Well the Ulduar trailer has been put up which adds in some more story and follows up how things are after the Wrath Gate. Seems the Alliance and Horde will never get along again as long as Garrosh and Varian are around.

Interesting that "Brann Bronzebeard's forces assaulted the gates of Ulduar", and showed the dwarves fighting their way to Yogg-Saron.

Garrosh's line about "a true warchief would never partner with cowards" doesn't bode well for the Horde's unity. I wonder if he'll try to rebel in 3.2?

World of Warcraft Community Site since the link wasn't provided.

Hearing Garrosh/Varian speak was pretty damn awesome. Garrosh in particular sounds pretty damn sinister when he's talking about the Alliance, and looking down on Thrall's leadership. It gave me goosebumps.

I also noticed that Brann's voice was far far more relaxed then the ones in the 5-mans, like, I could actually understand him, lol.

Varian was using the Elven sword from the comic book despite the fact he Dual Wields GM Swords in Stormwind Keep.

All of Branns voice-acting has actually been redone in 3.1.

But it definitely seems we will be seeing the tensions developed even further in 3.2.

I thought it was interesting that Wrynn let Jaina provide the transportation during Wrathgate, but now brings his own mage for transport. Jaina doesn't seem to be acting as an Alliance leader during the conversation, she seems to be there on her own. It looks to me like there is a good chance there will be a split between Stormwind and Theramore at the same time Thrall and Garrosh finally settle there differences.

If by "Settle there differences," you mean "Garrosh horribly betrays Thrall and shoves a sword in his back" then yes I agree. :P

And I agree, Jaina seemed a bit detached from the Alliance, it looked like a meeting of 4 factions, Dalaran/Theramore/Stormwind/Ogrimmar.

Jaina seemed to be there as a member of the Kirin Tor, not as Alliance. And what the trailer doesn't explain is what was Brann doing there in the first place.

Anyway, I assume 3.2 will probably be the "low" point between Alliance/Horde, and then they'll have to figure out a way to work together in 3.3 if Arthas is to be defeated.

He went to Ulduar to find the National Treasure, or access the mainframe of titan computers.

How long will it be before Jania pops? Playing mediator has got to be taking a toll.

Does anyone have a http download link to the High-Def Trailer?

I found this embedded into the page, but I'm at work and P2P isn't an option.

<b>Download HD Version [<a href ="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/downloads/files/pc/SUNWELL_FINAL_ESRB_English_XVid.avi-downloader.exe">PC</a>]

I dunno if this actually refers to the Sunwell trailer, or they just forgot to rename the files for this trailer...

http://media.worldofwarcraft.com/mov...eo_loader2.swf

*shrug*

I think the trailer clearly illustrates how Blizzard sees the various leaders in power right now. Rhonin clearly doesn't put up with idiots in his parlor and the rest of them aren't news. It's obvious that Jaina is desperately trying to prevent contact and let them simmer down, while Varian apparently had no idea that Rhonin was even speaking to Thrall. Meanwhile Garrosh doesn't seem to have learned anything from the Wrathgate or Saurfang's tutelage. Shocking, but a little disappointing that his character is becoming such an immovable cliche.

I couldn't be happier with how they framed this trailer. They're setting up Garrosh and Thrall to duke it out again and I suspect that Thrall will be taken out of the picture at that point. It's tough to say what could happen after that, as with Thrall gone, Jaina would be even more alone than she is now. All in all, not a whole lot of Ulduar information here that we didn't already know but the Alliance/Horde update since the Wrathgate is refreshing.

Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better, if they get better at all. Metzen has said that certain peacemakers like Thrall are going to be gone soon and we'll be left with a situation where it'd be hard not to simply have all out war with the factions. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but it does have a lot of potential in PVP and even to a certain degree in PVE. Hell I could even see Jaina staging a coup and taking out the mad dog just like she took down her dear old dad. She's quite Machiavellian that way when it comes to peace.

Jaina never 'took down' her father in the Orc campaign of The Frozen Throne. Rather, seeing the situation and her father's views on matters, she decided to stand aside for Thrall's intervention force (Rexxar and friends as well as an endless bunch of nameless units) to take down Daelin Proudmoore. Afterwards Thrall withdrew his forces again and returned control of the city to Jaina.

