Going both ways?
According to Nethaera:
As with all of the features and services we offer, we intend to incorporate the faction-change service in a way that won’t disrupt the gameplay experience on the realms, and there will be some rules involved with when and how the service can be used. The number of variables involved increases the complexity of implementing this service, but we plan to take the time needed to ensure that it lives up to expectations before officially rolling it out. We’ll go into much more detail on all of this here at http://www.WorldofWarcraft.com as development progresses. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know that because this type of functionality requires extensive internal testing well in advance of release, you may be seeing bits and pieces of the service in the test builds we use for the public test realms moving forward.
A long time ago, I rerolled a Horde Druid on Mal’ganis so that I could potentially try and play with some of the fantastic people over there. Eventually, I missed all the perks that came with my Night Elf (you know, armor, achievements, ten million pets) and went back to the Alliance. But if I could simply wave a magic wand, pay a “nominal” fee and transform Runy into a Tauren…would I?
Obviously there are a million implications here. What would the faction transfer entail? Would you be able to pick your appearance? Would it reset your server transfer timer? What about your faction-based reputations? Would those transfer or reset? Will the best Horde guilds now get slammed by 6 million giddy Alliance players?
What will you do?
I will not change my druid! Ever! I hate tauren and I refuse to use OP racials! Fight the war stomp!
Honestly, I think Night Elf racials are the way to go right now. War Stomp is cool…sort of…in PVP…but beyond that (and some minor health boosts), I’d rather take some free avoidance and Shadowmeld.
I have no reason to switch, and if I did I would want it on the server I play on now…and with it being PvP, I would have to convert all my characters! Not worth it!
Actually, that’s an interesting problem that I’m sure they’ll have to address at some point in time. It’d be a little ridiculous to make that a requirement (i.e. only applies to PVE/RP realms unless you convert the world).
Would I switch my Druid? Nah, I don’t think so. NE would never be my first choice for any class, but my hands were tied playing an Alliance Druid and Shadowmeld/avoidance is great.
However… my old beloved Rogue main that I played for 3 years starting at release is Horde (Undead). He’s been patiently waiting to come to my new server and play with my guild. I would definitely server transfer and switch his race if that was possible without any bad side effects (reputations, etc.)
What would I do? Stay Alliance. My Human paladin would not be as cool as a Blood Elf.
However, I might roll a Night Elf druid, twink it up with my paladin’s funds, and then transfer it to the Horde on a different server to give myself a head start on said server.
It’d definitely be easier. When I “rerolled” on Mal’ganis, it was absolutely painful starting from scratch and barely having enough gold to purchase my talents, especially when my NE Druid has a tidy sum sitting in the bank.
I luff my night elf druid and thus I wouldn’t change her, but maybe if I leveled some other characters on alliance side and regretted it I would. It will be interesting to see how they’ll handle reputations though. The only reason I would consider it with my night elf is because, at times, Horde owns Alliance on the server I am as far as pvp goes (but in certain ones we own them, so I guess it balances out …). But, seeing as all of the people I play with are on alliance side I am good to go
I agree that we definitely need more details: how is this happening? Will it be a complicated, lengthy process like it is in EQII? Will you simply pay some cashmoneys and then have everything switched?
Personally, I’m not going to change my main. I love my guild. However, if the guild went Horde, I would probably go with them. It does offer a ton more options for recruiting, though.
If only they’d done this a year ago. . .I have a whole server full of horde, a whole server full of PvE alliance, and a whole server full of alliance on PvP. . .my preferrence is alliance, but all my friends play horde, I have a level 74 Paladin I can never use again. Would I pay to switch him horde? Not presently because I have an 80 paladin, and with dual specs, why do I need 2 80 paladins? Would I have a year ago? HELL YES!
btw, screw alliance/horde transfers, PLEASE GIVE BLOOD ELVES SOME MANLY FACIAL HAIR!!!!!
MELF BEST ELF
I think this is a great option for people who either picked the wrong faction for where their friends are, or who need a fresh start in the game. Want to make sure those drama-queens from your old guild can’t talk to you? Switch faction
True. It also gives you a stupid amount of options (depending on the “consequences” of faction changing, if there are any) in terms of finding a guild that suits your needs.
I think it’s an excellent addition that will solve a lot of problems for a lot of people. I have several friends across my many servers that hate the faction that their main is in, but don’t want to take the time to reroll and start all over with nothing.
Personally, I have no intention of ever putting this into use at all. If I want Horde I roll Horde, if I want Alliance then I roll Horde. See there, no conflicts.
But, as I said there are at least 5 that come immediately to mind that I know would jump on this at the first opportunity with multiple characters, and I know there are others I’ve seen mention it before that I don’t play with, not to mention the many who’ve said they would change in trade chat after it was announced.
I love that it’s being added, I just have no personal use for it.
Yeah. Despite the fact that it will create interesting recruiting conundrums and potential server imbalances, I think it’ll be pretty cool. I really do want to know how Blizzard intends to handle this: will it involve questing? Re-rep grinding? A permanent cooldown? Will faction transferring then reset your realm transfer option? Will you be able to select the looks on your new mans?
All that kind of fun stuff.
Nah, I rolled NE in the beginning because I wanted to play a druid that did not need to shave her face.
I initially rolled a Night Elf so that I could play with the only friend of mine I knew was playing. I wasn’t at all thinking about racial bonuses, Alliance v. Horde server populations, or realm community–just getting on and getting started.
The cow thing is difficult. I have a second 80 Druid on Mal’ganis, and I can wholeheartedly state that I really, really dislike how she looks. I don’t at all feel any kinship with my character, and shapeshifting is a welcome distraction from the placid herbivore visage.