The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

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#43: What if Metzen was in Warcraft III? May 09, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are here with a bit of a unique episode this time. But first, Nick talks about his time unlocking the Allied Races and how he's rolled a Lightforged Draenai of all characters. Katie meanwhile has been playing through the beta and also has started raiding again.
Katie's talk about the beta leads to a discussion about concerns that the Horde is acting uncharacteristically evil in the beta, and that Sylvanas is turning into Garrosh 2.0. Katie cites Ion's defense from the last dev Q&A that that is not the case. Nick makes a drawn out comparison to Lost to argue that people shouldn't judge a story on its middle, except that for episodic content like WoW, that is exactly what people do and he is worried that people won't stick around for the end of BfA when the story will resolve itself. They also briefly talk about high elves possibly being an allied race, and Nick claims that Ion's argument that there aren't many of them is flawed.
For the topic tonight, Nick references a recent Fantastic Four cover that has Mr. Fantastic looking like Chris Metzen, and with the Thing looking like Thrall (if you squint real hard) and the Invisible Woman looking like Jaina, he asks what would have happened if Chris Metzen somehow found himself on Azeroth in the middle of Warcraft III, as a test of their knowledge from Chronicle. They talk about him meeting Arthas and Jaina on their way to Stratholme, and whether or not Metzen would warn Arthas of his fate. They debate whether it is worth opening a portal to get home, given that it would link Azeroth to Earth, and therefore the orcs and the Legion would all now have access to our planet. They discuss wanting to meet Thrall and the orcs, and what might happen. Also, they consider if Metzen would get any powers due to his knowledge of the universe, as perhaps the Light might look to him as a champion.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & Goblin! Please let us know if you liked this episode and would like to hear more like it, by email at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com, or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live episode will be 5/16 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1z3
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
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#42: Chronicle Vol 3, Hearthstone, and Malfurion vs Saurfang Apr 26, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back and they are further into Chronicle Volume 3! But first, they talk a little about the Physical Collector's Edition and Nick celebrates that he can pre-order the digital verson and he will be reimbursed in battle.net balance when he gets his collector's edition, so he can play his allied races early. Katie, while also excited about that, is disappointed that the art book and the mouse pad and the physical media are going away. Then, they talk about Con Before the Storm coming on November 1 and Blizzcon coming on November 2 and 3. Please be sure to contribute to the Con Before the Storm kickstarter as it is an awesome fan-run event!
Joshua emails in to talk about Hearthstone and how it is not indicative of the lore, but Nick disagrees. Whispers of the Old Gods and Knights of the Frozen Throne definitely were, but Mean Streets of Gadgetzan was presented as showing the changes to an actual Gadgetzan. This leads into a discussion about wanting to see the world change, and then Nick and Katie go off on a rant about the lore in Battle for Azeroth.
This segues into Katie talking about Jaina's relationship to Kul Tiras from Chronicle Volume III. Nick points out that Blizzard is good about using the Chronicle books to set up the coming expansion, although they are not complete tomes, since content like Uldir in Zandalar was not mentioned in the first book. They talk about Rexxar and his possible role in Battle for Azeroth, based on what is mentioned in Chronicle, and Nick complains that certain stories felt lighter on details while other stories got more attention than needed. They also talk about some parallels Nick noticed in Warcraft III, and Katie shares a passage that sums up Warcraft and Battle for Azeroth.
They end with a debate over Malfurion vs. Saurfang.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback or questions to taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1yw
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#41: Chronicle Early Impressions Apr 10, 2018