But yes, motivations behind her actions were more of a pained inevitability than any sort of malice. More the kind of regret which Alexstrasza displays after we take down Malygos.

I'm really enjoying the fact that the Alliance finally has a leader with a backbone since Malfurion has been busy with the Emerald Dream. Stormwind really needs to regain some respect in my opinion, and to lose another leader because Jainia is biased to Thrall would be very disappointing. With everything that has happened to that character and city, they deserves a little bit more then that.

Except that, if you want to promote conflict (and PVP), that's exactly the reverse of what you need. You need to keep the hotheads warmongers in, and the peaceniks out.

After Jaina's near-treason in Undercity, I'm surprised that there aren't already SI7 agents preparing to remove "that little unreliable problem" in Theramore. Permanently, I mean. If you're an absolute monarch, and you've been disobeyed and slapped down on the field of battle, but lack the strength to effect a purge, that's how you do it.

Of course, for the sake of dramatic intent, you can also do it that way, putting the big moderate in charge exactly at the moment you have in front of you an extremist who is not going to let you advance peace, no matter what. She ends up in charge, at the moment her influence on Horde goes to zero and she faces total war.

(I'm curious, of course, about how to translate this in the framework of the game itself. Without wrecking the 1-60 game. Placing Varian back in Stormwind demonstrated how much things have to be adjusted, and even then it's a bit shoehorned in place)

I'm a little disturbed that Velen hasn't really tried to influence Varian's explosive temper. I guess I'm a little frustrated that Draenei in general have gone back to being a sidenote now that Outland is dead content. Aside from a few flavor characters (Debaar at Nessingwary expedition is cute) you're not often reminded that draenei even exist. Makes you wonder if there are any being admitted into the Kirin Tor, or deeming the Kirin Tor worthy of joining over learning from Velen/the Naaru.

I guess they have that whole burning legion vendetta thing as an excuse but we (of azeroth) have a pretty good reason for disliking the burning legion too, we just have more pressing concerns.

I sort of wonder what motivations does Velen have for continued membership of the Alliance at all aside from being a buffer to prevent one side getting enough of a strategic population advantage to do something like sack a capital city.

Oh wow I really wish they would update Thrall, Garrosh and Jaina's in-game graphics to those of the video.

This is the second time that mages have stepped in and broke up the fight, (the other time being Jaina in the Battle for Undercity) something has to give soon.

I could actually see this happening. If Jaina died it would be another blow to Thrall, and run very similar parallels to his back story with Taretha, even to the point of human killing human to hurt Thrall. This may then turn Thrall to the idea that the Alliance couldn't be reasoned with, or at least Stormwind, and he start to retaliate against their aggressions in a style Hellscream and his supporters have been doing throughout WotLK.

What I can't see though is Varian being King for too long (unless something occurs to cool his temper) because he is pretty much a rabid dog at this point and if Stormwind still follows him, I'd be surprised if other Alliance leaders did. Maybe Staghelm would and Bronzebeard who seems little more than a mute puppet at this point (like most racial leaders from both sides unfortunately), but certainly I'd expect Tyrande and Velen to see what he has become and pull back.

On a similar note I would hate if Hellscream became the leader of the horde and I think at the least it would cause the Tauren to withdraw. Also as far as I understand it the Darkspear's pledge is to Thrall himself, not the horde, so there is the issue there of whether they would follow him. I'm sure Lor'themar would follow but Sylvannas after Wrathgate seems more mellow than I originally imagined her.

I don't follow. Thrall would start to retaliate against the Alliance? So far the turmoil between the factions is largely due to the Wrath gate, other then some quests in Grizzly Hills and Icecrown, the Alliance hasn't instigated anything.

In my opinion, I really don't think Varian is a bad guy at all. The guy has had more death and sorrow surrounding him then any other WoW character I can think of. His father was killed and his home razed by the Orcish Horde in the Second War, he lost two mentors: Terenas to the Scourge and Lothar to the Orcish horde (again), his wife was killed by the Defias during a riot in stormwind, he was kidnapped and was forced to be a gladiator, and obviously the most recent death of his best friend. He has a pretty good reason to be pissed off, and especially with the Horde if you ask me.

