WoW Quasi-Rant
Sparked by some rumor/comment/foretelling out of Blizzcon about Theramore being attacked or destroyed, there've been some forum arguments about how Blizzard "favors the Horde" (or perhaps the Alliance, depending on who you listen to). This got me thinking about the Alliance versus Horde aspects of the game...
Disclaimer: First, I play on a PVE realm and do very little PVP content - that's personal preference, I just don't enjoy competitive video gaming much. Second, I have played Alliance almost exclusively, which may well shade my perceptions of the game - I can't speak objectively because I haven't seen all the sides of the game.
I do feel like the Alliance has been "losing" against the Horde, but I take a lot of pride in the faction and I don't exactly feel "picked on" but Blizzard. It's the nature of such a conflict to have gains and losses, and while the Alliance doesn't seem to be winning much against the Horde, I've generally had the feeling that the Allies had a clearer view of the big picture and acted more on that. Given a chance to finally turn their eyes fully to the faction war, I expect (or at least hope for) things to change.
The Burning Crusade was pretty much a wash in this regard. Not much changed on Azeroth. In Outland, we were asked to put aside previous loyalties in order to side with either the Aldor or Scyers. Honestly, that was pretty clunky once the novelty wore off.
Then there was Wrath of the Lich King. There were conflicts here and there along the way, but the first major event was probably the Wrathgate. Alliance and Horde actually managed to pull together only to be stabbed in the back by the Forsaken. It's arguable, I suppose, which side that was a bigger blow to - both lost people, but it felt like almost as serious a blow that Sylvanas was "watched" but otherwise ignored by the Horde over it. Then there was a call to battle the Lich King himself by Tirion Fordring. The Argent Crusade accepted both factions, but this felt like a very human (and thus Alliance)-based push to defeat a greater evil.
And what did the Alliance get for trusting after the Wrathgate and being so central to the push to defeat the Lich King? The Allies came back to find a net loss of territory. The night elf settlement of Thal'darah Grove in Stonetalon was bombed into a crater. Southshore was not only taken, but befouled with the plague the Forsaken were "not supposed to use," especially after the Wrathgate. The Alliance received new members in the form of the worgen-cursed Gilneans who were utterly and totally routed from their homeland that was a bastion in the north, leaving it a hollow shell.
With Cataclysm, the sides arguably break even on helping "neutral" factions with the Guardians of Hyjal (heavily, but not exclusively night elf) and the Earthen Ring (who always seemed more draenei-heavy to me, but I've give the benefit of the doubt as they're run by a tauren. Things heat up again in the Twilight Highlands, though, and the Alliance is once again falling behind, left picking up the pieces of fractured dwarven tribes. The dailies seem to epitomize things pretty well there: Alliance members are trying to salvage food and drink for the dwarven survivors while the Horde are setting those supplies on fire.
Again, this might be perception talking, but when trolls petitioned for assistance against the Zandalari, I no longer felt like I was participating in a struggle against a greater evil. Rather, I felt like I was being used as a convenient tool to weaken an opponent. Thrall has, in a sense, taken Tirion's place this time in issuing the call against Deathwing, and it feels like the first time the Horde has really stepped up - and this from someone who left his leadership position in the Horde to follow this path.
If Theramore falls, yes, it'll be a tragedy. It'll be a blow to perhaps the most peace-loving leader within the Alliance. But if it happens, I hope that also makes it a wake-up call. Both to make the Alliance see it can't keep playing nice while losing ground and to make the Horde realize the Alliance is not by any means soft.
I, for one, look forward to seeing the Alliance truly fighting back. And if "Remember Theramore!" is to be the battle cry for that, so be it.
Disclaimer: First, I play on a PVE realm and do very little PVP content - that's personal preference, I just don't enjoy competitive video gaming much. Second, I have played Alliance almost exclusively, which may well shade my perceptions of the game - I can't speak objectively because I haven't seen all the sides of the game.
I do feel like the Alliance has been "losing" against the Horde, but I take a lot of pride in the faction and I don't exactly feel "picked on" but Blizzard. It's the nature of such a conflict to have gains and losses, and while the Alliance doesn't seem to be winning much against the Horde, I've generally had the feeling that the Allies had a clearer view of the big picture and acted more on that. Given a chance to finally turn their eyes fully to the faction war, I expect (or at least hope for) things to change.
The Burning Crusade was pretty much a wash in this regard. Not much changed on Azeroth. In Outland, we were asked to put aside previous loyalties in order to side with either the Aldor or Scyers. Honestly, that was pretty clunky once the novelty wore off.
Then there was Wrath of the Lich King. There were conflicts here and there along the way, but the first major event was probably the Wrathgate. Alliance and Horde actually managed to pull together only to be stabbed in the back by the Forsaken. It's arguable, I suppose, which side that was a bigger blow to - both lost people, but it felt like almost as serious a blow that Sylvanas was "watched" but otherwise ignored by the Horde over it. Then there was a call to battle the Lich King himself by Tirion Fordring. The Argent Crusade accepted both factions, but this felt like a very human (and thus Alliance)-based push to defeat a greater evil.
And what did the Alliance get for trusting after the Wrathgate and being so central to the push to defeat the Lich King? The Allies came back to find a net loss of territory. The night elf settlement of Thal'darah Grove in Stonetalon was bombed into a crater. Southshore was not only taken, but befouled with the plague the Forsaken were "not supposed to use," especially after the Wrathgate. The Alliance received new members in the form of the worgen-cursed Gilneans who were utterly and totally routed from their homeland that was a bastion in the north, leaving it a hollow shell.
