We all know that the player balance between the Alliance and Horde is… not in a good spot, to put it diplomatically. And it’s only getting worse, with even more Alliance guilds switching to Horde just because that’s where the players are.
This is a clear problem, and while there are temporary solutions available (like buffing Alliance racials and offering free transfers from Horde -> Alliance), all they would accomplish is to perpetuate the problem but maybe change whether it’s Blue Team or Red Team who is disadvantaged.
There’s only one real, permanent solution to the problem: allow cross-faction PvE and guilds. It is long past time to take steps towards implementing this solution.
It’d have other benefits, as well:
- Players would no longer be required to play one faction or the other because that’s where their friends are. If you really like, I dunno, dwarves, but your friends play Horde, you can still play a dwarf and play with your friends.
- Similarly, players who like to play alts on both sides now face fewer barriers when doing so. They can keep playing with their friends who they play with on their main and can more easily share gold and items.
- It supports the story far better than the current hard divide does. Every single expansion sees a threat to all of Azeroth that both the Horde and Alliance have to fight, often explicitly teaming up to do so. Let’s stop pretending that isn’t the case and let players do the same thing.
- PvP servers are already gone, replaced by the War Mode system. Blizzard no longer has to answer the “what about PvP servers?” question if they enable cross-faction PvE and guilds–that question is already answered.
To me, it seems like implementing this would have numerous advantages and be extremely healthy for the game. While it’s clear this won’t be coming with the release of Shadowlands, I really hope it’s in the works either for a future patch or for the next expansion. It’d make a world of difference.
51 Likes
So can i kill anybody and backstab anybody when in cross faction warmode or…
3 Likes
I have been for this for a long time. Just let me go do the quests for the little guys. Oh hey there Mr Orc, you need me to kill some boars that are eating your farm? You will give me 20 copper? Yeah I can do that.
The AH items are not restricted to one faction or another. I am just tired of the silly war that pops up every expansion. I do not care anymore. Like two kids that keep fighting. Settle down, both of you or I will get the belt.
12 Likes
I’d guess probably not, just to accommodate any future “faction tensions” storylines Blizzard wants?
But hey if it was up to me I’d be down for a full-on free-for-all PvP option.
2 Likes
there’s room for faction conflict for sure, i’m just not sure the general all-encompassing “horde v alliance” tension is a benefit to the overall story anymore
3 Likes
10.0 or 9.3 is my guess. Next faction divide will be light v void calling it
2 Likes
It would work if they could tell a story from outside an mmo, you can’t have any meaningful changes to either faction sadly cause you can’t ruin the game for half the players. Even destroying cities ment nothing you can still play as undead or night elf. You xant visit a city no one went to anyway thats only loss and even then you CAN through time travel cause like I said cant change game
1 Like
I agree–I think there’s plenty of room for faction tension, sort of cold war-type stuff, or disagreements between specific nations and racial groups instead of all-out faction World War.
That’s why I’m not really arguing for ditching the factions altogether. I know that’s not practical. Letting players group for PvE (and join guilds) cross-faction would do a lot of good for the game even with factions continuing to exist for story purposes.
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Yeah and there isn’t a real argument against it. Factions fighting isn’t content anymore, thats what they based bfa on and loosely 1 of 5 raid tiers was faction v faction.
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BfA was their last chance to really ignite the faction conflict again, and they failed. It didn’t even maintain for longer than half the expansion as the final 2/3rds were everyone vs. Sylvanas. In my mind, this has been proof that the faction conflict has outstayed its welcome. This game will not and cannot move forward while the faction conflict continues to drag it down. It has been the worst parts of the story for a long time now.
And it’s very insulting to the player base to pretend that things are different in the Thrall and Jaina cinematic when nothing has at all. That felt like a big middle finger to people hoping to put this faction ridiculousness to bed.
Alas, Blizzard will likely not budge on this. And the story will continue to suffer. Can’t wait for MoP 3.0.
6 Likes
PvP should be cross-faction at this point too. You already face your own faction in arena/RBGs (because they are run by the goblin cartels in the lore) and you can merc mode as Horde to play with alliance already.
Would fix the queue times for everything, allow more participation for people on alliance which is currently dead for low-mid range arena/rbgs and they could remove the asinine faction-based r1 titles that make no sense anymore.
Alliance and Horde may be at a bit of a ceasefire right now, but that kind of thing has, and cannot be expected to ever last. It has almost always been a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” but when the mutual enemy is gone it dowse not mean the remaining parties stay friends. Only two groups really could, and maybe should be cross faction are Death Knights and Demon Hunters.
2 Likes
No, it’s not time. No the story does not support cross faction anything. The factions might work together from time to time but they still don’t like each other. This game is now and will forever be Alliance Vs Horde that is one of the games cornerstones.
Many raids and dungeons wouldn’t make any sense cross faction, Siege of Boralas for example. Battle for Dazar’alor would make even less sense.
5 Likes
I dont want to group with any more furries than I already have to.
No. Factions conflict is part of the core of what Warcraft is. That shouldn’t change.
Creating a faction-neutral ‘race’ (a group that is not concerned with what the Horde or Alliance is all about, don’t have any influence on world events for eg. ) can be something they can explore.
3 Likes
I’m revoking your Horde card
I would greatly support this change.
2 Likes
Cross-faction PvE would be great I think. They can keep the faction war silliness in PvP content for those that want it.
2 Likes
That question hasn’t been answered. If we did as you suggest and you turn WM on, who is the “other side”? Do we default back to Horde vs Alliance or does it become “any other than us”? The same problem would exist with BGs that are draw into two side.