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  1. #1

    Are there factions in GW2?

    I've been reading a lot about GW2 lately and one thing I haven't seen mentioned is factions, you know alliance vs horde. In GW1 we fought the charr but it's been so long since I played, and iirc, the charr were not a playable faction.

    I don't really care one way or the other, just curious because I haven't found any info on it at all. WvWvW looks awesome btw.

  2. #2
    I am Murloc! Mif's Avatar
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    Nope. ArenaNet's philosophy is that you should never be unhappy to run into another player in the world, it should actually make things more fun.

  3. #3
    This should answer your question.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Mif View Post
    Nope. ArenaNet's philosophy is that you should never be unhappy to run into another player in the world, it should actually make things more fun.
    In WoW, I'm very happy to run into another player of the opposite faction. I crave world PvP and will dive into it anywhere I can find it. However with that being said I look forward to working together with everyone I meet in GW2, I'm positive the hot-join pvp system will sate my thirst for blood.

  5. #5
    It's all about server community so all world pvp is in WvWvW. Servers vs servers.

  6. #6
    cool that's what i figured, thanks. can't wait for this game, it's going to be awesome.

  7. #7
    The closest thing to factions in GW2 would be this: (text dump from http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-gam...tory-overview/)

    The Orders
    Other organizations know about the Elder Dragons, and recognize Zhaitan as an imminent threat. Each group has a unique flavor and a distinct strategy for defeating the Elder Dragons. A player can choose to join one of these organizations, making that decision through their character's personal story. At that point, the story of the order becomes available, providing new interactions and events. Each order takes a divergent view of the world. A member explores events specifically from that order's point of view. A major storyline event might impact everyone, but each order will respond differently, as per their unique philosophy.

    The Order of Whispers
    The Order of Whispers originated in the nation of Elona, long before the rise of the goddess Kormir. Now the Order has found another purpose: to slow the rise of the Elder Dragons, and eventually, discover a way to put them back to sleep. The Order of Whispers does not believe the dragons can be physically destroyed; instead, the Order looks for methods to escape their full awakening and the inevitable aftermath. The Master of Whispers has spies, thieves, and black-ops agents within every nation on Tyria, infiltrating major governments at the highest levels. Diplomacy is meaningless against the dragons. Weapons are useless. Only returning the Elder Dragons to their long sleep can save the world.

    The Durmand Priory
    The members of the Durmand Priory are dedicated to protecting knowledge and lore. Rarely combatants or politicians, they offer their services as advisors, tutors, and chroniclers for every major race in the world. The Durmand Priory was founded before Orr rose and a massive tidal wave caused by Zhaitan's awakening flooded Lion's Arch. Armed with a storehouse of wisdom, their members gather lost knowledge, long-forgotten history, and legends. They are willing to share their knowledge, revealing information cautiously but freely, so that others can act upon it for the betterment of all races. They do so in the hope that intellect, or some lost piece of knowledge, can save the world from the rise of the dragons.

    The Vigil
    The Vigil is a powerful fellowship of individuals bound by an oath to defend those in need, fight against the darkness, and offer help to those who cannot aid themselves. Anywhere the Elder Dragons send minions, the Vigil will face them and stand against their spread. The Vigil wants to face the enemy directly, testing Zhaitan's power in the hope that such methods can one day be used against the dragon itself. They believe that the Elder Dragons grow more powerful as each day passes, and that those who do not fight now are giving the world away by standing passively aside. Those who dislike the Vigil's methods call them idealistic, but they are not naive. These crusaders understand that the world is a dangerous place. They intend to be an army of light against the onslaught of darkness.
    This could be a basis for role-playing opposing factions or something. But in terms of the actual game mechanics, everyone on your server is your ally.

  8. #8
    Yh, the WvWvW is likely the only place you'll see this...would be nice if there's some stylised way of identifying people from the other servers...banners, coloured shoulders or something.

  9. #9
    Dreadlord Sentinel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheJ3ster View Post
    In WoW, I'm very happy to run into another player of the opposite faction. I crave world PvP and will dive into it anywhere I can find it. However with that being said I look forward to working together with everyone I meet in GW2, I'm positive the hot-join pvp system will sate my thirst for blood.
    I'm the opposite, because unless they are under level 85, they usually are all geared up or have some sort of advantage over me. Nothing says, "Good job buddy, you're very skillful" like rezzing outside the portal to Dragon Soul after a LFR wipe, and before you can even rebuff and heal yourself, this mage fully buffed and full HP swoops down and murders you before you can react.

    Once, I got the drop on a paladin as a frost mage (Both about level 65 or 66). I rooted her and all she could do was spam Exorcism at me... After I got her down to about 40%. She used all her CDs (as did I) and she was actually able to Exorcism me to death, and walk away fine. This drove me insane. I don't think I've done world pvp since that moment.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by TheJ3ster View Post
    In WoW, I'm very happy to run into another player of the opposite faction. I crave world PvP and will dive into it anywhere I can find it. However with that being said I look forward to working together with everyone I meet in GW2, I'm positive the hot-join pvp system will sate my thirst for blood.
    While world PVP can be fun it is very subject to the population balance on a server. Its Ideal when both sides are evenly matched and you get amazing battles. however if the population of a faction drops it tends to snowball as the dominant side gains more players and the loosing side hemorrhages them as its the rare player that willingly chooses the loosing side in a fight. That and you invaraibly have PVP interfearing with PVE persuits. While you get what you sign up for on a PVP server you still get folks that whine about ganking. You also shut out those that want world pvp but only when they choose to participate. Anet basicly decided to do a hard split between the PVE and PVP sides of the game instead of dealing with all the issues that arise from trying to mix the two.

