The Queue: Can a game really last forever?

I’m not sure, but after playing World of Warcraft for over 20 years, I’m willing to give it a chance. And we’ll know how things play out very soon, because the beta is scheduled to go live at NQT.

But while we wait (seconds) for that to happen or (hours) for the servers to be stable, let’s get to the questions. This is the Queue, our daily Q&A column.

I would prefer Blizzard didn’t stick to the “saga” style of long-form storytelling, because I don’t think Blizzard does its best storytelling in that format. When I think back on World of Warcraft, it’s never the big expansion-long (or longer) stories that grab me. It’s the little moments. The side quests. The small, personal narratives. Sometimes they were part of bigger narratives, but it’s the small-scale stories that stick with me.

And I think that’s the nature of the storytelling. A big story has to be, well, big. It has to shake the foundations of the world and it has to involve the big lore characters, who take center stage. A little side quest doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. It doesn’t have to involve major lore moments. It’s a story that can just be.

I remember doing Lament of the Highborne for the first time, and listening to Sylvanas sing; an odd moment back in vanilla. I remember the first time I did the Death Knight starting zone and almost logged off because I was so upset when it asked me to murder a friend (even though in game I just met them). I remember helping Rhea save Wrathion’s egg, at great cost. I remember great, emotional moments with Talanji and her father, with Jaina and her mother in Battle for Azeroth. I disliked Battle for Azeroth’s main narrative, but it had some incredible smaller moments. I remember that first Dragonflight cinematic, feeling so much for the nameless Watcher, even without a word of dialog.

Smaller stories don’t have as many stakes, and therefore allow for more creative freedom, and sometimes more meaningful, memorable narratives. So I’d love to see expansions that think small, and actually hope Forever will be in this vein, with new zones and places to explore rather than an endless chain of levels and world-ending threats.

But we’ll see. I think whether Blizzard goes with another big “saga” of expansions will depend on how this saga has gone. What do the numbers say? I’ve certainly been enjoying these expansions, but not because of the big narrative. But it’s added some great quality of life features, lots of personalization, player housing, warbands, loosened transmog systems… it’s a lot easier and more convenient to play, with more customization and ways to express yourself. The game is great, but I don’t feel like that’s because it’s a saga. And I can’t tell you how Blizzard feels, either.

Maybe. It really depends on how attached I am to the story.

It never feels “right” to have your level 1 D4 character wearing a set of high-end armor. But sometimes you just want to look good and start the season like you ended the last one.

And in any game, some times and places it feels like maybe you should be dressed more appropriately. Like my Death Knight’s tendency to wear lightweight pastels between raid tiers didn’t make sense when I was going off to fight mountains of angry snakes several times a week. You need solid boots for that kind of thing.

But even still, sometimes you just want to look pretty, you know? There’s a reason I own all of these flower crowns, after all.

Murlocs.

I think it’s a little too goofy for modern WoW. Which isn’t to say Forever should be or is a joke, but it certainly feels like a place that could be more flexible with lore, and perhaps allow it to tell sillier stories like that.

Sure, we’ve had quests about a guy in a murloc suit from Wrath all the way up to Midnight, but it’s certainly never been a story focus. There’s room for more murloc stories, or Azmerloth stories, and what better way to enjoy them than as a murloc yourself?

It comes out November 4, but beta starts today. You can get a chance at beta by signing up on the WoW: Forever website.

I’m a simple woman. I’m just calling it Forever. Straightforward. Easy to remember. Maybe too many syllables, but I’m working with what’s in front of me.

That’s all for today, folks. Take care and I’ll see you in the comments section.