Faction Changes?

Atariz · December 2015

I know ZOS was talking about race changes but what about faction changes? My main is DC but all my friends went EP so I'm just kinda by myself

imredneckson · December 2015

Atariz wrote: »

I know ZOS was talking about race changes but what about faction changes? My main is DC but all my friends went EP so I'm just kinda by myself

They will more than likely not make faction changes available to prevent a mass migration of players going to different alliances when things start getting tough on their own alliance. The best advise I can give you is to reroll to EP

UltimaJoe777 · December 2015

They are looking into making faction changing possible, if I recall correctly. Only time will tell if it comes or not though.

Aquanova · December 2015

UltimaJoe777 wrote: »

They are looking into making faction changing possible, if I recall correctly. Only time will tell if it comes or not though.

I am all for this! Please ZOS! Make it happen. Next update

hammayolettuce · December 2015

Faction change should obviously have some sort of cooldown on it it, like one use per quarter or something like that. so you'd have to pick your favorite toon to move and not move all of them at once.

Options like this will help the game as it progresses and would actually bring balance in a lot of aspects.

*

UltimaJoe777 · December 2015

hammayolettuce wrote: »

Faction change should obviously have some sort of cooldown on it it, like one use per quarter or something like that. so you'd have to pick your favorite toon to move and not move all of them at once.

Options like this will help the game as it progresses and would actually bring balance in a lot of aspects.

*

I'd be willing to wager it's a Crown Store purchase... Repeatably. And character-specific, of course.

TheShadowScout · December 2015

imredneckson wrote: »

They will more than likely not make faction changes available to prevent a mass migration of players going to different alliances when things start getting tough on their own alliance. The best advise I can give you is to reroll to EP

I doubt that will be the case,. Seeing how people can -already- change campaign, can already make alts... migration is already possible, and it hasn't ruined the game yet...

In any case, as of now there is no hint of them even considering faction change. Thus the way to go is to make an alt to be with your friends, and declare that alt your "main" once you got them to that point.

That being said...

I would love a faction change, if its done right.
As in, not just buying some crown store token and poof, new alliance, but... a epic questline, with an "loyalty called in question" theme, where you get to make a choice - do you stay loyal to your alliance even though they are no longer loyal to you, work on finding out what really is going on, find who framed you and clear your name... or... defect to greener pastures, plan your escape, court your desired alliance, and then make your getaway.
Both questline options should take you all over your home alliance territory, and end up with your choice being implemented - either your name is restored (and you could get a nifty "-faction- loyalist" title) or you hop on a boat that will take you to your new home (and get a "-old faction- defector" title).

There should be some consequences though. Noone trusts a traitor, so... maybe AP gains halved for everyone who defects? Also, maybe double AP gains for them if a member of your "old" alliance kills you in PvP? Those should keep the PvPlayers from using the mechanic to chase better PvPlaces.

And naturally, the whole thing should only become available -after- completing all of cadwells (otherwise it'd mess up quest progression). In fact, unlocking that questline for free would make a -wonderful- reward for completing cadwells! (and then they can sell "do it all over again" tokens in the crown store for people who are seriel defectors or something)

Necrelios · December 2015

UltimaJoe777 wrote: »

I'd be willing to wager it's a Crown Store purchase... Repeatably. And character-specific, of course.

I reckon this seems about the size of it. I wouldn't be surprised if they also made it available for Alliance Points. A lot of them.

Flak · December 2015

That would screw up the balance in PvP completely. Although I can understand your issue I hope this will never come.

daemonios · December 2015

I'm all for faction changes, with adequate precautions. Hell, make it a one-off thing if necessary. I just want to bring all my characters to the same faction (in the beginning I created some characters in each faction and now I regret it).

Lava_Croft · December 2015

Better turn half way than to lose yourself!

ajwest927 · December 2015

They could do it the same way as changing home campaign by charge you for it.

RDMyers65b14_ESO · December 2015

I had the same issue. Some of the friends that I had abandoned the DC for the EP. Then I realized that if I was important to them, they would not have left. So, I found new friends.

Rylana · December 2015

If I could move Minerva to EP i would be very very happy.

Literally all I want.

Asherons_Call · December 2015

Traitors?????

Sounds like criminal scum to me!

CavalierPrime · December 2015

I would possibly move my only character from EP to DC, because "if you cant beat em join em". And because im a Breton and the racist npc's keep saying "white man go home".

imredneckson · December 2015

TheShadowScout wrote: »

imredneckson wrote: »

They will more than likely not make faction changes available to prevent a mass migration of players going to different alliances when things start getting tough on their own alliance. The best advise I can give you is to reroll to EP

I doubt that will be the case,. Seeing how people can -already- change campaign, can already make alts... migration is already possible, and it hasn't ruined the game yet...

In any case, as of now there is no hint of them even considering faction change. Thus the way to go is to make an alt to be with your friends, and declare that alt your "main" once you got them to that point.

That being said...

