Breakfast Topic: What do you want from your faction leader?
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 22nd 2009 at 8:00AM
For myself, I've never been really all that worried about the War between Horde and Alliance and its role in World of Warcraft. Possibly because I came to the MMO without the influence of the RTS series compared to some folks, I just accepted that Horde and Alliance didn't like each other and that was effectively that. The only time it really impacted on me before the introduction of Battlegrounds was in trying to level in Southshore while a Horde Druid kept coming into town and killing all the quest givers. But for some players, it's clear that the animosity between factions is very real, very personal and is one of the things that keeps them playing. They really hate the filthy Alliance/Horde and want to rally behind a leader who'll actually lead them in combat with their chosen enemies. Still other players see the conflict between the two factions as a dangerous distraction (or just plain silly) as threats like the Burning Legion, the Scourge, and now Deathwing demanded a united front.
So what about you, gentle and not so gentle readers? Who do you see as your faction's natural leader, and what role should he or she play in the ongoing story of WoW? Do you want to crush, mangle, and maim or are you more focused on reaching rapprochement? And who do you think should be the overall top dogs of the Horde and Alliance? Does the Alliance really need a 'Warchief' of its own and who should it be, or is it time for the Horde to seek diversity in government? Only time will tell what happens in Cataclysm, but you can speculate all you want right here.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Lore
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
ROB13 Sep 22nd 2009 8:07AM
I want Garrosh TO. DIE.
P.Ribas Sep 22nd 2009 5:58PM
^
THIS.
Kia Sep 22nd 2009 11:13AM
Best. "First." Ever.
dpoyesac Sep 22nd 2009 11:26AM
Garrosh needs to die, sure.
But can we wait until AFTER he kills wah-wah baby Wrynn and reduces the rest of the Alliance to rag-wearing, dirt-scratching refugees as is befitting their moral decrepitude?
Kia Sep 22nd 2009 11:29AM
Oh, look, a faction elitist. So cute!
Grock Sep 22nd 2009 1:05PM
Hey look, let's do pseudo role-playing and downvote the guy who does so as well but for a different side, and call him a child!
Kia Sep 22nd 2009 2:29PM
Protip, Grock:
Attacking one warmongering man-child does not equate to insulting an entire playerbase or even an entire faction. Hope you figured that one out. :)
Peter Sep 22nd 2009 4:01PM
Now now Kia. No need to be patronizing, elitist and holier than thou. thats not the alliance way.
Oh wait...
atree496 Sep 22nd 2009 9:24PM
OH DANG! He got you good.
jealouspirate Sep 22nd 2009 8:11AM
I'm going to sidestep the endless Thrall/Garrosh/Varian debate for a moment, and bring up something that I've wanted forever.
The Horde and Alliance each have four other leaders besides Thrall and Varian. You know what I want them to do? I want them to, um, speak. And do things.
I want cutscenes of a a round-table discussion between all five leaders of each faction, discussing the war with the Lich King, what to do about the Horde or Alliance, etc.
Have them make scripted appearances in Northrend, inspecting garrisons, bolstering troop morale... anything!
Personally, though I play both factions neither of my "mains" are Orc or Human, and I would really like to see some leadership from different races.
Ozmodius Sep 22nd 2009 8:25AM
I hear what you're saying jealouspirate. I play a Forsaken as my main and thought the Wrath Gate story arc was fantastic. FINALLY! Sylvanas gets to do something. I think she's one of the most interesting characters in the Warcraft universe and I will be disappointed if she doesn't join in when we take on the Lich King like Maiev Shadowsong did with Illidan. She's one of the few major characters with a personal grudge against him.
Nix Sep 22nd 2009 8:37AM
Agreed. All faction leaders are great characters which do nothing but sit around in their capital. Their presence in an inspiration for all those who fight against all enemies.
Amelyra Sep 22nd 2009 8:43AM
This pretty much echoes the sentiments I've been feeling for all this time. The leadership of both sides (though I tend to notice Alliance more being an Alliance player) is really only limited to the one or two figures which Blizzard has thrust to the forefront of their stories, while the others have pretty much only been left there to give achievements upon their deaths.
A good example is, really, King Varian Wrynn and his actions in the 3.1 trailer regarding Ulduar. Varian withheld the entirety of the Alliance forces from stepping into Ulduar and dealing with the situation there just because of the presence of the Horde. Technically speaking, he should have little to no sway over the non-human races of the Alliance... he shouldn't even have full sway over all the humans, given how splintered the race is. Stormwind is only a very very small part of human lands, even if it is the only bastion of humanity in the Eastern Kingdoms that isn't in ruiins. Yet he bosses around humans from Arathi, from Alterac, from Theramore, no doubt from Gilneas and Kul Tiras and Lordaeron as well. And he bosses all the other races around too, without so much as a by your leave or even the faintest twitch from them.
