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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: Faction Pride
by Amanda Dean 
Mar 15th 2008 at 8:00AM
I play Horde. I've been known to wear a t-shirt that says "Real Women Roll Horde." I've tried playing
There seem to be a lot of stereotypes of players on either faction: Allies are kiddies and goody-goodies; Hordies are bloodthirsty, basement-dwelling jerks who don't even play nicely with each other. If I come across someone who seems like a total stooge, the thought, "That guy probably rolls Alliance." crosses my mind. I've discovered that these are merely overgeneralizations and there are great players and great people on both sides. Maybe I won't pick fights with chicks who play gnome when Wrath of the Lich King is released.
What's your experience with faction rivalry beyond Azeroth?
Filed under: Horde, Alliance, Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Dahk Mar 15th 2008 10:42AM
Yea, I moved to a new city last fall to go to school at a university. After trying for a while to find some other fellow WoW players, I kinda gave up, but not because I couldn't find any. My problem is that I play Horde, but everyone here (Boulder, Co) that I've met is full out Alliance.
I even had one experience where a guy saw me on my laptop looking at WoW stuff and tried to recruit me into his guild. He looked over my armory and we chatted about what my experience was, what I knew about my class etc. Later on I found out he thought I had a human mage, but was mistaken since I have a Blood Elf.
Regardless I'm still For the Horde!
dentonphilip Mar 15th 2008 10:56AM
I have played a Tauren Warrior since Day 1 because they're just made of pure win.
Fanryn Mar 15th 2008 10:58AM
Faction rivalry can and certainly has been taken to stupid levels.
I've experienced both. My main is alliance, and I've spent the majority of my play time on that side, taking three characters to level 70. But I've put in a fair bit of time on horde, too, having two 70s there. All on a PvE realm, by the way.
From what I've experienced, the horde stereotypes the alliance as childish and whiny. The alliance stereotypes the horde for cheating and intentional harassing. Both perceptions are based in some fact, I'm sure, but what both sides rarely acknowledge is that BOTH sides are just as guilty of the same offenses.
I can't tell you how many times I've turned off trade chat on my horde characters during an extending spam-troll-flame war, usually with people making jokes about (misspelled) genitals and bathroom "humor," then turning right around and telling someone to "go back to alliance, that's the kiddie side."
The irony -- it chokes us!
Then when playing on one of my lower horde characters, a higher level alliance flagged and kept following me, trying to get me to unintentionally flag myself by jumping on my killed mobs and harassing me.
Immaturity exist on both sides of the faction lines. People who generalize an entire faction are ignoring the morons on their own faction. What TomWolf says is valid -- disliking someone as a part of roleplay or the "spirit of the game" is something that fits in the game world. But I see very few examples of that on my server. Mostly, I see real people hating other real people.
WoW faction hate is a good example of dehumanizing. How often do we just perceive them as "alliance/horde scum" and not as people? Do players really think that it makes a statement about the type of person a player is when they pick a faction the very first time they fire up the game?
I might try to tell people to ease up and try to see other faction players as complete people, too, but I think that's asking for a bit too much insight from the typical WoW player (see? I can dehumanize, too!). Instead, at least know that whatever you think of THEM, they probably have an equally unfavorable assumption of YOU.
robotrock Mar 15th 2008 11:09AM
I think anyone who gets that emotional about factions is a big dork :P
It's brilliant marketing though.
Charn Mar 15th 2008 2:02PM
i played alliance for the first year of the game. When I got board i went horde for the change of pace. I was never one of those ppl that says "alliance is easy mode" but back then I think the factions where vastly different as far as population on my server and what was in the AH. There was just more alliance so more people to group with and more gear up for sale. I also came to the conclusion that alliance was made up more of younger immature players (i am 30 as I write this). I assumed this was from the notion that alliance was the good guys and horde the bad guys. If you follow the lore, however, the case is not black and white like that. Anyway we are now in the 4th year of the game and I think those lines have faded away a lot with so many people playing. I still find, however, alliance starting areas more filled with inane general chat than horde starting areas.
The fact that I still prefer horde, in my case, i think is just a personal preference based on lore and environment.
Eternalpayn Mar 15th 2008 11:30AM
I am horde all the way. No question about it. However, all my real life friends (You know, people you met outside of WoW xD) play Alliance. It completely shocked me, when I found out they played, that they rolled Ally. So, I have tried to level a Dranei Shammy on their realm (Yep, keeping it as Horde as possible), and honestly, I'm not a huge fan. It may just be because my Horde realm is so great, we just have a load of fun and faction pride, or it might just be the ally realm was bad. (Keeping it nameless, but the general chat their was most likely the reason the government is going to be data mining WoW... not for terrorists, but pedophiles...)
Anyway, as much as Blizz is trying to break down the Ally-Hordie hate, there is still a ton of faction pride where I come from anyway. But, as much as it pains me to say it, the Alliance I know in real life are a lot better than a ton of the Hordies I've met online...
Staggerlee Mar 15th 2008 12:21PM
Have never once rolled Alliance.
BTW
You ever notice the people who say both sides are the same , and Faction pride is stupid are 95% Alliance?
Alliance in my view have no pride nor honor. I fight for the Horde and could never even visit the oppressors on the other side.
