Conflict in EQ

Q. From krwordgazer - What do you consider to be the most important conflict in EQ? Is it elves vs. humans, elves vs. their environment, elves vs. other elves? Or something else?

A. Great question. I think they're all important — and additive — conflicts in the story. Without each of them, EQ wouldn't have the staying power and resonance its had over the years. Certainly, humans get the ball rolling and the environment, the big wide world out there, is a challenge for our elves but I'd have to cast my lot with other elves being the source of the most important conflict(s) in the over-arching narrative. Be it Rayek's sullen rivalry with Cutter or Winnowill's merciless torture of Strongbow, or, indeed, Cutter's own struggle to get out from under Bearclaw's long shadow, it seems clear to me that our elves' biggest challenge is others of their own ilk — not to mention those Frozen Mountain Trolls don't help matters much either.

not shure if this post belongs here or else where but he goes,
REVENGE!!!!!!!!! is the one conflict that seems to be missing or glossed over in eq, american film and comics are full of revenge tales Death Wish 1-5, the brave one, the punisher, V for vendetta, all of these and many others follow the lone protagionast aganst over whelming odds and oppoents, dont get me wrong i dont know if any of the elves would ever go lone wolf and cub on some one, although strong bow seems like a likely canadate, cutter on the other hand seems the type mourn and then carry on with his life. just my input on conflict in eq.

[color=red:165b3efab5]Maybe it's just not in the elves' nature to take revenge... just like Cutter wouldn't let Rayek die...[/color:165b3efab5]

It's always hard bringing a large estranged family back together.

Of course, trolls wouldn't have even considered any value in rejoining with a competing clan. No profit in it!

Think about it...
[quote:55fc129b6c="woebringer"]not shure if this post belongs here or else where but he goes,
REVENGE!!!!!!!!! is the one conflict that seems to be missing or glossed over in eq, american film and comics are full of revenge tales Death Wish 1-5, the brave one, the punisher, V for vendetta, all of these and many others follow the lone protagionast aganst over whelming odds and oppoents, dont get me wrong i dont know if any of the elves would ever go lone wolf and cub on some one, although strong bow seems like a likely canadate, cutter on the other hand seems the type mourn and then carry on with his life. just my input on conflict in eq.[/quote:55fc129b6c]

No, it wouldn't be in the wolfrider's nature: that's the definition of living in the now- you don't carry the past with you. Other elves and trolls exihibit revenge on a regular basis. Examples include Winnowil, Two-Edge, and various trolls, especially the frozen mountain trolls. Besides, it could be considered that the whole thing started out of revenge when the proto-trolls rebelled and crashed the palace.

Of course, for me the jury is still out whether it was more the proto-troll revolt that caused the crash, or Rayak's meddlings that caused the temporally displaced palaces to conflict.

I'm going to agree with Richard - for me it is elves vs. elves, or rather personality and agenda conflicts.

Maybe also the concept of staying with what you know and feel is safe whilst risking stagnation, and reaching out to the unknown and growing and possibly finding more than you ever thought was there, or would that perhaps be more of a message than it would be a conflict?