The Best Cities for Cross Faction Guilds

Since the announcement of cross-faction guilds in 10.1, I’ve seen a lot of people request the ability to hang out in the opposite faction’s capital cities. There are some practical quality-of-life benefits that allowing cross faction characters to hang out in each other cities would allow, and the game is always in need for more role-play features. On top of that, the term “World Revamp” has been tossed around a lot lately, and most capital cities are showing their age. Going from Valdrakken to Stormwind is quite a contrast.

Let’s assume some cities get updated; if one Alliance, then also one Horde. Which cities would work best for incorporating cross-faction guilds?

Orgrimmar and Stormwind
(but, no not really)

Orgrimmar was updated in Cataclysm, and I really like the aesthetic they went with. I like it more than the “Flintstones” vibe the old city had. Stormwind has not been as lucky, except that some updates that really feel shoehorned in.

I think these are the worst possible picks for allowing cross faction characters to hang out. They are iconic to their faction and should stay that way. Capital city PvP raids should still be possible, and they would be too easy if you could congregate in the city before they start. These two do not get my vote.

Dalaran
(for the last time)

Dalaran already exists as what we’re going for. It would be good for Dalaran to get tied down geographically. Make it an evergreen place. The city has strong Sigil from Forgotten Realms vibes. The “City of Portals” idea could really be leaned in to. The portal rooms in each of the capital cities could send you to Dalaran, then you could portal to anywhere else from there. If the portals were scattered around the city we would see players running every which way all the time. It would be a city that always felt full and alive. It could function as a permanent secondary hub for each expansion.

Darnassus and Undercity
(or whatever ends up replacing them)

There are a lot of racial capital cities that are occupied by hostile forces or destroyed entirely. There is a lot of demand for these capitals to return. It’s easy to see Blizzard moving these two up the list to bring back.

Given the events that destroyed each of these cities, I don’t see them as being very tolerant of having the other faction just hanging out.

Theramoore
(rebuilt with purpose)

With the new shift towards peace, the Horde could make a good will gesture by rebuilding Theramore, and ‘gifting’ it back to the Alliance. While in reality, it would like what Theramore was like once upon a time for Jaina and Thrall. It could be the place to go for Alliance/Horde relations. It would be even more meaningful now. Theramore could represent the peace between the factions surviving in spite of individuals that want to rip them apart.

Ironforge and Thunder Bluff
(new purpose for forgotten cities)

I don’t think there is much room, or need to update these cities. They feel very ‘remote’ and out of the way. Thunder Bluff especially would feel strange packed full of people. Ironforge was designed to be the central city of the Alliance, and while it needs some aesthetic touch-ups, it’s really fine.

These seem like the most boring choices to me.

The Crossroads and Menethil Harbor
(central hubs)

These cities are both geographically central to their continents. They are both small now, but with plenty of room to be built in to anything. These would also have strong Horde/Alliance flare, without being a single races’ capital. If single faction flavor doesn’t work, Night elf and Draenei buildings could be added to the peripheral of Crossroads and Menethil Harbor could get some Undercity and Quel’thalas architecture. Both cities could probably use new names though. Rename the Crossroads after Cairne and Menethil Harbor after Lothar.

The Echo Isles and Gnomeregan (real cities at last)

Echo Isles and Gnomeregan
(real cities at last)

These cities are voids. Both were updated in Cataclysm, but they are still just starting zones. Gnomes and trolls are on the chill side of things with faction conflict. The Darkspear lost their home to Naga, and the Reganic gnomes lost their home to internal conflicts. Neither has had their home or civilization decimated by the other faction.

They offer radically different aesthetics. If they are set-up to be cross faction friendly, guilds could hang out in whichever one suited them best. Echo Isle obviously has plenty of coastline to expand to, and new islands could be added to increase the size. Gnomeregan is… sort of on the coast as. The mountain it’s under is on the coast, they just is not an opening to the sea that we know of). A new entrance on the west side of the mountain would open right on the coastline. Maybe we could get submarines to ferry us around!

Booty Bay, Ratchet, Gadgetzan, and Winterspring
(so many options)

These are all well established cities that are already neutral in game. Right now they are small town quest hubs, but they could be expanded into so much more.

Booty Bay – If only two of these cities were updated, Booty Bay has to be one of them simply because it’s the only one in the Eastern Kingdoms. The topography around Booty Bay does not leave much room for expansion… on land, but imagine the bay packed with boats representing every faction, race, class, profession, and service crammed in so tightly that you can walk from boat to boat with no issue.

