being reconstructed. This is what worgen roleplayers go through. Exactly this.
So, I agree that Blizzard is not lazy. I believe some of there devs are a little biased, but that that's not the reason. But I also believe the current state is unacceptable, is deceiving, and ought to be rectified quickly.
Chris Aug 14th 2011 9:05PM
Perhaps professor but the experience of Starting a NE running through the barrens, then to either STV or Dustwallow marsh and grave walking to the other alliance territories is still fresh in my mind. It's just a consistent pattern. /end rant
Amaxe Aug 14th 2011 10:10PM
@pritch
Overemphasis on one side in questing does lead one to think that Blizz has more interest with one side than another.
Seems like since TBC onward (with Thrall's Grandmother) there have been some heavy storylines very well done for the Horde and neutral hubs while the Alliance storylines seem to be lacking. I think the last good one we had was the "Missing Diplomat" quest from Vanilla before they brought Varian back.
Also, how many of the important figures in the game are Horde? How many of the important Alliance figures are merely important because of what they do in relation to the Horde?
Most of the Alliance race NPCs who are important are actually members of neutral factions after all (Cenarions, Earthen Ring, Argent Crusade).
Now that doesn't mean Blizz doesn't try to balance the races and classes. But the emphasis on the Horde side does leave us on the Alliance side feeling like we're an afterthought to the game.
Wouldn't it be a switch if the salvation of the world depended on a major character of the Alliance for once?
loop_not_defined Aug 14th 2011 10:15PM
The problem with divulging all story elements equally to both sides is a matter of exposition. Doing so often leaves your readers/players feeling as though the story was ham-fisted to meet arbitrary measures of "equality". Really, a good story doesn't try to meet numerous metrics because it will almost *always* sacrifice quality in order to do so.
loop_not_defined Aug 14th 2011 10:31PM
Amaxe, posts like yours just convinces me further how much bias plays into player perceptions. WotLK involved Alliance lore heavily, yet specifics are often dismissed as "they don't count", yet these same people are quick to point out how significant Thrall is in Cataclysm - despite the fact he's been neutral for it's entirety.
If you're going to use the "neutral" argument for one case, you have to use it for all cases. Yes, including Arthas, Tirion, Bolvar, and the formerly-Alliance city we all shared for an entire expansion: Dalaran.
The Horde had very little to do with WotLK, outside of Sylvanas' storyline (matched by Jaina), Garrosh's moments (matched by Varian), and Dranosh (overshadowed by Bolvar). Really, the most interesting thing for the Horde in Northrend was the Taunka, who played an incredibly small role. Even the entire troll zone and dungeons had nothing to do with the Horde.
Philster043 Aug 15th 2011 12:51AM
@Professor - you are probably right about Blizzard just not having the foresight and time to balance out the Worgen experience with the Goblin experience, but this:
"Then you would have the issue of taking away the Forsaken 12-20 experience. To keep both Forsaken and Worgen storyline they would have to do something so different and would require such a large amount of work that other parts of the game would have suffered. "
Having done both the Forsaken and Worgen experience, I could easily tell you HOW to include the Worgen in the later part of the story and I think it could have been easily incorporated, given a little time.
For the Forsaken, they phased in and included a small hub and a few quests for the Forsaken within Gilneas itself.
Elsewhere, we should have gotten much the same thing for the Worgen (the Blackwald, perhaps) with a few "invasion quests" of our own into Silverpine Forest (perhaps before we were forced to retreat to Darnassus). This way we would have been able to accompany Crowley while he was making alliances with Ivar among others and seen the other half of the whole story.
In fact, it would only be a few more quests after the starting zone experience and should have been included.
Within Darnassus/Teldrassil I would have liked to see a few Worgen quests there as well that was completely removed from the Night Elf starting experience. An expansion of the area wouldn't have hurt - after all it is a big tree! Just as we got Rut'theran Village at the base of the tree, we could have had another new spot elsewhere where the Worgen would become more familiar with where they were - or perhaps a new area north of the Howling Bark.
