But seriously., I actually enjoyed this cinematic. I am glad that Gallywix decided to show up, but I am still peeved that they haven't added in his fat-model yet. And Jaina will be as poorly written as she has been since 2008.
That being said, here are some things I noticed.
1. The Pandaren, in truth, have really suffered more than the other races in the world here. As several others have pointed out, most of the War going on in Cata was a continuation of what was going on during Vanilla. Ashenvale always had a sizeable force of Orcs harvesting an isolated section of the forest for Orgrimmar. Southshore and Hillsbrad were under constant raids from the Forsaken just down the road. And Theramore, a previously neutral contender, just declared it's own status by, and everyone seems to have forgotten this,
SEND A MASSIVE ARMY INTO THE SOUTHERN BARRENS AND STONETALON. Sorry for the caps, but I felt it was needed.
Theramore wasn't just some neutral city when it was destroyed. It supported and played host to the many Armies and Supplies coming from Stormwind and then sent it's own force to conquer the Barrens and Stonetalon. ANd besides, Baine warned Jaina of the impending attack. The only casualties in Theramore were soldiers from Theramore, Stormwind, the Night Elves, and even a regiment of Shattered Sun soldiers were sent by A'dal.
2. Garrosh may not have been the worst written character we all want him to be. Yes, there are a few issues here and there, but every character has those.
Let's see he started out as some angsty punk in Nagrand who was terrified of having leadership of the Mag'har. Then Thrall makes him the Warlord in charge of a simply MASSIVE army in Northrend because "yer dad saved the orks, now lets see what you do, kiddo". And even then Garrosh only had a few lines. A few bits and quips with Saurfang as his advisor and mentor during the invasion.
Suddenly, because of the marginal success in Northrend, Thrall makes yet another mistake. Putting some punk with near minimal wartime experience that was thrust upon him... in charge of the ENTIRE HORDE. Now, he did his best to police the Horde. Executing Generals who forsook honor to wipe out villages, berated banshee queens who wanted to plague everything in sight, and was overall trying to do his best for the Horde in their time of need.
Remember, Garrosh is still rather young at this point. Have you ever played a strategy game where you have a vast number of soldiers and resources at your disposal from the beginning? It almost makes you feel like you have the supreme ability to conquer everything near and far. "What does that matter, Thoradin? He had a big army in Northrend, what of it?" Yes, he did. However he also had other generals and warlords present with the same authority as him, not to mention Saurfang was beside him advising him to do this or that.
Garrosh was unprepared for leadership in the long run.
3. Garrosh's sudden corruption.
Okay, this one is tricky, but from actually playing Cataclysm and Mists on retail, I think I got a good grasp on it. Garrosh's corruption was not sudden, if anything it was a slow process that started when he was introduced in BC. The Sins of the Father fall upon the shoulders of the Son. When Garrosh was brought to Orgrimmar he was met with positive responses and negative responses, all directed at his father. Although Grom saved the Horde from Mannorath, don't forget he was also the one that Damned it before the others. Garrosh has always lived with the knowledge that his father was both Savior and Damner of the Orcs. He felt he had to be better than his father in regards of saving the Horde.
He needed to take over the fertile lands that surround Durotar, which if you forget, is a near-barren wasteland almost devoid of life. Thrall built his capital city in the most horrendous of spots. Garrosh had to compensate by waging a war he was certain he could win.
4.Pandaria.
A city can be rebuilt. An army can be recruited. A population can regrow with time. Pandaria has been forever scarred, and not just in the Vale. Wherever the Sha appeared (Jade Forest, Krasarang, Kun Lai, Townlong, Dread Wastes, and the Vale) the corruption spread deep into the land itself. It destroyed the land at best where -minor- Sha showed up. Where the visages of the Sha like Anger, or Fear showed up the land
died in all sense of the word. The flora and fauna forever scourged from those areas. And you know what? The Sha showed up in a LOT of areas, the Major ones as well.
Southshore and Hillsbrad may have been plagued, but the disease and chemicals there will wash away with time if given. It may take a hundred years, but it will heal. The Vale of Eternity will forever remain a dead land, which makes it worse because it was
the single most holy, most revered, most respected tract of land in Pandaria. It is where Shao Hao gave his life, merged with the land itself, and saved it from the forces of the Burning Legion.
I think we all forget, or just don't even know, about this stuff.
Also, it is just a game guys. No need to get your panties in such a twist.
<3