What races could be removed from the game and no one would notice?

I didn't want to make that needlessly provocative, but it is a question I want to think about, despite the fact that it comes across a bit like clickbait. My apologies. I don't actually want to remove any playable races but it is worth thinking about.  Here's why: when you look at the various parts that make up something (an idea, an object, whatever) you can usually identify which parts are vital to the whole and which are secondary, completely unnecessary, or even dragging things down.


If you look at something and you realize you can remove it and the overall idea isn't drastically changed, you generally have three options:

1) Put it back in and don't worry about it. It wasn't causing a problem so why worry about it?

2) Remove it and don't worry about it. No one really cares about it so why worry about it?

3) Improve it.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with options 1 or 2, I'm more inclined to pursue option 3 when possible.  The reason is that there can be grand potential and fertile ground for creativity.

A quick note: this is not a list of which races I hate or anything like that.  I actually like all of the races, to varying degrees, and don't want to see them removed.  But I am thinking about them in terms of the game and how they are treated, so thinking about their absence helps me recognize their weaknesses.

So, for the Alliance, I'd initially say the Draenei or the Gnomes.  Space Goats versus Comic Relief. The thing is, the Draenei are key to the lore and intertwined in the various expansions and so they get to be more than just the Space Goats.  Which really leaves the Gnomes.  They don't have to be the comic relief but that's pretty much all they are treated as.  I'm not against the silliness, but why not have silliness and more serious lore at the same time?

I enjoy my Gnomes a lot and again, they don't have to have more dark, heavy storylines to make things better.  I'm not against it, just saying it isn't necessary. I guess I just feel like they could use some love on lore and just in general.  This isn't a unique idea obviously.  Many more vocal and passionate Gnome players have asked for years about having more attention.

And we did get that retake Gnomeragon event a while back...although nothing really came of it.  Also a revamp of the Gnome starting area, which is great but then...nothing.

If Gnomes disappeared tomorrow what, in terms of lore, would really change?  Maybe they are more important to the general background running of things than I recognize.  I guess the train between Stormwind and Ironforge might stop running.  A few other outposts and such too but I'm really having a hard time seeing how it would negatively impact the Alliance. (Anyone with more lore knowledge is encouraged to correct me.) I know they were a part of the Siege of Orgrimmar invasion but that always felt kind of gimmicky and out of place given the feel of the rest of the story.

Which kind of goes back to the original point.  They are treated very much as a comic race in a game that, generally, wants to have serious overall story arcs.  Not that their aren't funny non-Gnome jokes and quests, but when the story needs to get serious, you'll be hard pressed to find the Gnomes.

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On the Horde side, this was more difficult for me.  Which race feel like their removal wouldn't really impact the game?  Well, obviously not Orcs because Orcs über alles appears to be the Blizzard motto. The Blood Elves are wrapped up in lore too.  Trolls have a deep history with Azeroth and have been there throughout, to say nothing of Vol'jin leading the Horde right now...but they do generally feel kind of inconsequential overall. The Forsaken are directly related to one of the biggest baddies in the game and have driven a fair amount of plot and conflict.  Goblins don't seem very vital, but they were a late addition to the Horde so I feel like that should be weighed in.

Tauren.  Tauren seem like a candidate.  Perhaps it's because of all of Horde races, I probably have a slightly higher interest in them, so this may be biased.  Well, of course it is, but what I mean is the Tauren have always felt to be a little bit of an odd match for the Horde.

Goblin. Tauren. Goblin. Tauren.  Goblins are kind of like the Gnomes of the Horde in many ways.  Not just smaller and technology focused, but a bit sillier than the rest of the races on their side.  Maybe the problem for me is that the Goblins were an NPC group first so I feel like they never had much depth to being with.  Plus they just never clicked for me.

But doesn't that fit my criteria?  Lore-wise, if Goblins were missing from the world tomorrow what would happen?  Again, some technology would no longer be maintained.  Some neutral cities/outposts would no longer have anyone there.  But the overall story wouldn't change.  Although, as I'm typing this I'm remembering that Goblin technology was a big deal in the Siege of Orgrimmar and the Iron Horde of this expansion might not be around if not for stolen Goblin plans.

Maybe this is all just a way to rationalize that I'd like more love for Tauren.  I think one of the biggest failures of Cataclysm was killing off Cairne Bloodhoof outside of the game. That whole tie-in issue is something I should get into another time (badly executed idea), but for now, let me just say that when a racial leader is killed off and there is nothing in game that really points to it clearly, that's a mistake.

The guards around Thunder Bluff could have had some black arm band of mourning.  Or perhaps small decorations around Thunder Bluff honoring the killed Chieftain. Yes, there is a quest to honor his spirit (or something, it's been a while) but it is easy to miss and it's obvious that it had no real impact on me. I'm not remembering a clear visual distinction between Cairne and Baine either.  When Garrosh replaced Thrall, they were pretty different in color, size, and outfit.  And Vol'jin replacing Garrosh is even more of a difference.  But, to my memory, Cairne and Baine looked pretty similar.  As father and son that makes sense, but in terms of making players notice, not so much.

This digressed (surprise).  The point is that a major plot event happened (1) out of game and then (2) was not really acknowledged in game.  Or at best, passingly acknowledged. This isn't the only example, just the best one I could think of. It is also a good example of an opportunity to have had some great lore and story for a race that I feel doesn't get enough attention.

What are your thoughts?  I fully and freely admit that I am not very knowledgeable on lore. I'm okay on some basics but there is a lot I don't know.  So if I missed a lot about any race or you think you know of a player race that could use a bit more love, I'd love to hear it.