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World of Warcraft News - Faction Switch Service Coming
Posted by Michael Bitton on Jun 30, 2009 | 45 comments in our forums
Tired of fighting for those pansy Night Elves? Hate marching side by side with those stinky Undead? Blizzard's got the answer with their upcoming Faction Switch service!
There are a scant few details about the service so far, the Blizzard rep who posted about it on the forums seemed to just want to let everyone know it was coming. The gist of it is you should be able to switch your character to the opposite realm and have him be roughly equivilant to how he was on his originating realm. All other specifics are pretty much up in the air at this point, including pricing.
We wanted to give everyone a very early heads-up that, in response to player requests, we’re developing a new service for World of Warcraft that will allow players to change their faction from Alliance to Horde or Horde to Alliance. There’s still much work to do and many details to iron out, but the basic idea is that players 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.
Get the full story here.
About GD time!
Now my Alliance shaman and mage can quit collecting dust and join me on the Horde.
GG Blizzard, should have done this 2 years ago.
Going to wait to see what the details are before making a decision.
Agreed.
Might breath a little fresh air and life into the game to switch factions and meet new people, form new guilds, just kind of get a different feel for things.
I'm really tired of hanging out in Ogrimmar with a bunch of Trolls....
Get it? hahaha i'm so funny
wow it sure took them long enough. Although i bet the vocal community is going to be upset .... as usual .....
I remember the days when you just rerolled and experienced the other side.... I can see that the "I don't have to time to play" crowd is getting what they want but in the meantime they live on the WoW forum 24/7. I predict that premade characters will be sold soon.
I can pretty much assure you that will never happen unless Blizzard is completely corrupted from the insideout.
Possible but HIGHLY unlikey
And they say $oE likes to bleed their customers dry of their money, seems nearly everything in WoW is available at a price.
don't blame them because the economy isn't doing so well now...
Agreed.
Might breath a little fresh air and life into the game to switch factions and meet new people, form new guilds, just kind of get a different feel for things.
I'm really tired of hanging out in Ogrimmar with a bunch of Trolls....
Get it? hahaha i'm so funny
Well... Then why do you hang around here? We have even more Trolls...
Lets wait and see what the details are.
I am kind of split on this one.
On one hand I like the idea as I could port one of my less used 80s to the alliance side to allow me to play with my real life friends who run up allies.
On the other hand this means the Horde is going to get flooded with Alliance players.... I do not know what the deal is with Allies and PvE servers but it seems like the vast bulk of the kids play on that side (And the reverse is true on PvP).
Come to think of it the reason I have never gotten past 40 as a Allie is all the BS you have to put up with, every zone is Barrens Chat. Every instance run has some kid who stops the run for 20min while his Mom has him do his chores. Whenever you see a fellow allie you are not thinking, good I am a little safer as they may help me if the fight goes wrong... No you are thinking oh gods someone to steal the quest items I just cleared the way too and who will send me rude comments if I get in trouble rather then help.
Yeah... on 2nd thought I would prefer Blizzard to not do this.
can Changing Races be far behind ?
Yet still no in game items offered for real money...
Sounds like blizzard still wins in that aspect.
Blizzard is just milking WoW for the rest of its worth before they announce their next MMO, imho.
On another note, I see this as another factor contributing to the downfall of WoW, seeing as no one I know of is going from Horde --> Alliance, and most people will be going from Alliance --> Horde. Population imbalance is going to be something that Blizzard actually needs to think about.
Yet still no in game items offered for real money...
Sounds like blizzard still wins in that aspect.
Key word is YET its coming blizzard already patched the infrastructure in on a shop a few patches back someone found the files.Item wise I dunno what all they will sell prob just pets and other various items same as SOE.
See, the alliance is already more played, every census program I've found and every one I've run personally has told me this.
If you google it you too can see how the alliance out numbers the horde. So if what you are afraid of happening actually does happen then maybe the sides will even out for the first time since launch.
Key word is YET its coming blizzard already patched the infrastructure in on a shop a few patches back someone found the files.Item wise I dunno what all they will sell prob just pets and other various items same as SOE.
