Will the factions change? Should they?

[Maneo]

This expansion show very well the limitations of storytelling Blizzard can do with 2 locked factions. I don't ever think that gameplaywise it will be changed, do you even imagine what it would mean to change that ? Another solution and that the resolution of this new conflict lift the restriction in game and allows players to play with both faction wich would be pretty easy to do but It would complicate storytelling ever more since there is no turning back ever from that.

I think an evolution is needed in a way or another. I don't think it will come because it would require adamantium ballz from Blizzard to face the inevitable shitstorm that would follow, no matter what they do. But, god, I wish.

I think when BFA concludes the factions will still exist (so a orc can't just roll into SW or vice versa), but the player characters will be above the petty squable. We are heroes of Azeroth after all not just our respective factions.

It will allow players regardless of faction to group together (unless in Warmode)
It will allow (in theory) for more zones/quests to be developed since they won't have to develope seperate things for the factions.
Will reduce the number of mounts created that would turn into a net gain over all (hopefuly).
Might help WPVP, since both factions will be in the same area

This will allow Blizzard to progress the story cause then faction balance won't be imperitive. That is the big problem w/the faction war being a story telling point. The story can never really go anywhere cause of faction ballance.

[Omedon]

I think when BFA concludes the factions will still exist (so a orc can't just roll into SW or vice versa), but the player characters will be above the petty squable. We are heroes of Azeroth after all not just our respective factions.

It will allow players regardless of faction to group together (unless in Warmode)
It will allow (in theory) for more zones/quests to be developed since they won't have to develope seperate things for the factions.
Will reduce the number of mounts created that would turn into a net gain over all (hopefuly).
Might help WPVP, since both factions will be in the same area

This will allow Blizzard to progress the story cause then faction balance won't be imperitive. That is the big problem w/the faction war being a story telling point. The story can never really go anywhere cause of faction ballance.

This is pretty much exactly where my head has been at for months. The faction divide is the theme of this expansion. It's not going to be the theme of next expansion. That means a de-escalation of the faction war some time in the next two years- FROM THIS. From the burning of Teldrassil and the scorched earth state of Lordaeron!
That is not just any other "time to fight the PVE boss now" moment, that has to be something more. It's likely that that something more can and will be represented mechanically.

It doesn't take or need a new faction, or some kind of end to the alliance and the horde themselves, but I think this is the last Hurrah for this degree of faction war. You don't top this, ever, without traumatizing people. Indeed, some of the greatest lore analysts I follow are saying that taking a step out of your character was pretty much necessary to go through the burning. The opposite of immersion, just to "appreciate" the story. We've reached "peak faction war," and it only goes down from here, into something that looks exactly like what you described.

What other outcome is there? They're not going to make the horde "yep, all bad guys, all the time," they just aren't. That's not what most of the horde was sold. Where does it go?

It goes where you've pointed: faction agnostic PVE, stories that point us at bigger threats, and a "resolution" to the war that has a lasting effect.

Arthas didn't survive WOTLK
Deathwing didn't survive Cataclysm
Most of the Warlords of Draenor did not survive WoD
The Burning Legion didn't survive Legion

And this is the Faction War expansion, a big part of it anyway. Guess what doesn't survive this expansion unchanged?

9.0 will almost certainly not look like any expansion before it when it comes to the faction war.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Fuck factions.

[Maneo]

Fuck factions.

Although I may agree w/your sentiment, that isn't a compelling argument.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Although I may agree w/your sentiment, that isn't a compelling argument.

I wasn't trying to make an argument. I've done that enough before, but here a short version: I'm sick and tired of having half my friends on one side and the other half on another and therefore needing 2 characters to play with them. I'm tired of forced conflict because some people that never outgrew their teens need to spout some unintelligent rhetoric about "the war in warcraft", when we have been fighting enemies - large and small, factions and individuals - for years without having to resort to some "oh, we are the baddies again" plot that's as shallow as it can be. I'm tired of having my characters being race-locked to a faction and their terrible plot just because it has to be that way due to gameplay reasons.

So in short: Fuck factions .

