Fellow Blog Azeroth blogger Spinks, of Spinksville, suggested the shared topic “What Does It Mean To Be Horde/Alliance?” Having both Alliance and Horde characters, but playing predominantly Alliance side, I decided to add my thoughts on the subject.

In the “old days” faction pride was much more distinguishable, especially among the PVP-oriented players in World of Warcraft. While the era of epic Alterac Valley battles has passed, those who can recall those days remember well the rivalry among Horde and Alliance players throughout the battlegrounds. Nowadays the factions are far less diverse, though aspects of that rivalry do appear through PVE quests in Wrath of the Lich King. What, then, does it mean to players to choose a side anymore?

Who are the Alliance?

Dranei, Dwarves, Gnomes, Humans, Night Elves

The races of the Alliance are as varied as ever, comprising the alien Dranei, the reclusive Dwarves, the eccentric Gnomes, the hasty and oft arrogant Humans, and the enlightened and honorable Night Elves.

Who are the Horde?

Blood Elves, Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Undead

Much like the Alliance races, the Horde are just as diverse. Comprised of the arrogant Blood Elves, the prideful and honorable Orcs, the benevolent Tauren, the loyal Trolls, and the mysterious and self-serving Forsaken, or Undead.

With all of the similarities, what does it mean to play one side or the other?

Realistically, the choice is no different than choosing to identify with one political party or another. The primary differences being nothing other than appearance, the two factions both believe their goals to be right and just while their methods differ only slightly. As a player the decision typically revolves around a desire to identify with one race moreso than alignment with the particular faction in which the chosen race is aligned, although there is a misconception that one faction represents good while the other represents evil. In truth, both factions posses their fair share of good and evil.

The players bring the differences to the factions, not the factions themselves, and with so many shared goals over the course of The Burning Crusade and The Wrath of the Lich King, the delineation and rivalries among the two factions are slowly being erased.

In essence, there is no longer any meaning to picking one faction over the other.

It is actually quite interesting to note how the factions have changed over the course of the game. Perhaps after the threat from Arthas is resolved the factions will redirect their energy back upon their rivalries, bringing meaning to choosing a side once more.