I play Alliance, but i have had a few lvl 20 alts on Horde side prior to TBC.
Please dont think im trying to upset anyone with what im about to say, after all this is a game and if Blizzard chooses to emphasise game-play over Lore then i think that, with thier track record, they know best.
However the logical consistency of a Fantasy World is very important to me as i dont think i can immerse myself in the world if i dont think it makes any sense, if it feels jarring to me i end up being annoyyed at the little things rather than simply enjoying the ride.
Anyway i have been thinking lately about the Lore rationale for the various races being part of the faction that they are in. With the Alliance i cant really see any huge problems so i think for the sake of keeping the thread focused well just skip them for now.
The Horde though... i cant seem to wrap my head around these guys.
Orcs, Trolls and Tauren i see no problem with and like the character and feel of each of these races alone and as a group of allies.
Undead is where it start to get iffy for me.
"Using each other to further thier goals but may have a dark plot that they keep secret for now" seems to be a fine rationale for a NPC town or zone faction, such as the Centaurs in Desolace or Nagrands Kurenai. But for a whole quarter/fifth of the actual playable character races?? I dont know it seems rather weak to me. Over the years this is mostly what kept me away from playing more Horde...well that and the barrens is soooo boring. :p
Blood Elves also dont make much sense to me. Perhaps on this front im ignorant of the Lore so if someone could educate me id be grateful. Heres the problem as i see it.
1) The High Elves already were part of the Alliance. For them to forsake this alleigance and instead join up with the old enemy of thier former "team" then surely there has to be some compelling motivation behind this? As far as i know there is none.
2) High/Blood Elves have no reason to hate or not join the Alliance. Sure the Alliance failed to save them from the Scourge, but surely the Elves are smart enough to realise the difference between failure and abandonment.
3) Being massacred by Undead should make one reluctant to join the faction that has some Undead in it. I would have expected more of an Scarlet Monastery type opinion of the Undead than anything else.
4) The ancient ancestral enemies of the High Elves were always the Trolls. This should make them reluctant to join the faction that has Trolls in it.
5) Not to sound superficial, but the beautiful and sophisticated High/Blood Elves probably wouldnt think too much of a bunch of raucous, musclebound barbarians with poor hygeine. Especially if they keep tracking thier muddy boots all over thier new Mageweave rug.
So anyway, yeah, i dont understand it.