A Few Dear Gnomes

[warsock]

Dear RPers:

I have problems with the Theramore scenario, but they stem from personal reasons, not because the storyline sucks, or because I think Blizzard's going the wrong way with how they're working their game. (Except that Jaina's reaction in Tides of War was far more realistic than her reaction in the Alliance version. But that's another rant

Comments

[tuval]

I will suggest there's also a possibility for a lot of character-faction angst, if you're comfortable with that, whether it comes out in the open or is mostly internal. I remember doing the troll starting area and listening to Vol'jin's conversation with Garrosh where he basically said "One day, I'm gonna knife you in the back if you don't stop acting so !@$#@#$@#$@$!!" And that was cool.

I would also suggest, if you want to just run a scenario or two to have DONE it, and RP/imagine that your character wasn't there and is only impacted at arm's length? That's totally viable, too.

I think there are a lot of Alliance players feeling a little bitter about losing Theramore and Jaina going all neutral, too, which may have contributed to your friend's reaction; which does not excuse it, 'cause it sounds more than a little obnoxious.

[rantyrantsock]

SPOILERS BELOW DON'T READ THIS COMMENT IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM!

Obligatory spoil alert done....

Jaina doesn't go neutral. In the book, she rages hardcore. I'm disappointed that the Scenario doesn't show that, but Thrall had to stop her from decimating Orgrimmar after she takes the Focusing Iris from the mana bomb.

[jadedissola]

She doesn't just rage hardcore, she calls for freaking genocide against orcs and other Horde races and says she wants them wiped off the face of Azeroth. She tries to convince Varian to help her wipe out Orgrimmar, including the orphanage.

[rantyrantsock]

Yeah, she just goes off the freaking handle in response. And the whole summoning of a tidal wave with the Iris was just....

Damn.

I'm really -NOT- surprised by the reaction. Garrosh wiped out her home and killed everyone she held close. The Scenario should've had more of THAT reaction, not the neutral blah reaction she had.

[jadedissola]

Yeah I probably won't be playing the Alli version until after MoP's launch (can't be arsed to gear my pally and am so underwhelmed by the Scenario Horde-side I figure I can wait), but Horde side everyone you encounter is so freaking gleeful about it. Then again, you don't see anything after the goblins fly in and set off the bomb.

[warsock]

Jaina gives you a tabard of Theramore afterwards. I was thinking, "She really doesn't have that much time on her hands, Blizz. She's got genocide to enact."

[jadedissola]

No, she's got genocide to handle until Orc Jesus Thrall and her new lover-boy Kalecgos talk sense into her. And then she saves the Alliance fleet from Kraken summoned by Garrosh's "Dark Shamans." SO, yeah, she has to go save Varian's butt rather than handing out freaking tabards.

[cleosilver]

She just had her assistant send them in the mail ;P

[silvers_shadows]

... KALEC? They set her up with KALEC?

Oh for the love of... *facedekss repeatedly*

[phoenix_singing]

It's actually done much better than the Thrall/Aggra romance, IMO: they at least started off liking each other, rather than one antagonizing the other. :-/

I was expecting it to suck, but I actually found it cute. Ymmv, of course. :3

[caixarelato]

Yes, I agree, it was handled exceptionally well compared to Thrall/Aggra.

[phoenix_singing]

I wanted to throw the book across the room over Thrall/Aggra. She was an ass to him and you don't act that way to people.

"Dear" Aggra: Being an asshole does not mean "I like/love you," ever ever ever. You want a relationship with someone, show them some goddamn kindness and respect, don't act like a high-and-mighty bully.

Feels. Lol. ^^; But yeah, I enjoyed Jaina/Kalec so much more because they started with mutual respect, kindness, and even humor. It was nice to see, especially with the surrounding story being so dark.

[elialshadowpine]

IDK, I thought the way Aggra reacted worked for me. Thrall has pretty much been Blizzard's homeboy and hardly anybody ever criticized him. And here's this chick who doesn't treat him like he's all that just because he's Thrall. I honestly got the impression she was tougher on him because he was Thrall and used to people being in awe of him.

Thrall really needed to be taken down a peg and given a clue by four as to what his heritage and shamanism meant. He didn't have a whole lot of frame of reference with his upbringing. I'm not going to say that I necessarily agreed with everything Aggra said and did, but I can see why she did it. I'm not sure that calm, quiet, gentle words would have had the same impact.

[phoenix_singing]

See, that works to some extent for the teacher/student part of their relationship, but for a possible love interest? It just doesn't work for me.

Then again, I was bullied fairly extensively all the way up until high school, and my complaints about it were always written off as "He just likes you and doesn't know how to say it, you just need to be nice to him" and "She just wants to be your friend, she just doesn't know how to say it, you just need to be nice to her," so I'm definitely not objective. Her sniping at him just...rubbed me wrong, though, especially once it became clear that they were going to be a couple.

[exit_eternity]

This. I went in having a good idea of who the "Obligatory romantic interest because god forbid a female character be allowed any sort of development without a manthing around to 'help' her along!" was.

And when I got through with it, while there were parts that made me twitchy, I didn't hate it, and actually came out thinking it wasn't half bad.

It wasn't necessary by any stretch of the imagination, but eh.

[phoenix_singing]

So far, she's not engulfed by him. She's still a fully realized character doing her own big things, which is a lot more than Aggra or Tyrande got from their romances. Hoping she stays that way; if I see one more female character swallowed up and fridged by her relationship I will rage-flip all the tables.

Definitely not necessary, but considering how badly her last couple of relationships have turned out, there's a part of me that wouldn't mind her finally being in a happy relationship. Only part that makes me wary is, well, Blizzard's track record. O.o