Legion feels like an Alliance expansion

[Minikin]

Wow. I guess by this logic kiljaeden is alliance cuz he's an eredar, related to the dranei race. Am I doing it right?

Sheesh all this whining over a quest and cinematic

[G3istly]

Wow. I guess by this logic kiljaeden is alliance cuz he's an eredar, related to the dranei race. Am I doing it right?

Sheesh all this whining over a quest and cinematic

That's the Horde for you. If the spotlight isn't constantly on them, they'll throw a fit.

[Super Kami Dende]

It really sucks that here we are 13 years later and we still have "Horde Expansions" or "Alliance Expansions" why can't Blizzard ever seem to get this right?

It sucks that after 13 years players still think there is "horde" or "alliance" expansions and don't just enjoy a Story unfold regardless of the characters.

It's actually pretty pathetic when people complain about it actually.

[DJ117]

MoP: Varian + Anduin + raiding the enemy city
WoD: Dreanei + killing all the Orcs
Legion: well there is no Horde so pretty done with the discussion.

Also green Jezus is a little guy if you look at the attention your human Khadgar gets over the exp packs.

Oh wauw, because raiding Orgrimmar was not a 50-50? You had entire quest lines for that shit whilst we had a robot chicken. A ROBOT CHICKEN.

WOD was about seeing Draenor. Who was the bad guys? Orcs. How much did we see to the Draenei? Hmm nothing after release. Auchindoun, Tempest Keep and Shattrath... what a waste.

And Cataclysm was about Thrall. We had to save him across the zones, attend his marriage and watch him do magic tricks in DS.

legion is the first expansion in years with Alliance theme, but then again Alliance gets fucked over by our heroes always going neutral. Horde neutral characters this expansion: only the ones in your order hall.

[Eleccybubb]

Yeah because there was totally no focus on the Alliance in Warlords of Draenor. As in Draenei being a huge focus in the xpac, ya dolt. He's not saying horde needs to be the focus, but that we're not even getting some form of sub plot to at least include us in the overall story.

Vanilla had a huge Alliance bias

BC had a major focus on the Sons of Lothar, Maiev and Illidan, the Draenei and the broken, although those did play second fiddle to what developed into a blood elf centered story.

Wrath was mainly Alliance driven with the characters driving the story being Tirion Fordring, Darion Mograine, Brann Bronzebeard, Muradin Bronzebeard, and Bolvar Fordragon but you still had at least things going on in horde side with the battle for the undercity, Saurfang, and Garrosh getting some story presence. Hell, Sylvanas didn't even get as much story as she justifiably should've gotten seeing as her revenge against Arthas was her whole reason for living.

Cata was horde focused with a lot of development on the horde side in acquiring territories and feeling out the new leadership. Also Thrall is a horde hero, but at least Alliance weren't excluded from major story development. On top of that, you had the reintroduction of the Wildhammer dwarves, Malfurion's involvement with Hyjal and the Firelands along with Staghelm and Alyssra,

MoP did have a slimmer horde bias with development between Garrosh and the rest of the horde, but Anduin had a big screen presence along with the whole story involving the forming of the council of the three hammers and Jaina's story in that xpac. so the Alliance still wasn't left out of the picture when it comes to story development.

WoD (again, Warlords of Draenor) did have a major focus on orc history, but also had a lot of juicy story for the Alliance through the Draenei. Again, even if you say that WoD was more horde slanted, the Alliance weren't left out and given no story development.

Legion is Alliance biased with the only horde development happening at the very beginning with not even a whisper of things like who the next troll racial leader is. Also, I guarantee that you can't guess who the current orc racial leader is according the official sources because there hasn't even been any acknowledgement of their position in any regard. And to top it all off, Baine whose main character development has only happened in books is nowhere to be seen in the Highmountain story to the point where you could argue that the Highmountain tauren have had more story involvement with the Night Elves than the Horde tauren.

The point is that even if expansions have had a bias towards one side or the other, they at least gave the other faction something to sink their teeth into; whereas, in Legion the horde has gotten nothing so far.

P.S.
The horde leadership is in tatters. I'll give you the answer to what I asked earlier about the orc racial leader, it's Varok Saurfang. When was that done? I dunno, but there wasn't even any in game acknowledgement of that as far as I can tell. There's no troll that has enough story presence to step up as leader and they're not putting anyone in the spotlight so far, Baine barely has any screen presence to justify him being the leader of the tauren, and Gallywix just recently got a unique model a patch or two ago. There's so much necessary story that has yet to happen for the horde and all I'm saying is that they should at least pay some attention to that in the shadow of the overarching alliance focused story in Legion.

Oh please this was the Draenei focus.

