I would criticize that Alliance has no compelling stories. After having played to 70 on both sides of the war, I would definatly say that the Horde story line was done much better. The Thrall story arcs (OH and negrand) alone makes it worth lvling a hordie. This just adds to the depth and flavour of the faction.

What living hero's does Alli have? Anyone your virtual character would want fight/die for ? I mean the king of stormwind is a little kid.
I would have liked to say that the two factions were even in ""coolness"" but unfortunatly there not.

You forgot Uther.... but alas he got ganked.

*flies in with a cape billowing behind him*

The Lore Whore to the rescue!

Yes, most their heroes died in the 2nd and 3rd wars, but look at who most the time we're fighting... the old Horde and the trouble they caused.

And that is the fault of the humans of Lorderon for not listening to Medivh's warning to move to Kalimdor. They scoffed at him. Look what happened.

Kael'thas is his name. Quel'thalas is their kingdom. Kael'thas was screwed over by the Alliance and so he Allied with Illidan. The overwhelming amount of magic he consumed has corrupted his mind, but he still believes he is doing what is best for his people back home (even though he's wrong).

He didn't try to redeem himself. If he didn't go after Arthas, Kil'jaeden was going to kill him. His brother, Malfurion had already banished him for his crimes. He is not allied with Kil'jaeden. He is afraid of Kil'jaeden and that is why he built up the army in Outland, so he could hopefully use the demons of the Legion against them. He hates the Burning Legion as much as everyone else.

She still wouldn't have been with the Alliance after how they treated her people.

She actually listened to Medivh and that is how she is alive today.

Meh, night elves are EVIL! EVIL I tell you! Just look at Staghelm. When the world tree at Hyjal was destroyed, the night elves started freaking out. They had lost their immortality. So they decided to try to build a new world tree. They went to the dragon aspects for their blessing and the dragons told them not to build a would tree because the time of such immortality had passed. Against the advice of the dragon aspects, they still made a new one, Teldrassil, but it did not give them immortality. In fact, it is rotting. It is corrupt to the very roots.

Malfurion's spirit is in the Emerald Dream along aside Cenarion and Ysera, fighting the Emerald Nightmare.

Maiev is in Shadowmoon Valley, held prisoner by Akama and his Ashtongue Deathsworn. When you fight Illidan, Akama joins you, having been broken of Illidan's control and Maive comes and lands the final blow. Illidan's last words are a curse to her. Telling her of her now worthlessness. Without the hunted, there is no reason for a hunter.

Yes, but you also have Brann Bronzebeard, the head of the Explorer's League, who, along with Bolivar Fordragon (the guy in the King's Chamber of Stormwind) will be the forefront of the Alliance push in Northrend.

Also, there is Tirion Fordring and his reformed Knights of the Silver Hand in Northrend.

You have to figure, The Burning Crusade expansion was all about Horde lore. You went to their homeland, so it'll be a Horde focus. Rise of the Lich King will be more of an Alliance focus (with a bit of Forsaken focus) thrown in there. Expect the Alliance story to become front and center in the next expansion.

Plus... the Dwarves are going to come across something monumental. They are going to find the Iron Dwarves in Northrend. They are a fierce and unfriendly race with runes eched in their skin. They live in Ulduar, an old Titan city. It is expected that Ulduar is where Brann Bronzebeard will unravel the truth about the creation of the dwarven race. As this old Titan city is still intact (unlike Uldaman, for example) players will be able to venture deep inside and reveal this ancient mystery.

I'm expecting Sylvanas will have a similar part in the Arthas encounter, as well as the Nerubian King (spider guy, sorry about sp), as one of the bosses for a 25man raid as part of attunment.

Thats alot of speculation there Mord. I dont know if we can expect Blizz to fix the balance in the story focus in WoW. Before the expansion it was the same. I remember going to see the actual king of Stormwind. He just stood in a cave, on a Island near Theramore. It was an unfinished quest, involving the leader of the Human Race. That shows sloppiness/ lack of caring. They removed him in an earlier patch, and the story line is still not fixed.

This well done cinematic demonstrates the same. Its about the Forsaken (ie Horde) and the Lich king; no alliance anywhere.

I keep seeing this discussed as a cinematic, so I thought it worth mentioning that this is an in-game event. You can get the necklace as a random drop in Ghostlands, and when you take it to Sylvanas she breaks out in song and her backup banshees appear. Make sure you have game music turned on when you turn it in, or you won't hear it.

I don't know the full story, but I believe that the developer working on that stuff had quit Blizzard while working on it and no one ever got the chance to finish it.

Also though, coming soon is a basic revamp of Duskwallow Marsh. A huge bunch of quests and a new town there.

And one of the main things you have to remember, this expansion is going to have a HUGE ton of dwarf lore as well with the Titan City there. (Go run Uldaman too for some great dwarf lore. Crappy instance. Cool lore.)

The Deadmines arc is good. I don't know how far it extends into higher levels. Of course its another one where the Alliance are the bad guys by screwing over another segment of the Alliance. I can't tell if Van Cleef is a war profiteer or a victim, or both.