Show notes

Real life can be a bummer sometimes as Nick and Katie have to record this episode right after they both received their copies of Chronicle Volume III, so they haven't yet had time to read them. But they at least started! First, however, Katie mentions that she's been leveling her Nightborne. Katie talks about Outland questing and how it gets boring in Zangarmarsh, and Nick agrees. Mentioning Outland leads to mentioning Draenor which leads into a long diatribe on Warlords of Draenor. Despite not wanting to get into it, Nick mentions how the expansion lost him when it misused Azuka by making her the final boss of the questing experience and not a raid boss. Nick and Katie also talk about how the Warlords themselves should have been saved for later in the expansion, and this leads to Nick wondering what a raid fight would look like with two bosses also trying to fight each other at the same time. Finally getting back to the topic at hand, Nick mentions he's been doing world quests.
Katie is excited about Chronicle because it starts by talking about what happened to Turalyon and Alleria when the portals started ripping Draenor apart. It also briefly describes how Khadgar and the rest of the Alliance Expedition survived by ducking into a rift, which Nick notes was lucky for them. They wonder if Khadgar's seemingly renewed vigor will be addressed in Chronicle.
They also talk about Ner'zhul becoming the Lich King, and how for as much as Arthas and Ner'zhul (and now Bolvar) are mixed together in a single being, that they still seem to leave remnants of their soul in plenty of places.
They talk about how all the dungeons are assigned to either the Alliance or Horde for victory, and talk a little bit how that's disappointing for the player who may be from the other faction and remembers killing all the bosses.
They wonder if Chronicle is going to have the detail expected to talk about vanillla questing. Katie describes what she wants to read which sounds more like a travelogue. Nick just wants extremely detailed reports of who every NPC is. They ponder if Chronicle Volume IV will be needed, but decide that its probably not going to be for quite some time.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please reach out to us @taurengoblin or taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com. Our next show is scheduled to record live on 4/18 at 10:30 pm EST at twitch.tvmashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1yn
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#40: The Worgen & the Dwarf Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

With April Fool's Day around the corner, Nick and Katie try to change things up by looking at the world from an Alliance perspective instead of as the Horde. Are they able to do so? Let's find out!
They get into an argument about the difference between crocolisks and basilisks after Katie earned her Brawler's Guild mount. Katie also mentions she's leveling a void elf. Nick, meanwhile, has been leveling his worgen, and then they get into a discussion about the elemental lords based off the brief story related to the rogue hidden artifact appearance, Thunderfury. This leads to a discussion about the geology (and physiology?) of Azeroth, and they question whether there is another continent on the other side of the planet. They talk about how players just discovered Highmountain Tauren, yet they seem to have been established within the world of the characters for some time.
Katie mentions that she's excited to go to Kul Tiras, and this leads to a discussion of Kul Tiras druid forms compared with the recent Zandalari druid reveals. Nick goes on a rant about the new Hearthstone expansion, The Witchwood, and complains that Hearthstone is expanding WoW lore too quickly for the game to keep up. They lament that the new Gadgetzan is still not in game. They also talk about how events of the books aren't depicted in game quickly enough (if at all) either.
They review Forsaken and Blood Elf relations as it pertains to the fall of the Undercity, and gloss over the Blood Elf population question. They wonder if Lordaeron could be rebuilt on a scale like Suramar, and then dive into questions of scale and how sizes seems to change under certain situations.
Alisaunder emailed in with feedback on the Kobold episode. This leads to a look at Garrosh's plans in Warlords. Katie misses the Dragonflights.
They pair discuss Anduin's relationship with Genn, and ponder whether peace is possible on Azeroth. They talk about the factions moving further apart and if that will help minimize conflict.
The vulpera are mentioned and Katie reveals her dislike for them. They talk about how the game has been jumping through hoops whenever introducing a new race, like the Pandaren, and claim that Allied Races make it easier for Blizzard to introduce new races without having to shoehorn in a low-level story. They talk about Legion's content drought and wonder how close Before the Storm will be to launch. Finally, they debate whether the Alliance-bias experiment was a success.
... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1yd
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#39: The Tauren & Three Goblins Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

