A recent interview confirmed that there will only be two factions present in the new 40K MMO.  Perhaps there will be a third non-playable faction, but I don't think that's what most people were looking for.

"Strategy Informer: I assume you're going to divide up the playable races by factions? They only thing is, apart from ones like Imperial guard and Space Marines who can stick together, not all of the other races fit neatly into 'factions'. The Eldar, the Tau, the Necrons, Tyranids Chaos... had to generalise them. Are you going to try sticking with the traditional two factions or branch out to more?

Tim Campbell: We're going to have two overall factions in the game, and all of the playable races are going to fit into one or the other.

There are compelling reasons why that works in this situation and our game, and Games Workshops are completely on board with it so we're not doing anything that violates the IP or the fiction – the details though will be revealed in the near future."

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/warhammer40000darkmilleniumonline/interviews.html

Originally posted by Nephaerius

A recent interview confirmed that there will only be two factions present in the new 40K MMO.  Perhaps there will be a third non-playable faction, but I don't think that's what most people were looking for.

"Strategy Informer: I assume you're going to divide up the playable races by factions? They only thing is, apart from ones like Imperial guard and Space Marines who can stick together, not all of the other races fit neatly into 'factions'. The Eldar, the Tau, the Necrons, Tyranids Chaos... had to generalise them. Are you going to try sticking with the traditional two factions or branch out to more?

Tim Campbell: We're going to have two overall factions in the game, and all of the playable races are going to fit into one or the other.

There are compelling reasons why that works in this situation and our game, and Games Workshops are completely on board with it so we're not doing anything that violates the IP or the fiction – the details though will be revealed in the near future."

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/warhammer40000darkmilleniumonline/interviews.html

Didn't we hear the highlighted red part for most known IP's.

Overall it's a wait and see how the game will be delived, far to soon to start speculations already, but then again it's very popular these day's, not aimed at you OP, but just commonly speaking.

hope they come with a smart way to balance the sides ot at least the fights, even if that means a certain toll in terms of instancing

the contrary would pretty much spell the death of this game, just like it was the death for war age of reckoning...

when your game foundations lay on shitty mechanics, not even having the best IP in the world (and war40k arguably is) will save you from burning at the stake

The only thing I can think GW allowing them to go ahead with this is because they are going to be using the "Dark Hersey" style of backdrop. Various races are stuck together and must work together to achieve victory and survival which are pitted against the other races who have banded together to destroy them.

We never know. Maybe a two faction system will work, but for those who know the universe, it looks disconnected from the universe where everyone is at war with everyone else.

*shrug*

while it may be only 2 factions (light and dark/order and disorder) you could still play all the races. however i do have to lean towards the idea of the Dark Heresy system as that seems most likely (although i don't look forward to that).

here's an example of how factions could be broken up.

Order:

Imperium (Astartes, Guard, Soritas, etc.), Eldar, Tau

Disorder:

Orkz, Chaos, Necron, Tyranid, Dark Eldar.

I am in hopes for something along the lines of they are going with a whole different time line where something cataclysmic has happend that has forced certain factions together for surviaval reasons or what not.  I still think they can do it but they have to be careful how they do it.  I am trying to cut them some slack just understanding how very difficult it would be to balance everything with 3 or more factions in an MMO but we shall see what they do with the two faction deal.  I am going to reserve my judgement untill I hear more.

I see no flippin' reason why the Tyranids would ally with anyone. Nor do I see the Necrons allying with anyone. The only ones that make sense to ally in any given manner are the Dark Eldar, Chaos Daemons, and Chaos Marines.

heh i see no reason anyone teaming with anyone, because you know...in the future there is only war.

the only possible team up that doesnt violate ip is sisters of battle and space marines, more then once marines have purged units of traitorous imperial guardsmen.  necrons seek the end of all life in the universe, tyranids want to eat everything and make more tyranids, think star craft zerg but without a brain bug, just an appetite.  tau are only interested in saving themselves, same with the eldar, the dark eldar and chaos marines might try to manipulate each other but not really team up hehe.

Originally posted by akahdrin

heh i see no reason anyone teaming with anyone, because you know...in the future there is only war.

Excvept for the fact that there not stupidm and that theve teamed up before, because again there not stupid.

Originally posted by neorandom

the only possible team up that doesnt violate ip is sisters of battle and space marines, more then once marines have purged units of traitorous imperial guardsmen. 

Sorry, teaming with guardsman makes more sense than sisters, and teaming with other races isnt "violating the ip" since theve done it in the ip before, because as ive mentioned, in times of great battles there not stupid, and know enough to take out a common enemy.

