盘点：希望在《World of Warcraft Forever》中看到的种族

So we have not, at this point, been told anything about the upcoming added races in World of Warcraft Forever. In fact, we do not even technically know that the game will ever add new races or classes… but come on. I feel like it is functionally a given that there are going to be more new races added to the game moving forward, because you don’t decide to add one new race onto the game and then stop there. So what do I want to see?

On the one hand, you have to consider that there was supposedly an interview in which Blizzard committed to no races being added that were in post-launch expansions… but that interview is, frankly, poorly sourced (it attributes all comments to “Blizzard” rather than specific people and has no source you can check) and is directly at odds with statements about Blood Elves vs. Skyborne from BlizzCon. More importantly, though, the majority of allied races barely make sense within the context of the game as it is. Like, Lightforged Draenei have no reason to exist except to make you have a slight variant on Draenei you can play. So a distinct minority of the post-launch races are even worth considering. And that’s where we’re going to start off with the list.

1. Goblins

You have to really do a lot of reaching to justify Goblins not being a playable race in any version of WoW. They’ve been a part of the game world for ages, and if you’re dedicated to the idea that they should be faction-neutral, let’s not pretend like WoW Forever isn’t launching with a race that can belong to either faction pretty easily. Goblins being playable is one of those obvious things with a preponderance of setting support and background, and it’s just pretty unambiguous. I don’t feel like a whole lot of elaboration is needed.

2. Naga

The continual reason for not having Naga as a playable race is fundamentally the fact that their tails mean they can’t really equip lower-body gear. And it’s not like you can just make the models into some kind of lower torso and tail decor… wait, what’s that? You can? Well then. But frankly, even if the designers don’t want to do that, I feel like this is an excuse that ironically just doesn’t hold water at this point. You want to make decisions that tie this version of the game to an alternate timeline? Playable Naga. It’s not a big stretch. I am confident that if you can find a way to justify adding Cash Elves, you can make this one work.

3. Draenei

This is probably the most controversial pick out of the couple of existing races I’m advocating for because there is a legitimate point to be made that if we’re not going to Outland yet (and if we ever are, it hasn’t been announced or planned), they’re a bit unusual. And I can get that. However… I would also point out that Draenei as a race are, at this point, something that has been a part of WoW far, far longer than they haven’t. Even if you don’t want to launch into the revitalization of world design, map structure, and the like that came with The Burning Crusade (which is a logical point and something that could, honestly, be another column), Draenei and Blood Elves are pretty fundamental parts of the game’s DNA.

But let’s say that you want to have the race but not as players are familiar with it, something in keeping with the same idea as adding Skyborne to the game. Fine. It just so happens that I have a solution.

4. Eredar

“Whoa, that’s a swing.” Yeah, it is! But consider, just for a second, that this version of the game is just never going to go with the later-day “last titan” stuff. Consider, instead, that as far as the Eredar are concerned, Azeroth is a world that took out the founder of the Legion as well as one of their two big leaders. You can kinda see a splinter group deciding to set up shop. Plus, it would allow for us to have a race that is decidedly morally ambiguous and introduce some real interest to the discussion, especially if they could join either faction as well. Heck, you could easily make it a whole thing about a faction that is neither Light-fixated exiles nor purely demonic maniacs. It’d definitely be swinging for something different.

5. Blood Elves

Last and not least, like… we know we’re going to Quel’Thalas at some point? You can’t make any argument to the contrary. It’s just sitting right there. And players are not going to accept a lack of Blood Elves. Will we also get some variants on High Elves? Will they be available for both factions? Who knows, you can make arguments for all of the above, but I consider this to be pretty much a given for the future, and indeed it was even teased during the reveal of Forever at BlizzCon. So I am pretty comfortable in this as a basic object of faith. I think that they are going to be different from what we see in The Burning Crusade from front to back, I think it’s even an open question if they’ll be Paladins, but I don’t think it’s an open question if they aren’t in the plans at all.

6. Ogres

You might wonder why I put these chonky lads so low on the list, and while I could say that the reason is simply because you would at least have the legitimate cause of needing to make some lady Ogre models, the real reason is because I can understand why Ogres will not sell as well as any variety of elf. But there should be Ogres. There should have been Ogres in the Horde for ages now, and again, the lack thereof is something that can easily be addressed now. Heck, it even sounds like the Riverglades are going to give a firm overhand pitch to explain why they’re rolling in. Pitter-patter, let’s get at ‘er.

7. Furbolgs

I’ve never actually been all that fond of the Worgen in the game. I like Gilneas a lot, I am hopeful that we’ll go to Gilneas, but the Worgen themselves have always felt like a weird retcon for a more interesting buildup. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t like to see more feral races, though, and I feel like Furbolgs are one of the obvious candidates for races that have always gotten the short end of the stick. They’re perpetually just there, and it’d be really neat to see them finally get their due, especially as something more interesting than the rather bouncy and sanitized take on the Pandaren.

8. Quillboars

I have no deeper explanation for this one other than the fact that I’ve just always thought Quillboars are neat. We are getting some more lore for them, supposedly! That’s a cool element! I wouldn’t mind more.

9. Aqir

Various forms of the insect-people have been around for ages, and honestly, I feel like this would be another fun variant on the same. The downside to going this route, of course, is that traditionally all of the Aqir and connected points are evil and some variant of “devoted to the Old Gods” and “hate all other sentient life.” But one thing that I’m excited to see keep being a thing moving forward is the idea that each given faction is not nearly so monolithic. It is possible for us to have Aqir humanoids who are, in fact, sensible and available for conversation, who worship the Old Gods potentially without being eager for their return. It’d be a wide swing, but I feel like these are the kind of wide swings that filling in the old world with more detail should be taking.

10. Forest Trolls

All right, this is a bit of a reach, but while I like how the increased customizations allowed for more troll options in the retail game (and like many things, there’s no reason for Forever to not steal that element), I’d love if we also had the option not just for the lanky, spindly trolls of old but the buff gigachad trolls we associate with Forest Trolls as well. Just for a bit of variety.

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