What is Chris Metzen doing as team Alliance?

[Wolfbear]

He's notoriously seen as a horde dude, however he's probably just poking some fun.

[Austilias]

Penance for his self-insert via Thrall.

[Deleted]

And like said, he did say his favorite character was Malfurion, despite people being unable to believe him.

I think it comes from the fact that Malfurion wasn't even prominent in the expansion with a druid-heavy storyline and has since fizzled out again. Thrall OTOH.

Add to that his constant and unrelenting Horde-calls at live events, and the way he talks about Horde in general, it's no surprise that Alliance players don't identify with him. He can say what he wants but until he actually delivers he has no credibility. It's just embarrassing to see him desperately trying to make up for it, even making sure to wear an Alliance hoodie in the series. I literally would have taken anyone but him as Alliance team leader.

[Tastyfish]

Samwise is the HORDE.. lol
I am kind of glad the horde got the better artist of the two.

[Enosh]

well someone has to loose when you draw straws

for those saying he will sabotage the ally chopper, he doesnt need to: the thing is a pisspoor snowmobile look-a-like, he can just sit back and laugh at the thing. (the horde one really isnt much better either though : / )

I would probably have preferred the horde bike, given that everyone involves seems really exited as opposed to metzen being barely awake when he speaks but then they showed it's a trike and ugh, I hate those things

[Aquinan]

should get the pimp my ride guys to make a car to shit on both of em

[seleri]

should get the pimp my ride guys to make a car to shit on both of em

*Xzibit shows up with a Burning Legion themed car and rams both bikes*

[arcaneshot]

I think it comes from the fact that Malfurion wasn't even prominent in the expansion with a druid-heavy storyline and has since fizzled out again. Thrall OTOH.

Cataclysm wasn't Druid-heavy, it was Shaman-heavy. They even have a questline where Shamen of the Earthen Ring complain that people confuse them with Druids.

The only real part Druids had was concerning Hyjal and Ragnaros.

[Blufossa]

In "Choppers of Azeroth"
doesn't he get off on orc shamanism?

Maybe he wants to do something else? Maybe, just maybe, he likes both sides even though Thrall is his baby?

Really people, lighten up.

[Jester Joe]

I think it comes from the fact that Malfurion wasn't even prominent in the expansion with a druid-heavy storyline and has since fizzled out again. Thrall OTOH.

Maybe because he realized he can't shoe in his favorite characters like people think he would? Like said, Cata was more shaman based than druids, Elemental Planes and all.

[Galbrei]

Because if he was in Team Horde as I'm sure he'd love to be the Alliance crybabies would storm the forums and flood it with their petty tears claiming Horde favoritism... again.

[christarp]

Because of PR issues

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Because if he was in Team Horde as I'm sure he'd love to be the Alliance crybabies would storm the forums and flood it with their petty tears claiming Horde favoritism... again.

Which isn't far off from the truth. Take note I think th whole who wins is just going to burn them in the end.

[Seezer]

In "Choppers of Azeroth"
doesn't he get off on orc shamanism?

He has to do it so all of the whiners don't start crying about horde favoritism.

[Agent Mercury]

They'll never be able to shake the Horde favoritism thing, anyway.
Alliance cry about anything.

You should see how much the horde cry about that. Hah.

[wonderlust]

Let's read Metzen's profile from the Sons of the Storm website (which was written about 11 years ago, long before all this "Horde bias!" madness began):

http://www.sonsofthestorm.com/profile_metzen.html

Race: Human
Class: Paladin
Alignment: Lawful good
Comic dude: Captain America (btw, remember how he recently called the Alliance 'the Captain America faction'?)

And he has mentioned on interviews that his favorite character is Malfurion, and that he plays both factions equally (a fact that he also confirmed on twitter not too long ago).

Honestly, even though people insist that Metzen favors Horde, anyone who knows a little better can tell that he loves both the Horde and the Alliance.
Both are his creations, after all.

[Goondicker]

I think he chose to side with the Alliance to help split the vote better. Horde are typically more "hardcore" and will likely get more votes. Metzen is seen as kind of the poster child for Blizzard, and his siding will surely sway some votes.

Plus, if he had been on the Horde team, all the butthurt anti-Thrall Alliance members would cry so much we'd need an ark.

[Deleted]

Cataclysm wasn't Druid-heavy, it was Shaman-heavy. They even have a questline where Shamen of the Earthen Ring complain that people confuse them with Druids.

The only real part Druids had was concerning Hyjal and Ragnaros.

"Druid heavy storyline"

Learn to read. I was talking about Hyjal.

[Bathory]

Metzen plays Alliance. Dunno why everyone is flipping out. He likes Thrall. He also likes Malfurion. Dunno why this is so hard for people to grasp.

[Claymore]

Because nobody else wanted to do it and he was forced.

Hah, I literally thought the same thing at first. To be fair, I do think the devs put an honest effort into making the Alliance seem cool, I think it's just overshadowed by their personal preferences towards Horde themes. I mean, a lot of guys really dig the "heavy-metal, warrior, honorable-savage" theme, and that's great. I think to those kinds of people, though, the Alliance winds up seeming "safe" or "weak", and it definitely comes through. The Alliance technically won several battles in MoP, but there was never really a "moment", and even at the end of SoO, I think Varian's "We will end you" line was sort of a consolation prize for not totally understanding the appeal of the Alliance.

To me, the Alliance needs to be the polar opposite of the Horde -- that doesn't mean "clean-cut" and "total good-guys", though. Instead, it needs to have more political intrigue, not unlike A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones, to most people). They propped Varian up to be a "High King of the Alliance", when in fact, the very fact that it's an *alliance* means there is no leader whatsoever. In essence, they tried to make the Alliance seem "badass" in the same ways as the Horde, and when that didn't feel right, they just made them feel like generic "soldiers".

For one, have Varian one-up Tyrande in the one Scenario seemed... forced, at best. Instead, Tyrande should be on the verge of turning on the Alliance, electing for her Sentinels to do things "their way", regardless of how Stormwind normally handles things. Genn Greymane, as well, needs to be a far more prominent character; this is a guy who was previously pegged as being a xenophobic dick to anyone who wasn't Gilnean, and while the Worgen curse may have humbled him, he should retain at least *some* of those forceful characteristics.

Anyways, back on point... Yeah, as much as Blizzard tries, I just don't think they really have anybody who "gets" the appeal of the Alliance.