"Hey guys here's Yrel............. and shes gone till 6.2 with one minor story for her inbetween". Literally the only major Draenei focus was her and Auchindoun.

Ironically despite WoD being Orc/Horde focused they did the same shit to a legend like Grom too.

"Hey guys here is Grom............ AND HES GONE TILL 6.2". Literally only time we saw him in something big was the damn Legendary Ring cutscene pre 6.2.

I'm glad Legion has some full on Alliance focus especially with Anduin. And Horde are on the back burner for once.

[Deleted]

I actually play both factions this expansion and I was tremendously disappointed to do the Tyrande thing in Val'Shara and the Exodar scenario as horde. I was almost certain when leveling Alliance that Horde would get it's own quests and scenarios.

I really hope we get some horde exclusive Vereesa storylines. I know she is an Alliance character as well, but I'd love her react to her sister leading the horde now.

[Waniou]

Theramore was a huge shock which affected both the Alliance in a "Holy shit our town exploded" way

Are you kidding? Theramore was a huge let down. We got a cutscene that was basically a Goblin having a wee giggle, then dropping the bomb. Theramore exploding and then suddenly a stupid scenario where you run around in the ruins and kill a few orcs. We never got to see the major lore characters that were killed, including ones I didn't even know where killed until I read about it on Wowpedia, including some who have been in the game since the start.

Theramore had the potential to be a huge event for the Alliance but yeah. A crappy cutscene, then a crappy scenario was all we got. Unless you read the book.

[Vynny]

Oh please this was the Draenei focus.

"Hey guys here's Yrel............. and shes gone till 6.2 with one minor story for her inbetween". Literally the only major Draenei focus was her and Auchindoun.

Ironically despite WoD being Orc/Horde focused they did the same shit to a legend like Grom too.

"Hey guys here is Grom............ AND HES GONE TILL 6.2". Literally only time we saw him in something big was the damn Legendary Ring cutscene pre 6.2.

I'm glad Legion has some full on Alliance focus especially with Anduin. And Horde are on the back burner for once.

Like I said, it's not a problem that the horde stories are taking a backseat to the alliance, but there's an astounding lack of anything going on regarding the horde; whereas, when alliance took a backseat in BC they still had stuff going on with the sons of Lothar and the draenei, in Cata they still had stuff going on with Malfurion and Staghelm with the Firelands, and the Wildhammer stuff going on, in MoP they had development for Anduin, Jaina, and the founding of the Council of the Three Hammers, in WoD, they did have that draenei stuff at least which in the context of WoD was actually quite a bit considering the scarcity of content during it.

The point is that even when the Alliance lore was on the back burner, there were still things happening to progress their factions narrative. They would resolve things like replacing missing leaders, or exposing less used characters to players in order to increase their presence in the story, and they desperately need to that. They haven't done anything to prepare a replacement for Vol'jin unlike how Anduin's character was prepped to replace Varian. They haven't even acknowledged in game that Varok Saurfang leads the orcs. Baine hasn't been involved in anything of note outside of the books which on a side note is a shame because he could've fit into the Highmountain storyline nicely since both he and Mayla were children of honorable chieftains that were slain dishonorably thus thrusting them into leadership before they were really ready, but they decided to not include Baine for some reason despite the parallels they could've drawn. Anyways, it's fine that Alliance is the focus, but even when the Alliance wasn't in the spotlight, they had things going on in the background in order to further their faction story and that's all I want for the horde.

[Derpleton]

It sucks that after 13 years players still think there is "horde" or "alliance" expansions and don't just enjoy a Story unfold regardless of the characters.

It's actually pretty pathetic when people complain about it actually.

Considering the games roots in the Warcraft series, particularly Warcraft 3, it's not surprising seeing as that games story had campaigns which feature every major race and the Horde and Alliance (moreso Orcs and Humans at the time) got plenty of screentime as well as the baddies. Now of course, WoW is an mmo not an RTS but looking at Legion I think this problem could have easily been solved by having some followup to Sylvannas' story arch in 7.2. She loses in Stormheim and has effectively fucked off back to Undercity and done nothing about the Alliance or the Legion. That's a pretty big problem considering she now carries the title of "Warchief"

[huth]

Considering the games roots in the Warcraft series, particularly Warcraft 3, it's not surprising seeing as that games story had campaigns which feature every major race and the Horde and Alliance (moreso Orcs and Humans at the time) got plenty of screentime as well as the baddies. Now of course, WoW is an mmo not an RTS but looking at Legion I think this problem could have easily been solved by having some followup to Sylvannas' story arch in 7.2. She loses in Stormheim and has effectively fucked off back to Undercity and done nothing about the Alliance or the Legion. That's a pretty big problem considering she now carries the title of "Warchief"

Not like the Alliance really got all that much more. We've got Genn being a boneheaded moron who accidentally stops Sylvanas plan in Stormheim that he didn't even know about, and then a short sequence of Anduin finding his resolve. That's it.
Neither Alliance nor Horde play much of a role in Legion. And it's part of the story, since the reason we create the class orders is that those two can't get their shit together even in the face of the Legion.