Within Darkshore they SHOULD have had more unique Worgen "experiences" just as the Goblins did in Azshara. Probably shouldn't have had so much of the Cataclysm effect as we should just have had the worgen getting more familiar with the area, and potentially rejuvenating what used to be a very boring zone into something more unique.
There's so much Blizzard could have done in this retrospect for the Worgen race it is pretty frustrating. Yes, they might not have had the foresight or time, but they should have had more of a plan all along.
Murdertime Aug 15th 2011 2:00AM
The issue is you start looking for imbalances along those lines, you basically decide it based your own biases.
I mean, the the Onyxia attunement quests clearly meant that Blizzard favours the Alliance but the Thrall story in Nagrand clearly means they favour the Horde but the whole lack of resoultion to the Forsaken storylines clearly means they favour the alliance while the lack of an ending to the Worgen storyline alliance side clearly means they favour the Horde and so on.
Shinae Aug 15th 2011 10:19AM
I never get why anyone accuses Blizzard's devs of faction bias, in either case. Both factions are their creation! They stand to benefit the most by getting players interested in BOTH sides. Thier "bias" is to have players keep playing and paying their subscription, and one of the ways to do that is to inspire players to spend more time by questing on both sides.
@Chris
Not knowing about the boat out of Darkshore (pre-Cata) was your own fault.
Amaxe Aug 15th 2011 5:10PM
@Loop
With all due respect, you clearly don't understand what I am talking about.
I've played WOLK both as Alliance and Horde (can you say the same?) and I was **MUCH** more impressed with the Horde storyline than the Alliance storyline.
The whole thing about the growing popularity of Garrosh and Saurfang's misgivings about how his success led to people overlooking his atrocities for example. The incidents in Grizzly Hills further showed this battle for the soul of the Horde.
How it culminated in Icecrown with the cowardly attack from behind against Alliance forces was very good.
Add in how the Taunka seemed to be exploited by Horde recruiters and how the Forsaken were looking at the other Horde races with contempt...
This all spelled an outstanding story... which the Alliance had no counterpart for. (The Alliance story seemed patchwork in comparison)
For the Horde, Wrathgate was a culmination of various threads and foreshadowing.
For the Alliance, we had something that was clearly written for the Horde to which we were given a sub par involvement.
I stand by my statement.
Amaxe Aug 15th 2011 5:12PM
"If you're going to use the "neutral" argument for one case, you have to use it for all cases. Yes, including Arthas, Tirion, Bolvar, and the formerly-Alliance city we all shared for an entire expansion: Dalaran"
Exactly my point by the way.
You invoked Thrall and created a straw man. I actually had ALL of them in mind.
kulthero Aug 14th 2011 7:19PM
Did the worgen lose? After playing the forsaken stuff, it seems like a stalemate at worst, and it looked a lot like the Gilneans had pushed into Silverpine and recruited new worgen.
Professor Orc Aug 14th 2011 7:23PM
The war isn't over, but the Worgen have lost a lot of ground. The Forsaken did regain control of Gilneas but the Worgen did not lose the city in a bloody battle, they instead did a strategic retreat.
jordan Aug 15th 2011 2:28AM
Yes, the Forsaken did lose to the Worgen counterattack shown in the forsaken starting zone and Gilneas is under control of the of the Gilneans again. The battle of Gilneas is about Horde troops trying to invade while the Alliance are already there and trying to repel the Horde war machine.
Wolfrunner Aug 14th 2011 7:21PM
There is an error here. According to the undead questlines, the worgen and the Seventh Legion have reclaimed Gilneas. When the questlines end, the undead have no pressence left in the nation, and an army of worgen and 7th Legion remain. So, the worgen actually still do have Gilneas, despite what their own questlines state. Yes, it's annoying and misleading, but I had a very long conversation with an excellent worgen role player who showed me that Gilneas is very strongly under Alliance control, dispite appearances.
Professor Orc Aug 14th 2011 7:27PM
At the end of the Worgen starter experience the Alliance do reclaim Gilneas.
However their hold on it is tenuous and it isn't secure enough for Gilnean citizens to re-populate it. Then at the end of the Forsaken 12-20 experience the Worgen lose the city completely.