Ratchet – The direct shipping lane from Booty Bay makes Ratchet a natural choice to complement a Booty Bay upgrade. The two cities could function as one mega-city. The boats back and forth would always be full! There is a lot of room in the barrens for expansion. Gazlowe founded Ratchet, and is the new Trade Price of the Bilgewater Cartel. I could see him using his new expanded resource base to invest in the infrastructure of the city he build. Come to think of it, that’s a strong argument for making Ratchet a Horde city. Maybe make Rachet the Goblin Capital and do something else with Bildgewater Harbor…

Gadgetzan – The fan favorite. Ever since the “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan” Hearthstone expansion, players have been fantasizing about what that would look like in WoW. This city already feels the most neutral. There is a ton of room in the Tarnaris desert for it to expand into. Honestly, if everything else in Tarnaris was removed and the city was expanded to fill the entire zone nothing of value would be lost. (The Bronze Dragonflight would need a respectful buffer, and the city could subsume Zul’Farrak)

Winterspring – This city just doesn’t have much going for it right now, but that might work in it’s favor if we’re looking to do a big update. The most interesting thing around are the Furbolgs, which could be very interesting now that we can learn to speak the Furbolg language (Ursine). This city would work especially well if Furbolgs became an allied race.

Bildgewater Harbor and Gilneas
(nice, but underutilized)

Not really on even footing. Bildgewater is already a functioning city, and Gilneas is not. I honestly don’t like Bildgewater Harbor. It’s too close to Orgrimmar and just feel like it’s part of that city. If it expanded at all, they would end up merging in to one super city, which could be cool. With Gazlowe as Trade Prince, I would rather see him expand Ratchet, and this can just become Orgrimmar’s harbor.

Gilneas is done. The whole city is there and it looks great! It needs a scenario where we retake it, and then it needs to actually be re-took (ಠ_ಠ Gnomeregan). Gilneas is another city I see having too much animosity to the Horde to allow them to wander around casually.

Dark Portal and Nordrassil
(significance)

These places are the scenes of two of the most formative events in Azeroth’s history. Putting large settlements around them makes a lot of sense from an out of character perspective more than anything. Narratively, it would work to center our adventures around these monuments that are the impetus for many of those adventures.

No to Netherguard Keep though. I would not want to see the existing settlements in the area upgraded. A new settlement with the object as a center piece (not literally ‘center’. please no more circle cities) is what I would like to see.

Silvermoon and Exodar
(but mostly Silvermoon)

Exodar because it needs to be added to the old world and Draenei are forgiving. Done. Next.

Let’s be real, Silvermoon is THE BEST choice. Honestly It would be alone on this list, but one faction “losing” a city would not be well received.

First, Silvermoon is huge and has a ton of viable unused space. There are ruins next to it that could be repaired and the entire coast north of the city is empty. The size of Silvermoon could be doubled, tripled, quadrupled possibly more without removing anything needed for the Blood Elf starting experience.

Second, the players have spoken, and high elves are back. The variety of elves would give the redesigned city a multitude of styles, and a complex political climate. Visually distinct districts for Blood Elves, and High Elves, and Nighborne, and Silver Covenant, _and Illidari, ^AND Shen’dralar are all possible. Of course, we can’t forget the Dark Rangers, Banshees, Darkfallen, & San’layn. They would open up an excellent opportunity to incorporate forsaken/scourge/nerubian style in to the city. Despite the TEN groups I just named, elves branch out even further into strange and obscure ways. Area’s could be set aside for wretched and withered on the outskirts of the city, or in a magic hospital/rehabilitation facility. Felblood and Felborne could be found hiding themselves in the warlock district. The city could even sport a dungeon with satyrs, naga, fal’dorei, and who know what else like the Stockades or Ragefire Chasm.

There are so many splinter factions of elves with a recent shared history and Blizzard should take full advantage.

Playing Tyr’s Advocate, Plus You Are All Burying the Lede!

#Spoilers

Some new lore dropped with the pre-patch testing for Dragonflight. Community reaction seems to be mostly negative.

So what was this new lore?

We learned that Yogg-Saron contaminated a well of ‘living waters’. Galakrond drank the corrupted water and was transformed in to a giant rampaging monster. Watcher Tyr was tasked with building a facility to remove whatever Yogg-Saron put in the water. The purification of the water will be achieved buy infusing it with arcane energy. This will affect the dragons, but in ways that Tyr thinks will be advantageous to the Titans’ goals.

It looks like most people have read this as “Tyr poisoned the water to brainwash all dragons into servitude.” That seems like an extremely uncharitable interpretation that casts the events in as negative light as possible.

