This is informed. Show me where human players actually feel this as a consequence, where it is shown.
Until you can do that, it’s a throwaway line to me.
Which means keeping a historically genocidal power in full control of its military on the border of a nation that he already failed, and this is presuming that they took Ashenvale back, which no one knows because Blizzard refuses to clarify. Why is it that in these compromises, the race that I care about is always asked to sacrifice the most and take the most risks?
Sorry, this isn’t doing it for me. If you want me to identify with Anduin and Stormwind, you need to do better than this.
You do realize once you finish Battle for Lordearon you see Stormwind Harbor lined with caskets of the dead? We even get various flavor text about the dead/war weariness of Kul Tiras/Stormwind:
Unknown Kul Tiran (1): I hear the winds of war are beginning to die down.
Unknown Kul Tiran (2): They never should have filled our sails to begin with. It’s the Alliance’s war, not ours.
Unknown Kul Tiran (1): We’re part of the Alliance again, you know.
Unknown Kul Tiran (2): Aye, and all this fighting reminds me why we left it in the first place.
Unknown Member of House Stormsong: Word is that the Horde lost its warchief and one of its greatest heroes in a single battle.
Unknown Kul Tiran: Serves 'em right for what they did to Brennadam. Those people never raised a hand against the Horde.
False because you don’t like it? Again, Varian lost his city and many of his own people die and he still choose something that wasn’t vengence driven(the interment camps were suppose to rehabilitate the orcs in the Horde in the hopes of someday making them Alliance citizens).
The alternative is continue a war that will clearly cost both the night elves and Alliance more deaths. As for compromise, people like Jaina have literally had to find a way to deal with her trauma that doesn’t end with a mass genocide/another war.
That’s a decent counterpoint, but it doesn’t validate the farmers’ comment. Give me something that demonstrates visually that humanity really is stretched thin, and something that human players can be said to feel. All I see instead is their characters doing awesome things and then lecturing the people they failed.
False because it assumes only two options when various third ways exist.
In the short term, not necessarily in the long term.
“It is of little account for any of us to talk about essential human needs, of attaining security, if we run the risk of another World War in 10 or 20 or 50 years. That is just plain common sense. […] I shudder to think of what will happen to humanity, including ourselves, if this war ends in an inconclusive peace and another war breaks out when the babies of today have grown to fighting age. Every normal American prays that neither he nor his sons will be compelled to go through this horror again.”
Franklyn Delano Roosevelt (Probably consumed by vengeance)
One hand, Anduin is definitely the Paragon of the Alliance. But that comes at a major detriment that his character has on the game. Warcraft is defined by its wide array of cast members and how each character rationalizes their allegiances, goals, and enemies. The leaders of the factions all have their purposes why they throw their lot under the Banner of the Horde or Alliance.
Anduin however is the black sheep that he doesn’t have strong feelings. He’s a neutral character forced into the role of the Alliance. He wants peaceful and idealistic virtues realized. In the past, we saw the woodwork of this idealism formed as he interacted with other members. But now he’s forced to lead the Alliance despite his own desires. His paragon characterization for Good for Good’s sake falls flat in a world of various factors.
The paragon character also becomes more jarring and often annoying when its done by character who really isn’t a main hero. BFA, Anduin was hardly present for most of the events. He was a background name while Sylvanas, Jaina, Thrall, and Saurfang took the reins of the story. Shadowlands, he’s still in the background and not doing anything meaningful. His possession is not an extension of his own will, but rather the Jailor’s.
Anduin represents ideas that would fit perfectly in groups like the Argent Crusade or Cenarion Circle. But as a faction leader; he actively imposes a negative direction that weakens the image of the Alliance. His idealism defangs the alliance when they need a desperate advantage, and has to wait for the Horde to cripple itself to stand any sort of chance.
THANK YOU, and I mean, Steve had more like 15-ish years, because he was frozen for most of that time, but still, you’re right. Anduin is where he should be as a character, so far, and I hope they do not butcher him in 9.1 and onward.
Extreme doubt.
In BFA he laid Arthas and Daelin’s sins at Alliance’s feet.
Saurfang is the guy that attacked the Alliance and participated in the NE genocide. I will never understand why Andiun was bending himself into a pretzel to pander to him.
Daelin wasn’t helped by the Alliance, Jaina had to help kill him and BFA ironically made everything he said about the Horde come true. Jaina even sang about it remember?
As for Arthas jesus christ where do I start?
He failed the attack on Lordaeron, Jaina had to bail him out. He threw away his advantage from Dazaralor even though he required his soldiers to do a suicide mission.
His idealism has done nothing but put Alliance more at risk as he went from one disaster to the next while people like Jaina, Tyrande or Genn had to clean up after him.
He just isn’t a very compelling character and seems to be actively acting against the faction he is supposedly the absolute monarchy of.
Arthas ran to Northrend and then things happened to him and then he returned to destroy the Alliance.
Daelin was from Kultiras, the Alliance was dissolved by that point and he received no help from anyone besides his Kultiran forces. Thats why Jaina and Alliance had to go back there and ask them to take us back. If Arthas or Daelin are Alliance responsibility then Guldan and Blackhand are the Thralls’ Horde responsibility.
I know that just the mention of Arthas and Daelin is enough to start a whole discussion/ debate and I’m pretty sure we (not you and me, but collective we) had this debate a few days ago in the SF.
If you are willing to say Daelin and Arthas are Alliance’s fault then will you also accept Guldan, Blackhand and the other Warlords as the new Horde’s responsibility?
We may disagree but if you do indeed then at least your view is consistent.
I like Anduin, particularly when he recognizes that acknowledging practical reality is just as important as having high ideals. People compare him a lot to Arthas but he actually reminds me more of Terenas, in that he’s someone who believes in doing the right thing and is genuinely a compassionate and benevolent king, but also understands that power needs to undergird righteousness, which is why Terenas had another side. The shrewd politician side who employed a torturer and crushed Alterac.
I feel like having an enemy as clever as Sylvanas, will actually harden Anduin and get him to think on his feet. One of the good things coming out of Shadowlands is how he seems to have grown a backbone and a quick wit. It suits him.