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:''For other new race speculations, see the [[race ideas]] article.'' |
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− | *[[Vulpera]] have been speculated to be an allied race in the future, based on having a full suite of customization options (unusual among NPC races). Blizzard has stated that setting up certain races that way is advantageous for development and is not necessarily a sign that there are any plans to make them playable.<ref>[https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/20761686748?page=6#post-106 Ornyx on the official forums]</ref> Vulpera also received a complete model update during Alpha, and notably received tails and tattoos. They also have faces rigged for animations, underwear (which is something that is normally unique to playable races), and their texture sheet is ordered like that of a playable race. For a race that only appears in a significant way in only one zone, [[Vol'dun]], all of this might be seen as odd, especially compared to the other Vol'dun race, the [[Sethrak]], who barely get any customization and are purely NPC models. |
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− | **The only known friendly vulpera faction, the [[Voldunai]], are Horde-aligned, which would suggest a Horde race. |
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*The inclusion of Horde-friendly [[San'layn]] during the [[War Campaign]] may lead to playable San'layn. |
*The inclusion of Horde-friendly [[San'layn]] during the [[War Campaign]] may lead to playable San'layn. |
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Revision as of 18:39, 7 October 2019
Allied races are a type of playable race introduced with Battle for Azeroth that can only be unlocked and used after fulfilling certain in-game requirements.
Description
Allied races are, from a design point of view, alternate versions of the main races. They mostly use the skeleton of an existing race, but altered and with a different model. They also have their own racial abilities. Allied races get a full character kit including their own emotes, flirts, funnies, exertions, and so on.[1]
Recruitment
- For recruitment questlines, see Allied race recruitment quests.
Each race is associated with an achievement and reputation in order to unlock. These requirements are account wide, not character bound, so players can earn each requirement on different characters on different realms and still unlock the allied race. After a player meets the requirements for a given race, they must head to their faction's embassy - Alliance players can recruit them from the Stormwind Embassy, and Horde players from the Orgrimmar Embassy. They will be given a quest chain that, upon completion, will grant them the ability to create a new character for that allied race, which will start at level 20. Upon reaching level 110 without using a level boost or Recruit-A-Friend boost, they are rewarded with a heritage armor set.
Allied race recruitment quests can't currently be repeated, but there could be an option to repeat them in the future.[2]
History
The first four allied races were recruited as a direct result of the events of Legion, originating from the Broken Isles and Argus. Another four are part of the story in Battle for Azeroth. Allied races are not a Battle for Azeroth-exclusive feature however.[3]
Draenor orcs were first announced by Ion Hazzikostas on January 30 2018.[4] On March 15, they were confirmed to be named "Mag'har orcs".
The Kul Tiran humans were first announced by Ion Hazzikostas on March 15 2018.[5]
Mag'har orcs and Dark Iron dwarves are available after completing the Battle for Azeroth War Campaign. The Kul Tiran humans and Zandalari trolls were recruited later in the expansion, after they respectively join the Alliance and the Horde.[6]
Vulpera and Mechagnomes were announced as new Alliance and Horde allied races respectively in Patch 8.3.[7]
List of allied races
- Void elves — Exalted with Argussian Reach and [You Are Now Prepared!]
- Lightforged draenei — Exalted with Army of the Light and [You Are Now Prepared!]
- Dark Iron dwarves — Exalted with 7th Legion and [Ready for War]
- Kul Tirans — Exalted with Proudmoore Admiralty, [A Nation United] and [Tides of Vengeance]
- Mechagnome - Exalted with Rustbolt Resistance (coming in Patch 8.3)
- Nightborne — Exalted with The Nightfallen and [Insurrection]
- Highmountain tauren — Exalted with Highmountain Tribe and [Ain't No Mountain High Enough]
- Mag'har orcs — Exalted with The Honorbound and [Ready for War]
- Zandalari trolls — Exalted with Zandalari Empire, [Zandalar Forever!] and [Tides of Vengeance]
- Vulpera - Exalted with Voldunai (coming in Patch 8.3)
Classes
Class balance on factions is more linked to lore than equality.[8] It was also stated that there are no plans to give hero classes to allied races in Battle for Azeroth, but in the future the door is open to it.[9]
Future allied races
- There are no immediate plans for Wildhammer dwarves, but it is possible in the future.[10]
- Murlocs[11] and blood trolls[12] are not planned as allied races.