With that all said, he was still ready to talk peace with the Horde prior to the Wrath gate. Regardless of that, I keep seeing people say that Varian is a rabid dog, yet in this recent trailer he didn't get violent (annoyed, but not rabid at all) until provoked, and honestly if Garrosh thinks he can needle a guy after losing his best friend to their faction, he deserves the beating he's asking for. I would love to see peace between Thrall and Varian for at least until the Lich King is taken care of, but I doubt that will ever be possible until Garrosh is put on a leash or removed from the Horde entirely, because he's fixing to go down hard and he'll bring the Horde with him.

That comes from a bit of rewriting as well as some legtimate having her world turned upside down. Elements of the Forsaken, including her No. 2, betrayed the Horde. They killed members of Thrall's elite guard. They were already in a kill-on-sight relationship with the Alliance, and there is no one else for them to go to (other forces being the Burning Legion and Arthas, not exactly on good terms with Sylvannas either). They then get their assets and the Undercity chewed up in the civil war and Alliance & Horde counterattack.

I'd be subdued too, even if I didn't just maybe have something to do with Putress' idea. The Forsaken can't fight one of these forces on their own, let alone all of them.

Many people seem to beleive that eventually Thrall will die in this fight, I don't see that happening. Thrall is much more embed in the Horde players than Varian is with the Alliance, and as we talk about casual player base, I can't see Thrall dying anytime soon as good for Blizzard.

I still think that by the end of 3.3, Garrosh and Varian will see the folly of their ways. I really doubt Blizzard is preparing Garrosh to be same as Gromm. maybe there are other things at play here.

A lot of characters have gone through a lot of suffering, Thrall for example. His parents were murdered, his name Thrall stands for "slave" in human tongue, he was raised as a Gladiator, he saw his friend Hellscream become victim to the curse and die before his eyes. Or take Sylvannas, she has suffered a lot too.

I don't see anything that shows Varian went through a lot more death and sorrow than others like Thrall.

There is also an important difference between Varian and Garrosh. Varian is the leader of the Alliance, Garrosh is not the leader of the Horde.

Yea I don't recall Metzen or anyone ever mentioning Thrall will be out of the picture soon like Valinnor said. In a way I can see someone dieing which could cause all out war to occur but I doubt it would be Thrall just for how it would be hard to explain what would keep the trolls and tauren loyal to the Horde after he got assassinated. Now I can see someone getting killed though by the time 3.3 comes or some people changing factions such as Jaina just deciding to join the Horde for example. I really doubt though that we will see peace return between the factions in 3.3 and can see the tensions progressing even further in the next expansion.

Jaina might have better luck preventing war if she actually worked as a mediator and tried to resolve some of the sources of friction between the two sides - she's not really trying to mediate anything, she just wants the Alliance to bow down and stomach whatever the Horde throws at them, regardless of how repugnant it is. According to Jaina, the alliance should just tolerate twisted plague experiments on live (at the start) human victims, turning dead humans into abominations, outright attacks in Ashenvale, Hillsbrad, and Northrend, all of the offenses against Wrynn personally, the betrayal at the Wrathgate, and all of the other Horde offenses.

"Mediating" by demanding that the Alliance ignore all of the open acts of war and horrible atrocities committed by the Horde is not something that can work in the long run. Like in the trailer, she seems to think that outright attacks by the Horde don't count as long as Thrall mutters mild disapproval after the fact, but it's clear that no one else buys that.

I don't see how you can call Varian a 'rabid dog' unless you're going to call the Horde a batch of rabid dogs under a leader who can't hold a leash. The trailer really sums this up pretty well - Rohin surprises him by inviting the Horde, but he doesn't do anything more than ask why they were invited. The horde representatives offer him insults and draw weapons on him, so he fights back. But somehow Wrynn is a 'rabid dog' because he doesn't bow down before a direct attack on his person?

Aside from Theramore, I don't see any reason for any Alliance members to want out of the Alliance. If nothing else, there is little to distinguish the Forsaken from the Scourge morally, and no, saying 'oh, but the humans they experiment on were probably mostly in the Scarlet Crusade' doesn't change that.