Pandaren Philosophy: Huojin, Firepaw and the Horde

Most of us (at least I hope) have, by now, leveled and quested their way through Pandaria, meeting the various monsters, Sha, demons and challenges that awaited us in a strange and mystical land. We’ve met the Shado-Pan, who’s attitude against foreigners is completely adverse toward both the Horde and Alliance. We’ve encountered the Mantid, who ferociously battle their immortal enemies. Yet despite all of this Wanderlust, questing and of course, fighting, I want to look at how the Pandaren’s, specifically the Huojin, acceptance into the Horde has shifted or changed.

Well, it hasn’t really – at all! If we look towards the Huojin philosophical statement:

“Always challenge. Always question. In the pursuit of a greater good, inaction is the only wrong.”

-Master Zurong

Unsurprisingly, it’s no wonder that Ji Firepaw, a prevalent student and adherent of Huojin philosophy, chose to join the lovely, war-craving regime of Hellscream.

Ji, Ji, he’s our man, if he can’t do it, no one can!

It’s fairly simply really, this was a Horde that broke families apart and asked what the implications of doing that were. This is pretty much exclusively seen in Theramore, where the absolutely dire moral situation presented the Horde as abominations who would do anything to gain total victory. Whilst this example is depressing, and whilst the better suggestion such as the Horde’s Landing in Pandaria is fairly indicative of their mental drive, the Huojin add to this desire for action that creates the stark difference between them and the Tushui. To quote the Huojin philosophy once more:

“The Path of the Huojin is marked by practical and decisive action. Followers of this discipline believe that morals and ideals are not absolute, but change with circumstances. As such, a Huojin Master must remain flexible in his or her thinking, always evaluating the greater good.”

A Huojin follower is not adverse to war and fighting, should it be necessary. In roleplay, we have seen this first hand when  Huojin Pandaren would easily join the fray to aid a comrade rather than assess the issue from afar, questioning the outcomes of an act.

Who even is Master Feng? Master of Quotes?!

In essence, at least in my view, it is clear that the Huojin share similar interests with the Shado-Pan, who, despite being wary. will act in accordance to their laws and customs (perhaps if you combine the Tushui and the Huojin together, the Shado-Pan might be born?)

Taking the Tushui motto, we can see how completely different the philosophies are:

“Discipline is not a war that is won. It is a battle, constantly fought.”

– Master Feng

The idea of restraint and adherence to a set of values is something that the Huojin Pandaren would soon rather avoid, whereas the Alliance, following a semi-strict ethos of ideals, is perfect to house the Pandaren (Tushui) who deliberate life and make choices that are accordance to a moral set of truths rather than basing their actions on decisive ones rather than contemplative ones. In fact, the best way to describe these two is to simply attribute two words: active and passive.

Indeed, this active lifestyle is what drove Ji Firepaw to the Horde. This Horde would take the necessary steps in order to achieve it’s goals and would not be apprehensive to applying itself to war should it need. In such a way did it drive Ji and Aysa apart, as sad as it may seem. However, is it possible that this ‘new dawn’ for the Horde could take a leaf out of the Huojin’s book? Possibly. I have no doubt that the Vol’jin would appreciate the council of all the races under his dominion but most importantly would see the strength in being decisive entirely. This philosophy of the Huojin is what the Horde emulates, not tyranny or power, but stability in action.

I’m glad you’ve decided to do an article on Pandaren, with Warlords of Draenor coming soon, I have a horrid feeling in my gut that Pandaren, like Gnomes, will go on mostly forgotten! I hope not. They have a lot to bring to future conflict and key events.

In terms of Tushui being passive, I’m not entirely sure of that – they do act, but not irrationally. What it boils down to, at least in my opinion, is that Tushui reflects mindful actions, whereas Huojin actions seem to reflect the heart. Emotion, for the Huojin, is the real driving force behind what they do. Like emotions, the Huojin act on impulse.

Do you play a Huojin Pandaren – what is your interpretation of the philosophy? And how do you think Warlords of Draenor might affect Pandaren roleplay? Comment below!

“What the Fel is this?!” – Foul Language in RP

The Hozen, here at the writing room, have slacked off this week, and now we, the team, have been forced to juggle all their bananas! This week’s post is just a short one but, as always, we’re eager to hear your thoughts on the topics at hand.

Some time ago, I encountered a strange phenomenon: a drastic increase in the amount of foul language used within roleplay. I didn’t have time to do a poll, but it’d be curious to know how many of the curse words reported were ‘F’s and ‘B’s. These swear words, as well as many others, are thrown around frequently and generally found everywhere. Today, I will share my thoughts on the matter.

I’ll start by saying that I think it’s okay to use these words every once in a while. “Fuck” here, “Bitch” there: it’s all fair game. ‘Bad words’ are part of our language and are often a big help in expressing intense emotions ranging from anger to joy, sadness to desperation.

We even see it ingame:

“Watch your clever mouth, b****!”

Garrosh Hellscream to Sylvanas Windrunner

“Young Hellscream knows when to say the right thing…”

Even the (somewhat maddened) Warchief of the (…Iron?) Horde agrees. It’s okay to use foul language. I support using foul language. I like to think I’ve said it enough that you get the point. Really.

HOWEVER!

As it stands now? I find it quite unbearable. The amount of roleplayers who think foul language will help promoting their character’s ‘edgy’ or ‘gritty’ side is, simply to say, over the top. A large amount of conversations I observe around Stormwind are filled to the brim with all the swear words under the sun.

