WoW to Get Faction Change Feature

[John Funk]

WoW to Get Faction Change Feature

Are you a Night Elf who always wanted to play a Troll? Wish your level 80 Orc Shaman were a level 80 Draenei? Blizzard has announced plans to let players change their in-game World of Warcraft factions.

The "basic idea," as WoW Community Manager Nethaera posted on the official forums [http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=18031079410&sid=1], is as follows:

[blockquote](P)layers will be able to use the service to transform an existing character into a roughly equivalent character of the opposing faction on the same realm. Players who ended up creating and leveling up characters on the opposite factions from their friends have been asking for this type of functionality for some time, and we're pleased to be getting closer to being able to deliver it.[/blockquote]

Of course, there are plenty of hurdles that need to be worked out here, especially when it comes to WoW's Achievement system: If I have all my faction-specific mounts on my Alliance character, and I make my Night Elf a Tauren, do I keep them? Do I get them all replaced with their Horde equivalent? That's just the tip of the iceberg, too.

This is a pretty monumental change. It isn't to say that I don't understand why they did it, because I do - what happens if your (Horde) guild decides to transfer servers, but you'd rather stick around, only now all your friends are Alliance? It really is the logical next step: change your name, change your server, change your appearance and gender, and now change your faction.

Even so... this just feels strange. The two-faction rivalry has been at the core of WoW since it launched in 2004. Hell, it's been the core of the Warcraft franchise since Orcs & Humans. So it's an understandable move, but an odd one nonetheless.

This is going to wreak havoc on RP servers.

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[Kross]

Ok guys, ALL the tanks can't be cows.

 

[oliveira8]

Makes me wanna log on WoW forums just to se the whine.

They complain about the barber shops, I wonder how much whine will this get.

 

[Dele]

Two rival factions? More like two peaceful communities farming instances peacefully while ocassionally making forced clashes for goods.

 

[NeedAUserName]

Kinda glad, my time playing as an Night Elf Hunter has left me with one thought bore into my mind, Alliance sucks. Seriously Horde is just so much cooler, Alliance players in my experience are all small children wanting to play the hero. Horde characters on the other hand have realized this, and are using their characters to punch these small children in the face.

 

[xHipaboo420x]

This sounds like maybe slight hyperbole... surely it can't work as they'd imply? Having said that, Blizzard are monstrously capable, so I'll reserve judgement until I see the outcome.

 

[Chimaera]

I'm calling it here and now, race changes within the same faction. As a test or compromise before this gets implemented.

 

[John Funk]

Kinda glad, my time playing as an Night Elf Hunter has left me with one thought bore into my mind, Alliance sucks. Seriously Horde is just so much cooler, Alliance players in my experience are all small children wanting to play the hero. Horde characters on the other hand have realized this, and are using their characters to punch these small children in the face.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin with how wrong this is.

This IS Blizzard, after all, so it will probably cost about as much as buying the game, each time you do it.

My guess would be probably around the server/name/appearance changes. $10ish.

 

[Baby Tea]

I think it would be way cooler if you could have 'defectors'.
You know, playing a night-elf on the horde side.
Then you'd keep all of your gear, and mounts and everything!

And THAT would cause loads of whining.

 

[RedPandaMan]

This seems extremely....interesting to say the least. The one thing that worries me is if people don't get to choose their race when transferring factions, as if someone was a Draenei, I doubt they would want to end up as a blood elf. The main thing that worries me though is Arena: I thought they didn't want a dominate race : /.

 

[NeedAUserName]

Kinda glad, my time playing as an Night Elf Hunter has left me with one thought bore into my mind, Alliance sucks. Seriously Horde is just so much cooler, Alliance players in my experience are all small children wanting to play the hero. Horde characters on the other hand have realized this, and are using their characters to punch these small children in the face.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin with how wrong this is.

Clearly you and I have had different luck in the game of WoW.

 

[stormcaller]

Funk, you know you wanna see the cool side of the game .

With that said, I will personally hunt down and murder any defectors from the Horde.

I think it would be way cooler if you could have 'defectors'.
You know, playing a night-elf on the horde side.
Then you'd keep all of your gear, and mounts and everything!

And THAT would cause loads of whining.

Nu-uh, the only time a gnome is involved in anything to do with the Horde is as the ball in sports matches.

 

[Kross]

Funk, you know you wanna see the cool side of the game .

With that said, I will personally hunt down and murder any defectors from the Horde.

Funk raided with Horde all through 60, and some at 70 as a troll mage.

 

[grinklehi]

Nu-uh, the only time a gnome is involved in anything to do with the Horde is as the ball in sports matches.

Hey! Gnome Punting is a serious offense that can land you with anything from Jail time in Gnomeregan to Irradiation of your race's capital city. (Please note that in the event it is a Troll Offender the punishment is placed on Orgrimmar.) Besides, Why would a Gnome defect from their own faction to go hook up with goblins? *Shudders*

Hm, I might actually see this being used by people too lazy to re-learn all of the quests for leveling again. They level their character through the quests they are comfortable with, then switch the factions when they hit level 80. But, that takes the fun of discovery outta the process, so I don't see myself using it in the future.

 

[BakaMick]

This is cool news, i am, technicaly, a noob when it comes to WoW, i have been a fan for years but only recently been able to play (lack of funds) and i went for horde straight away as the few people i knew at the time were horde, now I know more people in WoW most of whom are Aliance and i cant be arsed gettin a new player up to Lv40 as i alredy have 4 characters arround that level.

 

[Zayren]

I think it would be way cooler if you could have 'defectors'.
You know, playing a night-elf on the horde side.
Then you'd keep all of your gear, and mounts and everything!

And THAT would cause loads of whining.

Should have been a feature to begin with. And the ability to learn the other faction's language. That would've been so great...

 

[The Shade]

I've never heard of this "World of Warcraft", but I'm intrigued. Sounds like it really might catch on.

Seriously, though. I've been considering signing up, since I will soon have a computer capable of running WoW. More features like this (ie. ability to change sides if I discovered that I picked wrong) are always a nice addition.

 

[randommaster]

Makes me wanna log on WoW forums just to se the whine.

They complain about the barber shops, I wonder how much whine will this get.

What do you take your whine with?

Personally, I prefer it with cheese and hax.

This can work as long as the "equivalent race and skills" are well thought out, possibly with a few choices for the player to make regarding skill set.