[WoW] Oh yeah, I have this thing...
Sep. 12th, 2013 06:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadedmusingsFirst of all, sorry for the quiet. Lots of things have been happening, which I'll get into later. I just haven't been in a mood to share some stuff as of late, mostly because I fear people getting sick of my whining. I'm still here, still reading everyday, just never sure what to say or do. Everyone here is all right for the most part; the only big thing is that I need to see a doctor soon about some physical matters, but so far there's been other matters standing in the way such as the kiddo needing glasses now (we knew it was likely to happen--he made it to fourth grade whereas I had to get them in the third grade) and other assorted real life stuff. The good news on that front is that he got some awesome and stylish frames that only enhance his cuteness. I keep telling him how lucky he is to have the option of wire frames instead of the ugly plastic monstrosities I had to choose from.
Anyway, let's move onto WoW stuff. I have some thoughts regarding Lor'themar and Sylvanas and 5.4 (it'll all be put under a cut, don't worry). I'm still raiding and Tuesday we hit the new Siege of Orgrimmar raid and we've managed to get down the first four bosses (the first wing) on normal mode. It's pretty great, except for the part where I'm still side-eyeing how the hell [spoiler] is still fucking alive at this point, but that's a different rant and has nothing to do with this.
After the first wing, which you spend in the Vale underneath the Mogu'shan Vaults area and where the scenario Dark Heart of Pandaria takes place, Lor'themar shows up with a portal to Bladefist Bay outside Orgrimmar. Once there, you join up with an unmasked(!) Archmage Aethas Sunreaver and the rest of the Blood Elf forces along with Sylvanas and her forces. (I'm guessing Vol'jin and Baine are attacking on another front.)
I don't have the screenshots uploaded yet, but at one point there's a couple of exchanges between Sylvanas and Lor'themar, some of which lend more credence to Sylvanas's predictable decline into villain-hood. One in particular goes something like this:
Sylvanas mentions she could resurrect fallen Alliance soldiers (whose naval forces are also in the Bay, though you don't exactly fight alongside them in the Horde raid) to fight for them, something we all know is bad, wrong, etc. Lor'themar's response is, "Well, I guess that's between you and the Alliance isn't it?"
Last night it annoyed me, but then I thought about it. Lor'themar is pretty much on his own strategically speaking. Sylvanas's forces help him keep Ghostlands from getting out of control, and also she's kind of his only line of defense against invasion into Quel'Thalas. Sin'dorei forces aren't massive by any stretch of the imagination, so the last thing he can afford is a pissed off Banshee Queen gunning for him while the Horde is recovering from the losses the Siege of Orgrimmar will incur and all his allies will be an ocean away on Kalimdor. (This is of course ignoring the fact that this exchange happens right as they're getting ready to march into Orgrimmar which is a bad, bad time to fall apart due to infighting even if he did have the power to protect his land from retaliation.)
We know he was, at one point, in talks with Varian about rejoining the Alliance (he only hints at this in Dominance Offensive story line while Varian confirms it after Jaina purges Dalaran in Lion's Landing story line). We've known for a long time now that Sylvanas's plans are in doubt and no one with any sort of brain is going to trust her not to try to make a move at something at some point. So, basically, in one line Lor'themar is saying, "I know I can't do shit about you, but I'm not supporting it and if anyone asks me later I can say I had no hand in it."
It's an excuse that likely won't fly with most of the Allianceespecially the fanboys, but it is enough to keep him from getting on the rest of the Horde's shit list and keep his people alive. (Also, it's Sylvanas. Unless you've got an entire faction army behind you, are you going to tell her she can't do something?)
I think what it boils down to is that Lor'themar has really come into his own in this expansion. He's learned he can't entirely protect his people and be the good guy all the time. Keeping the sin'dorei alive means he's going to have to get blood on his hands and make some ugly choices. He doesn't like the idea of Sylvanas raising Alliance dead and using them as cannon fodder, but neither can he stop it or ignore that the idea has potential to keep his own soldiers alive.