I’d argue that there are better ways to show off a character’s darker side. If using foul language is critical for your character, then that’s fine but it is worth remembering that swear words are all about adding emphasis. They exaggerate or are used to express extreme emotions or feelings. Use it at the right time, when these words will impact the greatest. Using swear words randomly seems to take away the impact that they have.

Another option is to use foul language that is seemingly more appropriate for the setting in World of Warcraft. In Stormwind, and to some extent Orgrimmar, words like: “Wench”, “Harlot”, “Bastard”, “Knave”, “Wretch” fit well.

And, of course, who could forget the usage of the word “Fel.”

For me, I’m able to immerse in my character’s world when I see players using the words appropriate to the setting rather than the flurry of modern day swear words.

To conclude, I think foul language in roleplay is great. It has a place in our lexicon. It -deserves- a place in our lexicon because it’s necessary. It becomes less necessary when it’s flung around for no clear reason. Use these powerful words when the time is right. Want to look bad-ass? Maybe you should express it with actions, outfits or just great storytelling!

Hey Satyr! Thought I might jump in here and add a few of my thoughts. Whenever I’m roleplaying in Stormwind, someone will yell something along the lines of:

“Oi! I’ll get you f***er!”

Or…

“S***, b******, c***!”

But rarely are these words used to express any real threat. They seem to be yelled between friends. These curse words have become so relaxed that they cease to drive an extra punch into what’s being said. I think it is juvenile to think that a character would scream and yell these words into the streets of Stormwind. Maybe if they were really furious… but I’ve noticed that in the real world? Some of us have a bit of class.

But maybe, with that in mind, it depends on who is swearing? Surely it would be right for a commoner or a thug to drop a swear word more than a well-spoken, goody-two-shoes Lord? Do Night Elves swear? What about Gnomes?

I’d like to see swear words that reflect a race. “Confunderduddy gigaflux!” (could definitely be the Gnomish equivalent to f**k!)

Honestly, the two of you should come to Silvermoon! The area is so peaceful. It’s free of swearing, screaming and yelling (I’m definitely not spouting propaganda.)

The Sin’dorei are often quite reserved when letting forth our emotions in the form of curse words and we usually rely on ‘Fel’ or ‘Belore’ as terms for when we are sad, shocked or angry.

…I guess the only time you’ll see swearing is when an Orc strolls into town. Maybe.

What are your thoughts on swearing in roleplay? Submit your ideas below for race-specific swear words. Who knows, the best one might even get showcased!

The Political Minefield Of Stormwind

While ‘political roleplay’ didn’t rate high on my ‘top taboo’ list in my previous post, I’d argue that it has forever been a controversial matter in the roleplay world. This week, I’m examining Stormwind political roleplay, the history, where it’s been and why we might love or hate it.

So… why are certain roleplayers drawn to political roleplay?

The underhanded and shadowy intrigue of politics can be awesome for spurning great plots and stories. Political roleplay offers a huge podium for lawful villains, affluent snobs and benevolent councillors wishing to whats best for the people. With great shows like House of Cards and Game of Thrones (which provide a great insight into how political stories can be churned) has inspired people more than ever before. Politics is all about alliances and relationships – the latter which drives roleplay. I’d argue that by roleplaying a politician, you open yourself up for plot after plot, story after story.

“Varian and Joffrey got nothin’ on me.” – Frank Underwood, Never.

…However there are issues with political roleplay but before I go delving into that massive crux, I’d firstly like to offer a brief synopsis on how Stormwind’s political scene has worked in the past:

Stormwind’s political system is a monarchy with Varian Wrynn at the top – no brainer, right? Well it’s worth remembering that under him, we have the organisation of the House of Nobles:

The House of Nobles is comprised of some of Stormwind’s most powerful aristocratic bloodlines and positions in this governing body are typically inherited Presumably, they serve a legislative role as they are able to lobby for legislative issues and serve as the judiciary branch for the kingdom as they are able to overrule regional elected officials on matters of law.

Wowpedia – http://wowpedia.org/House_of_Nobles

Over the years, roleplayers have created player-run councils filled with nobles, officials, councillors, judges and diplomats. While the structures of these councils have only been slightly varied, they often follow a similar principle: members of the council get together and discuss any matter relevant to the political sphere of Stormwind or the Alliance. Within these organisations, we sometimes see different races (diplomats, envoys and race representatives), lords and ladies, heads of judical bodies and state organisations (guards or the military) and other state bodies such as Church of the Holy Light. On paper, political roleplay looks as if it can provide thousands of opportunities to all who get involved…

..But in practice? BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS issues!

World of Warcraft roleplay is an unmoderated medium. Everyone, on an OOC level, is equal. No player is greater than the rest. Because of this unmoderated status, it’s very easy for me to declare that I am the Lord of Northshire…

And for Pete to claim the title.

And John.

And Roger.

…And even Pennywhistle the Dancing Gnome.

Artist’s rendition of ‘the ease of becoming a Lord.’

Because it is so easy to roleplay whatever the hell we want, there have been hundred of players claiming to be Stormwind nobles. According to the lore, these nobles are, in some way, part of the organisation of the House of Nobles. In the past, the player-run councils were led by usually one person and he (or she) had the power to control who could and couldn’t be a member. What if I, Lord of Northshire, was refused entry? Surely that would make no sense…

…But that’s just scratching at the surface. These self-elected nobles have effectively seized false ‘authority’ by the touch of a button (or the decision to make their character a noble.) What if Pete decided his character was a blacksmith? Realistically, he would be beneath me, Lord of Northshire, and my decisions as a politician might affect his roleplay greatly, especially if my policies or decisions started to impact on his enjoyment.