I would love a faction change, if its done right.
As in, not just buying some crown store token and poof, new alliance, but... a epic questline, with an "loyalty called in question" theme, where you get to make a choice - do you stay loyal to your alliance even though they are no longer loyal to you, work on finding out what really is going on, find who framed you and clear your name... or... defect to greener pastures, plan your escape, court your desired alliance, and then make your getaway.
Both questline options should take you all over your home alliance territory, and end up with your choice being implemented - either your name is restored (and you could get a nifty "-faction- loyalist" title) or you hop on a boat that will take you to your new home (and get a "-old faction- defector" title).

There should be some consequences though. Noone trusts a traitor, so... maybe AP gains halved for everyone who defects? Also, maybe double AP gains for them if a member of your "old" alliance kills you in PvP? Those should keep the PvPlayers from using the mechanic to chase better PvPlaces.

And naturally, the whole thing should only become available -after- completing all of cadwells (otherwise it'd mess up quest progression). In fact, unlocking that questline for free would make a -wonderful- reward for completing cadwells! (and then they can sell "do it all over again" tokens in the crown store for people who are seriel defectors or something)

I think you missed the point I was trying to make but I do like your ideas if you were going to add the ability to swap factions and turning it into a quest line with its uniqe advantages and disadvantages. But my main concern is what happens if one alliance is losing and another is winning in a campaign i know a good number that would swap factions to win and when they do win that faction just gained high lvl new players and their old faction just lost high lvl players. Say that cycle continues what then PvP will be reduced to one faction having a pop the size of the N. Korean military while the others will be not even have a fraction of their current pop.

DHale · December 2015

I hope they never introduce faction changes. Those that defected had to level toons in the new faction and nothing is preventing you from doing so as well. For those that defect often it's because you want to join the band wagon. You want to be on the winning team. Or what you perceive as the winning team. It's ok they don't need you after all you will get to the new faction and then you can fight even less players from your old faction who just changed alliances to be on "winning team". Then we can all be on one massive faction won't that be fun. I am sure the lag will fix itself after all the aoe issues will no longer be an issue. At least then we can start doing pledges again and I can finally finish Caldwell silver.... Can't Wait!

Enodoc · December 2015

The biggest problem they would have to overcome if they decided to introduce faction changes is how they would handle quest progression, since all factions can do all quests, but the rewards for those quests depends on your first alliance choice.

Varen_Aquilarios · December 2015

How could you defect from your king!?

TheShadowScout · December 2015

imredneckson wrote: »

I think you missed the point I was trying to make...

I got that.
I am just saying, people can already swap campaigns, and many of the hardcore PvPlayers have max-level alts in every faction - and it hasn't killed the game yet.

And if they were to implement my defection questline idea, they could just as well unlock access to it after completing cadwells, but still require buying the quest starter in the crown store, and add a hefty price tag to discourage "faction of the month" chasers... if you have to shell out the price for a horse for every faction change, people would think twice and thrice about it, and likely only those who really, really feel a pressing need (like, to quest hand in hand with their friends/family/etc.) would spring for it.

Also, with the PvP drawbacks I suggested (half AP gain? Which PvPlayer would change faction to forevermore only gain AP at half rate???) the option would be unpopular for the PvP crowd, yet no issue for PvE, where it doesn't matter in terms of PvP-campaign-balance anyways.

Enodoc wrote: »

The biggest problem they would have to overcome if they decided to introduce faction changes is how they would handle quest progression, since all factions can do all quests, but the rewards for those quests depends on your first alliance choice.

Worse if the switch came before the end of cadwells, it would break the progression chain. Imagine an AD character, playing through AD lands, coldharbour, then starting cadwells silver with EP... then changing faction to DC. Suddenly the player is supposed to do the AD quests again because the DC silver is in AD? Or would all the quests already have been done because the character did it in their mainstory, and gets no silver at all? Maybe switching to EP for gold right away, as DC gold is in EP... but never gets to do the DC mainland questings at level??? Not a good idea.

Thus... wait until cadwell is done before allowing faction change, and the problem is no more as all the main quests would have been done already. (and any missed sidequests can be neglected and done in the new faction version)

Varen_Aquilarios wrote: »

How could you defect from your king!?

Like the orc couple did in northern auridion.
Like the argonian tribe did in southern grahtwood.
Like pretty much every imperial character must have done.

Precedents exist.

ProfessorKittyhawk · December 2015

Faction changes would make for fun rp opportunities. My main is a Khajiit on EP who is a spy under Queen Ayrenn's employ to spy on and uncover enemy secrets. He's so deep undercover he doesn't hesitate to kill fellow AD enemies in EP or DC lands, all in the name of maintaining cover.

Of course, being a rather worldly Khajiit (being a Professor and what not) he has made some friends in his travels and has made him question his allegiance. Hell, he's Mara'd an Argonian for Akatosh's sake!

But yeah, as mentioned above the logistics of quest progression could make it tricky. Race and/or class change is one thing, but switching factions just has a whole lot more involved.