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Warcraft as the anything-goes fantasy
I was playing Diablo III last night after playing WoW, because I hate it when days happen and I see the sun, when it occurred to me that the two settings are very different in a variety of ways, and one of the big ones is this - you could (and have) basically fit the entire thematic kit of the Diablo setting inside WoW, but you couldn't do the same in reverse. There's not enough room, for lack of a better word, for all of Warcraft inside Sanctuary. What do I mean by that? Well, Diablo as a setting has specific themes - the war between Heaven and Hell, Sanctuary created by dissidents from both sides, the creation of humanity by said defectors, and Diablo's plans to enlist or subvert humans to fight in said war between these polar opposites. Warcraft has a host of demons that seek to destroy all reality that can easily stand-in for the hosts of Hell from Diablo, and the risen dead we see in places like Tristram is if anything small potatoes compared to the plague of undeath we see in the Plaguelands. But WoW contains multitudes that have little to nothing to do with them - the Old Gods are a completely different kind of menace and one that there's no place for in Diablo. Similarly, the many races of the Warcraft setting have no place in the cosmology of the Diablo setting. Part of the reason for this is the origin of each game - while both have Dungeons and Dragons in their DNA, Diablo has always been a more straightforward dungeon crawl while Warcraft was originally an RTS with deep roots in the orc vs. human gameplay element. As an RTS, and one with two competing factions, new units helped create diversity and gameplay, and as a result having these new units be of different races gave flavor to the setting. Diablo has always been about you, alone in a vast dunegon complex or infested region, destroying waves of foes by yourself or with a small group - the variety came in terms of different kinds of foes to destroy and the ways you did so.
Doronsmovies delves into The History of Warcraft in new documentary
It's been twenty years since Azeroth was first introduced to the hearts and minds of gamers all over the world, and Youtube user Doronsmovies has put together a massive and in-depth look into the history of the Warcraft franchise. Weighing in at just over 40 minutes, the documentary dives right in with coverage of the early RTS games, starting with Orcs & Humans in 1994. Although we know quite a bit about those early games, and about the history of WoW itself, the movie also features a look at Lord of the Clans, a point-and-click adventure game that was actually never released -- including footage of the game itself, and some of the voice acting and animated scenes from the game as well. For those that have been playing Warcraft since the early days, the documentary might not have anything new to offer. But for those that have only just begun playing in recent years, or those that have only played World of Warcraft, there should be plenty of interesting tidbits to keep you entertained. And even if you're pretty familiar with all of Blizzard's Warcraft games over the years, it's pretty neat to see the progression from 1994 to now all encapsulated into one film. It's a lengthy watch, but hey -- twenty years is an awfully long time.
Blizzcon 2013: Classic Warcraft games may be coming to a PC near you
During Saturday's BlizzCon panel "World of Warcraft Q & A About Almost Everything" an astute goblin-lady cosplayer posed the panelists a question: considering that the upcoming expansion is all about the past, would Blizzard ever consider re-releasing the old Warcraft RTS games for modern computer systems? The answer, surprisingly, is yes! Production Director J. Allen Brack revealed that there does exist a small team of people at Blizzard who are working on making just that very thing a reality. Folks at Blizzard are, rightfully, proud of the accomplishments of those games and fans of those older games themselves, and they would love to see them given new life. Personally I think it would be great to have the option to replay those games on a newer system -- I can't help but think of how much I'e enjoyed redone versions of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge on Steam. While it might end up being more work than Blizzard has time for, it would be fantastic to see their earlier titles get a similar treatment. What about you? Would you like to see the original Warcraft RTS games on your modern PCs?
The inside story of the making of Warcraft on Kotaku
Ever wondered about the beginning of Warcraft? Not World of Warcraft, the game you're playing right now -- no, I'm talking about the Warcraft franchise. It all started with a game called Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, released way back in November of 1994. Warcraft was originally developed as a real-time strategy game, nothing at all like the MMO monstrosity it has evolved to today. But the story of WoW has its roots firmly entrenched in Warcraft's history, and WoW would not exist if we never had Orcs and Humans. Kotaku has begun posting a series of fascinating interviews with Patrick Wyatt, game developer, former Blizzard executive, and producer as well as lead programmer on the original Warcraft game. Part one talks about the sources and inspiration for Warcraft along with the early development of features that are standard with games these days, and it explores the unique formation of a team of developers that would eventually leave an indelible mark on gaming history as we know it. Part one is good enough on its own, but the next in the series promises to shed even more light on the development of game. Head over to Kotaku and check out the full interview. It's definitely worth the read, and keep an eye out for the next installment.
WoW Rookie: Reading about Warcraft
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic, and be sure to visit the WoW.com WoW Rookie Guide for links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's. Even if you're not a roleplayer, it's almost impossible not to find yourself swept up by some aspect of the hundreds of compelling stories tucked into the World of Warcraft. The question is, how can you dig deeper? Where do you find more? The answer: Books ... Manga ... Comics ... RPGs .... Page after page after page of glorious lore. Blizzard approves the storylines and lore included in the Warcraft and World of Warcraft line of novels, although you won't find a straight and clear progression across the whole line. Not every story and character crosses over from books to game (and vice versa). Besides the Warcraft novels, WoW-starved readers can chew through enough manga, roleplaying game books and gaming guides to sate any lore feeding frenzy. The best part? You enjoy +Lore bonuses to your online play experience. Even the RPG books add color to the overall picture. Follow us beyond the break for a basic reading outline to escort you down Warcraft's path of lore.
Take a wander down memory lane with the History of Warcraft
Just in time for the inevitable announcement of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, IGN have decided to turn in the opposite direction and take a peek at this history of this momumental franchise. They've posted an epic five-page retrospective feature on the entire Warcraft franchise as part of the run up to BlizzCon.It looks at everything from the original game, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, to the failed Thrall-centric loregasm that was Warcraft Adventures right on through to Warcraft II and III. Of course, they also look in detail at World of Warcraft and its two expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. If you only discovered the Warcraft franchise with WoW, as I did, it's a fascinating glimpse into one of gaming's biggest franchises. World of Warcraft is not just a game or a single mythology, it's the culmination of a decade of gaming history. So if you've got an hour to kill before the fun and games today, you might want to check this out.