And yes, while roleplay is an act of give and take (or compromise), there is no effective way to moderate and control the political roleplayers when they just go too far. Political roleplayers must be careful. They should ensure that what they do affects only those in their circle. After all, the authority they hold is purely ceremonial (and not readily accepted by everybody else.) They have no real power to affect the community – and nor should they!

But does it ever work? Has ‘political roleplay’ ever been successful?

I’d argue that it has, but largely outside of Stormwind. The problem with the Alliance hub of Stormwind is that there are too many random people to form a coherent, working system that the complex political sphere requires.

There have been ‘citizen councils’ that any roleplayer can join. Members are often from all sorts of backgrounds: commoners, tradesmen, nobles, soldiers (just about anyone.) Each member, if they wanted it, had a chance to shine, bring issues to the table and affect the community. I’m all for organisations that bring people together to form and orchestrate events that bring players together. I’ve found that authoritative political roleplaying groups usually alienate, exclude or mire those who don’t conform to ‘their’ rules.

But even then, those decisions only affect those involved – and agree to it OOCly, which, leads me to my point on the matter: political roleplay does work within small communities, where each member accepts and moderates the ‘system.’ Player-run towns (and guilds) are a good example of this. Providing there are opportunities for any player to (realistically) climb the political ladder and get involved – and are provided with an audience (community) who readily accepts them, then I believe that this is something that can work.

Political roleplay, in Stormwind, encroaches on people’s freedom. It’s so simple to become a politician and the ‘false’ power that comes with it can never truly be moderated or respected by everyone. It is not uncommon to hear stories of how political roleplayers have abused OOC rights to further their seize of ‘false’ power… but perhaps that’s a whole other topic in itself.

Should we steer clear of political roleplay? For the most part, yes.

But don’t forget the success of citizen councils and township politics. Smaller groups (often townships within the kingdom) have worked.

That said, if a group of friends are all roleplaying nobles, engaging in debates and aren’t directly affecting anyone else, then there is surely no foul? However, forcing, or expecting, people to see you as their overlord is not something many will so readily accept and is often the greatest error committed by political roleplayers.

I’d like to delve more into other areas of political roleplay within the Horde and Alliance. Has Orc politics ever occurred and if so, what have been your experiences with it? What about Night Elves? I want to know, so share your experiences with me below!

Through The Looking Glass Of Evil: An Insight Into Criminal Roleplay – Part 1

What comes to mind when you think of criminal or villainous roleplay?

Do you think of the men in long coats or urchins shuffled in corners?

Or do you think of the rich, tidy niches where corruption commonly thrives?

Perhaps – more unsavouribly perhaps – you consider villainous roleplay heedless, causeless and sometimes just cringe-worthy actions enacted by multitudes. It is a common misconception that all ‘good’ criminal roleplay is hard to find, absent even.

It is simply not the case; it isn’t that good criminal roleplay is absent, it’s that everyone has their own varying standards to how a criminal should be played. I’ve found that many will try to force their actions upon you, and that others, perhaps similar to myself follow the mantra of “consensual roleplay” as opposed to spontaneous and in some cases, “unconsensual roleplay.”

Both forms are valid as far as all roleplayers are concerned and while it is true that roleplay is mostly a consensual process, I can also see the appeal of enacting it spontaneously, it adds a certain thrill! A thrill, I will admit, I often seek out. But as a criminal roleplayer of varying standards, I’ve often found other criminal roleplayers not to my liking. This could be because they use different methods or entirely different concepts, some of which I might not agree with.

An example? Master Assassins.

It is, I would argue, common consensus that ‘Master Assassins’ are played badly. While on the whole this may be considered true, there are very well a select few who can and do the role well and the reason because they do a good job is because…

…assassins are sneaky; I don’t think you could be one without this on your CV or resumé. It’s all about subtlety.

Subtlety in villain or criminal roleplay is the key to success, especially when you roleplay cultists, assassins, murderers, and any other sinister and secretive cliché you can contemplate. Unfortunately, if you’re so subtle, it becomes invariably hard to achieve criminality in your roleplay… due to the fact that nobody knows you’re a criminal! You’ve become so ensconced in the fact that as an assassin you must always hide behind a veil and never creep out. That’s a pit. And I hate pits. Having a cultist character, I’ve fallen into many of these traps and it is only through planning and co-ordination with others villains do I manage to clamber out. (Yep. There are other villains out there!)

EVERYONE (mostly) LOVES A PLOT-TWIST!

Indeed! It is fun to find that Jimmy the Gravedigger was bad all along, it makes it all the more thrilling, which is where I think the idea of spontaneous RP holds best. It’s great to have Jimmy as a bad guy when nobody expects it… even greater for everyone thought it would have been Tom the Slave-Driver. Nobody sees it coming! One person, whom will remain anonymous, did this so well that he built bridges for a year before finally outing himself as a villainous cultist in line with EVIL, and it surprised everyone!

At present we have all seen a resurgence of criminal roleplay; mostly in the guise of urchin criminality, pretty low-brow. But this is good, it’s a thriving basis. Places like Westfall and Old Town are prime areas lorewise for themes such as these. The urchins, or homeless, participate in as many interesting and fun things as they can, which in turn more and more criminal behaviour – bad… but good! For example, there’s a new project operating in Westfall that is attempting to catpure the essence of ‘Western roleplay’, with all the nitty-gritty, lawless parts thrown in. For criminal roleplayers, this concept offers a whole new perspective on what they might traditionally try to play.

So where in this rambling, incoherent, string of letters and vague words do I actually construct a valid argument? Well! Villain, or criminal, roleplay is of varying standards – some you might like, some you might not. There is, ultimately, no ‘wrong’ way to do it. Due to this standards, however, I find that the most thrilling and alluring villain is secretive, subtle and sometimes, the last person you would ever suspect. For all spectrums of villain/criminal roleplay, it is also a vital to find the balance between consent and spontaneous continuity for the sake of enjoyment from criminal and justice-seeking parties.

