Factions stay, no cross-faction mode

[Khaza-R]

So no item sets? The interview definitely made it seem that way.

No unifaction doesn't surprise me.

[KaiserSolarius]

But he's right in his reasoning: the Horde/Alliance conflict is the pillar of Warcraft since the first game. Removing it totally would be like removing the Sith and Jedi opposition from Star Wars. If you don't like the principle of Faction War, then you don't really like Warcraft.
BUT that doesn't mean you can't argue that the conflict has been very poorly written for a long time, because it has been.

[Omedon]

Literally the only, ONLY shred of hope left is that something gets done with the faction icons on character select that allows for permanent faction transfer regardless of race. THAT would fit in this time of disension, given the "personal choice" feel of the NPC chatter post 4th war. It's not cross faction, but it does free races up and it does potentially close the "I like dwarves, my friend likes trolls" gap.

By the end of the deep dive we should know, as they are addressing 8.3-8.3.5, and if there's going to be a system pre-9.0 added to the game, it wouldn't have been covered in anything day 1 because that was all shadowlands stuff.

But that's literally it. It's probably dead.

[Nagawithlegs]

It will be a 10.0 feature. Don't ask me why they're delaying it.

[Doffen]

The same way it has throughout the history of WoW. Humans enslaved and tortured orcs, trolls and various other horde races. Orcs raided and murdered alliance settlements. While you might not feel like they settled there differences, lore wise they two factions still hate each other. There's a difference between being at full blown war, and disliking a faction to the point where you kill them out in the open world. It's WARCRAFT, not PEACECRAFT. They'll work together when it's necessary, but to full blown merge them together would be ridiculous. The only way I see blizzard implementing cross faction gameplay is if the sub count nose dives. They'll have no other option other to enable it due to a small community.

I would want the factions to stay. Just have a pve mode for it. For the raiding scene's sake. Lorewise it could be supported too, no problem. But it is as you say anyway, it is a lot of tension, but nowadays it's on a much smaller scale. It's not doom and gloom, but I think it's a missed opportunity.

[Xath]

i am officially on board with the Ion needs to go train.

when will the stupid discussion stop?

I honestly just don't get it like the war campaign end cinematic was basically screaming factions are done outside of hardliners aka war mode.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

It will be a 10.0 feature. Don't ask me why they're delaying it.

I had this thought actually late last night. If Shadowlands feels like an extension of Legion what with Orders "returning" and a focus on solo player content and choice, that means 10.0 will probably be an extension off BFA. Which means more garbage one-off features, but also probably all the leftover stuff BFA teased and never delivered on, like a world revamp and a faction merge.

[rowaasr13]

But he's right in his reasoning: the Horde/Alliance conflict is the pillar of Warcraft since the first game. Removing it totally would be like removing the Sith and Jedi opposition from Star Wars. If you don't like the principle of Faction War, then you don't really like Warcraft.
BUT that doesn't mean you can't argue that the conflict has been very poorly written for a long time, because it has been.

Yeah, it was such an epic war against Horde in Alliance campaign in WC3. I clearly remember smashing orcs left and right here!!!!!1111 Oh, wait... I don't.
But at least in Classic WoW, pretty much all quest chains and every zone were about sticking it up to that pesky Horde!!!!1111 Oh, wait. They weren't as well.

"Pillar", yeah...

[Nagawithlegs]

I had this thought actually late last night. If Shadowlands feels like an extension of Legion what with Orders "returning" and a focus on solo player content and choice, that means 10.0 will probably be an extension off BFA. Which means more garbage one-off features, but also probably all the leftover stuff BFA teased and never delivered on, like a world revamp and a faction merge.

Hard to be BFA 2 with no AP grind and classes that aren't complete ass.

But yeah a world revamp and cross faction stuff (with Dragon Isles) is insanely likely for 10.0. This expansion fixes mechanics, next expansion changes the core game.

[Xath]

But he's right in his reasoning: the Horde/Alliance conflict is the pillar of Warcraft since the first game. Removing it totally would be like removing the Sith and Jedi opposition from Star Wars. If you don't like the principle of Faction War, then you don't really like Warcraft.
BUT that doesn't mean you can't argue that the conflict has been very poorly written for a long time, because it has been.