RMT is totally fine as long as they only offer COSMETIC things. Wow being as casual as it is, I don't see this change being a big deal at all.
If people are looking for a game that makes them feel like they're hitting their head against a wall. Well this isn't that game.
Key word is YET its coming blizzard already patched the infrastructure in on a shop a few patches back someone found the files.Item wise I dunno what all they will sell prob just pets and other various items same as SOE.
If they come out with an item shop, it won't be any items that make the game unbalanced for other players,
Yet still no in game items offered for real money...
Sounds like blizzard still wins in that aspect.
Give it a year and I'm sure it will happen, if you remember they also said "If you transfer from a PvP server to a PvE server you can not transfer back" and now we have a service that allows just that, funny how things change.
Personally I like the idea of giving customers more options but it does stink of them trying to squeeze extra money out of their playerbase for every little thing they possibly can.
Give it a year and I'm sure it will happen, if you remember they also said "If you transfer from a PvP server to a PvE server you can not transfer back" and now we have a service that allows just that, funny how things change.
Personally I like the idea of giving customers more options but it does stink of them trying to squeeze extra money out of their playerbase for every little thing they possibly can.
That does not change the game at all. I don't care if they break their word on things that I hope they break their word on.
What does it really mater if a PVE person transfers to PVP? Doesn't really change anything, if someone wants to spend all that time getting to 80 without the chance of getting ganked and then they want to go to a server where they can gank people, that is kinda what people are signing up for when they click PVP.
World PVP is merely ganking in WoW, there is no meaning, they don't tryt o balance it for 1v1 I've played on a PVP server in every game i've ever picked up and only recently have I wondered why.
The only time world PVP seems fun is when its a skill based game (Darkfall, UO) or a twitch based online game (Counterstrike)
Just my two cents!
edit: I agree it sucks how much these wonderful options cost... 25 bucks for a 1 minute server transfer procedure seems rediculous. Oh well.
I no longer play WoW, I quit in Feb this year. The game for me is just becoming to EASY and full of instant gratification.
This to me is rubbish and only panders to those who must have instant gratification. When YOU CHOOSE your faction, race and class it was all up to you. If you want to play as the other side then friggin roll a new character and PLAY the game.
WoW has this year really began to show it's age in that it is pulling out all the stops to retain their casual playerbase and a easy way of doing this is to offer some sort of instant gratification, for a nominal fee. Dual Specs because you can not be bothered to earn money for respecs like before? Here you go! Need a gender change because you can not be bothered to level up another character (in our now very very quick and easy quest xp) no problem! Is raiding to hard, do you lack the ability to invest even an hour or two into the game, do you suffer from ADD, do you simply dislike raiding but feel you need raiding gear??! Ok then, we will make raiding gear so easy to get a caveman could do it!! What now??? Paladins are OP...no no no Shamans are!! Wait wait...well shoot, screw balancing them and keeping faction flavor, lets just botch the game lore and give Alliance Shaman and Horde Paladins!! Easier for us, easier for them! Wait...there is more! Did you roll alliance but not the cool guys are horde?? Well do not worry, you will not have to make a horde character, play through their content and enjoy the game, we will simply swap you over to that side for a small fee!
Coming next?? For a nominal fee we will be allowing players to purchase a level 70 geared character of their choice. Enjoy Northrend from the start and get your epics within days!
Makes me sad, WoW had some integrity but that is all gone now and they are doing whatever they can to retain interest and keep people playing.
A mmorpg is meant to have choice and consequneces for those choices. You are meant to go on an adventure and work your way up in power. However people no longer want that all the want is to hit some magical number that denotes endgame and get items that are classified with purple writing, this is sadly what these games are coming to.
I'm ok with it but it is nickel and diming
we've gone from Server Transfers for a fee (in the mmos of yester year)
to everything for a fee now
- server transfer
- name change
- skin color change
- sex change
and who knows whats next ...
I imagine with WoW approaching what many would agree is its life expectancy, Blizz is happy to implement anything that will enable it to generate more revenue for future projects. This certainly won't be a game breaker and it will absolutely be used by many in the player base. Yes, the loud minority will scream and moan, but ultimately they will continue to play and probably even use the service themselves in time.
