Im loving this expansion, but I do agree that blizzard is having a hard time figuring out how to not make the horde the bad guys, or at least making the story âmorally greyâ. I donât even care if the horde has to suffer a lot, even though Iâm a horde player, if it means that blizzard is able to turn the tides and make the alliance do morally/ethically questionable things, even if they had no other choice, so long as the old gods have no influence. For example: the horde has suffered at the hands of godawful warchiefs and old god influences and all that jazz, Sylvannas steps down from being warchiefs and baine steps up, and the horde finally gets back on its feet and is trying to stabilize. One of the alliance leaders, letâs say genn greymane, decides that now is the perfect time to âpay them backâ for all of the hordeâs past crimes, such as burning the world tree and destroying gilneas. He gets the support of a couple of the other leaders, letâs say the night elves and jaina, but the rest see it as a low-blow and âno better than the hordeâ. So of course cliches happen, as to be expected, and those leaders all go behind the backs of the alliance and start assaulting small horde towns and settlements that border alliance territory, to make it seem less suspicious. Eventually they start hiring mercenary armies and such to support their troops in durotar and other major horde zones that they have a small foothold in, and start attacking certain zones, like the valley of trials, striking at the new Horde troops fresh out of training. Horde notices this, calls out alliance on their bullshit, alliance doesnât like being called out, starts attacking bigger targets, catching the eye of the other leaders that didnât approve at first. Those leaders are pissed but need to either send help or diffuse the situation, ultimately sending help is the only option. The crippled horde now has to defend against the alliance that they did not provoke or threaten, but with help from some past and recent allies (the zandalari empire, the pandaren who sympathize with the horde, the vulpera maybe, the allied races etc.) They are able to beat back the alliance without being âdishonorableâ and all that jazz. Dungeons and raids for the alliance would be attacking major horde cities (leaders escaping but leaving behind a cache of goodies) and large towns, for the horde it would be defending against several waves of alliance and protecting the leaders/civilians.
See? A whole expansion where the horde arenât necessarily the âbad guysâ and the alliance is to blame, and no old god involvement, right off the top of my head. Obviously not a complete or even well though out expansion, but just an example on how blizz could have gone with another âalliance vs hordeâ expansion.