Faction changes

jaye63 · January 2018

I know it's been discussed, but a few things come to mind as to why it's a good thing. So first, crown store purchase. Ok... we have the money out of the way.

Guild dies, new guild... CARP! now I gotta rebuild all of my toons. ZoS is STINGY on toon spaces so... faction change. And I already hear the *OMG! IT WILL RUIN PVP* doom and gloomers so ... since they can put a timer on mounts skills, graduated timers on trait research... 6 month timer on the faction change. The other option is to have 30 toon spaces. That way I can have my 10 characters in all 3 factions and not have to worry about what faction the new guild is in. And Im really not in the mood to write an essay espousing all of the good points and dispelling all of the bad points on a faction change that can only happen every 6 months. And the only other option is to have 30 or even unlimited character slots. This *less than 20* carp is a ridiculous limitation. BUT THE DATA BASE SIZE you say... Remember where I started... money?

VaranisArano · January 2018

So its time for the monthly "faction Change" thread. This one's less coherent than usual.

I'd take a faction change because I'm a faction loyalist. I made an AD and DC character so I could experience the AD and DC storylines before One Tamriel with a member of those alliances. However, I play PVP exclusively as a member of the Ebonheart Pact. I'd prefer not to reroll those characters - maxed horses for example - and a faction change would be the only way I would PVP on those characters.

But honestly, it really doesn't bother me that there isn't a faction change option. I've got enough PVP characters that two more doesn't make a huge difference.

Sorry to hear about your guild breaking up though. Always sad to see good PVP guilds go.

RobbieRocket · January 2018

Sort the account lock on Campaigns first.... then we can get to that.

In no competition or sport anywhere that I know of (*) can someone swap sides to effect the result of a contest. Of course you can say it is war and not sport but here's my point of that, ESO is a game (contest) that replicates war so, keep the contest ethical (Alliance lock for users per Campaign) but allow change of Alliance with new Campaign or change of Campaign. Also, spies can still play as a spy and report to their friends, just not to themselves.

* Please, please enlighten me if you have some ethical scenarios of a "side switcher".

danno8 · January 2018

Would be cool. Running it through my head though it sounds like it could be a technical nightmare for ZoS, although maybe less so since the 1T levelling change.

Could come with a cool title like "Traitor", "Faithless" or "Betrayer".

VaranisArano · January 2018

RobbieRocket wrote: »

Sort the account lock on Campaigns first.... then we can get to that.

In no competition or sport anywhere that I know of (*) can someone swap sides to effect the result of a contest. Of course you can say it is war and not sport but here's my point of that, ESO is a game (contest) that replicates war so, keep the contest ethical (Alliance lock for users per Campaign) but allow change of Alliance with new Campaign or change of Campaign. Also, spies can still play as a spy and report to their friends, just not to themselves.

* Please, please enlighten me if you have some ethical scenarios of a "side switcher".

Does my example of being loyal to EP and currently not playing PVP on my DC and AD characters and wanting to swap all my characters to EP count as ethical?

RobbieRocket · January 2018

Yes, that counts as ethical from the perspective of each Campaign, in fact all Campaigns. It is not so loyal to the original Alliances you created those characters with and therefore their loyalty to their Alliances. But that's roleplay, people desert, it's ok.

I was just implying that there is a juxtaposition between Alliance swapping and Campaign-Alliance locks. Currently people can swap Alliances within a Campaign but not swap Alliances on a character, so my point is to make Campaigns ethical first then Alliance swapping (by character) will not make the non-ethical element of PvP even more passively available.

RobbieRocket · January 2018

...your cool down idea was fair but imo did not go far enough. Have it like, Transmutation Crystals - one time only. I mean people have already chosen an Alliance - yes, I hear you cry the game changed since you did that, I get it, so renew the "one time only" rule with any game-changer like ONE TAMRIEL. So far, there has been such game-changer so add the Alliance-swap and once.

jaye63 · January 2018

RobbieRocket wrote: »

Sort the account lock on Campaigns first.... then we can get to that.

In no competition or sport anywhere that I know of (*) can someone swap sides to effect the result of a contest. Of course you can say it is war and not sport but here's my point of that, ESO is a game (contest) that replicates war so, keep the contest ethical (Alliance lock for users per Campaign) but allow change of Alliance with new Campaign or change of Campaign. Also, spies can still play as a spy and report to their friends, just not to themselves.

