I think one thing is fairly clear with the release of the 5.3 sound files (spoilers)

[Titan]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I think it's pretty clear that many Horde and Alliance races will be cross-faction next expansion. I do not think all races will go this way, but maybe two or so from each side. It has been set up this entire expansion, and especially with the unity theme of the Wrathion quest line. If Vul'jin and Baine are friends with Varien, it easily opens the door to them allowing their people to join either Horde or Alliance depending on preference.

So people aren't confused, I do not think this means you can make your 90 Dwarf become Horde. I am simply saying when you make a new character, certain races, like the Pandarian's will be available to both sides.

To add onto this, you have the fact Blizzard is making all new models, animations and textures for all the races outside of Panda's and maybe Goblins/Worgen. What better way for Blizzard to rake in the cash then more race transfers.

I think this would be really good from a Lore perspective, and help push the Warcraft story forward. Honestly, until Cata, we have been tying up all the WC3 loose ends. Cata and MOP are really the first expansions to branch out on their own and start creating new large storylines in World of Warcraft. The amount of good writing that can be done when the Alliance and Horde become more like political factions rather than born-into empires, is tremendous.

Of course this would be for the next expansion, which is at least 1 year away.

[Telwar]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I think it's pretty clear that many Horde and Alliance races will be cross-faction next expansion.

...that's a pretty massive leap there.

[Titan]

...that's a pretty massive leap there.

It is a big leap, but I think it's pretty obvious thing for them to do from a monetary business perspective, and from lore standpoint.

If they don't, it's going to be the same shit it's always been. Lets "unite" to fight a big bad guy, once he dies, we all hate each other again. It's been the same thing for going on 9 years. It's stale, it needs to change.

[Feral Camel]

I wouldn't be surprised, that one day, you'd be able to queue for PVE with the opposite faction. I just don't think its coming this soon.

[Deleted]

Would be sweet, but doubt on it. Imagin the loss of income from faction changes.

[Usagi Senshi]

Would be sweet, but doubt on it. Imagin the loss of income from faction changes.

*cough* paid race changes will skyrocket if both factions can play together *cough*

[Evil Inside]

TBH I doubt it. At most it'll probably be more of the "unite for the moment" sort of thing.

[Najja]

Would be sweet, but doubt on it. Imagin the loss of income from faction changes.

Yeah but if they end up retaining enough players, those that would have quit instead of paying for a faction change, they may even end up with that approach being more profitable then not. Too many variables there that we don't know or couldn't realistically predict for any educated guesses on which way it would go though.

[rpdrichard]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I think it's pretty clear that many Horde and Alliance races will be cross-faction next expansion. I do not think all races will go this way, but maybe two or so from each side. It has been set up this entire expansion, and especially with the unity theme of the Wrathion quest line. If Vul'jin and Baine are friends with Varien, it easily opens the door to them allowing their people to join either Horde or Alliance depending on preference.

So people aren't confused, I do not think this means you can make your 90 Dwarf become Horde. I am simply saying when you make a new character, certain races, like the Pandarian's will be available to both sides.

To add onto this, you have the fact Blizzard is making all new models, animations and textures for all the races outside of Panda's and maybe Goblins/Worgen. What better way for Blizzard to rake in the cash then more race transfers.

I think this would be really good from a Lore perspective, and help push the Warcraft story forward. Honestly, until Cata, we have been tying up all the WC3 loose ends. Cata and MOP are really the first expansions to branch out on their own and start creating new large storylines in World of Warcraft. The amount of good writing that can be done when the Alliance and Horde become more like political factions rather than born-into empires, is tremendous.

I agree with you, especially with high elves/blood elves, dwarves/dark iron dwarves(the one's formerly allied with ragnaros in cata), gnomes/lepper gnomes( or regular gnomes non loyal to alliance), and goblins.

Orcs and are the base and define each faction that's why I don't see them crossfaction at all
Night elves could never side with the horde after all Garrosh have done
Forsaken haten all alliance races as much as they hate them
Worgen got their homeland taken from them by forsaken and orc forces
Draenei not going horde after the genocide in terrallende


Tauren and Trolls are loyal to the real horde but after this expansion I'm not what the developers will do with them

[Ardourdan]

Or a third faction?

[nadileal]

This is fantastic.

[rpdrichard]

Or a third faction?

not completely unlikely but the alliance races don't look like they will split separate ways anytime soon

[Titan]

Or a third faction?

A third faction would be cool, but BLizzard already can't fill up two factions in North America. Most servers are completely unbalanced as it is. Many other servers don't have enough people to fill out both factions. So due to this I do not think they will splinter people even more. Most realms in North America already feel like complete ghost towns.

