Breakfast Topic: Did changing factions change how you play?
by Matthew Rossi 
Aug 19th 2011 at 8:00AM
Ironically, although I was somewhat negatively inclined towards Garrosh Hellscream, it wasn't until I switched factions on my main to play Horde with a new guild (and an excellent one, to be sure) that I started really, really hating the Horde. Every quest I've gotten so far on my main or my two leveling alts Hordeside has involved murdering people and stealing their land simply because I could (or because a guy using an axe I outgrew 15 levels ago says I should).
But it's done more than make me dislike the faction I'm playing. Paradoxically, it's made me fight really, really hard for that faction. I PVP a lot more now than I ever did when I was playing a worgen personally offended by what happened to Gilneas. For some reason, being in the Horde makes the semi-military feel of battleground PVP seem more like it has a point to me, as if I'd expect to find myself there. I'm more aggressive as a Horde player. My paladin has run through Desolace and now Feralas with abandon, thinking nothing of doing quests that massacre entire Alliance settlements for the crime of trying to continue to exist. For all that I often decry the Horde and its current Warchief, I'm certainly also part of the problem, because I'm the one doing the quests. I am the unprovoked fist of the Horde, crushing innocents and stealing their homes. Granted, I'm not known for my stability, but I have to wonder if anyone else has experienced this.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Gendou Aug 19th 2011 8:07AM
All I can say is... FOR THE HORDE!
fudge Aug 19th 2011 9:46AM
Not a very sophisticated message, is it?
Vitos Aug 19th 2011 10:29AM
FOR LOTHAR!
poggg Aug 19th 2011 11:09AM
As a now-Horde player who has ditched the Alliance almost entirely...yes. For Lothar. You have my full agreement. Lothar is now and has always been one of, if not THE most badass characters in Warcraft history. If the Alliance still had a badass of that caliber, my decision to switch almost entirely to Horde would be much harder.
Nina Katarina Aug 19th 2011 8:09AM
I've switched once, from Alliance to Horde, and since then I've been Horde 4 Life, although I spent an afternoon being Worgen-curious. I was never really comfortable with being social with people when I was Alliance - I joined a guild, but they were just random strangers and they never repaid my generosity with generosity of their own.
I don't know how much of my comfort with Horde has been my super-awesome guild and how much is the faction mindset. I do seem to run into less sexism and homophobia on pickup raids and trade chat on the Horde side, although it's still present and annoying. Not sure if that's my server or my faction; hard to tell.
Noselacri Aug 19th 2011 9:07AM
If homophobia is an issue, swap to Proudmoore!
gewalt Aug 19th 2011 9:56AM
Proudmoore is so gay, the server's power cord has two male ends!
(and to the denizens of proudmoore, that's wicked awesome)
Namy Aug 19th 2011 9:57AM
I doubt there are that many differences between alliance players and horde players. I ended up being alliance because at the time there were no 'attractive' horde races. Hey I like my chars to be pretty! By the time belfs were introduced I was already in a nice guild alliance side and having fun. Had I started playing in BC I might be a hordie. Plenty of my guildies play both sides. I have some horde chars. Is there really a difference?
P.S. I'm glad you found a nice guild :)
Noyou Aug 19th 2011 10:20AM
"I was never really comfortable with being social with people when I was Alliance"
This seems to be a recurring theme of people I knew who didn't 'fit in' on alliance side and faction changed. Similarly, I have had people come into my guild from Hordeside and say they didn't fit in with them. In my very limited exposure on a horde toon I have found there are nice people on both sides. It seems like on horde though there is always that one guy who goes a little out of his way to be a jackass.
Luke Aug 19th 2011 12:24PM
I recently created an alt on Proudmoore, and this is despite the fact that I've always chosen PvP servers. I have to say, it's awesome. There are servers I've played on for years that have never really made me feel this welcome and included in the community.
Too, any jackasses in trade chat are quickly and decisively dealt with. There isn't the rampant homophobia and racist crap on Proudmoore like there are on most.