Eternalpayn Mar 15th 2008 12:30PM
They say they are the same because they are the ally morons that spam horde trade chat. xD
Solex Mar 15th 2008 12:42PM
I didn't start till TBC and rolled a BE, cuz I thought the racials were kind of neat and the "We're arrogant as hell btw we're magic crack addicts and we hang out with cows, dead people and blue and green guys" thing was kind of neat. As a result, I go out of my way to kill dranei and night elves whenever possible. Dranei because it's the new kids on the block rivalry within the horde/alliance rivalry and night elves because male ne's look like steroid induced hulk pedophiles.
While I do have a few alliance alts none are past lvl..7? Human males apparently start taking steroids at a young age, Night elves are disproportionate to me, it looks like their pelvises have been crushed by years of snu snu. The gnomes bug me when my rogue gets thrashed by an ankle biter with a lolherald and dwares? Those guys freaking rock.
Kevin Mar 15th 2008 12:44PM
I rolled alliance mostly because my friend back in high school who got me into this game was alliance. I have played horde but never can get out of the teens. I enjoy playing horde just as much but cannot make the full switch since playing on a different server where you don't know anyone just gets really boring. It is my experience however that people who say they won't play ally because of all the little kids are just idiots. Both sides have the same amount of annoying "little kids" and from my experience ally is actually more mature.
Leaf Mar 15th 2008 1:01PM
Fanryn said it best.
At least Amanda reconize that she's taking it too far, but some really can't grasp that and it's kind of sad to be honest. It's basically taking a game too far. You play the game with the opposite side just as much as you play it with your own side. Keep the hate out of it and just be proud of your side's accomplishments and leave the petty rivalry out of it.
It's kind of like someone chosing white side on chess and then hating the other player for chosing black.
Gillean Mar 15th 2008 1:05PM
I actually find people who play Horde interesting since i have not been able to get past lvl 13 in a million attempts at a horde character. I think there is a lot to learn from the opposing faction. Granted I'm hurling fiery boulders at them in PvP scenarios but that's expected.
Shogun Mar 15th 2008 3:32PM
I went to the London launch of TBC with my wife, who's never played WoW and has no interest in but went with me anyway... There were hundreds of people there, all talking, joking loudly etc, slagging off various races/classes etc. The general concensus seemed to be that Gnome Warlocks were the most hated, my wife asked me
"what do you play again"
"gnome warlock >.>"
"maybe you should keep that to yourself"
We got to chatting with another group of guys/girls and when the innevitable "so what do you play" came up and I answered, the atmosphere towards me seemed alot more "hostile"... :)
Lots of fun "for the horde!" going on though, I think most of the alliance players just kept quite ^^
These days I play both of them alot, so I can't really say I prefer one or the other *cough*horderocks*cough*
Goosesausage Mar 15th 2008 2:11PM
I'm definitely an alliance dude. I don't really like the looks of the horde races or their zones/cities. I wish I had their racials though. I know everyone loves to give night elves a lot of crap but they'll always be my favorite. And I'm totally the kind of dude that would get in a real life fight if someone started giving me crap about being alliance. I'm ashamed to admit that but it's true.
GRAB YUR SWORD AND KILL THE HORDE!
Nasgoul Mar 15th 2008 5:51PM
Well well... we now see where the readers of Insider fall.. For all of you who dont fight the good fight you are my enemy... If you are a traitor to your world than so be it... I will meet you and I will destroy... This land once and for all needs to be clensed of its Horde infestation... The forces of the enemy will be depleated on the field of batte.
And in the end... Things will be as they must be.... As the Alliance will emerge victorious, as good will always triumph over evil..
For the Alliance....
blackwolf675 Mar 17th 2008 10:21AM
I shall stand on a hill above your burning capital, painted in blood with my Horde brothers. I will tie your bones into my armor, so that your kin will hear the rattle as I march upon them, unafraid...
~Rattleshirt
Immemor Mar 17th 2008 2:55PM
You’re going to kill me with ellipses.
Moshnerd Mar 15th 2008 5:53PM
I'm not going to lie. I freakin' LOVE the Horde. Seriously. But, unfortunately, when I started playing WoW, most of my IRL friends had already been playing for ages. And, they had chosen the Alliance.
I tried to resist. I really did. I rolled a Tauren Shaman, then a Troll Hunter, then an Orc warrior. But I felt so lonely. I really did. I'd go to school or go to a movie with my friends and they'd talk about all their fun, flower-picking, tree-hugging Alliance adventures, while I wandered around the Barrens alone.
Finally, though, the loneliness got the best of me. My Night Elf Druid was born, and he's been my main ever since. But I still got tons of love for the Horde. I've been known to shout out things like, "For the Horde!" and "Let's just take our one mark, guys!" during battlegrounds.
Zegim Mar 15th 2008 6:51PM
I've always played alliance since they had Paladins.
Still, Horde has the "FOR THE HORDE!" motto. It's awesome, wish alliance had something as catchy as that.
Isa Mar 15th 2008 8:35PM
I don't take "fraction pride" seriously outside of the game. It's just...lame and corny. I love being Alliance, but I don't shun guys wearing Horde shirts, screaming "OMFG 4 DA ALLIANCE U WHORDE NOOBS!"
It's just a game. And most of the people that like to obnoxiously proclaim their allegiance, are Horde. >_>