All these wonderful replies! Allow me to comment on a few -
Sol Wrote:But despite how you described the Black Harvest as being defined by 'basic war and conquest', what I was really trying to pull off with its storyline was some soul-searching for the Forsaken race as a whole for identity and meaning.
Quote:. . . That being said, it was so much easier to get things (like what I've just been gooily nostalgising over) rolling in the first place with regular fighty events to frame them around and a few well-placed shouts of THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE THE QUEEN. RP on CotH has always been pretty event-driven anyway, and being loud and proud and aggressive is a surefire way to get people's attention.
A keen observation. My favored memories of the Harvest were also in fact the more subdued, quieter, social role plays as opposed to the violent battlefield ones, and I attempted to recapture that with Seminars; however you are correct: The more sublime and character-based RP was born out of the momentum of war and adventure RP. Something I should consider.
Reigen Wrote:My main issue with RPing the forsaken is I can't really get into the fanaticism most are played as. My sole forsaken just doesn't fit with that kina RP nor do I really enjoy it. War and combat do not interest me what so ever to be fully honest.
This is an interesting point to bring up. While most Forsaken are dedicated feverishly to Sylvanas and whatever cause she leads them towards, it certainly does not account for -all- Forsaken. As with almost any race, there will be outliers and exceptions to the cultural norm. So I now ask this: what sort of RP can be provided that can accomodate for outlier Forsaken characters? The basic vague ideas always apply: adventurer, wanderer, that sort of thing, but what can we do to include non-standard Forsaken into the standard Forsaken image without pushing them away? Orcs and humans and other races get productive RP outside their comfort zone, after all.
Reigen Again Wrote:Forsaken that come together for reasons other than being full of angst, hating everyone else and yelling about death to the living.
This was in fact one of my goals with the Seminars events and the Embrace of Shadows guild. Clearly, I missed my mark, so I ask you: How could I (and the community as a whole) improve upon this shortcoming? Like Sol, I see a vast amount of potential and depth for the Undead, the trick is simply marketing it properly.
Grakor Wrote:The first problem is that Horde RP is almost always military-focused.
Very true! However, to connect to what Sol said earlier about how Black Harvest's social RP was born out of the momentum of its conflict RP.... you can't really take the fight out of the Horde, as it were, Forsaken included. If there is one thing the dysfunctional collection of Horde races do have in common, its their fighter's spirit. They go full tooth and nail to survive and will take any means required to do so, and I find that admirable.
So, what perhaps is required then is a means to better streamline the conflict with the social. Just as orcs need boasts of glory and honor to discuss over a beer at the campfire, so to do Forsaken need a venue to connect them socially and give them something to discuss and relate with. Mmm.
Grakor Again Wrote:The second problem is its exclusivity.
This, I think, is a much larger issue that needs addressing. -NO- race should exist in a bubble, but this is a problem that frequently affects Horde as well as Alliance RP (though Alliance RP to a lesser extent). As you said, Cataclysm has the main Horde forces lending support in ways that was never done before. Moreso, I would LOVE to see more interaction with the core Horde and Forsaken regarding their occupation of Undercity and the heightened tensions the Lordaeron battlefield has to offer.
And of course, Blood Elves and Forsaken have always gotten along well, having bonds forged in fire as victims of the Scourge and a common respected hero in Sylvanas.
Dae Wrote:I suppose my point here is that Forsaken Military doesn't have the same freedom it had in WotlK. Having evn just a neutral attitude towards the living of Lordaeron could be seen as sympathizing with the enemy. But Blizz's has given such Forsaken no place to go, except maybe the Argents, but I haven't even seen a single bit of lore talking about Forsaken who disagreed with Sylvanas's recent actions and actually done anything about it.
(if you have evidence to the contrary, I would be genuinely happy to see it)
While I can't list too many NPCs who meet this criteria exactly off the top of my head (there are a handful of Argent NPCs but none of them too noteworthy save for the one Grakor listed), the starting zone quest lore does state that Forsaken awakened by the Val'kyr are free to go their own path. Lilian Voss runs back to her Scarlet father only to go berserk and kill him when he rejects her, and Marshal Redpath likely would've been spared if he weren't plotted an armed insurrection in the heart of Forsaken homeland. I still think the freedom to be what you want to be is extant with Forsaken, but I do agree there's likely more social stigma.
That said, there's never been too many options for outliers of any race to be fair. Its either go Argent, go Goblin, or go Independent.
Dae Again Wrote:Or, you know, for the newly rezzed Forsaken to not just go "screw you guys, you killed me and my family. I'm siding with the Alliance."
As much as this would provide fantastic story potential, I'm sure most Alliance citizens would have the Forsaken burnt at the stake for going near them :B The prejudice goes both ways! (But the drama of a Forsaken who can't fit in on either side of the fence is delicious...)