Criticism of the current narrative in BfA is nothing new. Given the rather extreme actions and justifications of one side – as well as the practically-glowing benevolence of the other side by contrast – it’s hard not to see why. In the wake of a world where the mortal enemy of all life is extinguished, to fall back to petty warfare just feels… well, bad. Especially without proper cause for it.
Now as much as I want to go back and offer my personal input on how they could’ve made the current faction dispute more feasible, I won’t; what’s done is done, and one can only branch off from here with that chapter of the story behind us. Instead, I want to offer a couple ideas on what I feel could be done from here that offers an engaging story as well as a new (and, in my opinion, far more interesting) avenue from which to design gameplay, particularly in terms of PvP.
Bear in mind that of course this is all my personal take on the current story and development of content, and I’m quite open and welcoming of constructive criticism. 
So, without further ado…
- Factions and Ideologies:
I’ll be candid and say that racial warfare for its sake alone is a rather dull scheme for conflict. Setting aside the controversy it has in its likeness of affairs outside of the game, it also neglects the individuality of the characters themselves. When your reason for fighting the other side only boils down to “Because my King/Warchief told me to”, it doesn’t feel quite as engaging and doesn’t really accentuate any key differences between the factions.
Placing more emphasis on the core ideological difference of the Alliance and Horde (as well as other factions) would go far in making an interesting world and story. I think it’s one of the key lessons one could take out-of-game from Pandaren, actually. The Huojin and Tushui are at odds for their extreme differences in their perspectives, and thus are willing to even fight against one another to see such ideals realized; alas, their respective factions don’t often emphasize these differences.
I’ll try and sum up what I mean under all the word soup. Rather than just focusing on the race warfare, one could focus on the ideological differences that divide factions like the Alliance and Horde. Show that the Alliance is broad and progressive, but prone to divisiveness, corruption, and even stagnation due to it. Show that the Horde is practical and decisive in its actions and isn’t afraid to get what it wants, even if it can also seem cold and ruthless.
As an example: Let’s pretend the factions did come together and use the Azerite to heal the wound, but there’s still lots of Azerite out in the world. How would the factions use it? Perhaps the Alliance would want it hidden away or even destroyed, fearing its exploitation and destructive potential. Perhaps the Horde would want to gather and weaponize it for use against other possible threats – like the Legion – in the future.
Two unique perspectives with arguably justifiable intentions, and reasons to be at odds with one another.
- In-Game Choices and Reputations:
Ever since BC, I’ve pondered the possibility of seeing Battlegrounds and PvP disputes being created along lines other than the Alliance vs Horde template. What if there were alternatives to this? You see plenty of other factions in the game at war with one another, yet we are limited only to participating in the Red vs. Blue plot. At least against one another.
The dispute between the Aldor & the Scryers are one of my favorite examples to use in this scenario. What if there were actual Battlegrounds with unique (probably only cosmetic) rewards on each side where, instead of being pitted against players only of different races, players of all races could be pitted against one another based on their distinct narrative choices? And what if – in the territories relevant to said factions – PvP flagging was determined by the faction you chose?
This not only opens up a much more interesting and diverse template for conflict, it resolves many of the current issues plaguing PvP balance and the like. It wouldn’t be nearly as plagued with the imbalance of racial abilities because all races could side with either faction of these smaller-scale conflicts. On top of this, it provides potential to create Battlegrounds and other such instances that aren’t limited to just two sides either. There could be three, or even more!
Now of course, one could easily consider a few problems with a scenario such as this, though I don’t feel they’re quite so damning. “What if I haven’t chosen a side and want to participate?” Well, I feel something like Mercenary Mode could be implemented in this case. These players would still obtain gear, Marks, and other such items, but perhaps be robbed of incentives such as unique cosmetic rewards until such a decision is made.
So to summarize this one, allowing us to fight based on faction/ideological choices in-game rather than only the Alliance vs. Horde scheme would be extremely interesting, and even has potential of solving several balancing issues in the current competitive environment. In my humble opinion.
And lastly…
- Lore Transparency In-Game:
Don’t get me wrong here. I love the Warcraft books. I’ve not read 'em all, but I’ve read a couple. They’re great reads! They provide some good insight on central characters and plots within the game that offer some clearer perspective of prominent characters and plots. And that’s precisely why such information should be obtainable in the game itself.
It’s difficult for me to really explain this point at length, but in short, expanding on the perspectives and solutions leaders and other such influential characters have – flawed as they may be – goes a long way in making the narrative not feel so… well… lacking of credibility. Even if we are not capable of fully empathizing with their point of view, having context behind the large decisions which shape Azeroth is key in feeling immersed in the world, and feeling like we’re playing some role in it ourselves.
With all these points and suggestions spoken, I’ll now say that I’m actually quite optimistic for the future from what information I’ve heard of the coming days, and truly cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next chapter! Thank you for reading this, and know that your likes, comments, and personal input on these matters is greatly appreciated.
Cheers! 