Here's the problem with his reasoning alliance raiding is dying. The Hall of Fame for Alliance literally filled up a weak ago with around the 330th guild. There are a total of 14 alliance guilds in top 100 4 of those are on the Frostmourne Oceanic server. Alliance for raiding is basically dead outside of Oceanic realms. In some cases "story" needs to take a back seat to gameplay allowing cross faction grouping to take down the threats of the shadowlands even makes sense lorewise.

[RobertMugabe]

So after Shadowlands it will be another silly faction war. Such a missed opportunity.

What do you feel?

What fucking missed opportunity?

As Ion has already said... having 2 factions fighting each other is a core part of this game and most of it is built around it. Removing factions would be the single dumbest thing they could ever do, also something they just couldn't reverse.

[crakerjack]

I would want the factions to stay. Just have a pve mode for it. For the raiding scene's sake. Lorewise it could be supported too, no problem. But it is as you say anyway, it is a lot of tension, but nowadays it's on a much smaller scale. It's not doom and gloom, but I think it's a missed opportunity.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they do enable cross faction in the future. Sure right now the community is small and I too, as an alliance player, have noticed how few pugs are available. That has more in part to do with BFA being a sub-par expansion than anything else. When shadowlands releases, the hordes of players will swarm back in and for the first few months, finding people for content shouldn't be an issue. I'm just hoping that there isn't severe time gating within the covenants to the point where players are driven away.

[Xath]

What fucking missed opportunity?

As Ion has already said... having 2 factions fighting each other is a core part of this game and most of it is built around it. Removing factions would be the single dumbest thing they could ever do, also something they just couldn't reverse.

Allowing for cross faction grouping is necessary for the survival of the alliance as a faction. You can still keep factions and have them be combative while in warmode in the overworld but let people group together.

[Teekey]

What fucking missed opportunity?

As Ion has already said... having 2 factions fighting each other is a core part of this game and most of it is built around it. Removing factions would be the single dumbest thing they could ever do, also something they just couldn't reverse.

Two Factions with a faction unbalance driving microtransactions is a core part of their business model.

[Mixxy]

Annnnnd the story is going to stay handcuffed by the ridiculous notion of factions. They really need to abandon this terrible story telling crutch.

Right? The only reason for the factions to still exist is to give Blizzard an easy reason to say "Look, these two groups hate each other because one's red and the other is blue!"

That shit is such lazy, shitty writing that there's literally an entire hugely popular web-series specifically mocking that trope.

[Selinde]

It's such a pity we endured the BfA storyline literally for nothing

[Mixxy]

There's a difference between being at full blown war, and disliking a faction to the point where you kill them out in the open world. It's WARCRAFT, not PEACECRAFT. They'll work together when it's necessary, but to full blown merge them together would be ridiculous.

I hate this stupid fucking meme of an argument.

I hate it so much.

The Alliance and the Horde can be at war, without being at war with each other.

Christ.

[Gurluas]

So no innovation and things are still the same crap as before. *sigh*

I hate this stupid fucking meme of an argument.

I hate it so much.

The Alliance and the Horde can be at war, without being at war with each other.

Christ.

This! That stupid argument ruined the entire Wc3 Horde plot, gave us idiocy like Garrosh, the stupid plots of Cata, Mop and BFA.
Just drop the flipping Horde vs Alliance crap.

[Doffen]

What fucking missed opportunity?

As Ion has already said... having 2 factions fighting each other is a core part of this game and most of it is built around it. Removing factions would be the single dumbest thing they could ever do, also something they just couldn't reverse.

It's only a core part of the game when it comes to gameplay. The Alliance vs Horde haven't really been a big part of the game since vanilla, and then I am being generous.

Alliance vs Horde is now just a gameplay restriction, nothing more. I want to main a horde char, but I can't since my friends and guildies likes the Alliance. So in the end, just a gameplay restriction.

I would want the factions to stay. Just have a pve mode for it. For the raiding scene's sake. Lorewise it could be supported too, no problem. But it is as you say anyway, it is a lot of tension, but nowadays it's on a much smaller scale. It's not doom and gloom, but I think it's a missed opportunity.

I just quote myself to make my point. Factions can still stay by all means.

[Gorsameth]

Its a giant missed opportunity to get rid of faction imbalance and open up for development options in the future by not being shackled with needing to make separate Horde and Alliance content.

Look forward to "Putting the War back in Warcraft" for 10.0 ... again.