Race-specific campaigns

One of the things that stymies immersion is the fact that there isn't really a difference between the different races (unless you're starting with a Worgen or Goblin character, and then only in the beginning): Apart from quest texts refering to my race and some NPCs occasionally buttering me up because I maxed out their faction (and this isn't really tied to a race), there aren't really many reactions to the makeup of my character. Okay, the Pandaren children in Honeydew village admittedly were pretty funny ("Are you a Mogu?").

But apart from that, there isn't really a lot, which is quite frankly somewhat sad because this could be a great opportunity to make players connect with the race they have chosen. I am mostly playing Draenei, and while it was a nice feeling to hang out in a Draenei-heavy background during WoD, I didn't really feel treated any differently from all the other Alliance randoms who got to Draenor - and neither was there any feedback from my character who saw his former homeworld in its restored glory for the first time. Or later, in Legion, during the Exodar rescue mission - it didn't really feel like helping my people, again it felt like being some random Alliance guy helping out the Draenei. Not even a reference to my background (like "hey it's cool one of us is helping us out"). And I am certain players of all races who paid attention to this have felt similarly in comparable situations.

Things like this would have been great opportunities to give the players' choices meaning in another way. Now of course this has to be carefully balanced out, especially because most expansions are focused on a few specific races, their history, and their role in the world (which by the way opens up a new can of worms considering that the Gnomes or the Trolls didn't get much love in that regard), which would make these expansions significantly more interesting to play with such a race if handled poorly (the Draenei for example would have gotten disproportionally much attention, being one of the focal races in BC, WoD and during the final third of Legion).

Which options are there?

• Generally: quest texts, reactions, rewards, possibly the makeup of the quests and also NPC reactions are adjusted if played with a character of a specific race. In the example of WoD, this would have been reflected by Draenei/Orc NPCs (i.e. most of them) treating Draenei/Orc characters like one of them, while treating the others as benevolent but alien outsiders. Also being able to move around freely without being followed by curious Draenei etc.
• More specific: occasional quests being offered which are exclusively available to members of a specific race. Or, alternatively, unavailable to members of a specific race. For example when a neutral Draenei refuses to entertain an Orc because he has a history with them etc. (of course, none of these quests should be essential).
• And ultimately: race campaigns. Think of them like Order Hall campaigns, only with the focus on races. Campaigns where characters are sent out to do specific quests on behalf of their people, even exotic ones (like f.ex. Orcs being sent to Alternate Draenor to get some important information from Grommash who after all is still alive in that timeline, or Night Elves being sent to Suramar with Tyrande to find a relic from her past etc.).
• The template suggested for multi role-campaigns (as described in the next blogpost) would be applicable to race campaigns as well.
• Reputation for individual NPCs: While faction reputation is as old as WoW itself, this concept never was really expanded on apart from offering more factions that sold half-assed items (or item upgrades) after hitting exalted. A possible use for this system would be by letting each mayor NPC (and not necessarily only one per faction) have his or her own reputation bar, and after a new reputation level is reached, now quests with that NPC are unlocked - and of course the PC gets a different treatment. Also, getting buttered up by someone's favorite NPC might actually be an incentive for certain players. Bonus point if players can unlock these faction NPCs as followers if the follower system still exists at that point (if Thorim, Chen Stormstout, Kalecgos etc. are possible followers, why would Tyrande or Thrall be such an outrageous choice?).

Gaining reputation with the leaders of one’s faction.