So, who has a horde they wish could play in CTS?

[P3mby]

OMG LINK

Jaw drops :O

http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php?topic=69505.0

[ash]

lolwut

Both factions are as bad as each other. Alliance say alliance are kids, horde say horde are kids

Its a bit crazy that they would allow this, yet not allow race changes.

[Septih]

I like how they say that they've been working towards it for a while, it's probably just changing a lot of trues to false and 4s to 7s or something

I wouldn't mind bringing my lock and shammy over, though I don't have a lot of character space :<

[Commando]

It's an interesting change. Personally I don't have any Horde characters I'd want to play over here, but I know I've spoken to people I know who play on other servers and said "transfer to Neptulon!" and then they pointed out they were Horde. At that point there's pretty much no reason to keep trying to convince them.

I can't really see much benefit in changing from Horde to Alliance while staying on the same server. The chance of accidentally starting a character of the wrong faction on the same server that your friends play on seems slim, so I expect the main use of this will be in conjunction with a realm transfer. I'd also like to see them remove the restriction on PvE-to-PvP realm transfers, as that would then be the only real block in place. Given how easy levelling is even on a PvP server I don't think there much of an argument against it.

And yes, if they're allowing people to change from Horde to Alliance, why not from Gnome to Dwarf? I expect that'll be the next option on the list.

[Jazm]

restriction on PvE-to-PvP realm transfers

you can transfer from PvE-to-PvP now, as I transfered here from Wildhammer which is PvE. unless you meant a different restriction

[tomas]

And yes, if they're allowing people to change from Horde to Alliance, why not from Gnome to Dwarf? I expect that'll be the next option on the list.

I'm curious how it'll work in regards to, for example:

I play a Blood Elf Paladin, and transfer to Alliance, what Race am I?

It might be half nice to transfer my first character to this realm, but since its level 29, it's hardly a big deal, similar with my level 30 Shaman.

[Roper]

The idea probably came out of a meeting titled ‘what other new service could we introduce and charge about £8 for’

It’s a weird change.

[Jazm]

I actually really thought race change would have been implemented before a faction change.. although it is essentially the same thing as you have to change race to change faction, so both will most likely come in short time span of each other

[ash]

the race change has been refused for months due to "FOTM races being used"

Why no race changes? It seems like a reasonable question. I mean, we allow character re-customization where you can change your sex, right? We sure do, but we have good reasons for not supporting race changes, at this point in time.

Here are just a few of the reasons:

1) Critical Mass: People may decided that any given class/race combo is superior to other combination of that same class. Or people may decide that any given race is no longer worth sticking with due to some change we make to some racial abilities. This naturally leads to flavor of the month races. This is something we want to avoid.

2) Race Restrictions: All races are given a certain set of restrictions for both lore and balance purposes. There would be some serious investment involved in making certain that this system didn't allow any exploitation of that system.

3) Future Content: Things change, some would say the only thing that stays the same is change and that is certainly true for World of Warcraft. If we allowed race changes it could negatively/adversely impact things we haven't even thought of yet.

That said, it's not in the cards right now. Maybe someday we'll reverse our opinion on this, but it's likely to be a while.

[tomas]

2) Race Restrictions: All races are given a certain set of restrictions for both lore and balance purposes. There would be some serious investment involved in making certain that this system didn't allow any exploitation of that system.

Sorry, what? What's particularly game breaking about having a Gnome Druid for example?

Although I am loving the "If we let you change race for £10, people would change race every month to whatever was cool! And we aparantly don't want that extra income".

[Septih]

I play a Blood Elf Paladin, and transfer to Alliance, what Race am I?

Going by the orb of deception, Draenei, but obviously you get issues with things like blood elf warlocks, or draenei warriors. Although the idea of Kungen becoming a gnome amuses me greatly.

