Blizzard's Biggest Shortcoming? The Ashbringer Comics
Introducing Varian through comic books, with no in-game recognitions and/or explinations. Suddenly Highlord Fordragon is dead later, and Varian is jumping on Horde throats, causing the vast majority of the playerbase (mind, the ones who aren't familiar with the Warcraft series very well) to hate him and call for his head to be lopped and his carcrass to be pissed on.
My primary reason to joining the Alliance (or playing WoW in the first place) were these people rather than in-forum political discussions:
Lord Uther the Lightbringer,
Prince Arthas,
and Thrall.
Now, I won't hide it from you, dear reader; I love playing a Paladin. Like Shamans and Warlocks, getting one pretty much comes with a free history ticket and free Recognition Points. Paladins are leaders, Shamans are leaders, and Warlocks are EEEVIILLL!! Not necessarily, but it's hard to not be influenced when you're looking at that succubus, (if you know what I mean. Nudge nudge.) and Lore only acknoledges Uncorrupted Warlocks as a seperate class, so I imagine it's quite rare.
Regardless, one thing I loved, is the Identification Crisis I would put my Paladin through if I became a Paladin.
The Order of the Silver Hand is unblemished, born from the passions and visions of Archbishop Faol and Uther the Lightbringer, it became the counterpart to the Old Horde's Warlocks, who were literally sent from the Underworld (speaking Warcraft II language) with Black Magic. Traditional Light Vs. Dark setting, with a lot of room for character development.
Now, where is the identity crisis?
Here: From the Order of the Silver hand came out three factions:
The Scarlet Crusade
The Argent Dawn
The Order of the Silver Hand
The first is Lawful Evil, doing what it can in the Plaguelands (the remains of Lordaeron's crown) to eradicate the Forsaken. Being originally clerics/paladins/warriors/citizens from Lordaeron to begin with justifies their mission, but it does not justify their methods, nor their slowly-yet-surely increasing conflicts with the Church of Light in Stormwind. They are infamous for giving pretty much everyone not accustumed to Warcraft Lore a hypocritical view of paladins as self-righteous morons who are no different from the Scourge.
The Argent Dawn is a faction that broke from the Scarlet Crusade as the latter began the heresy, and they are no faction-specific, and recruit whomsoever volenteers. It is unknown what relations between Horde and Alliance recruits are, but they are a unified front.
The Order of the Silver Hand is a very small percentage of Paladins who didn't join either, and either escaped with who they could to Stormwind, or remained in the Plaguelands, doing a senseless and pointless job of slaughtering undead where they see them, whether they be Scourge or Forsaken.
What does this have to do with Varian? Well, unlike the poor execution of his introduction (by tossing him randomly into the game with no prior warning or quests), the Ashbringer is known throughout the game ever since day one, and this epic comic is what Varian should have sought.
I like the Ashbringer comic. It brings many things that most Lore geeks forgot or began to, and although the pacing is unnaturally fast (I was given no respite), it made sense in the context it was in (most story in less pages possible).
Why did I love it the most? It gave back the identity crisis problems Paladin roleplayers needed. New blood it was, and unlike the novel Arthas,it doesn't romantisize anything, but gave the facts.
On the political situation:
1- Thrall is evidently becoming weaker in his field -for a reason I cannot understand-, between leaving Garrosh unleashed in political meetings and his lack of action towards a consistant work for Alliance-Horde peace (I understand one quest, as well as one meeting with Varian or leaders of the Alliance, but the efforts are so distanced from one another, and between those and Garrosh's bloodlust, I cannot see his old glory).
2- Saurfang the Cleaver is becoming more silently infuriated of Garrosh. They clearly can't work together, and -if anything- I see Saurfang a more fit leader to the Horde if Thrall doesn't tie a leash on Garrosh, or actively do some investigations on the Royal Apocothary Society and the Blood Elves. (the former have been sending players for murder quests since day one, and the "Death to the Living" is erringly unhelpful, and the latter--well, let's be content with the Naaru.)
3- Varian is seeing less and less of the Horde's willingless for a true alliance, and same goes for Thrall. There is a severe lack of communication here.