There is a great deal of potential concepts out there, those both tried and tested, while others only being unearthed now: cultist/murderer/assassin/thug/urchin/warlock/politician (Although, really… politicians… that’d require a whole new bloody topic!)

What do you think about criminal roleplay? Have you had positive or negative experiences? Let me know below!

The Cathedral Square – ‘The Throne of Roleplay?’

The Cathedral Square, located in Stormwind, serves as the headquarters for Alliance roleplay on Argent Dawn EU. It is one of the main points of interest for roleplayers today and a good place for a beginner roleplayer to learn the ropes before heading out to the real world.

…Waaaaait, wait! Real world? Why would anyone leave the safety of the city of Stormwind?

What if I can’t find any roleplay outside the city? Eh, I’ll just go back to the Cathedral Square. Good ol’ reliable Cathedral Square.

This thought occurred to me more than once whenever I wanted to head out and look for some exciting roleplay outside of Stormwind. The Cathedral Square is a safe bet: there’s always roleplay to be found. Always. You don’t even have to work hard! All you have to do is walk over and a crowd of characters will appear before you; some of them simply standing around, and some taking a more active role.

How did that happen? What makes the Cathedral Square the point of interest it is today?

Ereina, former leader of the Eclipse Vanguard, took the time to explain: “The psychological association built from guilds recruiting there. It’s a population center, and there will always be somebody there at any given point. They [roleplayers] are attracted there because that’s where the guilds recruit.”

I then asked Huolang, from Argent Dawn, what lures the recruiters over to the Cathedral Square: “There’s many idle people in the Cathedral Square,” she explains. “Some are guildless. Guild recruiters see that those people can strengthen their number.”

There are many idle people in the Square, some say it is because of recruiters, while others say recruiters are drawn there because of the idle people lingering in the area.

What came first, the Recruiter or the Roleplayer?

Taking to the streets once more, I posed the simple question: what came first?

Baroness Sinthe Beylocke (Sinthe) of The Crown Ministry: “I think roleplayers [came first]. The Square has little significance when it comes to the PVE and PVP aspects of Warcraft, so it appeared as the obvious place to centre RP.”

Rupert Cirandor (Cirandor): “I believe roleplayers [did]. If only Blizzard would create a Military Quarter, I think the recruiters would move there, leaving the other roleplayers there [in the Cathedral District] to roleplay without being spammed by recruiters!”

Ganfu Stillbarrel (Ganfu): “I’d say roleplayers [came first]. In the Cathedral Square, there’s a higher chance of encountering another roleplayer, in my opinion. The place has almost everything: benches, trees, fountain, a nearby pond and whatnot.”

3:0 – a decisive victory for the Roleplayers!

So with that being said, what’s in it for the roleplayers who dwell in the Square? What are the positive things about this roleplay hub?

A steady environment where other roleplayers can always be found. Like, literally always. Unlike its Horde counterpart, to me the Cathedral Square feels like a place where I will always find other like-minded players who are up for some spontaneous roleplay. It’s inside Stormwind, which is always bustling with life and adds to the feeling of a safe and steady heaven.

The Cathedral Square looks good. Especially after that post-Cataclysm make-over (adding the pretty gazebo and the huge cemetery.) The textures and environment are up to date, and that is, in my humble opinion, a very good reason to go there for a nice walk!

It’s accessible. The Cathedral Square in the middle of Stormwind, the capital of the Alliance! Why go as far as any other place when you have a grandiose square in the middle of a huge city? It can be accessed from the Park (R.I.P. Curse you Deathwing!), the Trade District, the Harbor, and the Dwarven Sqaure. Basically, it can be accessed from anywhere within Stormwind. That’s most definitely a plus.

The Cathedral of Light, the headquarters of the Church of the Holy Light, is here. It’s the most striking monument to be found and one of the most important structures of anyone who calls themselves a follower of the Holy Light. Where else would those faithful believers linger if not in the Cathedral Square?

These are, in my opinion, the positive things about the Cathedral Square which make it a valid roleplay hub. But this coin has two sides, and there are various negative things about the Cathedral being a roleplay hub:

The Cathedral Square made us all lazy. Let’s face it: roleplay can be found in the Cathedral Square most of the time. The steady amount of roleplayers and simple accessibility makes the Cathedral Square the perfect place to go to in favour of somewhere else far away.

It’s 22:00 PM, I’m tired and generally lazy and I want my share of RP, too. Should I gather some players and go on a fishing trip in Booty Bay, or reclaim Lordaeron for the Alliance? Naaah. I’ll stay here in the city where there’s roleplay.

Standing around isn’t exciting and this is exactly what happens in the Cathedral Square. People stand around. Or they walk around. Either way, there is nothing exciting really happening here. Stormwind is a good place to reflect a calm day in your character’s life. But roleplaying in that square every day, all the time? Surely it is too calm or too boring.

The rest of Azeroth withers while we remain standing around the Cathedral Square. As the voiceover in the Mists of Pandaria trailer says:

We were there when a world of limitless adventure opened up before us. We rose defiantly against all those who would threaten the peace of our kingdoms. We ventured to a new alien world and cast the lords of shadows and flame back into the abyss. It was we who held the line as death itself rose like a tied to swallow everything we held dear. We have endured the breaking of the world…

…to sit here, in the Cathedral District, and ignore the entirety of this world ‘we’ worked so hard to protect is a bit deflating, no?

