I'd say archaeologists are a grey area, since Wyrmbane did take a moment during briefing to address why they would attack people digging for relics. Alliance didn't know what the Reliquary was doing in the area, it was just assumed they were searching for weapons. Which has been their modus operandi several times, so I suppose they can be accepted as enemy combatants. Still felt off, us going on an assassination mission on what looks like civilians. The player isn't supposed to be a soldier but a champion aiding the armed forces. This feeling of something being wrong in it was enhanced by Shandris's callous and revenge-sating attitude.
On the exiles, the Alliance had no idea what they were about, Shandris just declared them Horde purely because they were the same race as those who allied with the Horde, never mind that such a ragtag crew couldn't possibly be an organized platoon. At face value they were just people trying to survive in harsh conditions. So what they were wasn't touched on and the Alliance had a shoddy excuse to kill them.
Again, I don't mind if the Alliance acts like this, but they need to own it. It would make the faction more enjoyable to me, both as the patron of my alt and the enemy of my main. Like, I'm agreeing with your opening post. I hope Tyrande makes some serious waves within the faction and doesn't act like it's good and just rather than her sating her hatred. Genn and Rogers attacked the Forsaken in Stormheim to do just that and I don't recall them trying to whitewash it. They owned it.
Now you see it. Now you don't.
As a future Alliance player (presuming I start back up playing WOW with Shadowlands) I can say that I didn't quite the dumpster fire Blizzard made of the Horde only to have to go through the same thing as an Alliiance.
Also somehow Horde actions end up in things like territorial gains (Soutshore and entire Hillsbrad) or huge losses for the Alliance (Teldrassil) but each time Alliances is portrayed to do something “morally grey” its specifically aimed so that would do no real damage to the Horde. Like killing a gang of zandalari criminals, for example, to take their water. Hard to “own” anything when you achieved shit nothing and with the same result could have not done anything.
The problem is the writers only know cliches like Lawful Stupid paladins (Hi Tirion!) and have no idea how to write good that's rough around the edges, not to mention key writers are pushing their fanfiction and political agendas.
Why no, people don't just like Sylvie for T&A: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ery-Cinematic/
Because appaerently we have to be blessed by the writers with moral lessons who are beyond idiotic, worthless, unnecessary, shallow and senseless. The other major half of the problem in my opinion are the players and community. Most of them don't even seem to be able to differentiate between a fictional fantasy story and reality. Its pretty obvious when reading most of the threads who are about the conflicts, especially when it comes to Alliance and Horde.
Every time I see a blood elf in an appropriately "interesting" transmog I'm all over their leg. Just received a three day suspension for that activity!? I was just having fun.
Because Blizzard's writers are at fan fiction level. Of course the Alliance could have political factions battling each other, but the writers are so incompetent that they can't write something that deep.
Ultimately the Alliance does not have the means to retaliate. In 8.1.5 we had enough strength to end the war in a matter of weeks, but since the Alliance army was somehow obliterated at Nazjatar (don't ask how the ARMY was destroyed, just smile and play along), in 8.2.5 the Alliance is supposedly in a fragile position. After the war the Alliance has suffered countless losses, we are no longer in the position of superiority we were back at the Siege of Orgrimmar, we can no longer afford to threaten the Horde with an ultimatum. So even if Anduin and co. wanted revenge, the Alliance simply cannot afford to wage another war.
Expansion Storylines ranking:
Legion > Cataclysm > MoP > BfA up to 8.2.5 > Wrath > TBC > WoD > Dragonflight > BfA 8.3 > Shadowlands
“Cannot afford to wage another war” is a very arguable topic. And in 8.3 Baine speaks about Horde being broken and unable to support new members so that also counts. Numbers are not the key to winning wars, and with Sylvanas gone Horde lost their last “powerhouse hero” and even in Warcraft 3 a powerful hero with right tactics and items could wreak havoc on an enemy with a weak hero or without a hero. So what i am saying that even if Alliance couldnt straight up win the war there and then it was no reason to sign any kind of peace treaty and not continue the war. Retreat from Orgrimmar for example and then continue in Ashenvale, slowly but surely eradicating the Horde on Kalimdor while they cant send more forces to Eastern Kingdoms since they dont have Undercity, and will have to sail to Silvermoon since we got Arathi. Plus, winning both Warfronts means that Horde is not impossible to overcome. And Darkshore was won without Anduin’s help at all, just worgen and elfs.
Did we go over the fact that the Alliance gunned down civilian goblin ships during Cataclysm, containing mainly women and children?
No?
Well I mean.. it's there.
The most fucked up thing about Alliance is that they try to paint them on a moral high horse, when they've done some horrendous shit in lore and yet those moments are instantly glossed over or ignored.
Meanwhile the Horde does something mildly aggressive and everyone loses their minds.
Expansion Storylines ranking:
Legion > Cataclysm > MoP > BfA up to 8.2.5 > Wrath > TBC > WoD > Dragonflight > BfA 8.3 > Shadowlands
Expansion Storylines ranking:
Legion > Cataclysm > MoP > BfA up to 8.2.5 > Wrath > TBC > WoD > Dragonflight > BfA 8.3 > Shadowlands