A lot is riding on the newest World of Warcraft expansion; Legion. Developers cannot afford to make the same blunders that were made in Warlords of Dreanor. So far, Legion seems to be heading in the right direction, promising to be an expansion that almost everyone can love and find enjoyment in. However, despite the positive things Legion promises, it seems that it will continue to focus on the single player, attempting to make each individual into their own super special snowflake. While this concept works well in a single player game, it has proven to be a poor fit in an multiplayer environment like World of Warcraft.

Special Snowflake of Dreanor

In Warlords of Draenor we were finally recognized for our great deeds. We were raised to super special commanders that controlled the movements of our entire faction against the Iron Horde. We controlled fleets, sent armies into battle, and played the ultimate hero; spearheading the effort to defeat any and all enemies.

At first, this acknowledgment of our worth was a boon. We were finally reaping the rewards of saving the world many times over. However, the glitter soon faded and it became hard to ignore the fact that every other player was following the same story line as you. They were all super elite commanders facing off against the Iron Horde. With so many other players doing the same thing, the feeling of being a super special snowflake was quickly shattered.

This single player driven experience also aided in isolating players. Given our own Garrisons with very little incentive to engage other players, many soon felt like they were disengaged with the WORLD of Warcraft. While many players enjoy solo activities, most of us play a multiplayer game for that sense of community and it was sorely lacking in Warlords.

Legion Class Heroes

Despite all this, special snowflake syndrome will apparently persist in Legion. In this new expansion we will be given Artifact Weapons and be placed as leaders of our entire class. We will be THE leader, THE hero, THE main event, and the viscous cycle that started in Draenor will repeat itself.

While the excitement of leading our entire class will be overwhelming at first, the fire will quickly fade as we watch others go about the same task. Even worse, we could experience the same sense of isolation and involvement in the world and community that keeps WoW thriving. Plainly stated, this focus on the idea that a single player is the absolute prime focus cannot work well in an MMO setting.

Shared Glory

This does not mean that I think that we, the heroes of Warcraft, should be regulated back to drudges. It goes without saying that we all deserve some glory. It is about time that the story makes us more important than we have been in the past. We should be recognized by NPCs, be allowed to rub elbows with other brave and bold heroes, and always be at the forefront of the action.

This does not mean that we need our own personal pedestal of glory. We cannot be told that we are the only champion ever and only our character can save the world. It just doesn't work and is simply not true. Instead of being treated like the only being who can save the world, we should embrace the fact that millions of other heroes (players) are also in the game and share the glory.

Legion most assuredly needs to make us feel special, we've earned as much, but in an MMO we need to feel special as part of the whole. Being the biggest, baddest, boldest, and only hero in a game is something that only single-player games can legitimately pull off. We are playing in a multiplayer universe, every single player has went through the same trials and tribulations as we have, there is no reason we can't all share the spotlight while still feeling powerful, heroic, and appreciated.

The Antidote

So what is the solution here? It seems that Class Orders are something we are definitely going to see in Legion. To avoid the blunders of Warlords I would suggest one of two options:

Create a story line where each hero is a hero, but with the knowledge that they are not the hero. This way each player gets to feel special, without trying to avoid the fact that tons of other players are doing the same thing. Combining the might of all the player heroes would give us a feeling of community and solidarity, as well as an imposing force to face off against the Legion.

The other option would be to not make us leaders of our class. Instead, characters straight out of lore could take on the job. While we wouldn't be a commander, we would have the chance to be the right hand man/woman of some really epic heavyweights such as Chen Stormstout, Alleria, Tyrande, and many other options. With this option we would still be able to be the heroes we have always been, without feeling like we are single players in a multiplayer world.

Of course, Legion could surprise us with changes to the design that would allow us to be the ultimate hero without feeling disconnected from other players and these worries could be null and void. We just won't know until more is known about this new expansion. However, it is safe to say that repeating past Warlords blunders in Legion would be folly indeed.