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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBlizzard giving PvE to PvP transfers to friends
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 21st 2007 at 11:30AM
The rule on transfers is that you can't start out on a PvE server, and transfer away to a PvP server. Blizzard has said that players can't fight carebear up to 70, and then jump over to gank lowbies-- if you want the ability to kill those below you, you have to be killed first.That is, unless you're friends with the developers. Players are claiming that someone named Broodthorn has been switched from Zul'jin (a PvE server) to Black Dragonflight, a PvP server. How do we know they're the same? The old Broodthorn's Armory profile is empty, and the new one is right here. All indications are that he switched servers, sometime recently. How is this possible? Broodthorn is now in Fires of Heaven, which is the same guild that Furor used to lead in Everquest. And Furor is none other than Alex Afrasiabi, one of Blizzard's main quest designers (he appeared on the Lore and Quests panel with Chris Metzen at BlizzCon). So bottom line is that if you're a good friend of the developers, Blizzard can make anything you want happen in game, even things they've specifically said shouldn't happen.
And this isn't the first "stealth transfer" to go down, either-- supposedly, entire guilds have been transferred from server to server by Blizzard before. Sure, Blizzard has the right to do something like this (it's their game, their rules), but it's a little hypocritical (at least) to require paying customers to abide by certain rules, while moving your own guild around at will.
Update: Wow. To tell the truth, I was tending towards the camp of "it's a perk, who cares," but Nethaera is having none of it. After someone linked this post on the forums, she sez:
This transfer was based on an internal request that bypassed our checks and balances dictating how such transfers occur. Since the transfer violates our character-transfer policy, the character in question is being moved back to its originating realm, and we have imposed some additional measures to help avoid such situations in the future. We made this correction as soon as we became aware of the oversight; we appreciate everyone's attention and input on the matter.
Hardcore. Way to go Blizzard for making everyone play by the same rules. Kudos.
Filed under: Realm News, Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Blizzard, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
Chris Aug 21st 2007 9:24PM
Uber guild stole your lunch money? Sick of them dancing on YOUR mailbox in their uber gear? Not to worry, take it out on Furor and FOH over at the WOW Insider. Having second thoughts? Thinking that taking your vengeful hate to the public domain is a sign of weakness? Pettyness? Homosexuality? Don't worry, you are among friends here, hell, look at this bullshit 'story' we just ran with.
This shit isn't a 'story' if it were any other dev and if you couldn't get FOH in there it would have never been posted. And that's the absolute height of hypocrisy!!!!! At its finest!!!!!
Pain Aug 21st 2007 10:13PM
Despite your claim otherwise, Blizzard has allowed PvE to PvP transfers. Players on Zul'Jin had the option to officially transfer to Black Dragonflight.
http://blue.cardplace.com/cache/wow-general/7828465.htm
CrpyTech Aug 21st 2007 10:36PM
This sounds something like the EvE Online story where the dev's got caught showing favoritism for one corporation. On the surface it seems like a small deal, but if Blizz doesn't abide by it's own terms of service ingame then it could leave them open to lawsuits. Stupid? Yes, but dumber things have happened. Anybody remember that cup of McDonald's coffee?
Toots Aug 21st 2007 11:24PM
not too long ago they offered a Free transfer from Zul Jin to a PVP server, reason i Know, i just missed out on it by a day and wish i could have moved that level 30 i never play anymore.
Fletch Aug 21st 2007 11:42PM
Yes, Blizzard has allowed PVE to PVP transfers before. More than a year ago Blizzard opened up transfers from some PVE realms, including Zuljin, to some new PVP servers even though they had previously said that those sort of transfers would not take place.
There was such an outcry over that transfer (including claims that it only happened because FoH wanted to transfer) that Blizzard made it their policy to not allow any more PVE to PVP transfers, even to new realms.
In this case, these guys (there actually seems to be more than one member of FoH who got the transfer)transfered last month, clearly against Blizzard's stated policy. Obviously there's a special "Friends of Furor" clause. It also makes the claims about the earlier FoH transfer, which seemed like silly conspiracy theories at the time, much more plausible.
Keylight Aug 22nd 2007 8:28AM
"This transfer was based on an internal request that bypassed our checks and balances dictating how such transfers occur. Since the transfer violates our character-transfer policy, the character in question is being moved back to its originating realm, and we have imposed some additional measures to help avoid such situations in the future. We made this correction as soon as we became aware of the oversight; we appreciate everyone's attention and input on the matter."
Looks like Blizz wasn't too happy about this.
tonyl Nov 12th 2007 11:01AM
Wow, they let someone transfer off of one of the servers that were allowed to transfer to pvp once to the server that the pve servers were transfering to. So, pretty much it's exactly the same as if he transferred a year before it. WoW players find anything to complain about, this game makes a lot of people's egos.