Its another sound business decision in my opinion.
Whats wrong with instant gratification?
That is what i'm paying for thank you very much.
yeah nothing to complain about it. You could play both factions on the same server anyway. Just a way to get more money and hey their a buisness so sounds like a smart buisness choice to me to bring in more money.
Honestly, as a WoW player, the transfer thing does not affect me at all. In fact, this game has so many options for the people willing to pay, its great. A lot of people slap the hand that feeds them, but good lord are they the annoying type. The game will eventually be on its third expansion, and if there ARE 10 more levels to grind out, I sure as hell don't want to start from scratch if I have already experienced that content 10 times.
By the way, Blizzard isn't forcing people to do this. People can do it if they want, and everything has a price. Its funny because if they offered it for free, people would complain. Pay? Complain. Don't offer it at all? Complain.
I agree that the instant gratification in games is getting out of hand. But that's a problem soley with that particular part of the player base, not the people that run the games. Just as with gold farming. The problem isn't really the farmers, but the so-called players that buy their gold.
As far as changing factions, I think it's a fantastic idea. If you look at it from an RPG perspective, it just makes sense. I've always thought games should have this built in. It shouldn't be easy, but it should be possible.
You know i don't undestand the "omg blizzard is trying to squeeze people for every last cent" crap, yeah i know they sure do like the money rolling in but the cost is also put in place to keep the system from being abused, since they know alot of people just don't want to part with their money.
None of this stuff is necessary to use, nobody forces you to use it so in the end its just something that is being offered to those who might desperatly want to use it for whatever reason. They really aren't milking anyone for any more money then their 15 bucks a month.
Its nice that they are offering services and these types of services should never be free or cheap as far as i'm concerned.
I just recently payed 10 bucks for a name change, i simply got tired of the name i chose, kinda stupid to some yeah, but it felt good that i could have that kind of option and i agree with the price of it.
These type of services take extra work and time so like i said i don't see a problem charging for it.
I have no issue with it although I have reolled multiple times on both factions. They really want to make me happy they need to give nonraiders something more. I don't really care about raiders epeens just give me some long storyline quests to do that have good rewards. Doesn't even have to be on par with raids a step under if fine but it should have a completely different look. Honestly if my hatred of raiding was not bad before after seeing the majority of the raiders community I have contact with in WoWs antics the hatred as only grown.
Did they say if it was going to be a $$ service or something you can actually do ingame involving quests ? However i'm not sure having Undead in Ironforge or Night Elf in Orgrimmar is a good thing....
Interesting. I would like to know if a race is conversed, or if it works like the EQ2 betrayal. So, will be see Tauren Allies and Human Hordelings? o.0
hope so, otherwise I really don't care about this addtion to bliz's offered services. I'm resubbing if the race stays, ignoring it as normal if it changes your race :P
I do admit, the idea of switching factions is interesting and could be do-able.
But I feel Blizzard is going to too far with these "Paid Character Services". If any thing comes after this. it would switching your own Class. Then even after that it would go to the point of absolute sell-out: Blizzard instantly leveling a character to 80 for a fee.
I'm not saying Blizzard would do those, but from what I've seen it's plausible they would. Being the largest MMO out there, they can either make or break their own ideas.
If anything, this should fix the population imbalances. On all the servers I've been on, alliance has always outnumbered horde. Plus, I always wanted to be a human Death Knight, but on the horde :)
Perhaps some people have already maxed out 3-4 characters dont feel like re-rolling yet again.
If WOW wasn't the game doing this, nobody would be complaining. The ONLY reason people complain is because its the cool thing to do now - insult Blizzard, WOW and its players.
Blizzard is providing a much needed service with this. I think we can expect it to involve a long cool down time (maybe 6 months or so) and cost some money. That is fine - nobody HAS to do it.
It seems the jaded members of the MMo community forget what the word "options" mean. There is an option to transfer servers, there is an option to change names, etc.... Nobody forces you to do it, nobody must do it, it is an option for people to take part of.
I am one of those players that this is being considered for. Let me explain.
