What are the best ways to make the Alliance more popular and interesting?

[nvaelz]

I will delete my horde if they give nelf female diverse moustache options.

[marzix]

I'm sorry if this was mentioned, I did not have to time to read every single comment, but I would think the best way to make the alliance interesting would be able to remove the horde and alliance from the game and just have the battle be Azeroth vs Azeroth invaders.

[Luxeley]

When Blizzard introduced Worgen in Cata it stirred a noticeable amount of interest in the Alliance. At the time, players said they liked the viciousness of the Worgen. Maybe a new race that isn't so neat, clean and pretty might help the alliance in numbers, it did once before.

[Tanaria]

When Blizzard introduced Worgen in Cata it stirred a noticeable amount of interest in the Alliance. At the time, players said they liked the viciousness of the Worgen. Maybe a new race that isn't so neat, clean and pretty might help the alliance in numbers, it did once before.

When a large chunk of supposed "Worgen" lore is them being in their Human forms, then "Houston, we have a problem."

The Alliance has plenty of races that can fill "viciousness" in many forms. Races like Void Elves, Dark Irons, Worgen, Warden Night Elves - Blizzard needs to showcase them and stop listening to the crowd of people who say "tHe aLlIaNcE wOuLdN't AcT lIkE tHaT."

- - - Updated - - -

I have the hope of the same but I would divide it into two expansions.
Because I don't think Blizzar is capable of serving so many races at once.

He would say one from Eastern Kingdoms and one from Kalimndor.

Either that or they focus on the 4 key races I listed above.

Night Elves and Forsaken lost their homes and are now starting to return and rebuild.
Blood Elves and Draenei are still stuck in their TBC zones and need updating.

I reckon they could do all of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms because they are aware that people do want to see a revamp.

[Loreth88]

Either that or they focus on the 4 key races I listed above.

Night Elves and Forsaken lost their homes and are now starting to return and rebuild.
Blood Elves and Draenei are still stuck in their TBC zones and need updating.

I reckon they could do all of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms because they are aware that people do want to see a revamp.

I think this updates hang on a really thin hope after they do the new starting zone: Exile's Reach.
Blizz more then happy with it, so it will delay more the racial starting zone and area updates.

[geco]

When Blizzard introduced Worgen in Cata it stirred a noticeable amount of interest in the Alliance. At the time, players said they liked the viciousness of the Worgen. Maybe a new race that isn't so neat, clean and pretty might help the alliance in numbers, it did once before.

Similar to what happened with Tyrande Night Warrior.
But Blizzard has a tendency to dismiss alliance stuff that's interesting and isn't Anduin. As much as Alliance fans are willing to darker stories.

Either that or they focus on the 4 key races I listed above.

Night Elves and Forsaken lost their homes and are now starting to return and rebuild.
Blood Elves and Draenei are still stuck in their TBC zones and need updating.

I reckon they could do all of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms because they are aware that people do want to see a revamp.

If they were those four, they would be two super disconnected stories. But maybe two super disconnected stories will be something both factions need.

That if poor Dwarves and Taurens.

I think this updates hang on a really thin hope after they do the new starting zone: Exile's Reach.
Blizz more then happy with it, so it will delay more the racial starting zone and area updates.

And as the community I don't dedicate any fan-Art or any positive comment. Blizzard is going to assume he got it right.

[Loreth88]

Similar to what happened with Tyrande Night Warrior.
But Blizzard has a tendency to dismiss alliance stuff that's interesting and isn't Anduin.

And as the community I don't dedicate any fan-Art or any positive comment. Blizzard is going to assume he got it right.

Hope we will not see Anduin for a long time, he is a dog.
After what happened in bfa he have a speech on Saurfang funeral. What about his faction and the many life losses?

We can just hope Blizz really listen the community and not some marketing employees pick up some long waited system or lore directions what is easy to make and still not cost to much money

[Tanaria]

If they were those four, they would be two super disconnected stories. But maybe two super disconnected stories will be something both factions need.

That if poor Dwarves and Taurens.

Super disconnected is probably what we need right now.
Unless it's a void lords story - where Blood Elves and Draenei could be about fighting the Void.

Blood Elves could win the battle, but lose the war with losing the Sunwell.
Draenei could win both the battle and the war, by defending Azuremyst...perhaps remnants of Old God infestation from Teldrassil have found their way to Azuremyst and the Draenei.

