Would you allow Horde & Alliance to group and play together?

[Lovestar]

Hi guys, doing research on server populations lately, and the way many of the best servers polarize strongly to either Horde or Alliance made me start thinking about this.

I guess it makes sense that servers polarize — the more faction-biased a server is, the more players are actually available to play with, instead of splitting your population with an invisible wall that effectively "halves" (give or take) the number of people available to you.

EverQuest 2 was a little before my time, but from my understanding it had a system where the two factions were strongly separated in terms of their factions, homelands, cities, and stuff (as in, unfriendly guards, uncooperative merchants, etc), but they could still group up together in 'neutral territory' like PvE dungeon & raid content.

Anyway, this isn't advocating one system or the other. I'm just curious what you, personally, would prefer — the current system, where H & A are absolutely barricaded from cooperating in any way; or a system where H & A can form groups and cooperate out in the wilderness, raids, etc. if they so desire.

Also, your thoughts about the way you personally would implement it (rules, boundaries, etc) if you support the idea. And of course, the problems you have if you're opposed to it. =)

[Raiju]

Nope. Maybe in WoW 2 but I think it would be a very rough and bad-for-community cross over. People will end up massively griefing the other faction while being 'grouped'.

They're struggling enough with merged server 'apartheids' on some servers where people are the same faction. Cross faction would be disastrous, people are actively encouraged throughout the game to kill, stop, weaken, the opposite faction from level 1.

[prwraith]

Absolutely. There hasn't been a lore reason not to for a while now. And gameplay wise it would be nothing but good for the game.

[Mirishka]

No, but I'd do something else.

I would create a 'Defection' option that allows a horde or alliance character to do a series of quests to join the other faction. Every country, power and empire in history has had its traitors and defectors, seems silly that WoW doesn't allow it.

[Cover25]

Absolutely. There hasn't been a lore reason not to for a while now. And gameplay wise it would be nothing but good for the game.

Except for you know, snapping the backbone of the game in half.

And for lore reasons, MoP was ridden with HvA. The hatred is still VERY strong, I'm not sure what you're on about. Maybe there's a select few members of both factions that can act civil with each other, but MoP has shown that they both are very much at war, despite the brief armistice to dethrone garrosh.

[Raiju]

No, but I'd do something else.

I would create a 'Defection' option that allows a horde or alliance character to do a series of quests to join the other faction. Every country, power and empire in history has had its traitors and defectors, seems silly that WoW doesn't allow it.

I think racials have to go for this to be realistic

[Cover25]

I think racials have to go for this to be realistic

A third faction will never happen due to the foundation laid out by the game.

WoW is Red vs Blue, Orc V Humans, Horde V Alliance.

[Tech Priest Bojangles]

Alliance and Horde have banded together so many times already. Doesn't make sense to keep fighting any more.

[Raiju]

A third faction will never happen due to the foundation laid out by the game.

WoW is Red vs Blue, Orc V Humans, Horde V Alliance.

Defecting as I see it would be to the opposite faction, no third faction. On top of that if the reward is low enough (read: mostly aesthetic, no racial bonus on preferred faction and little group motivation), and the cost is high enough (ingame cost is fine) - it won't be overused.

[Krolikn]

Yes it fits the lore. PvP would still exist so theres no reason to not allow this.

[MetroStratics]

Its mandatory for private realms, but horrible for live servers with millions of people playing.
If there ever comes a time where there are less than a few hundred thousands people playing concurrently, this will likely be their fix.
Hopefully not for a long time though, as it entirely destroys the entire theme of the game and series.

[Lovestar]

Defecting as I see it would be to the opposite faction, no third faction. On top of that if the reward is low enough (read: mostly aesthetic, no racial bonus on preferred faction and little group motivation), and the cost is high enough (ingame cost is fine) - it won't be overused.

There is the argument that it would already dilute the concept of faction enough though; in the sense that you would lose all instant visual / silhouette recognition of what's what.

That said, Pandaren already crossed this line. But I wasn't very active during MoP, so I'm not sure how that worked out — do people get confused momentarily when they see a Panda lumbering along, or is context / nameplate color enough to override any other factors?

[Raiju]

There is the argument that it would already dilute the concept of faction enough though; in the sense that you would lose all instant visual / silhouette recognition of what's what.

That said, Pandaren already crossed this line. But I wasn't very active during MoP, so I'm not sure how that worked out — do people get confused momentarily when they see a Panda lumbering along, or is context / nameplate color enough to override any other factors?

I preferred when you didn't have to check a panda (at long distance there's no indicator) for friend or foe - but pandas are very common so yes the argument is sort of gone now.

[Cover25]

Defecting as I see it would be to the opposite faction, no third faction. On top of that if the reward is low enough (read: mostly aesthetic, no racial bonus on preferred faction and little group motivation), and the cost is high enough (ingame cost is fine) - it won't be overused.

Serves the same purpose as faction changes, you just get a new race in your faction. Would be a bit confusing to see an Alliance army made up of orcs/undead/trolls/humans.

[Deleted]

The two factions MUST unite when the Burning Legion strikes. If they don't, they should lose the war and Azeroth will be destroyed.

[Rivellana]

Yes, I would. Larger pool of people to pull from means shorter queues times, all around.

If it was allowed as a "mercenary" function for battlegrounds as well, I believe queue times and win ratio would stabilize for both factions, which means queue times would decrease dramatically for Horde, and Alliance would win more often than they do currently. (I play toons on both factions)

I don't believe Blizzard would ever do it though, since they've already pretty much said it's out of the question.

[Cover25]

The two factions MUST unite when the Burning Legion strikes. If they don't, they should lose the war and Azeroth will be destroyed.

We've united several times, but that doesn't mean when the greater threat is over that we were still buddy buddy with each other.

Think of it like this:

The enemy of my enemy is my friend - when that enemy is gone you are no longer my friend.

Each faction is using each other as a tool to accomplish what they want.

[Vaelanor]

There hasn't been a solid reason for denying cross faction game-play for about 2 expansions.

[Mirishka]

We've united several times, but that doesn't mean when the greater threat is over that we were still buddy buddy with each other.

Think of it like this:

The enemy of my enemy is my friend - when that enemy is gone you are no longer my friend.

Each faction is using each other as a tool to accomplish what they want.

Well said.

[Deleted]

We've united several times, but that doesn't mean when the greater threat is over that we were still buddy buddy with each other.

Think of it like this:

The enemy of my enemy is my friend - when that enemy is gone you are no longer my friend.

Each faction is using each other as a tool to accomplish what they want.

Certainly. But it would seem stupid to send people to fight the Burning Legion in outer space and meanwhile have soldiers fighting down in Arathi. :P