Why is there no complaining about the split zones?

[Deleted]

You either haven't played long or never played both sides. Every expansion has locked you out of story and content that is exclusive to their perspective. Each alliance quest hub is a story that horde doesn't experience. This isn't new by any means.

I've played since early TBC. Again, this is nowhere near the same.

[Haven]

How is it in any way the same? I pretty much feel like there are 3 entire zones that aren't for me. There's never been an expac that has locked you out of story and content like that.

Vanilla. And it's good that picking a side finally matters again.

[Unholyground]

This is the last expansion where they will do something like this, they will likely be merging PvE aspects of the game after this final faction war, both story and group related content, they just have to flip a proverbial switch.

[Dracullus]

Maybe they like it? When I started my Alliance alt, it felt like I was starting another expansion.

[Molis]

Because we like it.

Are you a Vanilla Troll fanboi?

[Zantos]

That's technically true, but in truth horde has a troll telling you "kill 12 bears and collect their asses mon", while alliance has a dwarf telling you to "kill 12 bears and collect their asses lassie". There is some variation sure, and many zones have at least one faction-specific questline, but filler quests are duplicated in everything but slight variations in the quest text.

There's a huuuuuge difference between that kind of duplication and frostfire ridge/shadowmoon valley or what we have in BFA, where there's really no duplication at all across factions.

How could Blizzard justify all that extra effort making faction-exclusive content? Well simple, while the storylines and leveling is largely exclusive, the quests themselves aren't. Most quests transform into WQs at 120. So that work isn't wasted on half their customers.

There are a lot of duplications sure, but in vanilla you see zones that are all alliance or horde. There are also quite a few things that their hubs have you do for their story the other doesn't. Playing as both, I can tell you its a whole different experience on each. Each side sends you to areas the other does and youll have no idea about unless you do it on the opposite faction

[elvor0]

You either haven't played long or never played both sides. Every expansion has locked you out of story and content that is exclusive to their perspective. Each alliance quest hub is a story that horde doesn't experience. This isn't new by any means.

You miss out on very contained stories that are entirely inconsequential to the overall plot. That's not the same as missing out on the entire context of a raid tier. The Alliance didn't have the entire reason and context for the emerald nightmare missing from their hubs. The Horde weren't entirely clueless about the reason for going to the Mogu'shun vaults.

The Hordes entire storyline in Zulduzar is about stopping G'uhuun, who is the final boss of the first tier of raiding. That's pretty important to the overall plot as it stands, and the Alliance would essentially only get scraps about this information.,

[Zantos]

I've played since early TBC. Again, this is nowhere near the same.

Then you haven't played both. The scale of the area is different, but the fact remains that there are storylines, areas and things you wont see or know about on as a member of the opposite faction in every expansion. Like, as horde, I never knew fordragon in wrath. I never found out he was an active member who was fighting the scourge. Yet he is the new lich king. Pretty glaring story plot hole from a horde side.

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The Hordes entire storyline in Zulduzar is about stopping G'uhuun, who is the final boss of the first tier of raiding. That's pretty important to the overall plot as it stands, and the Alliance would essentially only get scraps about this information.,

I haven't leveled my alliance yet, so I cant speak for if they really dont get any of that story. I know as horde, we get some of the story for whats going on on the other side.

[Schizoide]

There are a lot of duplications sure, but in vanilla you see zones that are all alliance or horde. There are also quite a few things that their hubs have you do for their story the other doesn't. Playing as both, I can tell you its a whole different experience on each. Each side sends you to areas the other does and youll have no idea about unless you do it on the opposite faction

That was definitely the case in vanilla. Outside of the notable exception Frostfire/Shadowmoon and of course BFA, it was not the case in any expansion since, over the past 14 years. Like I said, some zones have faction-specific questlines, but they typically comprise a small fraction of the time spent leveling in those zones. Either alliance and horde share a quest hub or they have separate hubs spaced equidistantly from questing areas and duplicate quests sending them to do the same things.

Since we're posting bona fides, I had 12 L110 chars spread out across both factions, zero boosted, so I've extensively experienced all the pre-BFA content multiple times.

[dayne87]

I honestly don't mind the split zones. I'll get one of my alliance toons (probably my DH) up to 120 soon (after I've gotten about as far as I can/want on my hunter before getting bored) and experience the Alliance content that way. I have a feeling that future patch content will be cross-faction again and things will return to "normal" story wise.