Night Elves and Forsaken would obviously be different as we're seeing them settle back in their homes.

[geco]

Hope we will not see Anduin for a long time, he is a dog.
After what happened in bfa he have a speech on Saurfang funeral. What about his faction and the many life losses?

We can just hope Blizz really listen the community and not some marketing employees pick up some long waited system or lore directions what is easy to make and still not cost to much money

Flying Spaghetti Monster hear our prayers.

Super disconnected is probably what we need right now.
Unless it's a void lords story - where Blood Elves and Draenei could be about fighting the Void.

Blood Elves could win the battle, but lose the war with losing the Sunwell.
Draenei could win both the battle and the war, by defending Azuremyst...perhaps remnants of Old God infestation from Teldrassil have found their way to Azuremyst and the Draenei.

Night Elves and Forsaken would obviously be different as we're seeing them settle back in their homes.

Dranei could have a plot against the shadows. Since both have crisis of faith. Perhaps in the process we explore how the shadows are used well with Maiev and how they are used badly with this... bad guy on duty.

It would also be a good time for Akama to come and lend a hand to both races.

[angrywithmygod]

They simply need to make the Alliance do something other than simply reacting the the Horde and bigbads.

What is the alliances motivations?
are they building or rebuilding lost lands?
Are they make sure they're people are protected so bad things stop happening to them>
Do they keep an eye on the Horde to make sure they aren't upto no good?
Are they looking to capture Horde war crimnals and bring them to Justice?
Are they securing new Alliances with other races and people?

Honestly the Alliance has lost all its personality since Legion and there doesn't seem to be any intention on bringing it back. The Day they actually remove Anduin from the Alliance completely is the day I see hope the Alliance will improve.

[Aurabolt]

The Day they actually remove Anduin from the Alliance completely is the day I see hope the Alliance will improve.

Andiun, like Sylvanas will be MIA from Dragonflight from how it looks so you kinda get your wish.

[Ilookfly]

Make them able to play with horde. That'll make them a lot more appealing in a second.

[angrywithmygod]

Andiun, like Sylvanas will be MIA from Dragonflight from how it looks so you kinda get your wish.

Sadly I think this only temporary, and we have already seen them bringing back people from shadowlands in Dargonflight. I doubt the writhers can control themselves long enough to give players enough time to breath with out Anduin and Sylvanas taking over the story again.

I mean they also need to stop starting expansions with the alliance getting its teeth kicked in by the Horde/Big bad

Cata - Deathwing blows up a chunk of stormwind
MOP - Theramore gets blown up by garrosh
WOD- Nethergarde is destroyed by Iron Horde
Legion- Varian is killed by Guldan
BFA - Teldrassil is destroyed by Sylvanas
Shadowlands- Anduin/Jania is kidnapped(though honestly I don't think many people cared as much as blizzard thought they would)

Be nice to start an expansions where it wasn't us having to lose something just to make them seem more threatening.

[Aurabolt]

Sadly I think this only temporary, and we have already seen them bringing back people from Shadowlands in Dragonflight.

I've seen the news and I have no idea why people are surprised. One constant in WoW is Death is rarely permanent for major, significant or notworthy characters. This may also be why Blizz has been more openly moving away from killing off characters and just sealing them away (Sire Denathrius and Sargeras) or writing them out of the story temporarily (Illidan, Anduin and Sylvanas).

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Also the leaders and governments should be seen dealing with the problems that their people face, and bring true solutions to help solve these issues and better the lives and security in their kingdom, rather than be seen mostly to deal with foreign issues and on the endless conflicts with the Horde.

This is especially grave in Stormwind's case with Varian and Anduin barely doing anything to actually rule, defend and better their kingdom.

[Niwes]

One of the major complaints about players regarding the Alliance - and why they favored the Horde, even back in the original game - was the Alliance seemed too bland or uninteresting, while the Horde was much more nuanced and complicated.

For example, many Horde players insist that lots of fantasy games, especially back then, did not allow you play as orcs, trolls or tauren, which was why they felt the Horde in World of Warcraft was so appealing and unique in that regard, the orcs were not simply rampaging monsters, but a conflicted people with an ancient culture and a proud history who struggled with their identity while fighting for survival.

While Stormwind humans were simply the default option for beginner players, the same old human protagonists who fought against monstrous-looking invaders, that were used over and over in most every fantasy franchise. The "traditional" Alliance races of humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves simply seemed much less fascinating and engaging to some people than the opposing races.