[Derpleton]

Not like the Alliance really got all that much more. We've got Genn being a boneheaded moron who accidentally stops Sylvanas plan in Stormheim that he didn't even know about, and then a short sequence of Anduin finding his resolve. That's it.
Neither Alliance nor Horde play much of a role in Legion. And it's part of the story, since the reason we create the class orders is that those two can't get their shit together even in the face of the Legion.

True, though at least the King of Stormwind did something and likely will do more on Argus. It's hard to see Sylvanas fitting into the Argus storyline as I think it will mostly revolve around Anduin, Velen, Khadgar and Illidan. Maybe Sylvanas will do something noteworthy next xpack... maybe.

[purebalance]

Because we hadn't just had an expansion focused on Orcs or the Horde or anything?

We haven't....

[Eleccybubb]

We haven't....

So Warlords didn't put focus on the Horde by continuing Garrosh's story as well as focusing on the Iron and Fel Horde which while separate from the MU horde are still a form of the Horde? Sure the Draenei were there but the only notable moment they had was when Yrel became an Exarch.

MoP didn't put focus on Vol'jin, Garrosh and on the rebellion? Literally the only notable Alliance moment was Jaina going batcrap crazy and evicting the Horde from Dalaran.

Cata didn't have focus on Green Jesus becoming an aspect and beating up Deathwing with a Golden Galaxy Minstrel? Oh and Garrosh becoming leader of the Horde and unintentionally killing off Cairne while expanding upon Baines story?

Alright then. Dunno what game you've been playing but it certainly ain't WoW.

[Cyram]

Why do people keep bringing the focus, the thing here is that the Horde DOESN'T HAVE ANY STORY BESIDES SYLVANAS' in Legion, while Tyrande, Maiev, Malfurion, Anduin, Genn, etcetera, get character development? God, even fucking Magni comes back from the dead.
MoP featured Anduin, Varian and Jaina. They HAD character development.
Legion has NONE for the Horde. NONE.
Sylvanas in Stormheim, and that gets countered by Genn's. That's it.
That's why this is an Alliance Expansion.
Don't you get that?

[Logwyn]

Why do people get so upset if one side has a bit of more focus in an expansion. It's still a WoW Game.

Heck do people also cry over certain characters getting more screentime in Game of Thrones?

As for GoT yes....yes they do.... Its why I don't bring that crap up at work anymore... Someone complains there isn't enough "sexy John Snow" on last episode.

[purebalance]

So Warlords didn't put focus on the Horde by continuing Garrosh's story as well as focusing on the Iron and Fel Horde which while separate from the MU horde are still a form of the Horde? Sure the Draenei were there but the only notable moment they had was when Yrel became an Exarch.

MoP didn't put focus on Vol'jin, Garrosh and on the rebellion? Literally the only notable Alliance moment was Jaina going batcrap crazy and evicting the Horde from Dalaran.

Cata didn't have focus on Green Jesus becoming an aspect and beating up Deathwing with a Golden Galaxy Minstrel? Oh and Garrosh becoming leader of the Horde and unintentionally killing off Cairne while expanding upon Baines story?

Alright then. Dunno what game you've been playing but it certainly ain't WoW.

No? Garrosh was a universal threat. If Garrosh had his way, there would be a horde and no alliance. Your bias is clear though as you're claiming all of these expansions focussed on the horde when in fact they didn't.

[Gahk]

I find it interesting that people who counts Green Jesus as a Horde character even after he left the Horde to become neutral, chooses to ignore Khadgar and the fact that we are now 2 entire expansions just doing his grocery list. And if every time an orc pops up on the screen we are going to scream horde favoritism, can we talk about the expansion where the main villain was a night elf? or the one with the human prince? or the one with the dragon that somehow was once part of the human nobility? See, I can bend the facts to fit my narrative too!

[The Penguin]

Factions will merge next expansion. Calling it.

[SlyPenguin0]

It isn't only focused on the Alliance. Anduin has not got more on screen time, people just think so because the Horde 2nd cinematic was so early on in the expansion. Velen has been centerfold not because he is Alliance but because he is Draenei -- he is deeply attached to the Legion. Not to mention, we are only in 7.2. Let's get deeper in the story before we cry out for one side or the other.