There are some things to consider.

1. This is a letter from Tyr trying to convince other keepers that the dragons aspects will be good allies. He may playing up the effects of magic in order to make his argument stronger.
2. We are not shown any kind of alternatives. This might be the only way to fix what’s happening, or the only way Tyr knows of.
3. Tyr intent is clearly to help the dragons. He’s clearly already developed a fondness for dragons, and is doing this to help them.
4. The dragon aspects were alive when this happened. They know about it, and have free will. They could be reversing the effects if they wanted to, but clearly they are not.
5. Look at the results. What Yogg-Saron did created Galakrond, what Tyr did created the Dragon Aspects. It’s hard to find fault with that.

But let’s assume that the worst is true. Tyr was trying to brainwash and enslave all of dragon kind. That could the start of a decent story. We could follow Tyr as he becomes disillusioned with the vision of the Titans, grows closer to mortal races, and realizes he’s made a terrible mistake. Tyr has a reputation as one of the most noble and honorable characters in Warcraft history. Atoning for past mistakes might be part of the motivation behind the Tyr we are more familiar with. Maybe Tyr’s turned away from arcane magic and towards the light, because it could be used to empower mortals and keep their sense of self. Paladins would be Tyr’s new Dragon Aspects, but better.

From a writers perspective, I think that this information is only meant to flesh out the details of what happened when the aspects were created. I don’t think Tyr is being recast as an evil or even morally gray character. I think the writers see this as Tyr doing the right thing, or at the very least what he had to.

I think the reaction to Tyr’s actions creating the dragon aspects is completely overshadowing what we’re supposed to be picking up form this new lore.

We’re being told there is a back-up of Tyr’s memories in the same expansion that we’re being introduced to Sindragosa’s simulacrum. If we do not get a Tyr simulacrum before 11.0, I will be shocked. In fact, given what we know about Mimiron, we might just be brining Tyr back to life entirely.

In the end, I expect we’ll get a “Tyr is a good guy, he had no alternatives” statement from the writing team, and whole thing will be treated as Tyr doing the right and noble thing, saving the dragons. Which is almost a shame, because I think atoning for a past sin would make him a more interesting character.

At any rate, we can just ask him what he was thinking when we bring him back in 10.3.

Note: I stole all these images from Twitter.

There's a book in the new Uldaman dungeon, this gives us the answer to what caused Galakrond fairly flat out lol, and the answer to one of the currently unknown titan facilities.

Also titans put chemicals in the water that turned the dragons gay pic.twitter.com/Pr45guffA2

— Portergauge 🏳️‍🌈 (@Portergauge) October 14, 2022

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Hear Me Out: Race Squish

The character creation screen is getting a little crowded.

The allied races were something that I personally wanted for a long time. What we ended up getting was not exactly what I had hoped for. To me, the dark ranger customizations are perfect. I like the story quests to explain the new options, and I like that the customizations can be applied to existing characters.

I am starting to hope that we might see a ‘race squish’ someday where allied race are rolled in to their parent race as extra customizations options. They can still be locked behind achievements, but let us apply the fun new things we’ve unlocked to our existing characters.

There would be some complications. Kul Tiran Humans are very different than Stormwind Humans, but now that we have body type as an option instead of gender, they should be no problem. A race squish would make racial abilities a little complicated. I do not think that dumping all the existing racial abilities on the the combined race makes sense, but I think that with Dragonflight, we are getting rid of a system that could be recycled as a good solution. The talent structure that is going away is very limited in how many options you have, and how many you can have active. Those limitations would fit racial abilities very well. Existing abilities could be moved in to columns that could be selected either at character creation, or through leveling. Most races will need abilities added. Filling out their lists of abilities opens up the opportunity to give more direct parity of racial abilities across factions.

For example, Gnomes and Mechagnomes are combined to one race. They would have a column of abilities to select from based on Gnomeregan Gnomes, and a column of traits to pick based on Mechagon Mechagnomes. To round out the selections, we pull the racial traits of a Horde group that has abilities of a similar theme to gnomes, like Bilgewater Cartel Goblins. This would give people more freedom to pick a race based on aesthetic. No need to worry about which racial abilities feel required.

It adds more RP flavor to each individual character. You could have a character that had lived in several different places that picked up cultural traditions from all of them, or stick to the one background, or if you don’t care about any of that, pick the ones that best match your class and playstyle.

The largest hurdle I see is Vulpera. They are not a subset of an existing race, they are a whole new group all to themselves. Balancing that out would mean either adding one new race to the Alliance, or having a Horde race become truly neutral. Either of those are likely to cause a lot of discontent with the player base.

