Deleted by author. See update.

ZOS_GaryA wrote: »

Hey there @Lionxoft,

It is by design that characters of differing alliances cannot join the same campaign. This prevents cross-faction information from reaching large groups with the use of "spy" characters.

We do understand your frustrations, and we're glad to hear that you were able to get your EP character into Cyrodiil. Let us know if there's any other way we can help.

Ummm @ZOS_GaryA‌ you must not have understood... I have to spend 15k AP each time on each character if I want to play one of my characters on another alliance. Why even allow us to make characters on a different alliance if we can't play one of the biggest game modes in the game with them?

Seriously, take of the blinders and pay attention. I don't care about "Spies" or any of that garbage. I'd just like to play the characters that I made and got to level 50++ without having to spend large amounts of AP in order to even ENTER pvp. If I decide that I want to go back to my other characters then I have to pay even MORE AP and wait a lockout period of days.

If you think that this is a good system design then I have no words for you.

It's lazy and insufficient.

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

It's meant to keep knuckleheads from rolling a character on their enemy's alliance and putting them in the campaign to spy on them.
(A practice that's easily circumvented with the purchase of another account, mind you. But only the very desperate or financially endowed would resort to that.)

If you don't like it? Tough?

They're not going to change a system that's meant as a preventative measure just because it p!sses 1 guy off.

Either deal with it, or come up with a well thought out solution to the problem and submit it to ZOS as feedback.

Here's a question though. Why aren't all your characters of the same alliance on the same campaign? What do you gain from playing each of them on a different campaign? Aside from a different perspective and valuable intel for the enemy.

I like playing with my friends from other alliances including my own (Not any one in particular). I've made a lot of friends in PvP just through respectful competition. Enemies have grown to respect each other across all alliances. Similarly how the alliance leaders grew to respect the "Hero" in the main story. I don't expect all of them to join one alliance with me and abandon their guilds to appease Zenimax's chains.

If I can't play with my friends then what's the point of this game? I shouldn't be forced to settle on a group of people to play the game with since I have the option of creating a new character to play with them. (Which I've done.)

Zenimax needs to chill out on the whole "spy" thing. It restricts gameplay more than anything. If someone really wants to relay "intel" then locking a campaign to an alt isn't going to stop them. "Intel" isn't even a big factor in ESO's pvp with forward camps in their current state. But that's a topic for another day.

You asked for a solution and one that would make sense is around a 15 minute lockout or wait time when switching to another character to enter the same campaign. It can be added on to or included in a queue time if there is a queue or just be a lockout if there isn't a queue present. The lockout duration parameter is a rough guesstimate since I don't have any data for average operations in Cyrodil.

The current system requires you to guest and home on the same campaigns if you have characters on all three alliances. Due to the current population problems and buff servers there is really only one active campaign and that's the campaign that my friends have joined.

There are 8 character slots total. 3 alliances. 4 campaigns at lv50 and above (1 at decent population). 15k AP each char to switch their campaign. You do the math. What happens if you're low on AP with a character(s) you are not feeling like playing today (It happens) and your friends want you to join their raid for the evening on your cross alliance character. You need to spend time to gain 15k ap each on every character that is in your current alliance assigned to that campaign in order to go pvp with your friends. That hurdle is just ridiculous! All of that just to attempt to put a cap on the "Spies" that will end up "Spying" anyways?

I do believe that restricting gameplay the way that it is currently shackled is extremely lazy and insufficient design. It hurts the game more than it supports it.

In addition, some players did not pre-order the game so they lack the play any race with any alliance perk. Have an Altmer sorc but want to make a Redguard DK? Well, you're forced to go cross alliance or miss out on the fantastic Redguard passives for a tank.

Well I hate to agree with the OP here because he is a little too angry about it, but the reason to not allow overlapping campaigns is a little off, the spying is rampant any way. The restrictions are just that easy to get around ( all chars in one campaign don't set guest, port to guild mate if you want to access the server you troll with an alt.) I do not however know of a solution to the spying/trolling.

Kosar wrote: »

having SEVEN in one faction and ONE in an opposing and we are supposed to read that and think "that sounds legit"...? sorry nope.

i would totally buy a casual walking in and having 2 characters in each and realizing "oh no, action only happens in 1 campaign"... but that's not the case presented.

there is nothing "outdated" about the system, and in fact the system in place preempted the natural flow of the majority into one map so there is constant action in one while the others see spotty action at best. choose a side and fight for it. don't like the one map model? if you have sop many friends, talk them into joining a lesser model and help populated new maps and give pvp'ers something more interesting to do in smaller man fights. you don't have to have all your characters stacked on one map to have fun... maybe you should take your blinders off the zerg maps?

[Moderator Note: Edited per our rules on Flaming]

It's actually a 4-2-2 split now but thanks for the harassment. I needed that today. A half group at most doesn't help populate a campaign.

I can't and neither will I ask everyone on my friends list to change to my faction and join a campaign. Why is it such a problem to just play together? If someone wants to "Spy" then nothing is going to stop them from doing it. Certainly not the current restrictions that are in place.

What happens when someone (not a preorder)wants to make a Redguard (DC) but their AD characters are homed on the same campaign? Sorry, but shackling players this way doesn't make sense. It causes more problems then it solves.

ZOS_GaryA wrote: »

Hey there @Lionxoft,

It is by design that characters of differing alliances cannot join the same campaign. This prevents cross-faction information from reaching large groups with the use of "spy" characters.

We do understand your frustrations, and we're glad to hear that you were able to get your EP character into Cyrodiil. Let us know if there's any other way we can help.

The travel to player mechanic is in game by design and has been an issue from the beginning of the game due to troll campers and scroll trollers so if you understand our frustrations and its ZOS' intent to not have spies, why is it still here? Hmmmm?