World of Warcraft‘s Timeline Issues: Blizzard‘s Addiction to Exaggerated History
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World of Warcraft's Timeline Issues: Blizzard's addiction to Exaggerated History">
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Players and lore enthusiasts are raising concerns about the increasingly inflated timelines within World of Warcraft. Recent in-game content suggests a pattern of blizzard Entertainment extending past periods to seemingly grand proportions, ultimately creating inconsistencies and a sense of emptiness within the game’s narrative.
The issue recently surfaced with the introduction of the ethereals of K’aresh. Quest text indicates K’aresh was destroyed 100,000 years ago; though, a subsequent questline tasks players with retrieving items for an ex-priest who claims to have left them in a nearby wasteland town just 100,000 years prior. The presence of functioning settlements, wildlife, and inhabitants contradicts the notion of a 100,000-year-old ruin, suggesting a much shorter timeframe – perhaps a few centuries.
This isn’t an isolated incident. The 100,000-year timeframe as the Devouring feels disproportionate to the activities and perceived history of the brokers and ethereals. This tendency to inflate timelines is not new to World of Warcraft. The Night Elves’ 10,000-year history, often spent preparing for the Legion’s invasion, has long been criticized for feeling contrived and lacking depth.
Previous expansions and supplemental materials have also contributed to this problem. The audio book’s revelation that Turalyon and Alleria spent 1,000 years in a time-warp, fighting unaging, added little emotional weight to their reunion with their people and son. A 30-year absence would have sufficed, but Blizzard opted for an exaggerated duration, creating an unnecessary narrative complication.
The core issue is that these inflated timescales diminish the impact of events and character development.Stretching history to such extremes creates a sense of detachment and makes it arduous for players to connect with the world and its inhabitants. The community is urging Blizzard to exercise restraint and prioritize narrative coherence over sheer numerical scale.
Background: The Importance of Consistent Timelines in lore
Consistent timelines are crucial for immersive world-building in fantasy and science fiction. They provide a framework for understanding the relationships between events, characters, and cultures. When timelines are inconsistent or overly inflated, it can break immersion and undermine the credibility of the narrative. World of Warcraft, with its decades-long history and complex lore, is especially vulnerable to these issues.
Historically, many successful fantasy franchises, such as The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire, maintain relatively grounded timelines, focusing on a few generations of characters and events. This allows for detailed exploration of history and culture without resorting to vast, abstract timescales. The use of large numbers can sometimes be effective, but it must be balanced with a sense of realism and internal consistency.
The trend of inflating timelines in video game lore frequently enough stems from a desire to create a sense of epic scale and ancient history. Though,as demonstrated in World of Warcraft,this approach can backfire,leading to narrative inconsistencies and a diminished sense of impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are consistent timelines importent in video game lore?
- Consistent timelines help players understand the relationships between events and characters, creating a more immersive and believable world.
- Is this a new problem in World of Warcraft?
- No, the tendency to inflate timelines has been present in World of Warcraft for years, but it has become more pronounced in recent expansions.
- What can Blizzard do to address this issue?
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