Please try not to focus on which trait I put at which level, or how I filled in the holes where gnomes have less abilities than goblins. I was trying not make sure there were enough tiers that no race would lose any abilities, so there were some placeholder abilities I threw in. Not all the abilities would need to be location themed. Orcs, would probably get Blackrock, Warsong, and Mag’har as their options. Gilneans could have something like Worgen Curse, Touch of Undeath, and Purified.

Reorganizing these existing abilities creates a ton of RP flavor and makes balancing race/faction abilities practically automatic.

Dreaming of Gnome Druids

With Dragonflight, the Blizzard Developers have stated they would like to open all classes up to all races.  While some classes have been added already, they’ve held back on others because they feel like they do not make sense without a story to explain why or how some races have picked up practices that are traditionally far removed from their native cultures.  I think this is a fantastic idea.  I always love more creative options, and the the fact they are working on story to support new combinations is exciting.  It will mean a lot of identity development for both races and classes.

Gnomes currently can not be paladins, shamans, or druids.  Paladins will be the easiest by far.  When gnomes were given access to priests, it was almost strange that they did NOT get paladins.  Gnome shamans will be a little more of an oddity, but elemental magic seems like a practice gnomes would be inherently attracted to.  Personally, I would love to see sand-gnomes or pygmies brough in to the fold of gnome civilization to introduce shamanism.  Adding these long lost gnomes would be a great opportunity to expand gnome lore using established canon.

Of the three gnome druids will be the most difficult to write.  The guardian of nature aspect of druids is the polar opposite of the industrial machinations of gnomes.  There is part of me that fears we will get a “gArDeN gNoMeS” joke and little to know meaningful explanation.  Blizzard normally takes the lore of the druid class very seriously, so I am sure whatever they add will have substance.

With all that said, I have a blue sky hope for gnome druids, that they will be based (loosely) on “The Dreamfinder” Blarion Mercurial from Disney World’s EPCOT park.  The Dreamfinder character is a bearded man that rides around in his “Dream Mobile”, a zeppelin like craft with a heavy steampunk aesthetic.  He collects dream energy and uses it to manifest creations of raw imagination.

I think using the Emerald Dream to connect gnomes to druids would be a novel choice.  It gives an excellent opportunity to play off of the gnome racial trait “Expansive Mind”.  The Emerald Dream is related to the Titans like gnomes are.  It also might give a new perspective to what the Emerald Dream is.  It also helps get around the fact that gnomes simply are not protectors of nature.  We’ve seen that the environmental damage they do is on par with goblins.  Gnomes are high minded, big thinkers, so bringing them in to the druid mindset by starting with the extradimensional plane and astral powers makes the most sense.

I know I’m already working on backstories for gnome druid characters.

• Stuck with “Inventor’s Block” a gnome seeks out a source of pure inspiration.
• Plagued by nightmares a gnome builds a dream catcher that works a little too well.
• A gnome with a slime that used to be a beloved family member.  They have taken it to every group of magic users they know of.  The Cenarion Circle, is the first group that shows any promise.
• A teleporter accident leaves a gnome stranded in the Emerald Dream for a really, REALLY long time.  (Think Robin Williams from Jumaji.)
• Upon being told the Emerald Dream is an “unspoiled copy” of Azeroth, a gnome seeks to “reset” Gnomeregan.

The Forsaken Can’t Get Away With That!

Halloween must be terrifying for Gilneas survivors and survivors of the Wrathgate.

Neighbors throwing toys is one thing.  Maybe there was an old rivalry between Tarren Mill and Southshore before the 3rd war, that carried over in to the pranks that were carried out on Hallow’s End in years past, but now the Forsaken are flying from the Undercity to Stormwind.  That is not the behavior of a neighborhood trickster, that is the behavior of a psycho stalker. If you are a Gilnean living in Stormwind, this has to feel incredibly personal.  If you were a witness to the Wrathgate, how are you supposed to react when the people responsible for that horror are flying overhead dropping more stinking vials of who-knows-what on your city?

I think this orc’s face says it all:

 

Head Canon: Observers

I’ve touched on this hypothesis before. Now I’m going to update it slightly with some information from the quest “Seeking the Soulstones” and Warcraft Chronicles Vol. 1

We know that the Titans use “Titan Orbs” to collect and store information.  These orbs are mechanical, and found in many places that Mechagnomes are found.  They are entities, more like creatures than objects.  They move and perform functions autonomously.