With Cataclysm, the sides arguably break even on helping "neutral" factions with the Guardians of Hyjal (heavily, but not exclusively night elf) and the Earthen Ring (who always seemed more draenei-heavy to me, but I've give the benefit of the doubt as they're run by a tauren. Things heat up again in the Twilight Highlands, though, and the Alliance is once again falling behind, left picking up the pieces of fractured dwarven tribes. The dailies seem to epitomize things pretty well there: Alliance members are trying to salvage food and drink for the dwarven survivors while the Horde are setting those supplies on fire.
Again, this might be perception talking, but when trolls petitioned for assistance against the Zandalari, I no longer felt like I was participating in a struggle against a greater evil. Rather, I felt like I was being used as a convenient tool to weaken an opponent. Thrall has, in a sense, taken Tirion's place this time in issuing the call against Deathwing, and it feels like the first time the Horde has really stepped up - and this from someone who left his leadership position in the Horde to follow this path.
If Theramore falls, yes, it'll be a tragedy. It'll be a blow to perhaps the most peace-loving leader within the Alliance. But if it happens, I hope that also makes it a wake-up call. Both to make the Alliance see it can't keep playing nice while losing ground and to make the Horde realize the Alliance is not by any means soft.
I, for one, look forward to seeing the Alliance truly fighting back. And if "Remember Theramore!" is to be the battle cry for that, so be it.
The Alliance has lost more ground than the Horde in the wake of Deathwing's Cataclysm. Southshore wiped out by the Forsaken. Astranaar is being actively bombed by Horde wyvern-riders unless you do some quests to fight them off and phase the town. The Horde at Warsong have deforested even greater amounts of trees. Darkshore and Ashenvale are both a mess from elementals broiling over and the land savaged. There are no more Alli doable quests in Azshara, the zone is completely Horde-quest only (Granted there's some Alliance presence in the form of Night Elves trying to sabotage a Goblin dig site). South of Ratchet the Alliance has moved in some foreward advances from Theramore, which the Horde have quests to slaughter all the humans there (it used to be pirates), likewise there used to be a Kul Tiras keep and some centaur supplies Orc and Troll characters would have quests to attack early in their careers, all replaced by Alliance humans from Theramore to be slaughtered mindlessly. Eastern Feralas is embroiled in Night Elf vs. Horde ground forces, all the previous quest people there dead or missing. Alas, Andorhal. Doing the quest chains out there for previously of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, Thassarian, phases the reconstruction efforts from fighting the Scourge, to fighting the Horde, and because of Sylvanis' valkyrs, the Alliance pulling out of Andorhal in defeat. Not a Horde related cause, but the cities of Menethil Harbor and Darkshore and the entire island of Feathermoon got ruined by floods (Thousand Needles, obstensably a Horde-dominant zone, is now thousand islands effectively, but since the Horde settlement was at the top of the mesas anyway, they don't seem to have suffered much). Loch Modan is less Loch and more puddle, and the Twilight's Hammer cult has even moved in to a degree. Blackrock orcs (From the Mountain of the same name) have spilled into northern human territories, harassing the human starter zone. So, out of all that, where oh where has the Alliance -gained- if anywhere? We have a stronger presence in Stonetalon Mountains (as opposed to a quest hub with like two quests, the Alliance (in the form of Night Elves) is now in opposition to the destructive Goblin strip-mining operations). There are some quests and stuff in the Southern Barrens and looters have ransacked a Tauren post that was devastated by the Cataclysm anyway. The worgen have taken residence in a demon-filled swamp in southern Blasted Lands. There's a big Night Elf community in the middle of the Wetlands. There's a huge Night Elf military on the shore overlooking the sunken remains of Feathermoon. Pity they're locked in position by the ogres of Dire Maul. To be frank, it's the Night Elves who seem to have suffered the most direct confrontations against the Horde's expansions, and its the Night Elves who are doing the most fighting back. Not to say that justifies, in any way, the loss of the first human outpost in Kalimdor. Hell, I have to wonder -how- the Alliance loses Theramore. Jaina can summon 40 ft. tall water elementals capable of sinking a naval fleet should she be pressed to (As seen in Warcraft 3's expansion when she has to destroy her racist father's fleet). Conflict leads to growth of characters, but really?
ReplyDeleteIt's not like the Horde is without its own mages. Though... honestly, I can't think of any major characters that say I AM A WIZARD outside of Jaina and a handful of Allies or neutral people among the Kirin Tor. But then... the Horde doesn't, in general, take the high road as far as morals or honor. I have a lingering respect for the tauren and, to a lesser extent, trolls. The blood elves may be misguided, but seem a bit out of place considering their origins. Goblins will blow anything up. Forsaken, while I feel some sympathy toward Sylvanas as she comes to see them as her people, are a blight just like the Scourge. And orcs... generally seem willing to use any and all means for victory, though they may claim otherwise. In thinking about this, I realized the incident at Thal'darah Grove is very nearly equivilent of using nukes (the Horde bombs a settlement into a crater) and Southshore (as well as virtually everything the Forsaken does) is unquestionably biological warfare. To my knowledge, the Alliance has never "stooped" to such vicious means to fight their battles. Arthas, maybe, but I can't count him as Alliance - he went rogue and joined/formed his own faction (as opposed to how Sylvanas is still an accepted leader among the Horde). The lingering question from all that, in my mind, is: how will the Alliance fight in the future? I feel the Alliance has been losing ground largely due to focusing on enemies other than the Horde, but it would be easy to argue "to win, we need to use any and all tactics and weapons, just like the Horde does." If Jaina gets pushed to that point, who would be left that would hold back in ruthlessness? Anduin doesn't quite have the leverage yet. As much as I want to see the Alliance kick some ass in return, I'm not sure I want to see it lose its heart. THAT is probably what I fear more than losing a city.
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