    World PVP is provided through WvWvW. you can choose to participate as much or as little as you want so both the part time pvpers and the hardcore 24/7 folks can both get their fix. Server imbalance will naturally stabilize due to the mechanics. Underpopulated realms are likely to loose vs over populated realms. due to the way the matchmaking works the overpopulated realms or those that are just very very good will float to the top and not get matched with the realms that they would just WFTstomp into oblivion. Also because there are 3 sides in the battle if one server is dominating the other two may gang up on them reduceing the numerical superiority advantage.

    Personaly I love what Anet is doing with pvp. I'd have goten more involved in pvp in wow if they'd done similar things. Split the two games so PVP does not effect PVE in either balance or common griefing tactics. Take steps to actualy ballance the classes so one or two broken spec's or comps dont stomp everybody else. and most of all make the game skill vs skill instead of loose your way to victory by boting till your gear trumps all.

    Who is John Galt?

  11. #11
    I suppose you can find that world pvp craving in the WvWvW Mists area.

    Only game where I've sort of enjoyed world pvp was in Age of Conan. There it is free for all though, no factions.

  12. #12
    Deleted
    Nope.. no factions like ally vs horde but something like Oracles & Wolvars - yes. Each race gonna have a chance to pact with one of 3 npc monster types.

  13. #13
    I am Murloc! Mif's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roudene View Post
    Nope.. no factions like ally vs horde but something like Oracles & Wolvars - yes. Each race gonna have a chance to pact with one of 3 npc monster types.
    Um... nope 0.o

  14. #14
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Roudene View Post
    Nope.. no factions like ally vs horde but something like Oracles & Wolvars - yes. Each race gonna have a chance to pact with one of 3 npc monster types.
    No. I don't think the 3 orders hate each other. They each just have their own way of doing things, their own activities. You as a player can choose which one you want to join and this affects your personal story.

  15. #15
    WvWvW should provide all you need for world pvp. There's another info batch about it coming up soon.

  16. #16
    The thing about factions is that the 2 faction system is broken. There is always faction imbalance and on PVP servers where there is world pvp this becomes a problem. One faction is always less popular and queue times are lopsided when you compare the 2 factions. ie: one faction takes 5 mins to Q while the other takes 40 mins. Another problem you run into is creating a World pvp area that promotes world pvp.

    WoW has tried this across multiple expansions and cant seem to get it right because as soon as the fights are over the area becomes a deadzone. Swtor has shown they are far worse as i have read the daily questing zones done go near each other, and there seems to have been some issues created in their 1.1 patch that took the spirit away from world pvp and became a farm fest.

    WvWvW will balance itself, Low pop servers will eventually face other low pop servers and high pop servers will also face off.

  17. #17
    Legendary! Wrathonia's Avatar
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    Some of the best examples of faction balance NOT working would be WoW, but even more so Aion and SWTOR. The imbalance in crazy out of whack. That and they are trying to have OWPVP. With that much of an imbalance, some servers are easily 5:1, it makes it pretty much impossible. I am so glad they are doing pvp the way they are in GW2 and leaving factions out of it. Also helps for PvE comradarie.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Mif View Post
    Um... nope 0.o
    but there are... it was said that e.g. charr would be able to befriend Grawl or 2 other minor races. Some of their members will then find a home in your home instance. Try to find the source... edit will follow.

    edit1:
    As a charr, you can choose to have racial sympathy for the grawl at some point during your character's personal storyline.
    Source

    we don't know if those "factions" hate each other though...

    edit2:
    Racial sympathy is a choice that all the races must make at a certain point in their storyline.[1] Different races have differences in their choices due to the relative likelihood of coming into contact with certain races. This choice will affect the character's personal story.[2]
    The available sympathies are as follows:

    edit3:
    Since then, the asura have renewed their war against the skritt, entreating other races to eradicate their furred enemy as well. Some races (such as the charr) are more than happy to do so, seeing the skritt as a pest to eradicate. Others, such as the humans and the sylvari, are more willing to talk to the skritt and make alliances. The skritt are often eager to do so, and more or less trustworthy…as long as they stay in a group large enough to provide sufficient brainpower to remember the conditions they agreed to respect.
    Source
    Last edited by Maarius; 2012-01-21 at 02:23 PM.

  19. #19
    I am Murloc! Mif's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maarius View Post
    but there are... it was said that e.g. charr would be able to befriend Grawl or 2 other minor races. Some of their members will then find a home in your home instance. Try to find the source... edit will follow.

    edit1:

    Source

    we don't know if those "factions" hate each other though...

    edit2:

    Source


    Well when you say it like that it makes more sense

    You can't really count NPC factions as "GW2 having factions" though.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Mif View Post
    You can't really count NPC factions as "GW2 having factions" though.
    right, in GW2 you won't be able to fight against other players outside PvP-modes. I wonder how they handle hostile/befriended Skritt if one of the players in a party has an alliance with them and the other don't.

    Joe: "This is my new little furry friend Rattinator"
    Dork: "Ugh, a stupid rat?... I wanna kill this beast"
    Rattinator: "waaah"
    Joe: "leave him alone!!"
    Dork runs after Rattinator: "KILL, KILL"
    Joe: "Sigh, I love you Ratti, remember!"

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