We can see how the Cathedral Square is attractive to both recruiters and roleplayers for various reasons. Despite these reasons, I think that players shouldn’t limit themselves to the Square or even Stormwind.

Great zones that serve as perfect spots for roleplay are out there and are, unfortunately, left empty by players. I’d say: use them. Start new initiatives that will take your character as well as others outside the gates of Stormwind. Breathe life into those great but dead zones!

Ultimately, the Cathedral Square is indeed a great place for roleplay. It really does have almost everything. Though, in my humble opinion, roleplayers shouldn’t be bound to the walls of that district. There’s a huge world out there and it has much more than a few benches and trees! Buckle up and explore! You can always come back to the Cathedral at the end of the day, sit on a bench and relax.

What do you think? Share your comments below!

By the Light! Why keeping Blood Elf Roleplay stuck in “The Burning Crusade” really is a thing of the past.

‘Anar’alah Belore!’ 

For all those who are accustomed to Blood Elf roleplay, this phrase is a common sight and holds a great importance to each and every Blood Elf. It means ‘By the Light of the Sun(well)’ and can either be used as a positive expression, when excited, or as a negative expression: when shocked or terrified. However, throughout most of the Warcraft series, this phrase has been associated with cataclysmic events, such as the Scourge pillage of Quel’thalas. Yet, this phrase is more than just an expression of emotion, it is a symbol of the nation.

If you’ve grinded Sunwell Plateau as many times as I have, you’ll know that the Sunwell’s power is tremendous and has been used multiple times as a gateway or a means to restore life. Initially, the Sunwell flowed with Arcane energy and worked as a ‘font’ of power for the High Elves who had been exiled by their Night Elf cousins. But this source of power was taken from them when the Scourge invaded. From this point on, the Blood Elves were born. They relied on Fel energies for their power… and in time, this corrupted them. However, with the turn of the Burning Crusade expansion… we see the Sunwell restored.

Interesting chap!

When the events of the Sunwell Plateau unfold, Velen reignites the Sunwell with the last essence of Mur’u. In this final gesture, the Sunwell is reborn and paves a new era for the Sin’dorei; a new start.

“My brothers and sisters, words cannot describe what I felt upon seeing the Sunwell rekindled. In that moment, the Light revealed to me the truth of the terrible things I had done. Our people had walked a dark path and mine was among the darkest of them all. But the Light showed me that I was not lost. It helped me to find the strength to survive in spite of all that had happened and all the evil I had wrought. It is a strength that we sin’dorei all share. It is a strength we will need to free ourselves of the addiction ravaging our people. It will be the most difficult battle we have ever faced, but our resolve and the power of the Sunwell will sustain us until we have been restored to our greatness.”

– Lady Liadrin, said during the Quel’delar questline in Wrath of the Lich King.

With histories aside, I’m going to take a look at the issues of the present day Blood Elf nation and society. One of the major issues is the fact that Blizzard have yet to update Silvermoon. Giant Fel crystals, which linger in major rooms around the city, would be removed completely and perhaps be replaced by either: focusing irises (what strengthen the renewed Sunwell’s energies) or Arcane crystals. Ultimately, the rebirth of the Sunwell has created a rift in Thalassian roleplay.

After years of sucking magical essence from Fel crystals and draining mana from living creatures, an era of redemption has been born for the Sin’dorei. But what does this mean for Blood Elf roleplayers? There’s a few bits of conjecture that need some clearing up.

So, now that the Sunwell is partly made of Light from Mur’u’s essence, does that mean it’s going to be the Church of Light 2.0?

Most definitely not! The ‘actual’ Light abandoned the Elves of Quel’thalas when they chose to abuse Fel consumption to fit their needs. There’s a lot of roleplayers nowadays who prefer to keep Blood Elf roleplay in this ‘grimdark’ environment where almost all hope is lost and are forced to drain from dangerous sources to continue their existence. 

The powers of the new Sunwell take away the Blood Elves’ need for Fel, and instead, are now able to act as they did in the past, using the powers of the Light and Arcane. Their lust is sustained; Fel is a thing of the past!

(Speculation also insists that this holy font of power is to aid with Velen’s Army of Light in the future battle against the Burning Legion)

Alright, with this change I can assume that the eyes of the Blood Elves will revert back to their blue colour then?

Nope, not at all. While I implore there should be a change in motivation and a change in mindset for the Blood Elf nation (with the restoration of the Sunwell) there have been blue posts detailing how the colour of their eyes will remain green and that most of the corruption, however slight it may be, is long lasting:

The situation regarding blood elf eyes is, in fact, extremely similar to that of the green skin of orcs: just being around heavy use of fel magic turned the eyes of the blood elves green. You could be the most pious of priests or most outdoorsy of Farstriders, chances are, if you were a high elf in Quel’Thalas or Outland following the Third War, you were around fel energies, and your eyes would turn green. Like the orcs’ skin color, such an effect would take a very long time to wear off. Fel magic works a bit like radiation in this sense; it permeates the area and seeps into anything in the vicinity. Anything near a source of fel magic shows signs of slight corruption, it just so happens that high elves and orcs manifest it in a very visual way.

A stain forever upon the Blood Elf people; a memory as dear as the blood of their people spilt; a tragic reminder of their past.

So, because they don’t change that means I can continue to roleplay my Fel-loving Sin’dorei who loves to be malicious?

Technically, you can roleplay whatever you like – but from what the Lore seems to suggest, the Sunwell’s revitalised energies completely remove such need for an alternative source of magical consumption. However, this doesn’t cross out the possibility that your Blood Elf is still heavily addicted to consuming Fel magic. Be wary though, there’s a slight chance that those who consume Fel energies will eventually succumb to the powerful corruption that entails with using it. If that’s a character plot and decision you wish to make, then by all means go for it!