[Jazm]

The same concerns around allowing race changes should be put to faction changes aswell, as FOTM between horde/ally has always been there, consider the racials. PvPers will no doubt opt to swtich over to undead as its the FOTM for PvP at present, when you take that every team at tournaments play as undead unless the class choice doesnt support it.

in PvE it could topple already unbalanced servers with say horde deciding oh I like this realm but the ally seem to get it easier in battleground and raids progressions *switches*..

there is definatly alot of things that I'm sure blizz are already discussing but there would need to be alot of limitations built into a service like this. although if i remeber correctly there are like 3 month limits on quite a few other services...

[Commando]

Why no race changes? It seems like a reasonable question. I mean, we allow character re-customization where you can change your sex, right? We sure do, but we have good reasons for not supporting race changes, at this point in time.

Here are just a few of the reasons:

1) Critical Mass: People may decided that any given class/race combo is superior to other combination of that same class. Or people may decide that any given race is no longer worth sticking with due to some change we make to some racial abilities. This naturally leads to flavor of the month races. This is something we want to avoid.

2) Race Restrictions: All races are given a certain set of restrictions for both lore and balance purposes. There would be some serious investment involved in making certain that this system didn't allow any exploitation of that system.

3) Future Content: Things change, some would say the only thing that stays the same is change and that is certainly true for World of Warcraft. If we allowed race changes it could negatively/adversely impact things we haven't even thought of yet.

Quite frankly, the "critical mass" argument is a load of bollocks. There's far more inherent balance risk involved in allowing people to switch from Horde to Alliance and back than there is in allowing people to change their race. Neptulon is already very biased towards Alliance - if Horde players are given the option to switch to Alliance you can bet some of them will take it simply to reduce the chance of being ganked at the Ulduar summoning stone.

The racial differences are already relatively minor. Most people choose their race for one of two reasons - firstly because they want a particular class, and secondly because they like the look of that race. Very few people pick a race on the basis of the racial benefits, and those that do are unlikely to have changed their mind since they created their character.

As for race restrictions, that's a load of bollocks too. It's not like it would be particularly difficult to restrict the available races based on your class. I don't agree that race restrictions should be lifted - sorry, but the very idea of a Gnome Druid is just plain silly. If there's any race that, in lore terms, should never be allowed to be a Druid it's Gnomes, followed by Undead and Dwarfs. Similarly Undead Paladins, Tauren Rogues, Night Elf Warlocks and Dwarf Mages. Race restrictions are sensible and I'd be very disappointed if they were lifted - they strip enough lore out of this game in the name of balance already without them taking any more out.

And Future Content, that's bollocks too. You base future content on the current state of the game. It's like saying that they should never have put Serpentshrine Cavern in the game because some future content depends on Lady Vashj being alive.

[Greentitch]

The racial differences are already relatively minor. Most people choose their race for one of two reasons - firstly because they want a particular class, and secondly because they like the look of that race. Very few people pick a race on the basis of the racial benefits, and those that do are unlikely to have changed their mind since they created their character.

See Jim's comment above. You might choose your race based on what looks best (and so do I), but plenty of PvPers choose it based on the racials available. As do a lot of high end PvE players. Every horde tank used to be a Tauren, every Enhancement shaman is still an Orc [Berserking + Axe spec], as is every hunter and DK [Pet bonus] ("every" being all people who want to min-max).

Dorf priests anyone?

It's like saying that they should never have put Serpentshrine Cavern in the game because some future content depends on Lady Vashj being alive.

Serpentshrine Cavern was merely a set back

[Commando]

See Jim's comment above. You might choose your race based on what looks best (and so do I), but plenty of PvPers choose it based on the racials available. As do a lot of high end PvE players. Every horde tank used to be a Tauren, every Enhancement shaman is still an Orc [Berserking + Axe spec], as is every hunter and DK [Pet bonus] ("every" being all people who want to min-max).

So all min-maxing Horde Enhancement Shamans who didn't already pick Orc (of which there are surely billions!) now become Orcs. And all Alliance Druids are Night Elves. I fail to see quite where the problem is, frankly.