I think too many people believe leaders (in fiction) have to be perfect heroes who always make the moral choice, but leaders who always strive to do the right thing even to the detriment of their own people are poor leaders. It'd be nice to think Lor'themar could take Bloodfist Bay without Sylvanas's aid with only the power of righteousness on his side, but that's not how it works in the real world and not how it should work even in a fictional setting if only because after a few times, it strains credulity to put it mildly. It's one bit of writing I think Blizzard has actually handled well, which is saying a lot considering other NPCs at the moment. *coughJainacough*
There's more layers to unravel here and talk about, but these are just a few of my thoughts after last night.
Anyway, let's move onto WoW stuff. I have some thoughts regarding Lor'themar and Sylvanas and 5.4 (it'll all be put under a cut, don't worry). I'm still raiding and Tuesday we hit the new Siege of Orgrimmar raid and we've managed to get down the first four bosses (the first wing) on normal mode. It's pretty great, except for the part where I'm still side-eyeing how the hell [spoiler] is still fucking alive at this point, but that's a different rant and has nothing to do with this.
After the first wing, which you spend in the Vale underneath the Mogu'shan Vaults area and where the scenario Dark Heart of Pandaria takes place, Lor'themar shows up with a portal to Bladefist Bay outside Orgrimmar. Once there, you join up with an unmasked(!) Archmage Aethas Sunreaver and the rest of the Blood Elf forces along with Sylvanas and her forces. (I'm guessing Vol'jin and Baine are attacking on another front.)
I don't have the screenshots uploaded yet, but at one point there's a couple of exchanges between Sylvanas and Lor'themar, some of which lend more credence to Sylvanas's predictable decline into villain-hood. One in particular goes something like this:
Sylvanas mentions she could resurrect fallen Alliance soldiers (whose naval forces are also in the Bay, though you don't exactly fight alongside them in the Horde raid) to fight for them, something we all know is bad, wrong, etc. Lor'themar's response is, "Well, I guess that's between you and the Alliance isn't it?"
Last night it annoyed me, but then I thought about it. Lor'themar is pretty much on his own strategically speaking. Sylvanas's forces help him keep Ghostlands from getting out of control, and also she's kind of his only line of defense against invasion into Quel'Thalas. Sin'dorei forces aren't massive by any stretch of the imagination, so the last thing he can afford is a pissed off Banshee Queen gunning for him while the Horde is recovering from the losses the Siege of Orgrimmar will incur and all his allies will be an ocean away on Kalimdor. (This is of course ignoring the fact that this exchange happens right as they're getting ready to march into Orgrimmar which is a bad, bad time to fall apart due to infighting even if he did have the power to protect his land from retaliation.)
We know he was, at one point, in talks with Varian about rejoining the Alliance (he only hints at this in Dominance Offensive story line while Varian confirms it after Jaina purges Dalaran in Lion's Landing story line). We've known for a long time now that Sylvanas's plans are in doubt and no one with any sort of brain is going to trust her not to try to make a move at something at some point. So, basically, in one line Lor'themar is saying, "I know I can't do shit about you, but I'm not supporting it and if anyone asks me later I can say I had no hand in it."
It's an excuse that likely won't fly with most of the Alliance
I think what it boils down to is that Lor'themar has really come into his own in this expansion. He's learned he can't entirely protect his people and be the good guy all the time. Keeping the sin'dorei alive means he's going to have to get blood on his hands and make some ugly choices. He doesn't like the idea of Sylvanas raising Alliance dead and using them as cannon fodder, but neither can he stop it or ignore that the idea has potential to keep his own soldiers alive.
I think too many people believe leaders (in fiction) have to be perfect heroes who always make the moral choice, but leaders who always strive to do the right thing even to the detriment of their own people are poor leaders. It'd be nice to think Lor'themar could take Bloodfist Bay without Sylvanas's aid with only the power of righteousness on his side, but that's not how it works in the real world and not how it should work even in a fictional setting if only because after a few times, it strains credulity to put it mildly. It's one bit of writing I think Blizzard has actually handled well, which is saying a lot considering other NPCs at the moment. *coughJainacough*
There's more layers to unravel here and talk about, but these are just a few of my thoughts after last night.
no subject
Date: 2013-09-12 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-12 05:12 pm (UTC)Vol'jin would be a fool (something he's demonstratively not so far) to ignore Lor'themar's capabilities, so I hope he comes to utilize him instead of just sending him back to Quel'Thalas to hang out until the Horde needs help again. And as for Sylvanas...I sincerely hope she's not a future raid boss, thought at this point I can't see what else Blizzard is leading up to.