I can understand this, to some extent, having an interest in both factions lore-wise - even in Battle for Azeroth, Kul Tiras was a beautiful place, but Zandalar honestly seemed much richer and more deeply fleshed out, and much more original, and far superior even to most of the previous Horde cities. The playable Kul Tirans were basically somewhat more obese humans with a modified Gilnean accent (which is even more confusing, as Jaina, her brothers, her parents, Brother Pike, Lady Waycrest, most of the major Kul Tiran characters were portrayed as in fact fairly slender and thin human characters, so I don't know what they were trying to get at there).

Regarding the other Alliance races:
- The dwarves seemed too generic and even among most Alliance players never seemed that popular. The ever-loyal short human sidekicks with a weird accent.

- The night elves I think were the most interesting part of the Alliance, but their story has been heavily diluted since the Third War, and always seem extremely reliant on the assistance of the other Alliance kingdoms, especially Stormwind. Cenarius no longer cares about them and is friendly to the Horde, most of the Wild Gods are neutral; Nordrassil was nearly destroyed; their immortality is gone; the Temple of Elune and their capital Darnassus itself are both gone; Elune has lost most of her mysterious nature and is the sister of this newly introduced afterlife character, and did nothing to save their people; their race is now all but extinct. They've lost Teldrassil, and much of Darkshore and Ashenvale, and most of their civilian and military forces, and the Horde has them vastly outnumbered and surrounded on all sides.

Look at Wolfheart - in which even Tyrande was not able to help win the battle for the night elves, but Varian Wrynn came charging in at the last moment and saved them - or Mists of Pandaria, in which Varian taught Tyrande lessons in patience against the Horde. Some interesting elements such as the Highborne introduced in the Cataclysm, or the Wardens and demon hunters, seem to be almost never utilized in-game or heavily explored either.
https://www.reddit.com/r/warcraftlor...nowledge_seen/

- The gnomes, well...they are interesting, but I think most Alliance and Horde players are divided between those who intensely love them and those who intensely despise them. They also seem to be only in a background supporting role, Gelbin's appearance during that Zandalar cinematic was I think one of the few major appearances of gnome involvement, and they have yet to appear in any major expansion cinematic.

- The draenei also seemed to have been largely skimmed over with the exception of Legion (and I guess Draenor, but those draenei are now fanatics, and that world is long since lost, so I'm not sure if that still counts). Velen and most draenei characters had pretty much no role in Battle for Azeroth (Velen's greatest role was caring for refugees in Elegy), not showing up even for Battle for Darkshore; the Exodar itself was not mentioned whatsoever throughout the expansion and seemingly forgotten by both factions.

- The worgen provided an interesting twist, but they seem to be heavily ignored also after Cataclysm, with the exception of Genn Greymane, the token advisor at Anduin's side - their lands are STILL lost to them, so it's not like worgen players have much to look forward to either.

- The Tushui Pandaren other than Aysa's brief and stationary appearances with other Alliance leaders are not mentioned either.

- The Kingdom of Stromgarde seemed to have been rebuilt, but again, we saw nothing of this reflected in-game or in that novel.
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comment..._war/?sort=new

Even the new allied races, such as the Lightforged and void elves, don't really seem to be expounded too much, just a couple new fodder NPCs for Horde players during Faction Assaults perhaps, but not much more. For example, why is the Vindicaar entirely absent from the Fourth War, and how did the void elf population grow significantly in such a short period of time?

How do most Stormwind humans view the Kul Tirans, positively or negatively, and how do most Alliance races actually regard the dark iron dwarves and mechagnomes? Why are there next to no interactions between any of those allied races themselves? Why can't most Alliance players visit 3 of 5 Allied race zones? In fairness, the Horde has full and constant access to the entirety of Highmountain and Suramar, in addition to all of Zandalar, and the only inaccessible zone for most Horde players is the time-displaced Draenor for the Mag'har orcs.

