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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsSame-faction battlegrounds to be available for testing on the PTR
by Fox Van Allen 
Mar 31st 2011 at 11:00PM
Well, it's time to box up that purely hypothetical feud and take it to the PTR -- Blizzard is going to be testing same-faction rated battlegrounds.
From Community Manager Nethaera today:
As a part of our ongoing development and testing for World of Warcraft, we are introducing same faction Rated Battlegrounds on the PTR. Teams will be able to queue up and face opponents of either faction in head-to-head competition to truly gauge who deserves to be top of the heap.
This new functionality of the Rated Battleground matchmaking system is still a work in progress, so we'll need your help. If you're interested in helping test same faction Rated Battleground queuing and play with (or go head-to-head with) Blizzard employees, just keep an eye on the PTR forum for times and details:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/1181024/
This new functionality of the Rated Battleground matchmaking system is still a work in progress, so we'll need your help. If you're interested in helping test same faction Rated Battleground queuing and play with (or go head-to-head with) Blizzard employees, just keep an eye on the PTR forum for times and details:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/1181024/
There are a lot of questions about the new feature, of course: How will it work? Will this dilute the meaning behind the game's Horde vs. Alliance plot? And how badly can I graveyard camp Dawn before she just gives up and quits out of frustration? All eyes are on the PTR for answers.
Want to ascend the arena ladders faster than a fireman playing Donkey Kong? We'll steer you to victory with the best arena addons and let you in on some rank 1 gladiator PvP secrets. If you're looking for the inside line on battlegrounds and world PvP, read The Art of War(craft).
Filed under: News items, PvP, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
RetPallyJil Apr 1st 2011 3:48AM
HAS SOUND! (Brrcchhhchchchch!!!!)
sherekhan88 Apr 1st 2011 3:53AM
Probably not the April's Fool article, since it isn't beyond the realm of possibility and seems to be a probable feature to be honest.
kingcomrade Apr 1st 2011 3:55AM
I wish they would do this for normal BGs too because honestly I'm tired of feeling like I picked the wrong faction. If they did it for normal BGs my bad players could play against other bad players.
Jawn Apr 1st 2011 4:21AM
There's no link to the original post, people.
Can't link to what doesn't exist.
:)
Jawn Apr 1st 2011 4:24AM
NVMD , i had my browser play a fish day joke on me.
Muse Apr 1st 2011 5:12AM
If nothing else, this will finally settle the "X/Y faction has an unfair advantage in A/B battleground!" questions once and for all, when Alliance or Horde players will get a chance to start from the other faction's position for themselves.
Murdertime Apr 1st 2011 5:32AM
Maybe the alliance will able to win for once!
Heh.
I kid.
The Alliance will never win a bg.
gamerunknown Apr 1st 2011 7:08AM
This is bad news for the Alliance. I'd been winning a few more battlegrounds due to getting boosted by the PvPros that transferred for faster queues (and did normal bgs if they were bored when their team wasn't on), they might transfer back for better racials and camaraderie or asthetics.
Anyway, the change makes sense. If you don't refuse to fight your faction in arena, you might as well squabble over who gets the reputation bonus for returning resources in BGs.
Blayze Apr 1st 2011 7:17AM
sup brah
Blayze Apr 1st 2011 7:15AM
We need this in all bgs so I can face my fellow Alliance players for WSG rep.
ashtin Apr 1st 2011 7:20AM
this is nothing new. I heard about this months ago them planning on doing something like this so don't think this is a joke. And this is still nothing new. Star trek online had this at launch in their pvp matches I know because I was playing star trek online practically when it launched as well as this game.
Eralyn Apr 1st 2011 9:20AM
It's not like it would break the lore, factions within both the alliance and horde fight and disagree with each other to the point of blood loss at a fairly decent rate.
ejunk Apr 1st 2011 8:40AM
You all who are skeptical of whether this would work should try the war games feature with your guild mates. Same faction BGs will work.
Ominous Apr 1st 2011 8:45AM
Everyone has a calendar? Amazing so many bite.
Drakkenfyre Apr 1st 2011 2:51PM
Amazing how a feature announced two months ago is finally coming to testing.
Oh, and you also have a CM saying it's serious.
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2325614097?page=10#183
edgeblade Apr 1st 2011 8:55AM
While this cool if true, Rated Battlegrounds themselves are pretty much useless if you don't have a group already formed. Why can't they allow individuals to queue and just assign them a personal rating and ignore the team rating for non pre-made groups. That make them more accessible for the player base as a whole and the people who want do to them but don't have a full group would be able to do them still.
paul.mertens.2010 Apr 1st 2011 9:52AM
This is clearly a slap in the face of alliance players, who play for the weaker faction but get faster queue times in return.
Jk.
Zeeb Apr 1st 2011 1:08PM
I'm not a fan of this change, in arenas it's fine as your competing in a gladiatorial based set up. But fighting each other in battlegrounds lore wise makes no sense. Why would orca try to defend ashenvale? Just my thoughts. Ps my qs are short :@)
Zaet Apr 1st 2011 4:52PM
FOR THE HORDE
digits Apr 6th 2011 8:38PM
The last time Blizzard employees went head-to-head with players was with Arena Junkies and Blizzard devs cheated! What guarantee do we have that they won't this time?
It's bad enough that everyone knows that Arena Junkies were the worst bastion of lowlife cheaters who absolutely ruined the battlegrounds with their bots that everyone, including Blizzard, knows all about, but this video was the laughing stock of having any faith of integrity left of this game:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1020863151
Why would anyone, knowing that you have the capability to cheat, and have, go "head-to-head" with any of you?