Cross-faction Interactivity Post lvl50: Fact or Myth

WraithAzraiel

As the age of the game ticks higher and we reach Veteran Levels, exploring other Alliances' areas, experiencing their quest and what not - I'm struggling to see at what point we'll be able to group with players who started out within other factions.

In an article by Massively's Richie Procopio on March 19th of 2013, after an interview with Paul Sage, he was quoted saying.

"I was curious to hear Sage's take on the impact of three-way PvP, and he agreed that the studio had to make some concessions in order for players to feel a certain allegiance to their faction. We were told during an open Q&A session that communication across factions won't be permitted. At this point, I started to get nervous about a possible design misstep because splitting your playerbase into thirds can be detrimental when you're trying to get a group together for any cooperative activity, such as a dungeon run.

Sage assuaged most of my fears, however, when he mentioned that once you hit level 50 and decide to play in another alliance's areas, you'll be able to play with friends in that faction. So at the endgame, things begin to open up and you can group up, chat, and run dungeons with players of other factions. The one area where things remain separate is, of course, the Alliance War in Cyrodiil."

I wonder, however, whether it's necessary to segregate the population at all provided folks are in the non-PvP areas. I understand ZeniMax's desire for players to feel attached to their chosen alliance, but it seems clunky to allow people to cooperate only after they've reached max level. Furthermore, the way it sounds, the ability to group up and communicate with other factions is enabled only once you trigger some mechanism that allows you to experience one of the other faction's stories. Do you need to play through two full alliance stories in order to unlock communication with the third faction's players? I sure hope that is not the case.


Now since hitting Veteran Ranks - sure I've been in the Ebonheart Pact's area after completing quests Dominion side but am I able to group with Ebonheart Pact players? Or just fellow Dominion characters who also happen to be in Pact zones?

Has anyone grouped with and traveled to to participate in content or even just pal around with friends from another faction?

Or is this something that has yet to be implemented?

Discuss.

TL;DR =
Paul Sage stated there would be cross-faction grouping allowed for end game - is this true? Or another thing that was promised and has yet to be implemented?

PBpsy

Veteran instances do not work that way. People from different factions only meet in Cyrodil. Once you move to the Pact area you are only playing with VR Dominion players.The Pact Players at VR1 play in a VR1 Covenant instance.

You can be in the same guild with different faction players though.

doggie

Well it's all rather odd, we can talk to the players who currently play a character from other factions in our guilds, but when it comes to the specific characters meeting up and do a dungeon togheter it's not possible.

They should look at this though it dosen't make much sense.

SirAndy

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

Discuss.

Nothing to discuss...

You don't see players from other factions while you're running through the VR content. No cross faction grouping.
;-)

PBpsy

It would be cool to have a peaceful free for all zone though.
I don't see any reason for not allowing dungeons to be completed with mixed factions either. The Undaunted are like all guilds independent of faction.

In the end how the hell does everyone know who I am?

Natjur

Think of it this way, each faction gets their own mega server. So no matter what level you are, you will only see your faction. There is cross server 'chat' but not much more.

Cyrodil is a different bunch of mega servers, that your char gets 'copied too, (which is why zoning into Cyrodil takes so long.) when you zone in\out.

doggie

Natjur wrote: »

There is cross server 'chat' but not much more.

As time goes and players start to level alts people will forget what the original faction of the guild was, and when you see someone looking for a tank,healer or dps in the guild, you might think you can help out, but oh noes, you're not the correct faction. That's just going to get worse is my guess.

GeeYouWhy

Yeah, this obviously changed. No cross faction grouping but plenty of cross faction communication. I think Mythic spent a lot of effort and time trying to ban cross realm players in DAOC that Zenimax said "Oh what the heck, let's design it into the game."

Natjur

doggie wrote: »

As time goes and players start to level alts people will forget what the original faction of the guild

In the guild window, each guild has its faction linked to it and I already have a few issues when I am leveling my alts that I get an 'invite' to a dungeon run and I have to tell them I am need to 'switch back' first. (The invite option is disabled, but they try and message me as to why they can't invite)

From a technical point of view, I see they 'can' group players when they go into an 'instanced' 4 man dungeons, but its easy to get 3 other players of the same faction to go for a run.

The new 12 man dungeons..... may get a little harder to full.

WraithAzraiel

SirAndy wrote: »

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

Discuss.

Nothing to discuss...

You don't see players from other factions while you're running through the VR content. No cross faction grouping.
;-)

I know this, I've stated that I know this - what I wanted for the rest of the community to discuss was the fact that Paul Sage said there would be cross-faction grouping and dungeon running possible after level 50.

What I've stated is that I've yet to see this.

Sooooo there's plenty to discuss.

Natjur

Paul Sage said that the V11-V12 zones (Craglorn 4 man and 12 man) may be cross faction-ed.

PBpsy

/Discussion start
In one year some aspects of a large complex project can change due to unforeseen difficulties and issues.
/Discussion end

SirAndy

Natjur wrote: »

Paul Sage said that the V11-V12 zones (4 man and 12 man) may be cross faction-ed.

That might not be a bad idea. For the last week, i'm the only one in AD running Craglorn. Everyone else and their mother is on DC ...
;-)

Lalai

So my theory on why cross faction folks can join up in a guild has to do with the whole.. your account joins the guild, not your character. I have a DC character and an EP character. If DC guilds only allowed in DC people then when I logged onto my EP character there'd be a problem with me being in the guild, even though I joined with a DC character and so on. When you send someone mail across faction you're doing so to their account name, not their character name, so that also doesn't really come into play.

You can't ever group up cross faction though, at least nothing officially confirmed yet. Would be nice to add it, though I'm sure it'd further destroy the idea of factions and whatnot.. which I don't particularly like anyway, but I guess they needed for PvP purposes.

Nox_Aeterna

doggie wrote: »

Well it's all rather odd, we can talk to the players who currently play a character from other factions in our guilds, but when it comes to the specific characters meeting up and do a dungeon togheter it's not possible.

They should look at this though it dosen't make much sense.

I agree , in the end , if you played the story up to veteran , and understand why they tossed you in the other faction zones , it makes no sense at all you cant play with the people from that faction.

After all , that is kinda of the point you got tossed there right :P?

WraithAzraiel

IF they axed the whole cross-faction grouping deal, can someone find me an article in which they officially state putting it on the chopping block?

It'd be much appreciated