Yep, Blizzard is saying they are working on faction transfers

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html

What do you think about it?

EDIT: More information about faction changes.

Updated* 7/1- Due to the many questions that have come up with the announcement of this new service, we wanted to take the time to answer the ones we can at this point in time.

Q. Will we be able to switch between the races on our own faction?
A.. No. Players will only be able to switch to a race of the opposite faction.

Q. Will I be able to choose the race on the opposite faction that I want to change to?
A.. Yes, but you will only be able to switch to a race that has your class type available to it. So if you play a human paladin, you’d only be able to change to a blood elf paladin.

Q.How much will it cost?
A.. We do not have further information on this at this point in time.

Q.Will I be able to switch back to my original faction but a different race?
A.. No. You will only be able to switch back to your originally chosen race.

Q.. How will the switch between reputation, gear, mounts, etc be handled?
A.. We’ll have more details for you at a later point in time, though we plan to keep these as close to a reflection of the other faction as much as possible.

Q.How often can you change your faction?
A..We do not have any information to share on this at this point in time, however we will have restrictions on the frequency by which players can change their faction.

Q. How will this affect the balance of Horde and Alliance on the realms?
A.. We are taking great care in how we implement this new service in order to maintain balance between the factions on the realms but do not have any further details to share.

TL;DR: Turns out you will change races, and not just betray your faction.

All about the $$$,  Blizzard as usual.

Guess they got hit by the bad economy and try to get the last dollar out of WoW's dwindling customer base.

Next thing to happen will be chars at lvl 55 to buy. Remember where you heard it first.

Too early too really tell to be honest. Way too many questions that need to be answered first.

My guess is, given the work it will take on their end and similar services (name change, transfers, etc...), the process will be fee based and also come with a major cooldown (my guess is 3-6 month at least).

Depending how they do it, will determine my thoughts. I like the idea behind it.

Take for example,  me. I started playing WOW at launch as Alliance on Blackhand. Since then, I have moved to Horde and my main is a Shaman. My guild on Blakchand has long since disappeared and many of its players moved on to other guilds. I have no desire to play him.

However, if this feature goes in, I could make him a Blood Elf Paladin (I shudder at the though but I could) and move him to the server that I am currently on and in a wonderful guild. Also, since then, my wife has started playing and she is on that same server and I could use this character to level up with her alts.

The service could be good or bad, its just too far out to know for sure. If done correctly, it could be a major blessing for some of the oldest WOW vets.

I expect it too be a long time before we see it too - at least patch 3.3 or even after the next expansion.

In addition to my post above:

-race changes for $$$ incoming

Blizzard is selling off everything WoW once was - as long as there is still enough population to buy any sort of "service".

I think it's fine. More variety. I read where they make you as close to your previous faction's toon as they can..only with the new race. I think they should offer another option...where you keep your original race but gain the immediate title of "Defector" or"Betrayer" or "Traitor"..otherwise you look the same but PvP and  PvE like the new faction and use their cities etc. Maybe you get treated differently still...like when you're on that deathknight quest before the leader of your faction forgives you...and everyone is spitting on you..lol. How about another option to join a third faction...called " The Outcasts" or something similar which contains all the defectors from both sides....eventually with their own cities plus the Goblin cities of course. Seems like some of these would be easier than revamping all the toons with opposite faction equivalent gear and items. Not to mention how rep and achievements would translate.

Originally posted by VoIgore

 Blizzard is selling off everything WoW once was - as long as there is still enough population to buy any sort of "service".

Well said.

As the others have said, its just blizzard milking WoW before it goes downhill. Make everything so easy people will stay for a few extra months before its over. Also alts at 55? I have been saying that will happen also and it WILL happen.

WHAT!!!!! THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE US PAY FOR PAINSTAKINGLY CHANGING EVERYTHING OVER TO THE OTHER FACTIONS!!!!!

OUTRAGEOUS!!!!    I bet they will even expect us to request such a service ...and not automatically know when we desire such things!!!......FOOLISH BLIZZARDIANS!!!!

WAIT! STOP ANONYMOUS BLIZZARD REPRESENTATIVE!!! TAKE THE GUN FROM MY HEAD!!!!...I DO NOT WISH TO CHANGE FA*.....NO...I SAID...NN*....oh okay...here's my credit card number..please don't shoot.

Originally posted by BarCrow

WHAT!!!!! THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE US PAY FOR PAINSTAKINGLY CHANGING EVERYTHING OVER TO THE OTHER FACTIONS!!!!!

OUTRAGEOUS!!!!    I bet they will even expect us to request such a service ...and not automatically know when we desire such things!!!......FOOLISH BLIZZARDIANS!!!!

If you are going where I think you are with this, you win.

Originally posted by Kraiser

As the others have said, its just blizzard milking WoW before it goes downhill. Make everything so easy people will stay for a few extra months before its over. Also alts at 55? I have been saying that will happen also and it WILL happen.

Hell I'd pay for automatic alts starting at 55. The 1-58 levels are so freaking boring.

