Why is Orgrimmar the main horde hangout?

[Xaverius]

I never quite understood this myself, UC has a better layout, similar to Ironforge.

The closest cities from the perspective of raids (and D1 sets):

Scholo/Strat: Undercity, Ironforge
BRD, BRS: see T1/2
Dire Maul: Thunder Bluff yaaay, uhhh.... well Darnassus offers direct flight path to Feathermoon, I guess. Or you can IF -> Menethil -> Dustwallow -> Feathermoon.

ZG: Stormwind, UC/OG (tie, as both have zeppelins to Grom'Gol and both of those are outside)
T1/T2: Ironforge, UC (sort of tie, UC offers a direct flight path, while OG requires boarding a zeppelin)
Onyx: Orgrimmar, Ironforge (through Menethil)
T2,5: TB/OG, IF through Menethil and then fly from Theramore to Cenarion Hold (still closer than SW ->BB ->Ratchet ->flight)
T3: Undercity hands down, Ironforge.

Undercity has the main advantage of PHYSICALLY being on the same continent as 4/6 of raids, so you can just click on the flightmaster and go make yourself a sandwich.

Then again, UC originally didn't have auction. OG had, houses two races and is on Kalimdor, which is mostly considered a Horde continent as the balance of cities is 2/1 for Horde and TB is very close anyway. Except for the forests. Orcs may be green but forests ain't their friends.

Plus, OG has the rugged feel of wild, untamed land. I always welcomed an opportunity to ride through the steppes and wastelands of Kalimdor's wilderness, as those places breathe something vast. It's just plains and mountains stretching for gigantic distances in every direction, and you can very easily get lost there. And Orgrimmar just feels like it's a natural part of this.
Which frankly just makes it a nicer place to stay in.


Funnily enough, on the free TBC server I started on, the Alliance "capital" was always Stormwind. I dunno if this shift happened on retail TBC too (no reason with there being Shatt, really, same on wotlk with Dalaran), but for SOME reason The Snow Blowers decided on Cata that SW is now the capital and that Alliance = Varian Wrynn.

[jtunis87]

External economies of scale make it cheaper for players to use Orgrimmar as a residence than the other capital cities: it's because everyone else hangs out in Orgrimmar that other people want to hang out in Orgrimmar. No need to travel to do business with enchanters, tailors, or have lockboxes picked, etc. It could also be argued that Kalimdor is the home continent to three-quarters of the Horde races, and that Kalimdor has more Horde-specific leveling zones than the Eastern Kingdoms.

[Dr. Doom]

External economies of scale make it cheaper for players to use Orgrimmar as a residence than the other capital cities: it's because everyone else hangs out in Orgrimmar that other people want to hang out in Orgrimmar. No need to travel to do business with enchanters, tailors, or have lockboxes picked, etc. It could also be argued that Kalimdor is the home continent to three-quarters of the Horde races, and that Kalimdor has more Horde-specific leveling zones than the Eastern Kingdoms.

Absolutely. The main reason why people go there is, in their own words, because everyone else is there.

I was just wondering how at the very beginning, people chose Orgrimmar to be in it. Seems the answer is a combination of the old AH, trainer availability (if you're a shaman and an engineer, there's only one city to train both class and profession), and side perks like the Dragonslayer buff or lowbie Horde areas being more plentiful in Kalimdor.

Guessing the answer to why Ironforge is the main Alliance city also makes sense then, old AH, a wide array of trainers (only druids are missing, just like Orgrimmar) and being the closest city to BRM raids and Naxxramas, side perks. Stormwind having the PvP rank vendors and the Dragonslayer buff isn't enough to override that, but it being closer to Redridge, Westfall and Duskwood does make it the lowbie capital.

[Moozer]

I was just wondering how at the very beginning, people chose Orgrimmar to be in it. Seems the answer is a combination of the old AH, trainer availability (if you're a shaman and an engineer, there's only one city to train both class and profession), and side perks like the Dragonslayer buff or lowbie Horde areas being more plentiful in Kalimdor.

Don't forget travel availability. You can say the same for UC, but UC involves having to navigate a at-first confusing layout, and deal with elevators and a decent haul to Zeppelins. Orgrimmar's main hangout is at the front gates, with easy access to North/South Eastern Kingdom right outside. The small trade off in not being in the immediate area opens up more directions to go in from one place.

[Uzephi]

I never quite understood this myself, UC has a better layout, similar to Ironforge.

The closest cities from the perspective of raids (and D1 sets):

Scholo/Strat: Undercity, Ironforge
BRD, BRS: see T1/2
Dire Maul: Thunder Bluff yaaay, uhhh.... well Darnassus offers direct flight path to Feathermoon, I guess. Or you can IF -> Menethil -> Dustwallow -> Feathermoon.

ZG: Stormwind, UC/OG (tie, as both have zeppelins to Grom'Gol and both of those are outside)
T1/T2: Ironforge, UC (sort of tie, UC offers a direct flight path, while OG requires boarding a zeppelin)
Onyx: Orgrimmar, Ironforge (through Menethil)
T2,5: TB/OG, IF through Menethil and then fly from Theramore to Cenarion Hold (still closer than SW ->BB ->Ratchet ->flight)
T3: Undercity hands down, Ironforge.

.........

You forgot outdoor raids. OG is closest to two world bosses: Azuregos and one of the Emerald drakes that will spawn in Ashenvale. The quickest run from a city to a world boss... Back door of Org to Azshara and Ashenvale is pretty quick.(that is if you decide to skip the quick flight there) Twilight Vale in Duskwood is ofc a tie BTW UC/OG but SW would be best for alliance. Hinterlands one would be for UC or IF. Blasted lands, UC(?) and SW/IF as it would be similar time for both cities ally. Then the Emerald drake what would spawn that week in Feralas is same as DM.

Also for "better layout"...... That water dismounts you. Yes, things are compact together and in a circle like IF, but them elevator bosses, and getting to a zep from UC compared to OG is a big pita. Time yourself from the bank in OG to the Zepplin then from UC bank to it's Zepplin...

[TyrantRC]

For me I use grom'gol as my HS, I can go to UC and orgrimar there if I want, I can also travel to rachet and use the boat there. I think the thing with UC is that the zep is harder to reach from inside the city, you need to take the elevator and then get out of UC by the plaza, while you only need to step off the bank to reach out the orgri one. Also orgri has a more understandable layout if you are a noob and has more vibrant colors, UC just makes me feel depressed. Another plus is the zone outside Orgri, is pretty good to duel other people while the UC zone is kinda of a hill which is kinda of anoying in a way for pvp