This week Katie is joined by her compatriots from the 3 Goblins in a Trenchcoat podcast, Kavo, and Gooch. 3 Goblins is a general Blizzard gaming podcast. Nick starts off the interview by bringing up Kavo's recent reaction to the deleted scene of Garona and Lothar kissing from the Warcraft movie. This leads to a discussion of Thrall and Jaina's relationship, the status of Thrall's children, and some musings on Thrall's eventual death. This segues into a discussion of the fate of Vol'jin's ashes as well.
Kavo is in the Battle for Azeroth alpha, and he shares some information from his experiences. He observes that one faction has a more lighthearted tone than the other. He also mentions the Troll Druid models that were recently datamined. The group discuss the parsing of the term "bear" as it applies to guardian druids. The Zandalari Moonkin form has Nick and Katie pondering playable arrakoa. There is a comparison of Vulpera versus Goblins that leads to Nick being very dismissive of Gnomes. As this discussion was recorded before the reveal of the feral Zandalari druid form, the foursome speculates on what that druid model could be. They talk about the dinosaur models currently in the game. Kavo also shares his experience with the city of Zuldazar. They look at Azerite and how it compares to Artifact Power. They talk about the follower system which is returning in BfA.
Kavo mentions that Bwon'samdi is present in the Horde questing experience, and this leads to a discussion about the relationship between Sylvanas and the Loa of Death. What role does Vol'jin have in uniting these two, or will they even cross paths? They also talk about the Kul Tirans. The group looks at some of the overpromising done at the start of Legion, but they tend to agree that they liked the class halls. They compare the novels to how Warcraft IV could build on the lore between expansions. To Nick's joy, Kavo laments Cairne's death. Everyone talks about how the cinematics moves the narrative forward.
Thank you for listening to this week's The Tauren & the Goblin! You can reach us at @taurengoblin and taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1y4
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#38: You No Take Candle! Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are here to take the candle and talk about all things Kobold! But first, in a twist Katie has been playing Highmountain Tauren. Nick mentions that he is holding out for the physical collector's edition of Battle for Azeroth, and will continue to mention this until Blizzard makes pre-orders avaiable in a way that gives him access to the allied races. Katie then spoils their quest to unlock them. Baine hosts a feast in Thunder Bluff, and Mayla and Spiritwalker Ebonhorn are in attendance. Void creatures attack and Ebonhorn needs to rush back to Highmountain. There, some wards locking in a void threat are under attack, and the end result is a showdown with an Old God minion. Afterwards, the Highmountain Tauren pledge themselves to the Horde.
Previously, listener Joshua asked to hear the lore behind kobolds, so Nick and Katie indulge. Kobolds were originally germanic spirits, and evolved into small lizard-like creatures in Dungeons & Dragons. They first appeared in Warcraft III as the rat-like race we now know. Gazlowe had to clear them out from some tunnels so he could begin construction on Orgrimmar. Kobolds are famous for the candle on their head that is made out of earwax. They have several tribes, most notably Snobolds in Northrend, and the Bluewax tribe in Hightmountain. The Bluewax tribe is featured in a quest chain that Nick and Katie highly recommend. The Bluewax hierarchy is based on which kobold has the biggest skull, so players acquire bigger and bigger skulls until they are the leader of the Bluewax kobolds. This ends with the player facing off against the Darkness, a void wraith that stalks the cave, and is only kept at bay by candlelight. In the process, the player becomes a quest giver, assigning quests to the kobolds in the cavern.
This leads to a discussion about whether Kobolds would be a viable Allied Race. Nick and Katie agree that there are many other races they would like to see first (arrakoa!).
Our next livestream will be on 3/2 at 11:00 pm CST at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Please follow @taurengoblin for any updates to the schedule. Please send any feedback or topic requests to taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.
Thank you for listening!