Even during Battle for Azeroth - the Horde players at Level 120 still heavily outnumbered the Alliance players, both in guilds and individually, leading to a major gameplay imbalance between the two factions. Are there any ways to better address this to even the playing ground perhaps - and perhaps to improve and diversify the Alliance in general, such that it might appeal more broadly and deeply to most players?

the time to do something for Alliance is over, since a good while. here is why:

years (many) ago, Blizz had the chance to make the Alliance racials same good as the Horde ones. but they did not. the resulting effect was: many (also new or returning) people joined the Horde. even if Blizz would had changed it years later and gave Alliance better racials than Horde, it had changed nothing, because:

after a while Horde was the dominating faction (cause of above reason). most ppl, even when not interessted in min/maxing and therefore not care about racials, joined the Horde. because „there are the…“

- „…bigger servers“
- „…better players“
- „…the most ppls. all ppl play Horde, so do i.“

regardless how true or not this is, it’s in the mind of players. if you are new to wow, you look left and right and do what the majority does. and this leaded to an effect Blizz can not turn back.

so, imo, the simple truth is: Blizz missed the moment, when they still had the chance to turn things. after that moment it’s no more possible. because if they want to turn it back later, they had to make Alliance racials that absurd overpowered, to make many ppls leave Horde, just for that. after a while they can balance it again and have 50/50 factions then. but till this point they have to absurdly overpower Alliance. and this is something Blizz just can not do balance wise.

or in other words: what do you think Blizz can do in such an absurd size (regardless if attracting in values, dps, size, design, story, or whatever), so ppls embedded in the Horde faction would turn to Alliance, WITHOUT completely sacrificing balance (in value, dps, style, design, story or whatever) between the factions for a while? Blizz HAS to imbalance the factions, in an absurd way, to achieve this. and they will not do this.

result: they missed the moment and there is no turning back.

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Show and use correctly the tensions and distrust that other Alliance races should feel toward the Worgens, both because of Grey Greymane and Gilneas' actions toward the Alliance and because of the Worgens' monstruous lupine appearance, aggressivity and bestiality; and toward the Dark Iron Dwarves due to them being long-time arch-enemies of the other dwarven clans, of them being also past enemies of the gnomes and humans, of their past affiliation with Ragnaros, of their use of dark magics and because of their backstabbing and scheming ways.

[geco]

Show and use correctly the tensions and distrust that other Alliance races should feel toward the Worgens, both because of Grey Greymane and Gilneas' actions toward the Alliance and because of the Worgens' monstruous lupine appearance, aggressivity and bestiality; and toward the Dark Iron Dwarves due to them being long-time arch-enemies of the other dwarven clans, of them being also past enemies of the gnomes and humans, of their past affiliation with Ragnaros, of their use of dark magics and because of their backstabbing and scheming ways.

The problem is that it's too late for that. Almost all races are late to show that they have some interesting theme. Because there was no good reason why it was not shown until today.

What is the point of the Void Elves showing their usefulness if when Nzoth came they didn't contribute anything?
How can the Alianz be useful to the Kaldorei not going to see another Teldrazzil?
Why after 10 years of trust are they only now distrusting the Warguens?

Many races of the alliance had something interesting with issues that have already passed or with the faction war that has already ended. (Or rather clearly WoW is not going to survive another)

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

The problem is that it's too late for that. Almost all races are late to show that they have some interesting theme. Because there was no good reason why it was not shown until today.

What is the point of the Void Elves showing their usefulness if when Nzoth came they didn't contribute anything?
How can the Alianz be useful to the Kaldorei not going to see another Teldrazzil?
Why after 10 years of trust are they only now distrusting the Warguens?

Many races of the alliance had something interesting with issues that have already passed or with the faction war that has already ended. (Or rather clearly WoW is not going to survive another)

Yes I know, it's how I would have done the integration of these races into the Alliance starting from Cataclysm, itself not the best story time for WOW, instead of having just Varian distrusting them in a single novel and then moving on with no one else having problems with it.

[Ogren]

https://www.wowhead.com/news/dragonf...328434?webhook

As for changes to the world that have been discussed or foreshadowed, such as the resettlement of Gilneas, those will not be happening during the fast-forward. As cool as it is to show locations and populations evolving because of story progression, we want events of this importance to be in-game questing that our players experience for themselves (as with the reclaiming of the Ruins of Lordaeron in the 9.2.5 update) rather than having it happen off-camera.

Not sure where else this fits but I love the fact Worgen help Undead get their land back before they get anything related to getting theirs back and probably never will.

Just reinforces my opinion that Alliance are a weird zombie faction with retconned/phoned in races the writers don't know what to do with. Super useless and ineffectual at everything.