They did it in winter assault, they did it in firewarrior, they were paired up just like this in the eye of terror campaign, not to mention this

"Though they have had no love for the Imperium, the Eldar typically leave human settlements alone and have fought side by side with the Imperial Space Marines and Guardsmen on multiple occasions, though they have been known to attack unprovoked for reasons of their own advancement and have used other races as shields against certain threats such as the Orks. In battles like the 13th Black Crusade and the Gothic War, both races have been seen working together against their common foe of Chaos."

So can everyone cut it out with the "omg if anyone works togehter its breaking the ipz!1!!!11!1" crap now please.

Originally posted by warmaster670

 

So can everyone cut it out with the "omg if anyone works togehter its breaking the ipz!1!!!11!1" crap now please.

Yes, the various races / factions do work together (toward a common goal / in their own self interest) from time to time within the IP - but this is making it permanent.  That is a different thing entirely. 

Frankly, I think it's a dumb decision because it limits flexability and future development.

Leaving each faction separate and using other elements (difficulty of space travel and other things) they could have a balancing mechanism at their disposal for the RvR game just for a start.  Not to mention all the RPG opportunities they lose amongst other things.

"Though they have had no love for the Imperium, the Eldar typically leave human settlements alone and have fought side by side with the Imperial Space Marines and Guardsmen on multiple occasions, though they have been known to attack unprovoked for reasons of their own advancement and have used other races as shields against certain threats such as the Orks. In battles like the 13th Black Crusade and the Gothic War, both races have been seen working together against their common foe of Chaos."

So can everyone cut it out with the "omg if anyone works togehter its breaking the ipz!1!!!11!1" crap now please.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Way to set up a straw man dude.

For my part I'm fine with the 2 faction idea - provided it is done right- , what I'm dead set against is this game using traditional mmo racial alliances  - akin to WoW's factions.

While Eldar (to take your example) will fight with Imperial forces when the occasion demands it they would never be allowed to roam freely in Imperial shrines and wouldn't stoop to running errands for Monkeigh.

So while the IP can stretch to their fighting together against a common foe it begins to tear apart when you use the alliance to do the traditional mmo trick of stretching content by allowing free roaming through allied racial zones and thereby overlapping quest hubs trainers and vendors.

When I read that I was instantly reminded of WoW. Blood Elf paladins, deathknights for everyone, werewolves on the alliance side...

They are really gonna shoot themselves in the foot lore-wise if they travel down that path.

Originally posted by Bigdavo

When I read that I was instantly reminded of WoW. Blood Elf paladins, deathknights for everyone, werewolves on the alliance side...

They are really gonna shoot themselves in the foot lore-wise if they travel down that path.

Or maybe make a lot of money who know?! Most ppl dont really care about lore the sooner the lore fans realize that the better, otherwise you are just not gonna enjoy the game, ppl will take whatever is in the game despite whatever 100's of books you have read about it and they will take it as lore and as fun ( if it is fun!), once conflict and guilds start emerging lore will be all but forgotten and the game will take a life of its own with ppl playing the meta games such as guild conflicts and bickering.

This will never be an extension of the tabletop for the fans, this is an MMO that wants to appeal to the masses and the WH40K IP on piggy back, if the game is successful you may aswell call it Warhell 100k no one that plays will care about it.

Most MMO gamers will be looking at what the game has to offer gameplay wise, what tools players are given, how can they build communities, are there quests, is it go kill 100 boars, can you have shiny epic looking armor, what sort of end game there is, etc.. before they care if the dark elves should be entering the shiny palace of mankind or whatever.

Originally posted by rav3n2

Originally posted by Bigdavo

When I read that I was instantly reminded of WoW. Blood Elf paladins, deathknights for everyone, werewolves on the alliance side...

They are really gonna shoot themselves in the foot lore-wise if they travel down that path.

Or maybe make a lot of money who know?! Most ppl dont really care about lore the sooner the lore fans realize that the better, otherwise you are just not gonna enjoy the game, ppl will take whatever is in the game despite whatever 100's of books you have read about it and they will take it as lore and as fun ( if it is fun!), once conflict and guilds start emerging lore will be all but forgotten and the game will take a life of its own with ppl playing the meta games such as guild conflicts and bickering.

This will never be an extension of the tabletop for the fans, this is an MMO that wants to appeal to the masses and the WH40K IP on piggy back, if the game is successful you may aswell call it Warhell 100k no one that plays will care about it.

