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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Do you have qualms about playing the other faction?
by Nik Mitchell 
Sep 21st 2011 at 8:00AM
Talk to any self-proclaimed altoholic: They'll tell you stories of rolling characters on both sides of the two factions that split the World of Warcraft. For many, their attachment to one side or the other is merely dependent on "What do I want to play today?" However, for me, playing the other faction has some serious consequences: pangs of agony, nervous twitches, tummy trouble, you name it.
I started WoW on one side but quickly found myself tempted to try the other (I heard they had cookies) and never looked back for years. I filled out all 10 slots with the faction I loved. Seven 85s later, I get the whisper from my officers that they are swapping sides as a pet project. The worst of all isn't really that I'd consider playing the dark side again; it's that my closest of guildies are happily getting entrenched. Lured by the real-life friend of another, lo and behold, they found a level 25 guild that would gladly receive some potential recruits... and now my guildies want me to join them, too.
Now don't get me wrong -- I don't deny the opposite faction their right to exist (well, except every time I get killed in Tol Barad), but it feels so completely wrong to be rolling this character (not to mention having to delete my mid-30s mage). What about you? Have you ever had a question of conscience to even begin to create a character of the opposite faction?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 8)
Smashbolt Sep 21st 2011 10:15AM
Exactly. I can get in just fine. Once I'm there, finding things isn't a problem. It was finding the elevator back to the Ruins of Lordaeron that gave me trouble. I remember being near the bank I think and seeing where the elevator I wanted was but it was 2 floors above me and I had no idea which path from where I was would get me there.
Granted, I've only ever been there like twice on very low level alts, so while I found my way out eventually each time, I'd come back again months later and have forgotten how I did it.
DarkWalker Sep 21st 2011 10:47AM
The one city that confused the heck of me was Darnassus, but mostly due to the fact I almost never went there. Plus, all the houses look the same.
Undercity is the most confusing capital in the game, period. It's basically 5 circles, one inside or above the other, and every piece of a given circle looks the same. My trick is to remember where in the circle everything is, and use the mini-map a lot.
IronForge is also circular, with similar circle sections, but it's just two circles, and the inner circle has the big forge/lava pools/throne room complex to orient oneself (in comparison, the bank in the inner UnderCity circle is symmetrical and can't really be used to orient oneself).
StormWind is a pain (without flying mounts) due to the canals. Apart from that, it's not really confusing.
I've never had problems with the other cities.
Wulfkin Sep 21st 2011 11:52AM
Believe it or not they actually *simplified* the Undercity significantly from how it was in the beta.
That said, I don't find it too difficult to get around, although I do need to consult a map now and then to find the entrance to the Royal Quarter.
arcady Sep 21st 2011 12:45PM
I got lost in UC once. In 2006.
Then I found the 'M' key and was like, "Oh, this new game I bought last night has maps. Guess I should have looked at the manual to see what keys I could type."
That was 2006, and I'd just bought the game, so yeah - I had an excuse. Once.
My toons have also bought it on the UC elevator before. What can I say - I used to get lag there on my old PC that was built in 2000. You step in only to find the thing went down before your network had gotten all the info to show you it'd gone down.
Or you DC at the top, and log in still at the top, but with the elevator at the bottom.
The only city that I find odd in layout now is Stormwind. But again the M key handles it for me. I'd just not been there much since BC until recently. Its actually got a pretty decent layout when I look at it on the map, but from the air all those buildings look the same in some districts and I've always got to remember which one was which.
I can almost navigate Orgrimmar with my monitor turned off... :)
Blizzard likes circle cities though - Exodar, Darnassus, IF, UC. Somebody in their art department got his hands on a compass and he's happily playing with it and won't let any of the other kids take a turn. ;)
trefpoid Sep 21st 2011 2:14PM
After a few years, you know Undercity like the palm of your hand. It's awesome how me and my GF always meet in the same spot in front of a certain Auction NPC, even if we don't plan on it. We fly there just naturally. I cannot express how much I love that city, always empty and everything so close, it's my favourite Horde city in terms of doing business, leveling professions and such. If I wanna chill, I teleport to Thunderbluff and find my inner peace *o*
Ikatsu Sep 21st 2011 8:05AM
I remember when I was showing wow to my fiancee, she wanted to make a Blood Elf. Of course I said, hell no, they are horde!
