What's Blizzard doing with The Horde right now?

[Deleted]

There's practically no named trolls with decent screentime left.
The only (non-highmountain) tauren lore character that actually DOES stuff is Magatha Grimtotem, and she's a pariah.
The Orcs as a faction is nearly crippled beyond recovery after Siege of Orgrimmar and the loss of the Kor'kron.
The goblins are kneecapped by how intrinsically connected the player character Goblin is to their core lore, and Gallywix's mercenary nature.
The Huojin Pandaren are for some reason still hanging around, but not saying anything.

It's sad really, I prefer the horde by such a long shot.. but I can't for the life of me see why any 'old horde' characters would want to be a stooge for Sylvanas as she chases immortality.

I mean where the fuck can you even go with all this?

[Deleted]

Malfurion and Khadgar Alliance heroes?

They're as much Alliance heroes as Illidan is. Velen is barely an Alliance hero at this point.

It is really stupid that Baine doesn't have a huge role in Highmountain and Lor'themar didn't show up in 7.1.

The problem is not if those characters are neutral, the problem is Horde players want to interact with Horde NPCs not neutral characters with a Alliance background. An that feeling only becomes bigger when they kill Horde characters and dont replace then or build up lore on some Horde characters and keep falling back to neutral NPCs that do nothing when it comes to move the faction forward.

[Zulkhan]

Which is which? Are the placeholder-led races Orcs and Tauren? And the joke race Trolls?

Orcs and Trolls, which are the original Horde races. Baine and the Horde-aligned Tauren are so irrelevant at the moment that I didn't even acknowledge their existence (because Blizzard writes the Horde so well). There are also the Huojin Pandaren technically but I much prefer to outright ignore they even exist, a feat Blizzard makes very easy to achieve.

Goblins are the joke race, obviously, which are managing to get even less development and overall relevance than Gnomes (not like the latter got anything truly significant but they yet manage to beat Goblins at the moment).

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The problem is not if those characters are neutral, the problem is Horde players want to interact with Horde NPCs not neutral characters with a Alliance background. An that feeling only becomes bigger when they kill Horde characters and dont replace then or build up lore on some Horde characters and keep falling back to neutral NPCs that do nothing when it comes to move the faction forward.

Apparently this is incredibly hard to understand for most Alliance players. They keep complaining about their heroes going "neutral" demanding that you care about their complaints, just while you're witnessing the Horde faction losing pieces all over the place.

[Magnagarde]

Alliance characters are represented a lot more in the storylines that involve fighting the Burning Legion, but the Alliance itself as a faction isn't doing more faction-based stuff than the Horde is and in that sense they're both equal.

Characters being neutral at one point does not mean they've ultimately(and permanently) lost their faction allignment, otherwise the Horde would've suffered just as much of a setback due to neutrality as the Alliance(ie Rexxar, Halduron, Aethas).

[Combatbutler]

Apparently this is incredibly hard to understand for most Alliance players. They keep complaining about their heroes going "neutral" demanding that you care about their complaints, just while you're witnessing the Horde faction losing pieces all over the place.

The main problem is not really faction imbalance, but rather race imbalance, the horde and alliance hardly play a role in this expansion pack to begin with, but blizz still throws mostly humans into the players face for the important stuff, khadgar for example is involved in almost everything and I personally am utterly sick of him, yet on the other hand several races barely get scraps in this xpack. It shouldn't be too hard to share the spotlight a little more and to come up with new characters.

[yetgdhfgh]

The war between the Horde and Ally has taken a huge backseat and the only PVP action you see is between Forsaken and Worgen and that is only happening cause of Greymanes vendetta towards Sylvanas.

[TheFirstOnes]

Wait...

There was Horde/Alliance conflict this expac?

Mmm...never knew about it. Tell me.

[Camthur]

I expect that the general malaise we've seen when it comes to faction involvement this expansion is one of 3 reasons.