4- Between the Wrath Gate, the Forsaken, the Broken Front and the airships in Icecrown, I find Tirion Fordring hard-pressed to find good allies with the Horde and the Alliance; they are more willing (or ready) to go on war.
Alliance:
A-1- Night Elves could be just waiting to end the Warsong conflict with some blood, as well as finally getting back on those cousins of theirs, the Blood Elves. Darnassus hates Arcane magic to bear it in the Alliance, but would not tolerate it a second in those who nearly destroyed the world (Highborne, and by extent, Blood Elves)
A-2- Stormwind couldn't be encouraged enough, save for those who find themselves more content to work with the Argent Crusade. Third War veterens woudn't like this, although Varian might (or might not) declare open war.
A-3- Ironforge would follow Stormwind to the bitter end, apparently. Magni -unlike his brother Brann- would or would not like a group effort against Yogg-Saron or Arthas. Dwarves definately hate Arthas, but it's a choice to ally with an enemy that invaded Azeroth (and is still here, despite roads back home), began alien claims, and invaded Grim Batol.
A-4- While Gnomes aren't political, their dependency on the Dwarves would probably come to play in a war.
A-5- While Draenei aren't really enthusiastic to fighting the Horde -judging by Velen's "let's work together" approach- they will fight when needed, and those Paladins of theirs might be content with finally getting even blood with the Orcs who culled them so.
Horde:
H-1- Orcs, while Thrall won't want open war, there is little he can do with Garrosh repeating the encouraging memories of the First War, when Orcs could have forever got their green lands and have not been resorted to escaping across the sea. Third war veterens will not like this, but hey. Saurfang wouldn't like this, but he's silently building up anger. *hint hint* Cleave?
H-2- Tauren are in tune with Night Elven beliefs, and share many together. Cairne -if he is really going to be killed off by Garrosh- won't be there to remind the Tauren of their blood oath, and the Tauren Druids (and upcoming paladins and preists) would probably enjoy a life with the Alliance if their religious foundations are strong enough.
H-3- Trolls won't dare think of joining the Alliance or leaving the Horde. Missing up on a chance of Night Elf ears? Why?
H-4- The hour of the Forsaken is at hand. They'll win the most with this war: fresh bodies for their new plagues, moving against Southshore (which will be taken in the expansion, so more fuel to the fire), and soon claiming more land of Alterac and whatever is near. Some Forsaken do not harbor hate to the Alliance, but to the Scarlet Crusade, so whether to expect another Leonid Barthalomew or not is your guess.
H-5- Blood Elves...Now that Kael has turned and the Blood Knights are normal paladins again -gaining power through peity and not magic-, Blood Elves have no strong a quarrel with High Elves as before but a pride issue. Since it has no official leader, I will let this go as following: Blood Elves may return to the Alliance, as par Silvermoon's oath, but returning to the Alliance won't fulfill it, since they left the Alliance previously before joining the Horde.
How does it look like?
The Horde isn't a unified front as one expects it to be. Although a strong leader could do much (Read:Thrall. I respect him muchly indeed), not much could be said for races there just for the kicks. The Foraken joined because they were practically alone. The Blood Elves did the same. Three races share an intimate and historical bond, Tauren Troll and Orc, but those bonds are bonds of honor, and could be blemished with a little blood, which is exactly what Cataclysm promises.
The Alliance isn't very unified either, as Night Elves still stick out from society, although the religious bonds between Men, Dwarves and Draenei are not to be underestimated, they might prove not as effective if Tirion calls for the followers of the Light to join Northrend and leave their factions to waste blood on their own.
End result?
I will be keeping my eye on Cataclysm. Although all of Blizzard's shortcomings, they replaced old, awesome plots with different and awesome-in-a-complex-way plots. I don't think Expansion Villains are the real moral targets anymore. Blizzard is slowly, stealthily and smartly shifting the tensions between antagonists and the two major factions to war between those factions.
I can't say I don't like it; for once I could like to hear "For the Horde" collide with "Glory to the Alliance" in a cutscene rather than a battleground.