“You see, there are ancient, powerful relics found throughout this world that I plan to use to free my people from their addiction and unify them again as the proud, indomitable race we once were. Magic is something to be embraced and, I assure you, a force that can be utilized free of corruption with proper teaching.”

The above is a quote from High Examiner Tae’thelan Bloodwatcher, head of the Reliquary. His words are important, revealing to us the progression of the Blood Elf state. It shows the move away from Fel-consumption (and betrayal of the people by Kalel’thas.)

And while some would argue that if the Blood Elves had not drained demonic magic, then they’d have crumbled entirely. Despite being true in the general sense, it doesn’t legitimise continued exposure.

Well, I’ll just write a letter of complaint to the Regent-Lord! I want to continue my Fel magic consumption!

Hold your horses there, that’s not such a great idea. Remember that little group of protestors in the Bazaar? They got ‘re-educated’ (a nice little term that basically defines the Blood Elves’ abilities at dealing with any form of dissention or traitorous action). The Regent-Lord’s police state keeps the peace and anything revolutionary, at least that doesn’t fit the agenda of his people, is put down mercilessly.

Happiness is mandatory, Citizen.

In essence, with the vital information concluding the changes from the old Burning Crusade lifestyle, it’s definately a must that Blood Elf roleplay should move on from Fel-tinged darkness of the past and into the Sunwell-blessed future. There is a danger that Silvermoon, if not updated by Blizzard, will be forever stuck in a timewarp, where nothing has changed. It is up to us roleplayers to progress the story that Blizzard has intended, to reenact the great rebirth of the Blood Elves.

Progression is key, ladies and gentlemen, and moving away from a state oppressed by one’s addiction to a a flourishing Blood Elven Empire is actually far more reputable than trying to cling to whatever’s left.

Do your agree, or disagree? Share your opinion beneath. Stay majestic, readers!

Double Announcement, Yeah!

We’re proud to announce that we have a new member to the team: The Majestic Magister! 

He joins us as our second Horde correspondent and has a new desk inside the Horde department of the Hozen Throne. It will be interesting to see how he gets on with the Grumbling Grunt, whom up until recently, was top dog! Will distant races become friends or can we expect a tense stalemate of pencil-throwing and computer-smashing?

As part of our double announcement, we’d like to give a HUGE thank you to Moosemouse (http://moosemouse.deviantart.com/) for drawing our ‘Hozen logo’ up in the top-left corner. Go check out their Deviantart page! Doooo it!

It would be cruel to leave a Hozen unnamed; here at the Hozen Throne we don’t believe in cruelty, not one bit! So because of that, we’re asking for suggestions from the community for the Hozen’s name. Comment below if you have a suggestion!

Taboos! Get your taboos here!

On a server (Earthern Ring) a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago I started up a small series of reocurring mini-events, which whirled up a storm of contesting views. To set the scene, I was playing an immoral crook who would sell his mother if offered a bundle of coin! He was also a bully and cared little for those around him. Anyway, this character made a gambling scheme to make money (and of course, to promote criminal roleplay). One of these schemes was, to describe in in the simplest of forms: ‘underground dog-fighting.’ It was based on bloodsports found throughout the history of the real world. But once I made the event post, I realised that there were very conflicting views of whether or not this event was necessary. On one side of this OOC debate, some argued that cruelty to animals is vile (which it is) and should not be reenacted in a game or through roleplay; while others argued that this was just another, if extreme, way of storytelling or roleplaying, reflecting that the ‘hero’ of Warcraft often commits mass genocide through Blizzard’s many quests. Each side gave some substantial evidence to why the event should be praised or demonised…

…And it made me think: What is everyone’s taboo when it comes to the World of Warcraft world?  I wanted to see if I could identify a running trend of that which was generally unaccepted by the community of roleplayers. My quest to identify the Top 3 Taboos began!

Firstly, I made my own predictions of what I thought would appear (these are not what I find taboo, I’d like to add):

Lore-bending – Nobody likes it when you stand up and announce that you’re the younger brother or bastard child of Thrall. Bending the lore to your will and making it suit your conditions is something that I figured would be the top taboo for roleplayers alike!

Erotic Roleplay – We’ve all been to, passed through or heard of Goldshire. What happens in Goldshire, stays in Goldshire. Sure, whatever you say! The crusade against erotic roleplay has been wages for as long as I can remember. In the early days, screenshots of prominent roleplayers were leaked on forums,  but with more and more admitting they take part, that trend has died down. Regardless, I believe that many see erotic roleplay as a taboo.

Demonic Roleplay – Run! Quickly! Grab your pitchfork! There’s a demon just over by the mill! Demonic roleplay has always, in my eyes, been a bit of a gray area. There are those who can superbly play a conniving and manipulative demon-in-disguise… then there others who parade around Stormwind as Abakazzar, the mightiest of all Dreadlords! See the difference?

Upon making my predictions,  I took to the streets of Orgrimmar and Stormwind, tracking down any Horde and Alliance roleplayer I could find to pose the question: What do you find to be the top 3 taboos in the roleplay world?

Disclaimer: I tried to make sure that responses could fit into certain categories, and if they didn’t, they became their own. Below you can see the spread of responses (surprisingly, animal cruelty didn’t appear):

To my surprise, erotic roleplay didn’t appear as high on the list as I expected it to. My predictions for the other two responses were accurate… well, I suppose they don’t call me the Courteous Charlatan for nothing!