[Skulltaker]

How is it in any way the same? I pretty much feel like there are 3 entire zones that aren't for me. There's never been an expac that has locked you out of story and content like that.

You play Alliance, you say? Tell me, what was the Story of Frostfire Ridge? Or the north of the Jade Forest, for that matter?

[Deleted]

When you bought bfa you got a boost, use it to make a horde character and play through zandalar

[Skulltaker]

I haven't leveled my alliance yet, so I cant speak for if they really dont get any of that story. I know as horde, we get some of the story for whats going on on the other side.

You just get some info regarding the Titan containment facility, but G'huun isn't mentioned. Azshara and her minions, on the other hand, features prominently in the Story of Stormsong valley. Is she in the Horde questlines at all?

You miss out on very contained stories that are entirely inconsequential to the overall plot. That's not the same as missing out on the entire context of a raid tier. The Alliance didn't have the entire reason and context for the emerald nightmare missing from their hubs. The Horde weren't entirely clueless about the reason for going to the Mogu'shun vaults.

The Hordes entire storyline in Zulduzar is about stopping G'uhuun, who is the final boss of the first tier of raiding. That's pretty important to the overall plot as it stands, and the Alliance would essentially only get scraps about this information.,

And the Alliances entire storyline in Stormsong is about stopping Azshara, who's the final boss of the second tier of raiding. Her holding the strongest navy in Azeroth prisoner, the Lord of House Stormsong commiting his people and Kul Tiras ocean priests to her service, etc.

Don't know how important Azshara is in the Hordes storyline. Seeing how she is one of the big evils left in Azeroth...

[Koriani]

Ok now I'm confused...

I thought at 120 each side could go through and do the other faction country's quest content?

As someone who never plays alts (I hate repeating content and for most games that's all it is..90% same with a different skin), I was really counting on this to be able to explore the zones of the other faction and get all the quests done.

So that's just not possible? Do "all" the quests on the other faction get turned into WQ at 120? *CONFUSED*

Thanks for any (actual) answers .

[Schizoide]

And the Alliances entire storyline in Stormsong is about stopping Azshara,

Well, a third of it is. The rest of it is helping farmers with quillboars, killing spiders, and other random stuff. Stormsong is the worst zone WoW has released in the past 3 expansions, IMO. You need to go back to WOTLK to find the same sort of unfocused "just doing stuff" with no overarching storyline like the west side of Stormsong.

@Koriani: No, not every quest turns into a WQ. Think back to leveling in Legion. It's like that.

And no, you can't do the other faction's quests on the opposite continent. Alliance has their own very limited number of non-repeated non-WQ quests in Troll-land and vice-versa for Horde.

[Lochton]

Granted there are a lot of quests in the 3 zones (speaking as Alliance and I assume it's the same on Horde)

but why haven't I seen a single thread complaining about the fact that you pretty much need to play both factions to get the full story? As an Alliance I basically will never really know what the deal is with the Horde Dungeons unless I level a Horde and play through the zone.

That aside it just sucks only being able to see the main story for 3 zones. It's also pretty ironic that the expac that's supposed to make you loyal to your side is also the expac that forces you to play both factions if you want to see the story.

When you think about it, it is a brilliant business idea. They invite you to explore on both sides of the story, you'll hardly ever get the full story from one side.

[Deleted]

Mostly because it's not a problem, or even close to a problem.

[Keyblader]

It fits well with the war campaign. You work towards invading the other faction's continent, and I think the story has been well implemented.

[elvor0]

You just get some info regarding the Titan containment facility, but G'huun isn't mentioned. Azshara and her minions, on the other hand, features prominently in the Story of Stormsong valley. Is she in the Horde questlines at all?



And the Alliances entire storyline in Stormsong is about stopping Azshara, who's the final boss of the second tier of raiding. Her holding the strongest navy in Azeroth prisoner, the Lord of House Stormsong commiting his people and Kul Tiras ocean priests to her service, etc.

Don't know how important Azshara is in the Hordes storyline. Seeing how she is one of the big evils left in Azeroth...

Not as yet, I've yet to do the final part of the Horde War Campaign, but afaik that's us going to Boralis. Otherwise the only reason I know she's up to anything is datamning and her briefly popping up in Shrine of the Storms.

[Zantos]

You just get some info regarding the Titan containment facility, but G'huun isn't mentioned. Azshara and her minions, on the other hand, features prominently in the Story of Stormsong valley. Is she in the Horde questlines at all?

Yeah. She is. Her minions are all over trying to steal energy from the turtles and such.