They're both tragic figures, to be sure, but Greymane has a couple things going for him in the "Not abhorrently evil" category.

1) He's actually admitted, and regrets, his mistakes. Sylvanas doesn't really have any way to parallel this, so it's okay, but it redeems some of his failings none the less.

2) He's actually an honorable man, who's not at all okay with the curse he's brought upon his people; all he ever wanted was to protect his people and his country. Sylvanas sees the Blight as a weapon, and is more than willing to slaughter thousands to add to her power.

In all honesty, I used to like Sylvanas, back in the Frozen Throne days, when she was just out for revenge on Arthas, rather than everyone with a heartbeat. Now, she's just as vile as he was, whether she was forced to it or not. About the best thing I'd wish on her is that someone finally lets her die the death Arthas denied her.

Genn's train of thought:

"Screw this, I'm building a giant wall to keep out the kingdom-to-kingdom salesmen."

Sylvanas's train of thought:

"Look! I turned someone of undead! That means their faction's territory now belongs to the Forsaken! It's our right!"

Matthew Rossi, I have just developed a huge mancrush on you.

people who write stories attempt to make you sympathize with some characters and loathe others. Cleary blizzards effort to create questions about the "goodness" of sylvanas are not working on the most devoted hordies. Your comment makes clear that MMO story telling is pretty much uncharted territory. What if the players remain loyal to a character that you have made a "bad guy"? Does Metzen really have the power to make sylvanas a bad guy (extrapolating the story well beyond what anyone knows with certainty)?

The question of who is in the driver's seat when it comes to the story is fascinating to me, what role do we all play in determining the stories progression

Okay, turns out I can't put the word "faction" in < brackets.

Oddly enough, Mr Rossi's post just made me like Sylvanas a little bit more. She really is an amazingly evil bitch.

For what it's worth, Sylvanas didn't take over Lordaeron, the scourge did..

The thing is, though, when you play through Silverpine you get the Forsaken perspective on things and why Sylvanas does the things she does. And here's the thing.

The Forsaken are Heroic. That isn't to say they're good or nice. But the entire Forsaken experience, and the entire Silverpine experience, is about sacrifice. What you're willing to give up for the greater good. Whether that be giving up your life (Or Unlife) to preserve another or giving up your humanity to ward off a greater curse or fighting to the last to give a sense of hope, to buy your people another day.

Interestingly, by the end of it the only person not willing to give up everything for their people is the one you keep seeing asking other people to make sacrifices, Darius Crowley.