* Please, please enlighten me if you have some ethical scenarios of a "side switcher".

You didnt read..."Guild dies, new guild... CARP! now I gotta rebuild all of my toons." But the alternative of a lot more character slots is an acceptable alternative. Actually, a LOT more acceptable.

Hurtfan · January 2018

I'm not a faction swapper nor do I desire to do such...EP all the way baby! However, I bet a lot of people would quit PvP if they couldn't swap factions and I like Cyrodiil being full.

To those faction swappers, nothing wrong with losing once in a while, it builds character.

Jamini · January 2018

Personally I'd prefer that there just be much better incentives to play the losing side over a faction lock.

A boost to AP when a faction is outnumbered, ON TOP OF THE LOWPOP +20% AP bonus, would be nice.

To those faction swappers, nothing wrong with losing once in a while, it builds character.

Some of us swap so we can be on the lower pop side, to farm more zerglings. You can learn a lot when fighting the mediocre players from your primary faction!

Lesson 1: Everyone zergs. Everyone sucks.

Hurtfan · January 2018

Jamini wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer that there just be much better incentives to play the losing side over a faction lock.

A boost to AP when a faction is outnumbered, ON TOP OF THE LOWPOP +20% AP bonus, would be nice.

To those faction swappers, nothing wrong with losing once in a while, it builds character.

Some of us swap so we can be on the lower pop side, to farm more zerglings. You can learn a lot when fighting the mediocre players from your primary faction!

Lesson 1: Everyone zergs. Everyone sucks.

EP on the PS4 NA server needs you! lol

jaye63 · January 2018

I wouldnt mind having a full set of toons in every faction instead of a faction swap. 10 slots per faction should be enough

BuddyAces · January 2018

I'd pay for a one time only change. Long story short, made my now main toon in the wrong faction. Was too lazy to delete it since I spent a lot of time getting her just right but now regret it. Only toon that is not AD is my main. Go figure.

Surak73 · January 2018

I would say yes, putting only one condition: if you change faction, you change it with all of your characters (faction will become account bounded) and there will not be any way to come back.

It would be a nice way to correct the mistake that ZOS made in the first place allowing multiple factions account.

jcaceresw · January 2018

I got tired of waiting for ZOS to do something like this (including class change). Even posted several threads about it. So finally, I decided to delete all my DC toons and NB and Templar ones and just keep some of my sorcerer EP ones. From 14 toons I reduced them to 6. If ZOS heared us they would have gotten lots of money from me from changing factions or classes. Now they won't get none.

VaranisArano · January 2018

If you really want 30 slots, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier at this point to just buy another account? There's downsides to doing it that way, but its more likely than that ZOS will suddenly double the number of available character slots.

zaria · January 2018

Faction change makes lots of sense if you join game for PvE but find you like PvP a a lot. This happens a lot,
you then find that your main guild does pvp in another faction.
Yes you can make an new character but you then end up with two similar for PvE and its take time.
One tamriel has already broken the faction lines in PvE and only impact would be the base you port to in PvP.

Girl_Number8 · January 2018

jaye63 wrote: »

I know it's been discussed, but a few things come to mind as to why it's a good thing. So first, crown store purchase. Ok... we have the money out of the way.

Guild dies, new guild... CARP! now I gotta rebuild all of my toons. ZoS is STINGY on toon spaces so... faction change. And I already hear the *OMG! IT WILL RUIN PVP* doom and gloomers so ... since they can put a timer on mounts skills, graduated timers on trait research... 6 month timer on the faction change. The other option is to have 30 toon spaces. That way I can have my 10 characters in all 3 factions and not have to worry about what faction the new guild is in. And Im really not in the mood to write an essay espousing all of the good points and dispelling all of the bad points on a faction change that can only happen every 6 months. And the only other option is to have 30 or even unlimited character slots. This *less than 20* carp is a ridiculous limitation. BUT THE DATA BASE SIZE you say... Remember where I started... money?

Yasss, another one

gets ready for salt and tears to commence.

jaye63 · January 2018

VaranisArano wrote: »

If you really want 30 slots, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier at this point to just buy another account? There's downsides to doing it that way, but its more likely than that ZOS will suddenly double the number of available character slots.

