Wrote and mirrored on Q23, Metzen admitted that he didn’t do a very good work with the lore for the upcoming expansion.
My point of view isn’t about being picky on the details, but more on the stylistic choices being made. While I really liked the WoW’s universe even in its cartoonish traits and use of humor, I also think that there was always an epic theme that drove things forward. A thread. From my comment:
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My opinion is that the use of odd bits like technology or other elements not consistent with the setting is good when it remains CIRCUMSCRIBED.
The problem is when it becomes the main theme.
The same about the use of “humor”. It’s all good till it remains a sidetrack, but it becomes much more annoying when it’s all about that. Overdone. Too emphasized. It’s not anymore an added flavor.
It is not directly related to the “lore”, but for example I really, really HATE the look of all the new armor sets. They aren’t anymore consistent with any setting. They just look like colored plastic and completely miss any sense.
Where’s the metal, bones and leather?
Now we have Voltron.
The point is when it isn’t anymore “epic”, and it becomes just “goofy”.
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Here I’m commenting things from my personal point of view and preference but, as we move forward, WoW is becoming more and more goofy, that’s what I see. It’s moving closer to a childish point of view on the setting instead of carefully balancing all the different elements as they did before. Concretely the setting is losing its appeal. It doesn’t “communicate” much anymore to me.
It’s useful here to make a direct comparison because while what Mythic is doing on Warhammer isn’t perfect, at least it gave me an occasion to explain the way I see at the fantasy setting and the elements that belong to it.
I’ll return on these arguments because the “style” of the graphic is only the tip of the iceberg. What is relevant is below, but still strictly connected with what I’m saying on the graphic and what I said a while ago about the level of the “metaphor”.
“Mature” mmorpgs are opening a gap between the game mechanics and the level of the metaphor. Evident examples of this trend can be seen in Vanguard but even in Guild Wars, EQ2. The same WoW and Warhammer, which is being mimicked on the first.
In fewer words: we are losing the “immersion”.
Imho, the immersion is THE MOST important element in a RPG. And it’s the one more overlooked in ALL the current mmorpgs and ALL those currently in development.
Put in another way. A warrior class in a mmorpg doesn’t have anymore ANYTHING in common with its ideal prototype.
What’s the prototype? A source of inspiration.
The gameplay in the current mmorpgs isn’t even remotely close to the fight you see in the video between the dwarf and the orc. Nor it even try to move closer. You don’t see the two characters applying semi-ranged effects, debuffs, DOTs, AOE bolts and all the other fancyful powers that are now “default” of a warrior class.
Math-intensive games that forgot how to “communicate”. How to “reach”.
I commented something recently on Raph’s blog:
It’s about myths and suggestions we all share, that’s why a game world needs to “reach”. There must be both something familiar and unfamiliar.
Games are successful because they relay the “message” much better. More efficiently. They are the most powerful way of communicating.
Why? Because they can be immersive, and being immersive they become even more accessible. Plus they can be both authoritative and empowering.
In all the current mmorpgs that immersivity is the trait that is being slowly forgotten. This is why future games need to look behind and forget the faulty “evolution” we are seeing right now.
This is what I think.