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1xu
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#37: Catching Up Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

Its just Nick and Katie this week with nothing too pressing to talk about. The Battle for Azeroth alpha is live but neither is in. There has been some datamining but they aren't ready to talk about spoilers. With the alpha live, Nick talks a bit about the timing for Battle for Azeroth, and how it is on pace to be the shortest expansion since Wrath of the Lich King. Then, he and Katie talk about what they've been up to. Katie's been running up against the wall that is Love is in the Air trying to get her Love Rocket.
Nick meanwhile has finished up Suramar and talks about his appreciatoin for the Valtrois and Stellagosa interactions, as well as the Oculeth and Khadgar dialogue. He also finished the rogue questline, and this leads to a discussion about how the hunter questline was so disappointing for Nick because he had high expectations. He compares it to the monk story, which was probably a similar experience, but because he was not as invested in his monk, he did not have such high hopes for it. They talk about how Legion was so front-loaded with content and now is the time for everyone to get caught up. Katie complains that she has too many artifacts to still work on.
Alisaunder emailed in to talk about Vol'jin choosing Sylvanas and the orcs and forsaken relationship. Katie says that she thinks Vol'jin was manipulated by the Old Gods.
Finally, they discuss the allied races that are possibly coming. Talk focuses on the Vulpira who were datamined as a playable race (although Blizzard says that isn't the case.) They wonder if Kul Tirans are coming. Mag'har (brown) orcs have been confirmed by Blizzard. Nick talks about how void elves should be such a small minority of elves yet there are so many of them in the game. He admits that Blizzard can do whatever they want to justify sending any race to any faction. Katie asks "How many 'dorei does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" to which there is no answer.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #37. Email us any feedback at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or tweet us at @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1xl
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#36: The Patch 7.3.5 Cinematics (feat. Geeks of Azeroth) Jan 30, 2018

Show notes

Joining Nick and Katie this week are Britzza and Sleepy Gary from the Geeks of Azeroth podcast and they're here to talk about the Patch 7.3.5 cinematics.
First, they discuss the Alliance cinematic. Katie is upset about the anti-goblin bias, but Nick says that Anduin actually stands up for the goblins. Katie talks about how Goblins are competitive amongst themselves. Nick mentions that the scene felt reminiscent of the end of the Warcraft movie. They then look at who the SI:7 Agent at the end of the cinematic could have been, assuming they can agree on its gender. Sleepy Gary thinks it could be Tess Greymane, while Nick wants her to be Amber Kearnen. The topic briefly shifts to dreadlords and how the Legion should have backup dreadlords when they assume someone's identity. They then question if the Dreadlords were ever really loyal to the Legion.
Next, the Horde cinematic is up for discussion. Nick of course praises Baine's speech. Katie again complains of anti-goblin bias and expresses displeasure with Saurfang's "rats" comment. Britzza talks about how the Alliance appears unifiied at this time and the Horde is on the verge of fracturing again. Nick says that all we need is a good Sylvanas, "FOR THE HORDE," and we'll all be fine. Katie compares the eras of the Horde and brings up Vol'jins "The Horde is Family," philosophy, which leads to a comparison of the celebratory feast to a family eating Thanksgiving dinner. Nick praises the cinematics team for their facial expressions and how they lead to memes. Britzza compares Sylvanas and Anduin and how they seem to be going in different directions. He points out that we have a ways to go from Sylvanas silently sitting at the dinner table to her screaming in the Battle for Azeroth cinematic. Nick thinks that these cinematics may be part of "Before the Storm." We're going to watch Sylvanas work through an identity crisis.
Gallywix's role in the cinematic leads to a discussion of what is Azerite? What are we putting into the Heart of Azeroth? Could Gallywix be the King of Diamonds? Britzza compares Azerite to Bitcoin. Everyone agrees it should not be eaten.
Next, the group talks about Ogmot's journal and their expectations for the first content patch in Battle for Azeroth. Nick thinks that N'Zoth will rise up between Zandalar and Kul'Tiras where the navies face each other. Sleepy Gary wants to see Ny'alotha. Britzza wants to see Ozumat return. Nick notes that Blizzard is going to mess with us because of... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1xc
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#35: Staying Classy with the Training Dummies Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

