Man you really do hate the Alliance, don’t you Blizzard. I don’t know if its just no one there wants to write about the Alliance, or the writers are just lazy, but you haven’t given the Alliance a solid win in ….since WoD, and even then I have to stretch the definition of win to something outside of lore. (Shadowmoon Valley was a FAR superior zone to Frostfire Ridge. Lore wise …hmm I think the last lore win, a clear no strings attached unambiguous win, the Alliance got was back when they first rescued Varian when he was kidnapped. THAT WAS VANILLA WOW!!!
The reclaiming of Gilneas, (and no I’m not putting that in caps because its not an event worthy of such naming, its barely worthy of being call an event). I’m a life long member of the Horde and even we are embarrassed for the Alliance at this.
First off: they need the Forsaken to help? The Alliance, is so weak they need the very enemy that destroyed their kingdom to retake it. Then they let them use a WMD that pretty much everyone agrees is abhorrent and should be a war crime to use, oh but its ok because we can just clean it all up. That like saying “ Oh its ok to use nerve agents in this war, well just clean it up after.”
Second, you have no idea how to make a credible threat that isn’t some cosmic or world/universe ending entity do you? The Scarlets are NOT a threat. Or at least they don’t look it . They are a pathetic distraction at best and could probably be rolled over by the lazy peons I threw my boot-a-rang at. Has no one in that office opened a $@%$#$ book?
Heres how you should have done it.
Option one: The Alliance does not let the Horde help, openly. The Horde infiltrate just like the Alliance had to during the cleaning of Undercity: They use a mage illusion/disguise. And even then Jaina or maybe Graymane can tell what we really are. But they let us and we just do the same quests as the alliance. Or you could do this:
You turn the Scarlet Crusade/Brotherhood into a credible threat and you build them up over the whole expansion as a side story
10.0: Small bands of Elite Lvl70 Scarlet Crusaders (SC) are found wandering Tyr’s Hand
10.0.5: Tyr’s Hand fully occupied by SC all lvl70 all elite. Side questlines for players to infiltrate and find out whats going on. We discover how well supplied they ara (extremely well supplied) and that their plans are to retake the North of Eastern Kingdoms.
10.1: SC beings their campaign. Fully takes over Eastern Plagulands, (phased or use lower lvl mobs for leveling players) Scarlet patrols are along all the roads, and are fighting in every remaining scourge settlement. Lights chapel under siege. A Bronze dragon is nearby to change phases. Scouting parties spotted in Western PL, Alterac and Arathi.
10.1.5: SC take up to Half of West PL including Andorhal, they mana bomb Scholomance, Horde create fortifications along the line. SC takes Alterac begins rebuilding the castle at the top of the mountain. More and more elite patrols found roaming Hillsbrand and Arathi, scouts spotted in Silverpine and Gilnaes,
10.1.7: Hillsbrand fully taken by SC. Scouts in spotted in Hinterlands, Wildhammer blow the passes and cause landslides to block them.
10.2 SC take Arathi, the warfront stuff is destroyed/removed. Use bronze dragons to change phases. SC move in force to Gilneas, All horde and alliance towns/structures are removed and replaced with LOTS of SC camps and forts across all of W.PL, E.Pl, Altrerac, Arathi, and Hilsbrand. SC are fielding: tanks, demolishers, ships of the line, and they even have AIRSHIPS!. And yes make a unique SC airship that does not resemble either the Horde or Alliance ships. Intelligence reports put the strength of SC at well into the hundreds of thousands.
10.2.5: The Battle for Gilnaes. SC has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Alliance needs help. (BUT STILL DON”T USE PLAGUE)
Now Blizzard, I have NO clue how hard all that would be to program and code and design. Option one is the cheaper and easier one to do. But you didn’t even try.
This took me less than an hour to write, it would probably take a year or maybe even two to do everything I listed. But then again I’m just a nobody working a 9-5 with zero game design skills. Whats your excuse? Do you just not CARE about the Alliance to at least try and make them seem cool or interesting?