Below are the top three taboo responses:

The blurring of the lines between IC and OOC is the taboo that respondents replied with the most; thinking about it now, I can see why. I (and probably you too!) have experienced when things stop being IC and turn OOC; when this happens, relationships sour and fights occur. Most respondents said that breaking the OOC and IC lines are both bad etiquette and a form of ‘cheating.’ Some respondents believe that, when roleplaying, we must detach ourselves from the person playing and instead focus on the character itself.  The breaking between OOC and IC causes a huge amount of conflict… so justifiable that most people rate it pretty high!

Sorry Robin, you’re not needed for this… ‘blurred lines!’

Lore contesting/bending roleplay and the roleplaying of unique races (not solely limited to demons) were the second and third highest taboos. Given my early and brief analysis, we might understand why these things are detrimental to the sanctity of roleplay:

By bending lore we force players to see Blizzard’s world in their way, when really it should be about us seeing Blizzard’s world in… Blizzard’s way!

Roleplaying unique races, if done correctly, can be rewarding… however, respondents stated that, most of the time, they have had bad experiences with those roleplaying unique, villainous or custom races. Druid cats are on the prowl, be warned respondents!

I’m really interested to know what you think about the results, how you might agree or disagree and your own reasoning as to why certain responses were more popular than others.

My RSP – Part 1: Character Titles

Nice title Varian… Show off!

Given that this is our first and official post, we’d firstly like to introduce just how this blog of ours is going to work: our team will be individually posting articles throughout the year and once a month, the team will get together and produce a group article on a chosen topic. As this is our first post, we hope you enjoy it!

Newbie or veteran, if you’ve been roleplaying on World of Warcraft, then you’ve no doubt been told, advised or chosen to download a plethora of ‘roleplaying addons.’ The most groundbreaking addon that’s shaped and changed the roleplaying scene on World of Warcraft is the ‘Character Customisation Addon’ (or better known as FlagRSP, MyRoleplay and TotalRoleplay). These addons allows players to add extra information about their characters, ranging from last names to titles; appearance descriptions to histories; the weight, height of a character and even the colour of a character’s eyes.

First created in 2006, these addons have allowed players to customise their characters far deeper than World of Wacraft’s physical character customisation. With our super special taskforce of experienced roleplayers, we’re going to tear up the floor and argue, just what is suitable in the ‘title’ section of a character description?

 Be warned, my stiff and conservative opinion is about to be forced upon you! The ‘title’ is:

A one to three word slug-line of a character’s outward profession or ‘being.’

I would argue that RSP/MRP titles can be metagamed! How do we know that John Doe is a Soldier… despite it being labelled on his RSP/MRP title? The title section is a field that allows the roleplayer to get an insight into what, or who, your character is at a first glance. Like stereotypes, players can use the titles in a similar way: allowing other players to ‘assume’ who/what your character is simply based on the way one words their character’s title.  So, yes, while we may take liberties in breaching  IC and OOC knowledge, it seems commonly accepted that a title can be used for IC means. With that in mind, we can see how titles (below) might work:

• Aggressive Soldier
• Bookish Wizard
• Proud Blademaster

Each of these titles (despite being painfully simple) hint to the character’s profession. Stereotypical terms such as ‘soldier, wizard’ and ‘blademaster’ all conjure up our own ideas of what that character is like.  We need to be careful with the added adjective (which isn’t essential, but I feel it adds an extra flair) as not all words might depict the desired outward persona. By looking at the title, ‘Aggressive Soldier,’ we might assume that this character is hostile, either through his actions or speech. It allows for other players to visualise the character’s type of actions, or ‘hear’ the tone of the character’s speech. However, act with caution! If ‘titles’ are accepted ICly then there are, understandably, things that do not belong within the field:

1. Behold! My character is a ‘treasure hunter, dragon-slayer, lord, magician and pilferer of exotic goods’. These type of titles either cause confusion or a lack of clarity of who that character is. ‘Okay, so I can get a feel to what a treasure hunter looks lie, oh, and a magician too. But hold on, these two concepts seem pretty different – wait, they are a lord too?’

2. Don’t make the mistake of showing off. If you’re an assassin, or a cold-blooded murderer, don’t let people know that through your title. Intrigue isn’t intrigue… if everyone’s mother, brother and son knows about it. Keep it quiet and, perhaps, just put ‘Shifty Individual.’

3. Ex-Lord, Ex-Banquet Host, Ex-Rebel. These titles may seem relevant but I’d argue that they’re actually the opposite. If you’re an Ex-Something, it means that title is no longer applicable. Keep ‘Ex-titles’ out of your character description, they are of the past and therefore, no longer matter!

Roger got a little too carried away with his titles again…

Ultimately, use ‘titles’ as stereotypical slug-lines so that when a player hovers over you (and is too lazy to read your character description) they get an idea of just who they’re dealing with.

For me, titles represent just another method of adding flavor to your character. A title shouldn’t be too long and complicated, having multiple titles leaves a bad impression to others, giving the character a feeling that they’re just a “jack of all trades”. A good title should be a brief description of the character’s profession, or their background (such as Noble/Baron of <insert name>) or, and in my eyes the best choice, a particular feat or achievement in the character’s life.

Titles. Titles are a fun way to express who your character is, whether they’re a craftsman, dockworker, cobbler or a candle-lighter! It is a bit of fun, if anything it pans out your character well. However! It can be typical of an individual to choose several different titles for one character, for example; Jimmy The Gravedigger/assassin/lord/duke/business owner/crumpet eater, that may be considered too much, but again – many would argue, that’s what the character is, they may choose indeed to play crumpet eaters alongside their gravediggers as an alternate source of income! Fine. Great.