[ravenmoon]

Cataclysm, MoP and WoD were all Horde focused.

and TBC/WotLk had horde races/factions having the major play or larger focus on the story.. you wondered why Thrall and Garrosh and the orcs played such a large role in WtoLK, especially over the Frosaken and the blood elves, who are to the scourge what the night elves are to the Legion, i.e. the group that destroyed their civilization - but hey we had to have orcs star right? Still adding up orcs, forsakenand blood elf involvement, WotLk was skewed horde and the horde had the stronger roles, larger air time.

Legion is NOT faction oriented
Legion is not faction focused true, and it's horde/alliance balance is identical, it only feels alliance to you becaus e the night elven groups play a large role dominating Suramar in the nightborne, Azsuna in the highborne ghosts and Val'sharah in the Dreamers. Even though none of these night elven groups are alliance based or related. The only time the alliane night elves come into the story is with 7.1 army. And yes, Tyrande's appearance in Val'sharah is not alliance based at all, this is tyrande as a wife and then as a high preistess, it's only in 7.1 she shows up as alliance. Malfurion is totally neutral too as are all the other night elven groups.

Similarly the Vrykul could also be viewed as human related, and therefor e also feel alliance, but they are not. This is probably why Baine was cut from Highmountain , because it would have made otherwise neutral highmountain definitely horde related, unlike Tyrande who is chasing her husband in the birth of Druidsm and its discipline's founder Malfurion, Baine has no such neuutral ties to the highmountain, he would have been decissively horde and the brand new history of the hihgmountain had no place for him appearing in a neutral capacity unlike Tyrande and Malfurion in Val'sharah.

• Nightborne, Highborne ghosts and Dreamer Night elves are not alliance
• Vrykul are not alliance either anymore than Kvaldir are horde.

as such though it feels alliancy because of the night elf history and night elven peoples in Suramar/Azsuna, Val'sharah and Broken Shore, it actually isn't alliance. Not one of them talk or relate to the alliance anymore than they do to the horde. This is the night elves as they should have been from the start of WoW, neutral, concerned with global threats such as the Legion, old gods or Azshara.

Location is Night Elven, Legion are NE arch-nemesis
You can't visit the Legion on Azeroth without the night elves, their stories are linked, the legion destroyed the great Elven empire and is why the elves are in such fractured groups. Old elven groups like the night elves, highborne/nightborne, and the descended groups high/blood elf who while way before the time of any living HElf/BElf are not Night Elven nobles in a utopic globe spanning empire and are as they are now and look like they do now because of that extraordinary event.

Legion is NElf primary focus, not BElf
However it's the night elf empire that got destroyed and therefore it is the night elves largely who are most riled up. Blood/high are more scourge angry, amani angry etc (they as high/blood elves had their non-night elven socieyt, their high elven society destroyed not by the legion, but the Scourge, see they had built afresh, becoming new people completely unrelated to their former night elven selves they wanted nothing to do with, building a new civilization they felt was better than anything in the past and would one day exceed the great night elven emprie, they have no more investment in the legion than humans or orcs or gnomes. Night elves and Draenei are the ones personally affected by this group and on Azeroth, well, it's the night elves - something existing night elves/nightborne/highborne ALL remember.

Zone Focus and Distribution was Story Themed not Faction
Choosing the Broken Isles necessitated night elven involvement as a major, and the only reason we have Highmountain and Vrykul is because they felt 5 elven zones would be too monotonous - it's like what would you have made Highmountain and Stormheim? Azusna had the highborne ghosts, and Suramar had the nightborne who are night elves that continued using high magic becoming nightborne which is like some enhanced arcane version of night elf (i.e. modern high magic highborne), - so Azsuna has the ghosts and the past, Suramar has the same group in the flesh and in the present. Val'sharah has the druidic part of the night elves, Broken Shore was initially ALL priesthood. Yes they changed the Broken Shore later to be heavy legion, but the first design was heavy priesthood because the Tomb of Sargeras is the Priesthood of Elune's most holy sight and where their orders HQ and largest place of worship, the Cathedral of Eternal Night is situated - so you had all the aspects of the night elves covered, Their arcane past (highborne) and present (nightborne), druidsm (val'sharah) and Preisthood (broken shore) and still you had 2 zones left.. so they went with something else.

Broken isles with the night elves or their kind dominating 4 out of 6 zones but 2 remaining that couldn't have any modern races, so no high/blood elves, no humans, no gnomes, dwarves etc.. your choices were ancient folk, Troll, Tauren, mechagnome, earthern dwarf, vrykul, etc - well they chose Tauren over Dwarves, and trust me, with the titan relic thing, earthern dwarf was an excellent candidate, but night elves being alliance related, they felt dwarves would be too much to have a zone, and went Highmountain with the Huln Highmountain thing from the WotA, and they got creative to bring us the vrykul.