05-28-2010, 05:27 AM
This is a thread on the events of patch 3.3 on retail: The Fall of the Lich King. If you aren't aware of what's going on with the story, and don't want to be spoiled, TURN AWAY NOW
Spoiler:
I think it's pretty safe to say that a majority is really displeased with how the Lich King story line ended. I, for one, have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I was not pleased with how this turned out. Not one bit.
"There must always be a Lich King!" Why? Because if left unchecked, the Scourge will roam free and annihilate Azeroth. Right. I don't buy it. First of all, I don't think corpses should remain animated if the entity causing the animation ceases to exist. However, it is this way in the Warcraft universe, hence the Forsaken. Alright, fine. So if the Forsaken were created by the Lich King losing his grasp over a portion of his undead army, causing them to regain free-will, why isn't it the same for the rest of the Scourge? Huge logical fallacy here.
I also have a problem with the Lich King's scheme. So instead of using his massive army, that which exeeds both the Horde's and Alliance's combined, to wipe life from the face of the planet, he attacks said armies to provoke them into a long, drawn-out conflict. One that causes a large portion of his forces, including his most powerful generals, to fall at the hands of the armies he could have decimated to begin with. And all these "set-backs" were part of his cartoon-villain schemes to lure the most powerful heroes of Azeroth to him, so that he could turn them against the world they once fought for? I'm sorry, but I don't care how much you "delight in the irony", Mr. LK. That's a very ridiculous plot.
I don't believe the writers knew exactly what they wanted to do with the Lich King. For starters, there's a quest the Alliance get in Howling Fjord called the Echo of Ymiron that has players step into the spirit world. Once there, the Lich King speaks to the player:
Now, this would make sense if Blizzard followed what they originally told us about him. They said the Lich King was a perfect formation of minds of Arthas Menethil and Ner'zhul. They were one entity. However, Christie Golden's The Rise of the Lich King (see a theme here?) contradicts that, saying that Arthas pushed out Nerzhul's consciousness. Not only that, but he supposedly killed the remaining vestiges of humanity left in him. There is even a quest-line in Icecrown that players can do that explore the concept that there is no more Arthas or Ner'zhul, only the Lich King. The quest involves a ghost child named Matthias Lehner (anagrams, anyone?) who appears from the frozen heart of the Lich King under Icecrown Citadel. Yes, the Lich King literally cut out his own heart and cast it from his body, further enforcing that Arthas' humanity is gone. Let me show you some dialog from the end of the quest.
At that point, Tirion charges Arthas' heart and destroys it. If it's not obvious at this point: Arthas. Is. Dead. He has no more humanity left in him. He is simply the Lich King and nothing more. So why, then, is the only thing holding the Scourge back from wiping out Azeroth the last of Arthas's humanity? There is no humanity! Did Blizzard not read their own quests? Did they completely forget about Golden's novel? This is ridiculous. There's so much logic fail in this plot - it makes me want to scream.
Anyway, I hope by now I've proven my point. The Lich King plot line was silly, especially the ending. My question to you CotHites is this:
Were you dissatisfied with the plot of this expansion? If so, should we change how things happened? Seeing as this server is not up to patch 3.3 story-wise, I think it would be a great opportunity to collaborate and come up an ending that is truly fitting to our fallen prince of Lordaeron.
"There must always be a Lich King!" Why? Because if left unchecked, the Scourge will roam free and annihilate Azeroth. Right. I don't buy it. First of all, I don't think corpses should remain animated if the entity causing the animation ceases to exist. However, it is this way in the Warcraft universe, hence the Forsaken. Alright, fine. So if the Forsaken were created by the Lich King losing his grasp over a portion of his undead army, causing them to regain free-will, why isn't it the same for the rest of the Scourge? Huge logical fallacy here.
I also have a problem with the Lich King's scheme. So instead of using his massive army, that which exeeds both the Horde's and Alliance's combined, to wipe life from the face of the planet, he attacks said armies to provoke them into a long, drawn-out conflict. One that causes a large portion of his forces, including his most powerful generals, to fall at the hands of the armies he could have decimated to begin with. And all these "set-backs" were part of his cartoon-villain schemes to lure the most powerful heroes of Azeroth to him, so that he could turn them against the world they once fought for? I'm sorry, but I don't care how much you "delight in the irony", Mr. LK. That's a very ridiculous plot.
I don't believe the writers knew exactly what they wanted to do with the Lich King. For starters, there's a quest the Alliance get in Howling Fjord called the Echo of Ymiron that has players step into the spirit world. Once there, the Lich King speaks to the player:
Quote:"Shamanism has brought you here... Its scent permeates the air. *The Lich King laughs* I was once a shaman."
Now, this would make sense if Blizzard followed what they originally told us about him. They said the Lich King was a perfect formation of minds of Arthas Menethil and Ner'zhul. They were one entity. However, Christie Golden's The Rise of the Lich King (see a theme here?) contradicts that, saying that Arthas pushed out Nerzhul's consciousness. Not only that, but he supposedly killed the remaining vestiges of humanity left in him. There is even a quest-line in Icecrown that players can do that explore the concept that there is no more Arthas or Ner'zhul, only the Lich King. The quest involves a ghost child named Matthias Lehner (anagrams, anyone?) who appears from the frozen heart of the Lich King under Icecrown Citadel. Yes, the Lich King literally cut out his own heart and cast it from his body, further enforcing that Arthas' humanity is gone. Let me show you some dialog from the end of the quest.
Quote: The Lich King says: I must confess... you were not altogether unexpected. I hope you find your final resting place... to your liking.
Highlord Tirion Fordring says: You sound a little too confident. Especially considering the way our last encounter ended.
The Lich King says: Last time we met, you had the advantage of fighting on holy ground. You'll find that our situation has been... reversed.
Highlord Tirion Fordring says: That might be, but I don't need to stand on holy ground to run that disembodied heart of yours through with the Ashbringer.
The Lich King says: I call your bluff. You're a paladin after all. Your obsession with redemption goes beyond the inane.
The Lich King says: You surely wouldn't destroy humanity's only chance to redeem its most wayward son. You'd sooner die!
Highlord Tirion Fordring says: The heart... the last remaining vestige of your humanity. I had to stop it from being destroyed. I had to see for myself. And at last I'm sure...
Highlord Tirion Fordring says: Only shadows from the past remain. There's nothing left to redeem!
At that point, Tirion charges Arthas' heart and destroys it. If it's not obvious at this point: Arthas. Is. Dead. He has no more humanity left in him. He is simply the Lich King and nothing more. So why, then, is the only thing holding the Scourge back from wiping out Azeroth the last of Arthas's humanity? There is no humanity! Did Blizzard not read their own quests? Did they completely forget about Golden's novel? This is ridiculous. There's so much logic fail in this plot - it makes me want to scream.
Anyway, I hope by now I've proven my point. The Lich King plot line was silly, especially the ending. My question to you CotHites is this:
Were you dissatisfied with the plot of this expansion? If so, should we change how things happened? Seeing as this server is not up to patch 3.3 story-wise, I think it would be a great opportunity to collaborate and come up an ending that is truly fitting to our fallen prince of Lordaeron.
"...naaaa." She bleated, suddenly very wooly and small.
-Anna
-Anna