Are They Afraid To Say Faction?

When I started playing World of Warcraft I played simultaneously on a PvE server (Uldaman) and a PvP server (Akama) as I believe I have already told you.

I learned A LOT of what I know about warrioring by asking other warriors for help IN THE GAME - live and in person I would approach and ask them for mentoring. It's amazing how many people, even the hardcore raiders, who will stop, listen and try to answer when you sincerely ask them for information they clearly have that you do not. That is PARTICULARLY true when you're asking about a hobby they're passionate about. Trust me.

We used to be able to exploit an overlooked ability to type in real English using the /emote command in the game (they patched it out along with a bunch of other stuff with the release of Wrath.) I actually asked a Warrior holding an entire Alliance hub alone on the PvP server HOW he was so tough and could actually do it because I was new and had no idea how to keep my flimsy little level 40 Warrior alive. He stopped what he was doing and taught me by letting me hit him and giving me instructions. No shit. I wasn't going to HURT him, my level couldn't damage him much. And I've never forgotten some of his tips and tricks. We met up later at a hill in Westfall that doesn't even exist anymore. Horde and Alliance always met there "in the olden days." He'd actually strip and let me attack him. The hill was our neutral area. PLAYER DESIGNED. Rebellious, huh? LMAO We NEVER forgot we were Alliance and Horde.

And as a "proof of concept"... My PvE character was on a run with my favorite person to play with because he'd started a Dranei and wanted to level that starting zone so he made the level 4 run through wetlands to Elwynn and picked me up at level 4 or 5 and together we did the whole very long stressful and multiple death-run adventure all the way back. At Auberdine we were going to have to wait for the boat to the Exodar. My friend said, "Oh hell. Stay here." I turned my camera, saw some commotion at the end of the dock and realized what I was seeing were a Troll and some other clearly NOT Alliance characters. Ignoring his wise warning, I ran down the dock, targeted the Troll mage and charged as soon as I was able... and died on impact. The mage did NOTHING until AFTER my reckless misadventure left my character face down on the wooden planks. THEN his character model swiveled in place while lots of "kek" happened in chat bubbles over the heads of everyone around him. Even on PvE servers we were VERY aware of our factions.

I've never once had to ask anyone about my FACTION. There are two playable factions in World of Warcraft. You can be Alliance or you can be Horde. This is a distinction so clear that in Warcraft Forever you cannot be both on a PvP server - because the asshats will asshat if given even the tiniest of spaces to do so, and spies were a real problem back in the "good ole days."

1. I find it offputting that they're STILL selling Horde as the underdog and Alliance as the stereo-typical "good guys" who are now no different than the white colonialist assholes the whole world hates on Earth and so are constantly cast in the hyper-real light of a documentary of how bad they are. Honestly. The Horde has been so powerful that their "Warchief" has saved Azeroth twice, tried to wreck Azeroth twice and in the process once sent us into an alternate timeline and the other shattered the veil between living and the dead and sent us into the afterlife in search of a way to shut that door again. (We will just ignore that SHE was created by another guy who started out Alliance and became a deadly third faction responsible for the foundation of a whole segment of the Horde.)

We have just been told that the Elves, who we have known all along are all one race, are also the Trolls. Hard to swallow and still fine with me. I mean, picturing Night Elves becoming Blood Elves was a little rough for me anyway. The story that they shrank while wandering the wilderness in search of a source of power was... the most awkward part for me. LOL

And the story of the Tauren is about to blow up and out in ways that are spectacular because they've been on Azeroth a hell of a lot longer than anyone thinks or cares to explore. :D

2. MANY of us have tried for decades to have a unified world with uncivilized and dangerous areas between those unified hubs. Give us world PvP between the neutral zones. Areas where NO character should go if they are not seeking a fight. Drop bars in neutral cities where you're more likely to get shived by a Rogue than to have a relaxed evening out. Drop DMZs for us to patrol when we're in a mood for some throwing down. STOP MAKING IT US/THEM FOR EVERYTHING and instead make it just a little rocky in spots. 

ANYWAY... the US/THEM "thing" has been the foundation of World of WARCRAFT, It's in the name. We cannot actually eliminate the WAR part of WARcraft. We CAN define it. I think they're not going to. I'm not the only batshit crazy player to suggest a more realistic blending of the world after 18 years of working together to fix the messes created by FACTION leaders from both sides. 

The jewelry shown below, to give credit where it is due.

This does NOT represent CLASS.

Alliance is a FACTION.

Horde is a FACTION.

Warrior is a CLASS. One of A LOT of classes in World of Warcraft.

I'm not being pedantic, I'm being ACCURATE. Words have meanings, yo. 

See, some time ago Blizzard/Activision/Microsoft laid off a BUNCH of Blizzard employees and one group that was annihilated was the group responsible for social media and advertising. At first it all felt like they'd been replaced by AI - lots of strange errors that are the flavor and color of the errors you get if you search online and read what the AI Assistant offers you in the way of answers. Now it's like the people they hired are relying on AI and no one is checking them for accuracy.

I do VERY MUCH like that Alliance ring. I came into the game Alliance and, as a Warrior, was also "front and center" in the battle to reign in insane Blood Elves in the Outlands and then shipped off immediately to the frozen North of Northrend to find and destroy the Lich King. That ring speaks to me. The Horde one is less a favorite because rings and jewelry with pointy bits always eat my hair and clothes until the pointy bits have worn down and this doesn't look like a ring that would wear down gracefully. I'd be happier to fly my Horde pride with a fabulous Orcish or Troll-style necklace. (HINT HINT, Blizz... umm...)

While I'm asking for the moon, how about you put the /emote exploit BACK in Warcraft Forever. Or better... give us a WORLD common language (like Goblin?) Players can opt in or not ever turn it on.

I play World of Warcraft. I play Alliance and I play Horde. I used to have NINE warriors. I'm down to six now. They're not quite evenly split, and there ARE Warriors (plural) on both sides of my character selection page. And there ARE two sides of my character selection page.