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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsCross-realm Real ID grouping now available
by Mathew McCurley 
Jul 14th 2011 at 1:00PM
The service has apparently just gone live, free, for what is probably a limited time. Blizzard had also said that this cross-realm grouping would be part of the premium package of WoW services that players can pay for monthly, and only the group leader doing the invites would have to have the service in order to invite people cross-realm. Much as the mobile guild chat feature was rolled out free to let people check it out, it appears cross-realm Real ID grouping is getting the same trial period.
Check out cross-realm Real ID grouping in game, and start grouping with your friends beyond server boundaries, and hit the jump for the full announcement.
When delving into the depths of Azeroth's darkest dungeons, it always helps to have some friends at your side... now you're able to issue a call to arms no matter what realm they play on. We're pleased to announce the new Real ID Party feature is now available for testing! This new feature will allow World of Warcraft players to invite their real-life Real ID friends of the same faction to a party regardless of the realm they play on, and then queue up for a 5-player regular or Heroic dungeon.
To learn more about Real ID, please visit the Real ID web page and read the FAQ.
For more information about how the Real ID Party system works, check out the FAQ below.
Real ID Party Feature – Test Phase FAQ
Q: What is the Real ID Party feature?
A: Players can now invite Real ID friends of the same faction to a 5-player normal or Heroic dungeon group, regardless of what realm their friends are on. This system is designed to make it easier for real-life friends to play together.
Q: How do I invite Real ID friends to a Real ID party?
A: Inviting a Real ID friend to a Real ID Party is simple. Just open up your Friends list to see which Real ID friends are online. Click on the "Plus" button to send an invitation to a Real ID friend to join your group. You can continue to add Real ID friends to your party until the group is complete. If you cannot complete the group with Real ID friends, you are free to join the Dungeon Finder to fill in the missing roles.
Q: Does a player need to have Real ID enabled to accept a Real ID group invite?
A: Yes, a player must have Real ID enabled, and both players must be Real ID friends to accept or initiate Real ID party invitations.
Q: Can a party leader invite a mix of Real ID friends, character-level friends, guildmates, or random players to the same party?
A: A party leader can invite any combination of Real ID friends from any realm, guildmates from the same realm, or other characters from the same realm to the same party. If the party leader isn't able to fill up the entire party, the Dungeon Finder can fill in the missing roles.
Q: Can I invite someone who is not a Real ID friend?
A: You can only invite members to a party if they are on your Real ID friends list or if they are on the same realm as you are.
Q: Can I invite a friend of a Real ID friend?
A: No, you can only invite those who are Real ID friends with you directly to the party.
Q: How long will the testing period last?
A: We haven't yet determined how long the testing period will last. We'll keep you updated on the status and inform you when the test period is going to end in the future.
Q: Will aspects of the Real ID Party system be premium-based?
A: We'll have information on the premium-based aspects of the Real ID Party system toward the end of the testing period.
To learn more about Real ID, please visit the Real ID web page and read the FAQ.
For more information about how the Real ID Party system works, check out the FAQ below.
Real ID Party Feature – Test Phase FAQ
Q: What is the Real ID Party feature?
A: Players can now invite Real ID friends of the same faction to a 5-player normal or Heroic dungeon group, regardless of what realm their friends are on. This system is designed to make it easier for real-life friends to play together.
Q: How do I invite Real ID friends to a Real ID party?
A: Inviting a Real ID friend to a Real ID Party is simple. Just open up your Friends list to see which Real ID friends are online. Click on the "Plus" button to send an invitation to a Real ID friend to join your group. You can continue to add Real ID friends to your party until the group is complete. If you cannot complete the group with Real ID friends, you are free to join the Dungeon Finder to fill in the missing roles.
Q: Does a player need to have Real ID enabled to accept a Real ID group invite?
A: Yes, a player must have Real ID enabled, and both players must be Real ID friends to accept or initiate Real ID party invitations.
Q: Can a party leader invite a mix of Real ID friends, character-level friends, guildmates, or random players to the same party?
A: A party leader can invite any combination of Real ID friends from any realm, guildmates from the same realm, or other characters from the same realm to the same party. If the party leader isn't able to fill up the entire party, the Dungeon Finder can fill in the missing roles.
Q: Can I invite someone who is not a Real ID friend?
A: You can only invite members to a party if they are on your Real ID friends list or if they are on the same realm as you are.
Q: Can I invite a friend of a Real ID friend?
A: No, you can only invite those who are Real ID friends with you directly to the party.
Q: How long will the testing period last?
A: We haven't yet determined how long the testing period will last. We'll keep you updated on the status and inform you when the test period is going to end in the future.
Q: Will aspects of the Real ID Party system be premium-based?
A: We'll have information on the premium-based aspects of the Real ID Party system toward the end of the testing period.
The news is already rolling out for the upcoming WoW Patch 4.2! Preview the new Firelands raid, marvel at the new legendary staff, and get the inside scoop on new quest hubs -- plus new tier 12 armor!
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)
Rioriel Jul 15th 2011 1:08AM
STEPHEN?
"Just coming!"
bdew Jul 15th 2011 4:46AM
The only good thing about premium+subscription+RMT in WoW is ....
.... SW:TOR should be releasing soon(tm) enough :P
beredan Jul 15th 2011 4:49AM
If blizzard wants to charge for a premium service fine but how about they reassess the monthly subscription fee. 15 bucks a month for the standard subscription is a bit rediculous. Yes I understand that's what we have been paying but atleast it was the complete product. Also back then when it started the subscription base was nowhere as big!
Blagaah Jul 15th 2011 4:59PM
See, here's how I look at it: If you're unwilling to pay the eventual $1-$3 this costs, then don't. Show your displeasure in whatever way your pocketbook demands. That's free market. It's a great system. But a couple of points: It doesn't take that long to level. If the person you want to play with is such a good friend you're unwilling to pay a couple bucks to join them, why not roll a toon on their server or invite them to yours and play the ENTIRE GAME with them, rather then ONLY the 5-man content. Seriously, without spending a dime more then sub costs you've gotten a lot more content then someone who spends the extra dough and only has access to ques.
Hell, I'd be more interested in being able to invite RealID friends to a raid then 5man....cross realm raiding would solve a lot of problems for people who have established toons (multiples, notice the plural) on several servers but the cost to consolidate them is prohibitive. I'd love to get my druid into my main's raids sometimes because we need alternate configurations depending on attendance. But I can't, because she's used in the guild I'm a part of on that server and I don't want to abandon either group I play with.
Now, well reasoned arguments why Blizzard asking for a small fee for limited content is a bad idea when the ENTIRE game is available without added cost?