1. Blizzard cut back because they wanted it to feel like both factions really got stomped on the shore the first time.

2. They decided to only put in Genn and Sylvanas wasting time to highlight how the order halls have got past the whole faction war and are working together.

3. Blizz is just freaking lazy and didn't feel like putting in the work to develop the lore it takes to give all the races a fair shot at contributing.

It's not really crazy that the Horde aren't in a leadership position though. Two expansions ago, they were doing their best to murder each other.

[Grimo]

I expect that the general malaise we've seen when it comes to faction involvement this expansion is one of 3 reasons.

1. Blizzard cut back because they wanted it to feel like both factions really got stomped on the shore the first time.

2. They decided to only put in Genn and Sylvanas wasting time to highlight how the order halls have got past the whole faction war and are working together.

3. Blizz is just freaking lazy and didn't feel like putting in the work to develop the lore it takes to give all the races a fair shot at contributing.

It's not really crazy that the Horde aren't in a leadership position though. Two expansions ago, they were doing their best to murder each other.

The first two reasons are spot on - that, and we've had 3 Horde-centric expacs in a row, time for the Alliance to shine (I say this as exclusively Horde player). I think the 'lazy' argument is really tired now. Not doing something you like does not equal lazy.More art, music and writing has gone into this xpac than any other.

7.2's design, however....

[Camthur]

I'd certainly have been hesitant to use the word "lazy" in the past. However, as pointed out, 7.2 was just awful. We just got done watching a pathetic string of quests during an 11 week period that really doesn't look like they put in much effort at all to develop.

I personally hope it's reason two I gave though. I'm sick and tired of them always forcing faction fighting into whatever story line they are currently doing. We're freaking fighting for our lives defending our home planet and Genn and Sylvanas are off acting like idiots.

I wouldn't be disappointed at all if they dropped the whole "we hate each other no matter what" thing and just let pvp be an outside thing faction members do for glory. (or to prove their courage, whatever)

[Friendlyimmolation]

The first two reasons are spot on - that, and we've had 3 Horde-centric expacs in a row, time for the Alliance to shine (I say this as exclusively Horde player). I think the 'lazy' argument is really tired now. Not doing something you like does not equal lazy.More art, music and writing has gone into this xpac than any other.

7.2's design, however....

I wouldnt call MoP or WoD "horde shining" Watching your faction getting merd isnt "your expansion"

[kail]

Wait...

There was Horde/Alliance conflict this expac?

Mmm...never knew about it. Tell me.

This X-Pac is by far the lightest WoW has been on HvA. At most, Greymane took Varian's spot in being the horde bigot (mostly vs Sylvanas) due to misunderstandings. Jaina is shaping up to be the next villain due to more unchecked rage.

I feel like the conflict between the factions really died down due to the focus of a smaller group undergoing their adventure.

[TheFirstOnes]

This X-Pac is by far the lightest WoW has been on HvA. At most, Greymane took Varian's spot in being the horde bigot (mostly vs Sylvanas) due to misunderstandings. Jaina is shaping up to be the next villain due to more unchecked rage.

I feel like the conflict between the factions really died down due to the focus of a smaller group undergoing their adventure.

Yet, Legion's still the darkest expansion of WoW, right next to MoP in my opinion....

MoP had A LOT of dark shit, even with it's fluffy race...

But, remember, Legion did A LOT of dark shit as well, ranging from Tirion's death, to Varian's death, and so forth. Velen accidently killed his own boy, The Main legion villians explode into ashes, and even Ysera fell to the Legion/Nightmare's un-presidented team up.

Legion's also the Expansion as to where we've made THE MOST progress in 1 expac, even as to defeat the Deceiver as a MID-EXPANSION boss...

[Grimo]

I wouldnt call MoP or WoD "horde shining" Watching your faction getting merd isnt "your expansion"

Didn't say it was 'shining', but it was certainly Horde-centric. The Alliance story in the last 3 xpacs were either reacting to or ignoring Horde actions.