Most MMO gamers will be looking at what the game has to offer gameplay wise, what tools players are given, how can they build communities, are there quests, is it go kill 100 boars, can you have shiny epic looking armor, what sort of end game there is, etc.. before they care if the dark elves should be entering the shiny palace of mankind or whatever.

I never said the game would be crap if the lore sucks, in another thread I stated that I believe gameplay > lore. But if this game proves to be just another WAR then they won't even have a leg to stand on.

Ohh yeah sorry didnt really aim it at you, just more the general way the thread is going sorry should have probably mentioned it at the end of my response.

Originally posted by rav3n2
...

Most MMO gamers will be looking at what the game has to offer gameplay wise, what tools players are given, how can they build communities, are there quests, is it go kill 100 boars, can you have shiny epic looking armor, what sort of end game there is, etc.. before they care if the dark elves should be entering the shiny palace of mankind or whatever.

As I see it - reducing the number of factions to two - limits these things - it doesn't enrich them.

Increasing the number of factions and allowing the possibility (but not the assurance) of alliances or Non Aggression Pacts between them adds a depth to gameplay that 'skills & class balancing' simply cannot replace.

Imagine (for example) that you are playing as a Space Marine;

Together with the Imperial Guard you stand against the enemies of man.

Then each day you log in to find that the situation is becoming more and more desperate fighing the Chaos Marine scum... until you find that the Imperial Guard have formed a Temporary Alliance with the Tau and you have been offered a Non Aggression Pact by the Eldar (who are hard pressed fighting a Necron Invasion which is keeping the Necrons off your back)

Suddenly the whole strategic situation looks different...

A month later the Chaos Marine threat has been greatly reduced but the Imperial Guard have allowed the Tau to continue to occupy an Imperial world as part of the Alliance they created (which the Emperor did NOT agree to!)  Traitors!

etc

...

The gameplay possibilities here could add so much - to reduce it to 'good vs evil' your side is locked in... is simply a wasted opportunity.

Originally posted by Reklaw

Originally posted by Nephaerius

A recent interview confirmed that there will only be two factions present in the new 40K MMO.  Perhaps there will be a third non-playable faction, but I don't think that's what most people were looking for.

"Strategy Informer: I assume you're going to divide up the playable races by factions? They only thing is, apart from ones like Imperial guard and Space Marines who can stick together, not all of the other races fit neatly into 'factions'. The Eldar, the Tau, the Necrons, Tyranids Chaos... had to generalise them. Are you going to try sticking with the traditional two factions or branch out to more?

Tim Campbell: We're going to have two overall factions in the game, and all of the playable races are going to fit into one or the other.

There are compelling reasons why that works in this situation and our game, and Games Workshops are completely on board with it so we're not doing anything that violates the IP or the fiction – the details though will be revealed in the near future."

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/warhammer40000darkmilleniumonline/interviews.html

Didn't we hear the highlighted red part for most known IP's.

Overall it's a wait and see how the game will be delived, far to soon to start speculations already, but then again it's very popular these day's, not aimed at you OP, but just commonly speaking.

I think you highlighted the WRONG SENTENCE ??!

Tim Campbell: We're going to have two overall factions in the game, and all of the playable races are going to fit into one or the other.

There are compelling reasons why that works in this situation and our game,

THIS^

No explanation. Why do most MMO's decide for 2 factions? What are the pros and if you could add, what are the cons? How will using this 2-faction system differentiate your game's overall design from other MMO's? Why should I play it next if the game design is the same as most other MMO's? How have you been able to differentiate it?

Why did you not decide to choose >2 Factions? What were the cons of this in your opinion?

No discussion, no point.
 

I am wondering if this topic isn't rather moot at this point.   Dark Millennium isn't scheduled to be released until 2013, that's over two years from now.    So what's the point of complaining or speculating on which races/factions will be available or what the devs have announced as it almost certain that things will change over two years of development?   I think its far to early to be making judgements on the game when it's still in early stages of development. 

Originally posted by NavyJackal

I am wondering if this topic isn't rather moot at this point.   Dark Millennium isn't scheduled to be released until 2013, that's over two years from now.    So what's the point of complaining or speculating on which races/factions will be available or what the devs have announced as it almost certain that things will change over two years of development?   I think its far to early to be making judgements on the game when it's still in early stages of development. 

Because it shows that they haven't really done their research, and I'm not talking lore-wise.

I'm going to assume that, hopefully, they have enough sense to put some heavy PvP/RvR into a Warhammer game. That said, you would think they would look at Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and other PvP games, like DAOC and even MO/DFO and whatever else is out and see what seems to be working/not working for those games.

You think they would realize that more factions in PvP/RvR is MUCH more balanced than 1 v 1.