Although I will say this about any server: I've encountered times in the past where a simple message to a person can inform them that using "gay" as a derogatory term is both offensive and makes them seem ignorant. About half the time the other player simply didn't know better, and about half the time they practically beg me to petition a GM.
Hob Aug 19th 2011 3:52PM
I started by playing both sides (different servers back then) and noticed a few differences. These are sweeping generalizations based on my own experiences, so -- grain of salt, there.
Alliance players:
* really believe that they are the good guys
* as result, they can do really nasty things, because... hey, they're good, after all.
* tend to take themselves very seriously
Horde players:
* seem more aware that they're just playing a game
* as a result, there's more tomfoolery and jackassery
* tend to diss each other a lot, but no one seems to care much
TL;DR - playing on an Alliance character always feels like I'm at a church picnic. Playing on a Horde character always makes me feel like I'm hanging out with the stoners I knew in high school. And I'm not judging, criticizing, or ragging on either group - just noting the differences that I experience on my realms.
Neyssa Aug 19th 2011 8:10AM
My first ever character was a Night Elf Druid (female), and it was my main during the end of Vanilla and during BC. I never played a horde character until I wanted to see what the blood elf starting zone looks like, and I just fell in love with the Horde. I abandoned my poor druid, and started to play with trolls, taurens and blood elves - I have not even logged in with her. As soon as faction change came, she became he - a mighty tauren bull and I played with it until Cataclysm (when they took the tree). I never for a moment missed the Alliance part, but I was very very glad that I could go on with my druid. Although thruth to be told, I played differently when it was her: she never joined outdoor pvp (very unlike him). There is a tiny thread connecting them, but truth to be told, I dont feel they are the same character. The only connection between her and him is the loyalty to Cenarion, and although I have other titles, I never change Guardian of Cenarius.
Tim Aug 19th 2011 8:13AM
No. What does piss me off and make me want to get all aggressive is when the dumb asses at fast food restaurants get my order wrong....every time!!!
lazymangaka Aug 19th 2011 8:16AM
Even worse than fast food workers messing up my order is Subway workers messing up my order. I mean, seriously, I'm standing right here! If I say no onions, why are you putting onions on there?
Arrohon Aug 19th 2011 9:54AM
I remember the time I said that's all so they put salt on it...
You can't take salt off :/
Noyou Aug 19th 2011 10:29AM
Wow. I just said "that's all" to myself out loud. As fast as I said it, it sounded a lot like "and salt". Interesting. One thing I try to do when ordering food is be very clear and very specific. Of course I still get the occasional Extra onion and no pickle :( at BK (you can take off the onion but you can't add pickle if you don't has them). It's not a perfect world we live in and that's for sure.
lazymangaka Aug 19th 2011 8:13AM
My wife and I switched from Alliance to Horde for good last year. There's just something about being a member of the Horde that feels right to me. I feel like an underdog--true or untrue as that may be--and I always end up trying just a little bit harder to prove myself against the Alliance in PVP. Rather than just giving up a node in AB, I will fight tooth and nail until overwhelming odds take me down. Even if I'm the only one left, I'll continue charging forward towards a flag carrier in WSG. I never played this way as an Alliance character, but something about being part of the Horde just brings it out in me.
Noyou Aug 19th 2011 10:37AM
Yep. It would seem like all the good alliance pvpers get frustrated and roll horde. The only thing I can say about the 2 in pvp is on average horde plays more heals in bgs. Alliance seem to have lots of druids and priests but they are almost all DPS and not heals.
Matthew Aug 19th 2011 12:07PM
It's hard to feel that way as a goblin.
NielsdeJONG Aug 19th 2011 2:00PM
Actually, I always felt that the Alliance was the underdog. For some reason it seems that a lot of people portrait the Horde as the "cool" faction lately, and in my experience I just met a lot more people who were faction pride obsessed (aka jerks) on the Horde then the Alliance. But then again thats just my own experience.