This week Nick and Katie welcome Rob and Darryl from The Training Dummies to talk about their recent Stay Classy series where they discussed all twelve class hall stories. They begin by talking about the artifact knowledge books and how Blizzard had to write new background lore for several artifact weapons that didn't exist or were poorly fleshed out prior to Legion. Darryl admits he doesn't always pay attention to the quest dialog when playing the game, and he was glad the lore episodes could inform him of the story he missed the first time. Rob, who has played through every class, talked about how some of the episodes made him want to go back and replay the story again. He was surprised by how much crossover there was between classes, and the talk moves to the overlapping artifact quests. Nick wants to see more fallout from the Paladin-Death Knight conflict in Battle for Azeroth. Also, he praises the Stay A While and Listen narratives introduced in 7.3.
Rob discusses how they started the series, and Darryl talks about the difficulties encountered in booking guests. Katie observes that the series is a great archive for players to refer back to in the future. Nick asks Rob about how many characters he has and what problems he encounters by having so many. Nick then discusses playing his Death Knight and how he prepared for the Death Knight episode. Katie shares her experience running four druids through the order hall. The discussion moves to how engrossing some of the campaigns were, and Nick compares the Death Knight and Hunter storylines. Katie, Darryl, and Nick compare the physical class hall structures. Rob educates Nick on using the grappling hook as a rogue.
Rob shares his appreciation for how NPC's react to the weapons. A discussion about completing the storylines during the coming drought leads to a discussion of Siege of Orgrimmar, and comparisons are made between Seige, Hellfire Citadel, and Antorus. Katie complains that goblins can't be monks. Discussion moves to the class followers. Rob and Katie discuss Zandalari druids, and then the final question is if Illidan played enough of a role in the class halls. To sum up the experience, Rob encourages players to take their time through the story, and Darryl admits the series was a lot of work. He laments that Paladins don't get to play their side of the Death Knight invasion.
Thanks again to Rob and Darryl for coming on the show. Be sure to check out The Training Dummies on your favorite p... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1x4
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#34: Best Wishes for 2018 Jan 02, 2018

Show notes

Happy 2018! Nick and Katie are back to talk about their wishes for the Warcraft universe in the new year. But first, Katie has some exciting news as she sent in a patch for Blizzard's quilt and sweater for the orc statue, and her patch is on the wolf part of the statue in Irvine! Congratulations, Katie! She also found a collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King which she is excited to open as well.
In other news, Nick was recently on The Training Dummies to talk about Death Knights. Check it out!
Finally, Nick and Katie go over what they want to see for several of the main Warcraft characters this year. First though, Nick establishes a rule that they can't talk about Sylvanas for more than two minutes, because otherwise the show winds up becoming all about her. First, they talk about Anduin and look at his growth over the last year and how he went from accepting his role as King to leading the Alliance against the Undercity in Battle for Azeroth. Then, they talk about Sylvanas, and how she struggles with her dampened emotions as well as having to balance ruling directly over Orgrimmar and Undercity.
Katie still doesn't like Genn, but Nick hopes that he can reach a place of reason. Nick points out that we haven't seen Jaina, and therefore, we don't know what state she will return in, but it can't be good for her to be put in a position where she is going to be interacting with the Horde after her expansion long self-imposed exile. Katie still wants to see more Gallywix. Khadgar needs to just go and stay out of Battle for Azeroth, as he's become too close to members of both factions and should remain neutral. Wrathion needs to explain why he didn't appear during Legion despite him warning us about the impending invasion back during Mists of Pandaria.
Alleria and Turalyon deserve the time to not worry about conflict and instead explore the world they left so long ago. Illidan needs to work out his demons (literally) by fighting Sargeras unendingly. Sargeras needs to learn that he can work with the Titans to stop the Void Lords. Azeroth can hopefully recover from her wounds and communciate with us a level of understanding. Tyrande and Malfurion need to find somewhere nice for the Night Elves to settle in Kalimdor. Finally, Vol'jin should haunt Jaina as her Horde-friendly conscience to make things right.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #34. Reach out to us with any questions at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons. Happy New Y... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1wu
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

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