When WOW launched, I created a Dwarf paladin on Blackhand. I was the GM of a raiding guild that had moved from EQ to WOW. Things were great at first, but as the 40 person raid style began to take its toll on us, our guild fractured and people left. Some of these people were "friends" in real life and the in-fighting and arguing hurt many of these friendships.
Once the guild fell apart, about 6 months after launch, I changed to the Horde side and played a Shaman. Since then, this has been my main and my Paladin is still level 60 (maybe 62 or so). The reason I do not play him is because he is stuck on a server where 99% of the players are in raiding guilds. I know no one on the server and could care less about playing on that server.
I have 3 level 80 Horde characters. I have no desire to roll a 4th just to play a class I have already played to 60 elsewhere. And remember, back in the day, Paladins were Alliance only and Shaman Horde only. I would love to play my Pally but not while he is stuck on some god awful server (not Blackhand anymore) and I have no desire to play Alliance anymore. I would like to transfer him to my server with my Horde characters and have access to him. The real life friends who play all play here and they, like me, have Alliance on other servers they would love to bring over to the Horde if they could.
Will I? It depends on how this will be done and how much it costs. Blizzard will not make it easy since it is something that should be done in rare occasions. Personally, I think it should be a one-way trip. Also there are a lot of quetions about mounts, factions, quests, etc.... that will need to be answered.
But I think people should really think before they criticize Blizzard or the players who have real reasons for wanting this. To me, this shows that Blizzard listens to their playerbase and are doing things that will help keep the game fresh as it can be for many original WOW players at launch and for those who want to come back. For many, this will bring them back.
It would be awesome of Gnomes could become Lepper Gnomes.
I doubt it unless something else changes. I expect this to be WAY off (maybe patch 3.3) most likely in the next expansion. I don't think the race itself would change. I would see it as too much work just for something a small percentage of the playerbase would use.
It would probably be like character selection. Say you play a Draeni Shaman and want to go Horde. You would get the option to play Tauren, Troll or Orc.
If you were a Blood Elf Paladin, I would guess you get the option to play Draeni, Human or Dwarf.
I would expect the opposite to be true too. If you are a ______ Alliance paladin, you would have to become a Blood Elf.
Tauren Druids would have to become Night Elves and vice versa.
Just my guesses and speculation though.
This will make me resub!
/sarcasm
Most likely because the new expansion will contain a new race or races, and since this is World of Nerfstick, they don't want to risk having casual players leave because they can't play it.
I did quit when BC hit, and came back from Lich King, and I must say this game has definitely gotten stupid easy and lost its pre-BC appeal.
nice sarcasam, too bad for some of us, who will only play what we find enjoyable (no sense paying if you're not enjoying it), this will make the difference of resubbing or not. I've played mmos for 10 years and won't spend my cash when I'm not enjoying what I'm playing even if the reason I'm not enjoying it is the race limits /shrug
Now if only we had FFA servers
This......
Would actualy bring me back to WOW for another run.
But regarding faction transfers, looks like they'll sell just about anything to maximize their revenues, maybe you could ask them for their sisters?
I'm split on this as well. I like it because it will be good for PvP if players decide they want more balanced realms. Having the option to be the underdog is nice, even though I highly doubt many WoW players are really into that. That's one of the advantages of playing multiplayer FPS, is you can change sides to even things up. Instantly. Without paying any money. Hell some of the better class-based FPS multiplayer games automatically even teams out.
What I don't like about it is that now, players are even less accountable for thier actions. Reputation used to mean something (alot more than your stats and gear). Nowadays ninja looters and all around assholes can just change thier character's name, face, and now faction, and no one would be the wiser. I think this is a big reason that there are so many solo gamers nowadays also. Those who couldn't be bothered with the risk of a poor player, or a jerk. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell anymore. It's so anonymous.
I havent read every response but I read this as, "Give us your credit card number and we will give you whatever you want".
I see this as the downfall of WoW simply because, those who actually EARNED what they have will leave from spite. I know I would.
Someone back there brought up this turning into SOEs RMT.... Not really anything like it. Station Cash lets people buy cosmetic items... at least SOE was kind enough to make it free... just have to do some quests to get your faction relations up.... though I suppose a majority of players would prefer a quick and easy payment instead of faction grinding.