[Florena]

Massive leap in logic here. Us uniting against Garrosh is no different than working together in outland or northrend. To say 'it's obvious' they're going to make cross faction races out of current races is absurd.

The only thing to possibly indicate this is Lor'themar momentarily considering rejoining the alliance, which was trounced once Jaina purged Dalaran. When this is all over, there's no indication there will be more cross faction races. As for the 'dark irons going horde' the new scenario heavily emphasis the three clans coming TOGETHER not splitting apart. People claiming next expac is cross faction races are grasping a straws, at best.

[Valedus]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I think it's pretty clear that many Horde and Alliance races will be cross-faction next expansion. I do not think all races will go this way, but maybe two or so from each side. It has been set up this entire expansion, and especially with the unity theme of the Wrathion quest line. If Vul'jin and Baine are friends with Varien, it easily opens the door to them allowing their people to join either Horde or Alliance depending on preference.

So people aren't confused, I do not think this means you can make your 90 Dwarf become Horde. I am simply saying when you make a new character, certain races, like the Pandarian's will be available to both sides.

To add onto this, you have the fact Blizzard is making all new models, animations and textures for all the races outside of Panda's and maybe Goblins/Worgen. What better way for Blizzard to rake in the cash then more race transfers.

I think this would be really good from a Lore perspective, and help push the Warcraft story forward. Honestly, until Cata, we have been tying up all the WC3 loose ends. Cata and MOP are really the first expansions to branch out on their own and start creating new large storylines in World of Warcraft. The amount of good writing that can be done when the Alliance and Horde become more like political factions rather than born-into empires, is tremendous.

I don't think they were talking to Varian about calling him friend...

Edit: Also. Cata/Deathwing had the storyline around from before. I agree that MoP is branching out into new lore, but Cata wasn't.

[Florena]

A third faction would be cool, but BLizzard already can't fill up two factions in North America. Most servers are completely unbalanced as it is. Many other servers don't have enough people to fill out both factions. So due to this I do not think they will splinter people even more. Most realms in North America already feel like complete ghost towns.

A third faction would require making entirely new 1-90 content for that faction. This will NOT happen without an overhaul even greater than Cataclysm's. Maybe in WoW 2 if they ever make a sequel but not in WoW.

---------- Post added 2013-03-26 at 08:14 PM ----------

I don't think they were talking to Varian about calling him friend...

And yeah, we don't know who Vol'jin is talking to yet. Could be varian, would make sense, but we don't have the other half of that conversation yet so far as I'm aware.

[Seranthor]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I think it's pretty clear that many Horde and Alliance races will be cross-faction next expansion. I do not think all races will go this way, but maybe two or so from each side. It has been set up this entire expansion, and especially with the unity theme of the Wrathion quest line. If Vul'jin and Baine are friends with Varien, it easily opens the door to them allowing their people to join either Horde or Alliance depending on preference.

So people aren't confused, I do not think this means you can make your 90 Dwarf become Horde. I am simply saying when you make a new character, certain races, like the Pandarian's will be available to both sides.

To add onto this, you have the fact Blizzard is making all new models, animations and textures for all the races outside of Panda's and maybe Goblins/Worgen. What better way for Blizzard to rake in the cash then more race transfers.

I think this would be really good from a Lore perspective, and help push the Warcraft story forward. Honestly, until Cata, we have been tying up all the WC3 loose ends. Cata and MOP are really the first expansions to branch out on their own and start creating new large storylines in World of Warcraft. The amount of good writing that can be done when the Alliance and Horde become more like political factions rather than born-into empires, is tremendous.

Making the leap from being 'friendly' in a cooperative sense to allowing cross faction races is a monumental leap of faith. I'm convinced it WONT happen.

[Skytotem]

After listening to Baine's sound file as well as Vul'jin. Where they seek help from the Alliance and Varien agrees to help. Later Vul'jin calls him friend, and references the "old times".

I don't think he's referring to Varian there at the Old times thing, these sound files run from situation to situation without a lot of context, Varian and Vol'jin were never in Durotar at the same time so it wouldn't make much sense for there to be "old times"

[Ryanlol]

Faction Merge under the Army of Light with Anduin leading. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Florena]

I don't think he's referring to Varian there at the Old times thing, these sound files run from situation to situation without a lot of context, Varian and Vol'jin were never in Durotar at the same time so it wouldn't make much sense for there to be "old times"

The old times seems to come from a conversation with him and Thrall and Baine, the voice files match up well. There are a couple lines of him talking to alliance, but we don't have the other side of the conversation yet.