- High elves are not planned as an allied race. At BlizzCon 2017, when asked if they could be a future allied race, Ion Hazzikostas said that "blood elves are pretty much high elves, and void elves are pretty much another flavor of high elves". He also stated that there was no obvious population center for them to come from, as they had been assimilated in other cultures.[13] In a Developer Q&A, when asked why they had thus decided to give the Alliance void elves instead of high elves, Hazzikostas elaborated that the fantasy of the "fair-skinned, blonde-haired, majestic elf" kind was already fulfilled by blood elves. Giving that race to the Alliance would also have blurred the lines between factions. Void elves allowed them to give a unique and distinct "flavor of blood elves" to the Alliance.[14]
Speculation
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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- For other new race speculations, see the race ideas article.
- The inclusion of Horde-friendly San'layn during the War Campaign may lead to playable San'layn.
Notes and trivia
- An allied race character can be boosted with the Character Boost service but will not receive their heritage armor set. Using the Race Change service to turn a character into an allied race will prevent the obtention of the armor as well.
- NPCs that call the player by their race originally referred to allied races using their full allied race name, such as "Highmountain tauren" or "Lightforged draenei". This was later changed so they use only the race name, such as "Tauren" or "Draenei".
- Funnily enough, the term "allied race" was used in the patch 1.5 notes to refer to other faction reputations.[15]
- In 7.3.5 the new allied races increased the character slots per realm up to 16[16] and 8.0 increased it to 18.[17] However, with 8.1.5, the character slot limit per realm was removed, with the account limit still remaining a total of 50 characters.
- According to game director, Ion Hazzikostas, allied races will always come out in pairs to begin with, but in the long run they may not come out for both factions at the same time.[8]
- In 2013, a MMO-Champion user known as "shoc" created a thread talking about Sub-Race Photoshop Mockups. In this thread, he showed various mockups, including several ideas that became playable as allied races (Mag'har orc, Dark Iron dwarf, humanoid mechagnomes). He also introduced the idea of slim humans based on the Forsaken rig and beefier humans, two concepts that were eventually realized with the nation of Kul Tiras.
Gallery
- Official art
Kul Tirans as shown at BlizzCon 2017
Concept art for Zandalari and Kul Tiran cat forms
- Fan concepts
Mok'nathal and Broken
Patch changes
- Patch 8.1.5 (2019-03-12): Added Kul Tiran and Zandalari troll allied races.
- Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Added Dark Iron dwarf and Mag'har orc allied races.
- Patch 7.3.5 (2018-01-16): Added Lightforged draenei, Void elf, Highmountain tauren, and Nightborne allied races. Pre-order of Battle for Azeroth required.
References
- ^ MMO-Champion: Nov 6 Hotfixes, Dev Interviews, Heroes PTR, Overwatch PTR Build, Blue Posts, DLC #606
- ^ Live Developer Q&A with Game Director Ion Hazzikostas
- ^ Battle for Azeroth Beta Q&A with Ion Hazzikostas
- ^ MMO-Champion - Battle for Azeroth Developer Q&A
- ^ Developer Q&A with Ion Hazzikostas - Battle for Azeroth
- ^ BFA Press Event - Talanji Cinematic, 8.0 Pre-Patch, Mag'har and Dark Iron Unlock Schedule
- ^ 8.3 Developer Content Update Preview
- ^ a b Developer Q&A with Ion Hazzikostas - Battle for Azeroth
- ^ Battle for Azeroth Live Developer Q&A – April 26, 2018, 48:25
- ^ Elliot Gardner 2018-05-03. How Blizzard are preparing WoW for Battle for Azeroth | PCGamesN. Retrieved on 2018-06-13.
- ^ Battle for Azeroth Developer Exclusive Interview Q&A! - Method (17:53). YouTube (2017-11-11). Retrieved on 2018-07-16.
- ^ Ornyx 2018-06-12. Blood Troll Allied Race - World of Warcraft Forums. Retrieved on 2018-07-08. “Just to clear the confusion, there was a small segment in yesterday's E3 interview with IGN in which we weren't entirely clear - but we want to clarify that Blood Trolls are not currently planned as an Allied Race.”
- ^ Ion Hazzikostas and Jesse Cox: BlizzCon 2018 (17:58)
- ^ Ion Hazzikostas: High Elves and Void Elves (46:20)
- ^ Archived page
- ^ https://www.wowhead.com/news=281324/four-extra-character-slots-per-server-now-live
- ^ https://www.wowhead.com/news=284508/per-realm-character-limit-increased-to-18-in-battle-for-azeroth