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Yet, Legion's still the darkest expansion of WoW, right next to MoP in my opinion....

MoP had A LOT of dark shit, even with it's fluffy race...

But, remember, Legion did A LOT of dark shit as well, ranging from Tirion's death, to Varian's death, and so forth. Velen accidently killed his own boy, The Main legion villians explode into ashes, and even Ysera fell to the Legion/Nightmare's un-presidented team up.

Legion's also the Expansion as to where we've made THE MOST progress in 1 expac, even as to defeat the Deceiver as a MID-EXPANSION boss...

Yeah, this. People whine about the things they don't like with the lore while totally ignoring the HUGE lore revelations this expansion has dropped again and again: stuff on Tyr, the Titans, the Old Gods, the Nightmare, the Aspects, the vrykul, Karazhan, development of characters like Anduin, Velen and Sylvannas, Turalyon... and that's barely scratching the surface. But people will still QQ about the Horde taking a back seat in an xpac where the opening moments establish VERY firmly that this xpac is NOT about the factions...

[shadowmatrix]

Blood elves need to start being the vicious assholes they were in burning Crusade for sure. They don't need to act like humans.

They don't have the time, the Blood Elves and the forsaken are not on good terms, Sylvanis is looking for a reason to depopulate Silvermoon and get more Forsaken.

[Al Gorefiend]

Dat Orcish Racial....

People play Orc for the racial? Is that what you're getting at?

[Syegfryed]

people keep screaming that mop and Wod are horde focused, because of Garrosh geez

one expansion they ravage our city and kill our warchief, other expansion we just kill old horde heroes like pigs, but this, this is good, cause focus on horde top kek

meanwhile, in those expansions "focused on horde" the alliance still have their racial leaders, they have important characters and good lore overall

but in this "alliance expansion" the horde is fucked in the ass, with no troll leader ( like wod, a horde expansion who do not have a orc racial leader in the entire expansion LUL, and when we have there is nothing to say so, not cinematic, no quest, not even a dialogue with Saurfang, nothing) no character development, no good lore, nothing, we only get sylvanas warchief because is cool and kill vol'jin because of her, and some blood elf stuff

still people seems to think this is totally fair, i give zero fucks about who blizzard want to focus, but just don't fuck up with the horde, they can put anduin, tyrande, velen and even that damn gnome who sure dont know the name, as the heroes who save azeroth, all alone with no horde help, But leave a story of the horde well tied, cohesive, with no bullshit please

[Niwes]

This X-Pac is by far the lightest WoW has been on HvA. At most, Greymane took Varian's spot in being the horde bigot (mostly vs Sylvanas) due to misunderstandings. Jaina is shaping up to be the next villain due to more unchecked rage.

I feel like the conflict between the factions really died down due to the focus of a smaller group undergoing their adventure.

best video ever

[Restors]

Trolls have no leader.
Baine is doing nothing when he should have been in Highmountain.
Gallywix got a new model but has done nothing.
Saurfang was quietly made leader of the Orcs.
Lor'themar is doing nothing when he should have had a presence in the Suramar campaign/raid.
The Horde is now The Forsaken and friends, stuck following the crazy banshee because the spirits apparently told Vol'jin.
No Horde character beyond Sylvannas is doing anything.
Alliance has Anduin, Malfurion, Tyrande, Velen, Genn, and Khadgar front center stage. (You can say some of them are neutral now, but everybody knows they're alliance heroes.)

Does Blizz plan to balance out the soup sooner or later or is the Horde just a stool for Sylvannas to stand on for now on?


inb4 "Horde players are Salty", I'm Alliance.

After seeing what blizzard has done to the Horde lore since MOP, I pray with every fiber in my body that they NEVER focus on Horde ever again. Couldn't care less about Banshee Queen. Orcs, taurens, trolls lore is shattered into pieces.

[Deleted]

Just deal with it, they fucked up while writing the stories, It's one of the most loose and bad written stories ever developed in its universe