Poster: Cyde at 5/27/2005 12:17:57 PM PDT
Subject: "Test of Honor" reward tabard breaks 4th wall |
| |
Now this is ridiculous. Blizzard is giving a custom tabard to the top Honor earner of each faction per realm. Have a look at the tabard.
http://worldofwarcraft.com/news/images/05-05/honortabard-screen.jpg
This is a clear violation of the fourth wall on roleplaying servers and I am surprised that Blizzard hasn't even thought about the effect this will have on us. A player running around wearing the name of the game you're playing? Come ON now that breaks RP![ post edited by Cyde ]
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3307335 |
| |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 12:22:12 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
His tabard says "WOW"!
Maybe he's exceedingly happy. It's not as fourth-wall-breaking as you may think, and can easily be explained in in-game terms. If it was "World of Warcraft", I can see where you might have a problem. :)
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3307411 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 12:40:16 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
Q u o t e:
Thanks for the response Caydiem, it's just that I've never seen anyone in a medieval or fantasy setting running around with words printed on his clothes. Especially the word "wow", which only came about recently and doesn't fit into a medieval or fantasy context.
"Wow" is a very believable exclamation, as it isn't really a word as much as it is a sound, similar to "Whoa" or "Huh".
Just because you've never seen a very possible element in fantasy before does not in any way mean it cannot be worked into Azeroth. The designs on most tabards are pretty intricate...
*ahem*
The Stormwind Society of Seamstresses was overjoyed when they first received the edict from the King's advisors that they were chosen to honor the Alliance's finest war heroes. Mistresses of embroidery, they quickly went to work, slaving over the rich violet cloth as they shaped a masterpiece. Once the beautiful blue and golden design was done, the elder women went out for a night on the town, leaving the younger members to finish up the detail work.
Upon their return the next day, however, they wailed in dismay -- for, in bright golden letters, the young ones had written "WOW" across their gorgeous needlework with a cruder stitching of their own. There was no time to pluck it out; they were due to show the design to the advisors themselves this very morning.
With trepidation they approached Highlord Bolvar and displayed the tabard for approval. Lady Prestor rolled her eyes and looked away, disgusted... but Bolvar stared at it, long and hard... the sides of his mouth twitching as he attempted to contain his laughter.
The young King looked over at this latest business and approached. His small fingers traced over the design. "Wow!" he whispered, mimicking the word on the tabard. "That's what the crowds will say when they see the heroes, won't they, Bolvar?"
The Highlord chuckled softly. "They will now, certainly. Ladies, you have my approval to use this design. We have many heroes to honor. Go, and be quick about your work -- there is much to be done."
The seamstresses, bewildered, left the Keep and went back to their shop to tell the others the news...
...but they were nowhere near as bewildered as the party of raiding Orcs that waylaid the shipment to Darnassus weeks later. Greedy fingers pawed open the crates, only to find the oddest tabards.
"Humans will wear anything," one grunted.
The leader smirked. "I don't know. There are some odd ones who live around Orgrimmar. We will take these to the Warchief -- I'm sure he'll find some use for them."
***
Just an example of how it could be justified. :P
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3307745 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 12:48:34 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
Q u o t e:
Wow is most definitely a word. From Wikipedia itself, which is a trusted resource because it's where you guys go to find out if a name is obscene and then send the Wikipedia link in the account suspension email, ...
"Wow is an exclamatory word used to express amazement. Unlike "whoa" or "huh", which are more like sounds, wow is an actual word."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow
That does not change my point in any regard. It's a believable exclamation sound as well.
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3307897 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 12:52:16 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
Q u o t e:
How is it in character for someone to have a sound written across their chest? Do murlocs wear vests that say, "RRrrrgglllrlrrggrlll"?
One such explanation can be found at the bottom of Page Two. :P
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3307973 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 12:59:49 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
Q u o t e:
Caydiem, respectfully I would ask you to take some responsibility for this instead of sidestepping the OP's concerns. Yes, WOW could be construed as many things, but the truth of the matter is that in a game named 'WOW', the logical explanation is that the tabard itself has WOW inscribed upon it to indicate the name of the game being played.
I understand that WOW is also a statement of surprise or joy, and that with a suspension of disbelief it can be taken as such, but the roleplaying servers are meant to foster an immersive experience unlike standard and PvP servers. When a player sees the tabard, their second thought is going to be 'It has World of Warcraft on it'.
Please foster the uniqueness of the immersive experience that is a roleplaying server and consider a partial redesign of this tabard. I understand that to do so, you would need to allocate developer and artist time, but it is your responsibility to be our mouthpiece in expressing these concerns.
Thank you.
The design is made and in-game. To be honest, I did express concern about it, but that is the final design.
What I am doing is not "brushing aside" the concerns -- as a role-player, I understand them. There are times, however, when I feel I'm slightly different than some of you folks when it comes to things like this. If something new is introduced, unless it is wildly out of whack, I can easily make it work with the gameworld in my mind. What I'm doing here is not saying "It's clearly an exclamation and doesn't stand for World of Warcraft"... you are more intelligent than that and I would never try to convince you of something so trite. What I am trying to say, in a subtle fashion, is that you can use the game lore and situations to make this new bit of information work within your character's worldview.
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3308102 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 1:04:25 PM PDT
Subject: Re: BLUE: "Test of Honor" tabard breaks 4th w |
| |
Q u o t e:
Cay, I've never had anything bad to say about most anything you have said. That being said, you must think that most players are adolescent fools that beleive most anything you say.
Saying what you have said above and the other comments in regards to this is blatently irresponsible. With regards to this game, WOW represents World of Warcraft. It doesn't represent "wow, that really looks cool!" It is a blatent attempt at commercializing in-game.
Which in itself reminds me old time attempts that stated if you played a record album backwords it said devil worship crap.
Be an adult and look at it with common sense and treat people with the respect.
Please read the other posts by me in this thread. :P
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3308170 |
Poster: Caydiem at 5/27/2005 4:01:34 PM PDT
Subject: Re: "Test of Honor" reward tabard breaks 4th |
| |
Q u o t e:
No Cay it is just another "American" bastardization of something that one would have expected to be heraldic in design. Historically words were never used on tabards they are meant to identify the knight at a distance, symbology being the key.
Would it have been such a burden for those who had designed it to actually bother to use a design more appropriate. Is it just another ignorant American thing.
Only if you are 19th-21st Century Americans.
Were this a game solidly based on history, your argument would have more merit, but as it is fantasy (largely derived from European history, yes, but fantasy still) it does not have to follow the rules of heraldic design.
Also, I suggest you remain civil -- your post is not.[ post edited by Caydiem ]
- Caydiem -
Assistant Community Manager
|
| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=3307335&p=#post3310602 |