Perhaps in the distant past the Titans would send a few dozen of these orbs out to different star systems to see if there were any planets there.  If any planets were directed, the Orbs take samples of the magic energy found there, and return to the titans.

This functionality would be in line with what we know about how Titans operated. For example, we know that the Titans imbued the ered’ruin with an attraction to fel magics so that they could seek it out and destroy it.

Doomguard says: …before Sargeras freed us, we were the Titan’s hounds. Forever enslaved to police the use of arcane magics.
Doomguard says: Sacrificial magic was considered the greatest violation of life and we were attuned to instantly punish those who delved into such… delicious sorcery.

In the case of these orbs they would be designed to seek out all forms of magic, and record where they were found.

So then, what happens to these orbs when they land on a planet that is infested with the Old Gods?  I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to see them being afflicted with the curse of the flesh.

There are physical similarities.  Round bodies is obvious, but what if the ‘cage’ part of the orb was degraded and became the tentacles that hang down below the Observers?  On the central part with the filigree, there are large white glowing spots; what if these became the multiple eyes of the observers?

I think they have enough in common in both form and function to have a strong case for them to be the same thing.  Less extreme metamorphosis has been seen the the World of Warcraft before.

Running Mate Announcement

My campaign has been quietly working behind the scenes for a couple months now, and we are ready for a big announcement!  After careful consideration of many fine and talented gnomes, I have come to a final decision about my running mate.

I am proud to welcome Gearmaster Mechazod to the ticket!  Mechazod brings tens of thousands of years of experience to the team, both dealing with everything from mundane maintenance matters and incredibly important cosmic scale matters that are beyond mortal comprehension.  We are very lucky to have him here with us*.

I’m sure you will all agree that he is the perfect complement to what we have going, and our vision for Gnomeregan’s future!

*Mechazod is currently working remotely from Northrend.

 

 

Gnomeregan/PokemonGo

((Because: Pokemon Go))

I wanna be the High Tinker,
Like no gnome ever was.
To get elected is my real test,
To rule them is my cause!

I will travel when elected,
Preaching far and wide
How Gnomeregan been neglected
And will not be cast aside!

Gnomeregan (gotta rule it all) It’s up to me
I know I’m the best you see
Gnomeregan, betrayed by my best friend
And now I need a plan

Gnomregan (Gotta rule it all) jealously will stew
Do you know what I’ll do to you?
You burned me, now I’ll burn you!
Gnome-re-gon

Gotta rule it all

GNOMEREGAN!

An Inconvenient Truce

Every gnome and goblin knows it.  But no one talks about it.  When I was the right hand of the High Tinker, I oversaw Gnomeregan’s ambassadors to Kezan.  Don’t act so shocked.  OF COURSE Gnomeregan kept open channels with the Trade Princes.  We need the free flow of ideas and resources between our nations. Yes, some member of the envoys did get a Kaja’Cola addictions, but they were rotated out so that wouldn’t happen again.

I’m one of the few gnomes in a unique position.  I taught mechanical engineering to goblins in exchange for them teaching demolitions to me.  We never shared the most cutting edge information with them, and I’m certain they never shared their most cutting edge information with us.

You’ll never find a goblin that will admit it.  But it’s still happening.  They don’t talk to me anymore, but that’s fine.  I get the same information second hand from the Forsaken.

DEAL WITH IT.

What are Gnome Vices?

More from Art Pressparch’s “Gnome Virtues” book.

Gnomes can find themselves more prone to certain vices than other races.  Individual gnomes are very giving.  They have a tendency to ‘put it all out there’  this can lead to excess.  Gnomes sometimes contribute more than their fair share in ways that damage their ability to function in the future.  Other times, gnomes put out things that don’t contribute or even impair the goals of the group.  These lead to fatigue  over-extension, squander, vanity, bragging, and immodesty.

On the other side are gnomes of too much modesty, those that believe their contributions are insignificant or even burdensome to those around them.  Many a gnomes has seen a group that works well and thought, “There is no need for me here.” and thereby denied others a new and unique source of ideas.

Many gnomes go too far with their ideas and things become unnecessarily Complicated or Grandiose.  This is especially a problem when trying to set an example for other races.  The tall folk like things to be simple and direct. Many a gnomes attempt to capture nuance has been perceived as convoluted and unproductive.  No matter how good your solution is, it helps no one if the explanation is too confounding to be put in to practice.

HA! That ‘insignificant’ part has Mekkatorque written all over it.  I don;t see any of these that apply to ME either, so that feels good.  How about you?  What’s wrong with you gnome?