Like I have the money to sub to 3 accounts. I have all of the DLCs. I can get further DLCs with sub crowns. But subbing to 2 more accounts? Seriously isnt going to happen.

jaye63 · January 2018

Girl_Number8 wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

I know it's been discussed, but a few things come to mind as to why it's a good thing. So first, crown store purchase. Ok... we have the money out of the way.

Guild dies, new guild... CARP! now I gotta rebuild all of my toons. ZoS is STINGY on toon spaces so... faction change. And I already hear the *OMG! IT WILL RUIN PVP* doom and gloomers so ... since they can put a timer on mounts skills, graduated timers on trait research... 6 month timer on the faction change. The other option is to have 30 toon spaces. That way I can have my 10 characters in all 3 factions and not have to worry about what faction the new guild is in. And Im really not in the mood to write an essay espousing all of the good points and dispelling all of the bad points on a faction change that can only happen every 6 months. And the only other option is to have 30 or even unlimited character slots. This *less than 20* carp is a ridiculous limitation. BUT THE DATA BASE SIZE you say... Remember where I started... money?

Yasss, another one gets ready for salt and tears to commence.

Stop trolling and actually say something. No salt. Just an idea. actually 2 ideas. You like them or you dont.

dotme · January 2018

jaye63 wrote: »

...And the only other option is to have 30 or even unlimited character slots....

How about an alternative that isn't behind a paywall? (ESO must be careful about too many paywalls because it can kill the game if mismanaged - not every player has the funds to spare)

IMHO the "free" solution that could be offered to every player is pretty straightforward. Note that I'm not saying this has been entirely thought through (feel free to blow holes in it) but this is something to consider. Why not:

Bring back the faction lock in campaigns to prevent hopping to the winning side and all the trolling/griefing which offers a poor experience for players in-game.
At the beginning of each campaign, each player picks a faction and - here's the important bit - the choice account-wide for the duration (7 or 30 day) of the campaign.
At the end of the campaign, each player can stay in their current faction, or choose a new one for the next campaign.

Example: A player chooses Vivec for their home campaign and chooses AD as their faction. Every time they enter Vivec, no matter which of their many cross-faction characters they're on, that character is/becomes AD while in Cyrodiil. The same player could make Shor their guest campaign, and maybe they choose DC for that. Again, all their characters become DC while present in that campaign. At the end of each campaign, the player is allowed to choose a different faction for the next one.

Now instead of waiting 6 months, you can swap factions every 7 days in a 7 day campaign if you want. But not in the middle of a campaign - only when the campaign ends. You can play every character you have ever made, so if you want to play 10 characters in Cyrodill, you can - but they'll all become your chosen faction when they arrive in the zone.

PvP guilds could announce which faction they're going to be in next campaign via the MOTD and players can all switch together without leaving some players behind who don't have $$ or time to grind a new character in another faction.

Or I suppose you could go the Battlegrounds route of Orange, Green and Purple. But I'd like to see Cyrodiil remain DC/AD/EP. Is this a crazy idea? Would it cause consequences I haven't thought of?

TheShadowScout · January 2018

As I said the last time on faction change:

TheShadowScout wrote: »

I said it before, I'll say it again...

Rather then an "alliance change token" I would love to see a "cloak and dagger" themed DLC with an "faction loyalty called in question" story, that has a big choice in it - stay loyal to your alliance and find the reat traitor to prove your loyalty, or fu... uhm... forget loyalty and defect to greener pastures. With the second half (or two thirds, or whatever) of the questline being different depending on your choice - either uncovering the one who framed you, or preparing your escape, grabbing some juicy secrets on the way out, etc. Such a story could have a neutral city as "spycraft" focal point (like vienna during the cold war, where spies and agents often went to spy hard between the two sides - for ESO it could be some place between the alliances, or even an post-anchorite-war isle of stirk...), but otherwise take you all over the old faction regions, possibly revisiting a few one-time-only maps with new mobs... and perhaps even meeting a few familiar faces (come on, wouldn't you love to slam a porticullis shut into Razum-dars face as you hop on a boat bound to morrowind with Naryu? )

Such a questline could even have special titles depending on what you choose... "[original faction] Loyalist" or "[original faction] Defector"... and it might have drawbacks for PvP, like... reduced AP gain, since noone fully trusts a traitor... or increased AP rewards if a member of your original faction takes you down, because...

(there could even be a daily "hunt traitor" mission, and defectors in cyrodil getting an visuel clue while that mission is active...)

...aaaand that's still the best way to do it IMO.