But what is too much? In my opinion I’ve found that; One title is great. Two is iffy. Three is dodgy, and anything above that is downright creepy. It gives the game away if you call yourself an Ex-soldier/assassin, people want to find out such things through playing with your character, not by reading what it says OOC. So! By all means call yourself a Lord or Worker or … anything like that, but don’t give too much away in OOC details.

And do for all that is betentacled and cruel in this world… Do not give yourself stupid titles! Honestly. The amount of times I’ve been questioned by Luke the Dark Lord of all Evil is exhausting… Personal opinion true, but silly titles they are things that make me shy away.

Titles, eh? Well, first of all, titles in MRP tend to give the reader some vague idea of the character they’re going to interact with, it essentially acts as a big label. A label that not only helps people guess at the character’s personality, but also helps guilds find potential recruits, or even individuals looking to mingle with others that like their style of roleplay. For example; Tong-Wong Woo’s MRP title is ‘Wardancer’. Wardancer may start ringing some bells with the reader. Perhaps the character would give all in the defense of his people, or simply enjoys a good ol’ bashing, and the thought it invokes may spur other characters of similar walks of life to more frequently interact with you!

But, of course there are some things better left unmentioned. And there’s a lot of those, trust me! To make it easy on you lot, I’ll compile a small list of things you probably really shouldn’t add into your MRP title, if you want to be taken seriously at all.

• Anything overtly sexual in nature.
• OOC things. (This is really a pet peeve of mine.)
• Long titles, such as: Fifth son of Tong-Wong Woo, Wardancer of Shen-zin Su

Titles pertaining to professions which others would be better off not knowing about, OOC, such as; spy, infiltrator, demonologist, and for that matter most things covering ‘evil’ or ‘unjust’, or something as simple as ‘secretive’. Nobody has to know you’re a grandmaster demon summoner the moment you step out of Stormwind and into your downtrodden cottage.

Now, I’ll be straightforward: Titles are downright unnecessary. We don’t actually need them, in my opinion. Allow me to do the controversial thing and compare WoW to Real-Life: Do people have tags over their heads, saying their name and occupation? You said it – Nope! Then how do we get the idea of who that person is? That’s right. We get the idea of who the person is by the way they look and talk and behave. In short – we get the idea of who they are by roleplay! If I encounter a doddering old man wearing a long purple robe and a pointy hat, I can assume that he is a wizard! But wait, what if he actually isn’t a wizard, and is actually Swagostrasz, the Third Son of the Dragonqueen? That’s the magic – we don’t know. He looks like a wizard, so for us, he is a wizard. Or, if the doddering old man was equipped with armor and a sword, we would think he is a war veteran, even if he isn’t! That’s NATURAL RP. That’s real RP. There is no guiding hand here; Your character sees what he sees. He sees a doddering man / fat lady / crazy goblin the way they are, without any titles over their head. I might get rid of my MRP titles soon too…

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We asked around on our native server and tried to gain an insight into what people believe a character title should be. You can find just a few of those opinions below (we implore you to get in touch and share your own thoughts on what, or what isn’t, appropriate in a character title!)

“My personal opinion on MRP titles is that they should be short and concise, they should be a simple description or what your character is such as their RP class, or perhaps, a rank they use as a title. Pretty much the only thing I am against is long MRP titles listing every minor detail including professions and romantic partners.” – Gaelden Goldforge (Argent Dawn EU)

“To present one’s achievement/stature in Azeroth/Outland, it should not be used for nicknames.” – Ebon Knight Blackendare (Argent Dawn EU)

“Ranks, titles, exploits, sometimes nicknames, self-proclamations. Whichever defines the character in question most loudly.” – Hua Yu Stormgut (Argent Dawn EU)

“I personally believe that a title should give you the briefest explanation to what kind of person you are interacting with.” – Nicole Andrews (Argent Dawn EU)

Do you agree with any of our self-proclaimed experts or fellow players? Yes? No? Regardless of your stance, share your opinion and let the games… uh, discussions begin!

An Introduction to the Hozen Throne

There are, across World of Warcraft’s European servers, recorded to be almost 13,000,000 characters belonging to millions of Warcraft subscribers.

Of those nearly 13,000,000 characters, however, only 9.4% (that’s a whopping, 1,219,605) belong to accounts on roleplaying servers. While that may only be 10% of all existing characters, that’s still a huge number of characters (and consequently players) who delve into the art of roleplaying across World of Warcraft’s 35 [European] roleplaying servers.

…Okay, so, enough with the statistics, what does this actually mean?

It means that thousands of people log on everyday to start and engage in hours upon hours of role-play. Roleplay that isn’t always documented. A type of dynamic, living writing that is, like a breeze in the wind, temporary. There are forums, blogs and archives of character stories, profiles and events which help to document this ever-changing, ever-developing writing style.

This blog was set up, not to record years upon years of roleplay (yep, this has been happening since Warcraft’s inception) but to analyse, discuss and reveal some of the techniques used, common practices, taboos and all things roleplay related found in our living, breathing and passionate community.

This is a salute to roleplayers worldwide, no matter how skilled or unskilled they be. For us, it’s not just about documenting this stuff, but rather, forming an opinion, taking it into the public eye and discussing it.

Our team here won’t be putting up a disclaimer, nor will we attest to being the best roleplayers throughout the world, but opinions will be thrown here, there and everywhere… if you agree, tell us; if you disagree, we implore you to tell us why!

Who are we?

To put it simply, a bunch of roleplayers playing over on Argent Dawn (EU) who think that creating a forum for discussion about all things roleplay can only be a good idea. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and we hope you enjoy the exciting topics we dip our sly fingers into!

Love,

The Hozen Throne Team!