I do like the lore as a whole and I read stuff about the other side and such but, death to the Horde!
Poddin Sep 21st 2011 8:05AM
I am attached to my many alts on one faction and I do feel regret when I try to play the other faction. But now when I do try to play the other side, I tend to play on another server to start afresh - it makes it harder, sure but its more of an accomplishment when I do level up.
loop_not_defined Sep 21st 2011 8:09AM
Nope, and I wish fewer did.
restodr00d Sep 21st 2011 8:32AM
Same, I play mostly Horde and I have played a few Alliance but at levels 30ish and up I start encountering the 12yo that make my bgs and dungeons hell and make me delete my chars but besides that I do enjoy both sides.
Den Sep 21st 2011 8:53AM
I hate playing alliance mainly b/c I started Horde. However, to help my server with horde/alliance balance, I've recently moved an alt ally side and started leveling. I've been ally on a different server, but the neat thing about doing it on the same one is you get a fuller picture of your server's climate/politics. It's cool, but not pretty (since the alliance are in worse shape than I thought).
Noyou Sep 21st 2011 12:47PM
To each their own. I feel like if you don't try both factions you are limiting yourself. I play alliance mostly. I have 4-5 horde toons on my second server. I even rolled a DK to help out with farming and eventually will be a scribe. Most of the good lore is on Horde side. I am way more comfortable getting around on alliance side. Once you get past that, it's pretty much all the same. I have encountered something that I don't get playing alliance. I have got some weird random whispers by clearly maladjusted individuals. Other than that though, very similar.
Shoikler Sep 21st 2011 8:09AM
I have no qualms at all. About half my toons are Horde, half Alliance. Same for my 85s.
DarkWalker Sep 21st 2011 10:51AM
I'm mostly like this. In fact, if faction changing was free, I might change specific characters across factions weekly.
If I ever consider badmouthing/ganking another player just because he made different in-game choices, I will leave the game. I don't want this kind of attachment.
EnhShammy Sep 21st 2011 3:54PM
I am the same, I have half horde and half alliance. I find you get so much more of the story that way. Plus any NPC you hate you just pop to the other side and have a nice talk with them.
Chris Sep 21st 2011 8:11AM
My OCD makes me complete all achievements on both sides!!!!!!
Revnah Sep 21st 2011 8:10AM
I definitely felt weird when I rolled my first two Horde characters. I had been Alliance for a year, and firmly believed that they were the "good guys". But I wanted to see ALL of the game, not just one half of it, and so I levelled my Troll and my Tauren and quickly fell in love with their history and culture.
Fast-forward another year-and-a-half, and here I am playing almost exclusively Horde. I sometimes still log my Ally characters to say hello to my old guild there or do a holiday achievement with them, but honestly, that happens about once a month. I just don't feel "right" anymore in Stormwind. Ironforge is still nice, and Daranassus and Exodar beautiful, but somehow I don't relate to those people anymore. Once I'm back to visit the gentle Tauren in TB, and hear the tribal drums of the Trolls, that's when I know I'm home.
*sniff* ;-)
Redbeard Sep 21st 2011 8:12AM
I've not a problem playing either faction.
In fact, the whining and griping in BGs are remarkably similar, no matter what faction you're on.
Aticus Sep 21st 2011 8:12AM
I'm def an altoholic and have a server of Horde and one for Alliance. I used to be all For The Horde (and in most cases, I still am) but sides mean nothing to me if there is a good story and race appeal.
I can relate this to fantasy football. You root for the players more than the team.
Nina Katarina Sep 21st 2011 8:12AM
I'm mostly Horde, a few ally toons I rolled to keep my daughter company while she roleplayed. I don't like it much, because I have muscle memory, ingrained routes I travel. If I play on an alliance toon I WILL get killed clicking on the wrong flight path in Booty Bay, trying to go in the wrong door in Dalaran... easier for my limited self to just stay Horde 4 lyfe.
terph Sep 21st 2011 12:47PM
Oh yes. I have had the same problem rolling baby Alliance alts. I get wandering while questing and remember, "Oh yeah, there's a town over here!" But for some reason, the Horde guards don't recognize me in the night elf guise.