I mean, Brann Bronzebeard, brother to the reigning Dwarf king, was in Ulduar leading the explorations. He was in danger and trying to stop an Old God. Yet Varian withheld the troops. Don't you think for a moment that King Magni might have flipped Varian the bird and sent in at least some support beyond a bunch of the Explorer's League to save his brother and the world? Surely Velen of the Draenei had some foresight into the whole situation and sent a Vindicator or two to help, yet there's no Draenei NPCs there... or pretty much in ALL of Northrend, in fact. And surely the Night Elves understand the issue of an errant Old God trying to come up and eat their precious nature. Wouldn't they tell Varian to stick it and go assist? But no. All of them remain static and motionless, leaving the story to be told by the Humans or Orcs while everyone else is left in the cold.
For me, it's not so much what I want from my faction leader. It's what I want from my faction LEADERS, in the plural. I want to see the politics involved where several races, all with their own interests, are forced to band together in order to survive from the threat of the other. Stop with the stupidly aggressive and largely moronic single leaders, and give us a real, living, breathing cast so that no race feels left out of the plot.
Mugutu Sep 22nd 2009 9:21AM
Varian withheld his troops from Ulduar because Garrosh directly attacked him at the meeting in Dalaran. Regardless of Brann's presence, he wasn't going to help out a group that was constantly taking shots at his life, even when they're supposed to try and work together.
Varian is not the idiot here, people. His life has been completely shaped by tragedy caused by orcs, and yet he still was willing to launch a joint attack with the Horde on Northrend, and then the Horde betrays him. He has no good reason to ever trust the Horde. Stop calling him a hotheaded incompetent, he's simply avoiding the race that has, time and time again, tried to kill him and his allies.
slyman.is.god Sep 22nd 2009 10:38AM
u are so right! I, as a Nelf Druid, always see Tauren as our brothers in druidic ways.. It would be great if our factions were divided like that.. I'm just sick of seeing Belfs screaming "Lok'Thar Ogar!" and "FOR THE HORDE".. man, they were alliance a few years ago and they still are.. no use trying to act tough and all hordy.. ah well. Nice post man :D
erknost Sep 25th 2009 4:56PM
I play both Alliance and Horde with several characters in the two factions, but my main its a Human Holy Paladin. I truly love the nice Lore and the well write story-line. One of the faction Leaders can make a LOT more of himself its High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque. I understand he is consuming by guilt, and remorse, and he live in-Exile with his dwarf "cousins", but why he can't be a passive bad-ass faction Leader (in the shadow of a GREAT king) as Chief Shadow Hunter Vol'jin?
Sports72Xtrm Sep 22nd 2009 1:06PM
I don't know about the Horde side but the Alliance side is pretty much united under Wrynn because all factions have a bone to pick with the Horde.
Humans: Wrathgate, Wrynn's enslavement, stole Lordaeron, killing Lothar, Admiral Proudmoore, Bolvar, ect.
Dwarves: http://thottbot.com/q7261 Yes, Magni clearly has love for orcs.
Worgen: Forsaken attacked them and invaded Gilneas. They'll be thrilled at a leader who wants to extend peace or work with the Horde.
Night Elves: Warsong Gulch, killed Cenarius, and are invading their forests and by the time Cataclysm roles around Garrosh will be burning down their homes.
Draenei: Weren't they hunted down to the point of almost instinction on Draenor by the orcs? Oh and the Horde's blood elf allies kidnapped and exploited a Naaru. Yes they clearly wouldn't follow Wrynn to fight them.
Gnomes: Eh they'll follow the Dwarves because they're cool like that.
Aside from Jaina no one in the Alliance cares much for the Horde. The common purpose of all factions with in the Alliance is to subjugate the Horde anyways. Not to mention the Wrathgate unveiled that the Horde are powerful enough to develop a WMD which is a threat to them all. The leaders have no problem taking down a big baddie but they probably feel that the Horde are just as dangerous and also needs to be put in check. Thus will not work with them.
And to be fair, neither side needed to lend their support as Yogg got taken down by a bunch of heroes looking for epic loots anyways.
Oni Stardust Sep 22nd 2009 1:19PM
That's almost the exact same thing I was about to post.
Personally I'm fine with Varian and Thrall being the head honchos of their factions, but I feel the other racial leaders need to be shown as important leaders and generals of the Alliance/Horde who's opinions matter in the big picture, even if Varian/Thrall is always allowed the last word.
I think the only reason they are left out is a practicality issue. Just imagine what the Ulduar trailer would have been like had all the faction leaders been allowed the level of importance they deserve. Varian and Thrall +4 more Ally leaders +4 more Horde leaders +Proudmoore +Garrosh +Ronin +Brann = 14 characters to fit into one room, give speaking rolls/actions, animate. It would have been a pain to make and confusing to watch.
Syme Sep 22nd 2009 1:46PM
Amelyra pretty much nailed the problem here. The actions of the two factions should reflect the diversity of races and motivations within them, and the other faction leaders should have a more active role in general.
ash Sep 22nd 2009 3:08PM
This is really close to my sentiments, especially what Amelyra said. Particularly for Ulduar with all the Frostborn story and the explorer's league I expected or hoped for more of a role for Magni who I think should play a bigger role as a leader in the alliance. I mean on the opposite side Org has both orcs and trolls centered in it while Ironforge has both the dwarves and gnomes so I think not giving its leader a bigger role has always seemed off. Given the upcoming storyline in Cataclysm I feel there is more of a role Ironforge and Magni can play.