Originally posted by TormDK

Hell I'd pay for automatic alts starting at 55. The 1-58 levels are so freaking boring.

Only cause everyone is 80 now and no one is ever in Azeroth leveling up. It was a much better experience going from 1-60 before expansions than it is now.

(Btw, no, I'm not saying Pre-BC was better than it is now. There are some aspects of the game I like more now and some I like less)

 And the game lives up to its name - WOW.

I wonder how it will be done though, too much to be done before I can give my opinion in being bad or good.

It's much more valid than adding an item mall though.

Originally posted by pit101

Yep, Blizzard is saying they are working on faction transfers

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html

 

What do you think about it?

It's a smart move - it gives players more options for, which is one of the many reasons that WoW stays on top.

I would have to say that it is a good thing obviously there have been a large number of people requesting this service for them to consider putting it into the game.  Any why so much whining and crying about offering this service, so people like me that have several toons can consolidate them if we so choose and if people you play with quit and you make new friends taht play the opposite faction you dont have to reroll i do not see it as a bad service to offer... Although it does bring into light some new problems that are sure to surface such as faction overpopulation.  Overall i do not think that it is a bad service to offer it's better than the tough shit reroll answer specially at this stage in the game no one wants to reroll 1-60 is ungodly boring.

I started off Alliance and slowly moved to Horde. I still play my Night Elf Hunter but I get it to the new max level, raid for a bit then quit playing it because Im busy on Horde.

Also, OH MY GOD Blizzard is giving the people stuff they have requested for a long time. Blizzard is EVIL and GREEDY for giving me something I want.

Yeah, make all the "buy level 80 characters" jokes or even "item mall soon, buy epics" but this is why Blizzard rules MMOs.

If Blizzard sees enough interest in harmless features like this they act on it.

Really strange stuff. I had to read the blue post twice before wrapping my head around it.

From the way it's described, the phrase of a player being given a "comparable" character on the other faction strongly implies that it'll be a straight up race change. Horde Tauren Druid pays the dough and becomes a Night Elf Druid. Etc.

My initial thought on it is "why not?" since they already got the name/gender/race change thing in. The only bug I see about this is being on a PvP realm and wanting to swap a character. The logical result would be that a change to one character would force a change to ALL of the characters on the account currently created in that realm, which is a bunch of additional logistic crap to wade through.

Unless of course Blizzard breaks down and says "hell with it" and either.... a) goes forward with In Game Faction change of a character of a race and leave the choice intact... which is pretty messed up (gnomes running around in orgrimmar yelling "for the horde!").

Or B) Blizzard just kicks a rock and says "okay, you can make characters of either faction on all realms, no restrictions." which would be a grand invitation to player griefing through chat on a single account courtesy of alts. ::scratches head:: which people could do now with a Trial account I guess if they were really fired up to yell at someone over a PvP situation.

I'm curious to see how it plays out and I don't even play WoW.

Choice? Consequence? Responsibility? Hahahah no. That's too scary for our poor little WoWlings. Time to coddle them some more!

EQ2 has had this for years. It's called Betrayal, and it's free.

Originally posted by Tedly224

Really strange stuff. I had to read the blue post twice before wrapping my head around it.

From the way it's described, the phrase of a player being given a "comparable" character on the other faction strongly implies that it'll be a straight up race change. Horde Tauren Druid pays the dough and becomes a Night Elf Druid. Etc.

My initial thought on it is "why not?" since they already got the name/gender/race change thing in. The only bug I see about this is being on a PvP realm and wanting to swap a character. The logical result would be that a change to one character would force a change to ALL of the characters on the account currently created in that realm, which is a bunch of additional logistic crap to wade through.

Unless of course Blizzard breaks down and says "hell with it" and either.... a) goes forward with In Game Faction change of a character of a race and leave the choice intact... which is pretty messed up (gnomes running around in orgrimmar yelling "for the horde!").

Or B) Blizzard just kicks a rock and says "okay, you can make characters of either faction on all realms, no restrictions." which would be a grand invitation to player griefing through chat on a single account courtesy of alts. ::scratches head:: which people could do now with a Trial account I guess if they were really fired up to yell at someone over a PvP situation.

I'm curious to see how it plays out and I don't even play WoW.

 

This is rather interesting, and I wish it popped into my head. I highly doubt blizzard will change their view on playing both factions on a pvp realm. If they do that's another dumb move by blizzard (imo). They keep getting farther and farther from their intial game design, and it's disapointing.

Originally posted by ZsasZ

EQ2 has had this for years. It's called Betrayal, and it's free.

It is free for only 2 reasons

1) they didn't have station cash, station exchange or a loot card to put it on at that time.

2) soe failed to put in any bit of relevance for the two factions in the game.  You know, that whole war thing they talked about adding.  How far did that get?  Sabotage quests where you burn some piles or wood or something.

*yawn*  The factions in eq2 have no meaning past which half of the cities you are excluded from.  Who cares if it is free.