[Maneo]

I wasn't trying to make an argument. I've done that enough before, but here a short version: I'm sick and tired of having half my friends on one side and the other half on another and therefore needing 2 characters to play with them. I'm tired of forced conflict because some people that never outgrew their teens need to spout some unintelligent rhetoric about "the war in warcraft", when we have been fighting enemies - large and small, factions and individuals - for years without having to resort to some "oh, we are the baddies again" plot that's as shallow as it can be. I'm tired of having my characters being race-locked to a faction and their terrible plot just because it has to be that way due to gameplay reasons.

So in short: Fuck factions .

Much more compeling, and I can't say I disagree.

My primary reason to say "Fuck Factions" is how it inhibits the ability of Blizzard to provide a compelling story due to "Faction Balance".

You reasoning is just as valid though. It is funny I have seen this question posted over the years (I played back in Vanilla) and over the years I have noticed a significant decline in the opposition to the Factions going away. Not sure if it is the player base maturing or just changing regardless it is interesting.

As a side note the War will always be in Warcraft just doesn't have to be between Horde and Alliance.

[Omedon]

I'm sick and tired of having half my friends on one side and the other half on another and therefore needing 2 characters to play with them.

This all day. There is a 50% chance when I meet a new WoW playing friend that they will be on the faction that my "lesser characters" will be on, the ones where I say "yeah someday we can do stuff" but really... it doesn't happen because I'm focusing on my main right now. Yes, rolling alts is a bandaid, but that's all it is. Some people don't do alts, and once again "we bring friends together" is a false statement from Blizzard, at least for WoW, so long as the faction divide is this opaque, this impermeable.

Honestly, just throw the grouping/guilding wide open and most of us would be happy, and it would be completely optional for people to interact, in premade groups anyway (at that point there's no reason for LFX not to be cross faction), with the other faction.

[Demeter]

I don't see anything like you described in your post happening.

[Omedon]

Interesting little detail I noticed... the mouseover nameplate for players now has their faction crest...

Gee... I wonder why they'd need that, I mean it already shows their race, that should be enough, right?... Unless... not always...

"Declare your allegiance" indeed...

[allawyn]

I think ending factions (or introducing a third factions or something) is the best way forward. Basically, at the point, each side is at the point where they have to feel the other side will eventually destroy them (yes, both sides, please no "my side is right" self-righteousness). So the game is either a continuing war to destroy the other side, a war that can't be won, or it needs to move to something else. And having both sides team up again just doesn't make sense. If, for no other reason, than they already have a dire threat (the death of Azeroth) and they seem no longer able to set aside their war.

[Checkt]

They're not going to re-shuffle what races are friendly to each other. Can you imagine the shitstorm they'd cause for literally forcing people to buy a faction change to keep playing with their friends/guilds?

Quite remarkable people don't understand this. Cata only redid zones and that was literally 1\2 or more of the entire development work for an entire expac. Redoing the zones for new factions, races, and more would be literally a new game, which is why:

The only way we'll see faction changes in WoW is when it ends and WoW2 begins.

[Zyrinx]

Faction shuffle would make for a really new and interesting Expansion.

But, they won't. Unfortunately.

[Omedon]

Ahem: It’s. Happening. Dot. G. I. F.

“Well, what I would say is that there is definitely room for what those factions represent to evolve and change and for their relationship to change,” said Danuser. “Those factions are so tied into player identity, when you see those banners, you know what they stand for — they’re personal to you as a player. You did things for that faction, you fought that enemy, you held the line for them, defended your capital. All those things. That wouldn’t be something we would take away lightly. That’s part of the Warcraft DNA. But shaping what those factions mean in the world and how they interact with one another? That’s something this expansion really allows us to focus on and resolve in a way that will be satisfying for players on both sides.”

https://www.wowhead.com/news=286525/...ance-and-horde

[Mestalis]

Is this relevant enough again to brez this thread, or am I asking to get it closed?... Guess I'll find out.

Seems to me like a major faction shift just keeps getting more and more likely. I'm curious to see how they pull it off.

What if there is no 10.0, and it's just 1.0 of WoW 2.0, after a total transition through 9 into a new paradigm?... I'm thinking no factions, or individual factions regardless of race are most likely at this point.

Thoughts?