Battle.net 2.0 to allow cross-faction communication
by Michael Sacco 
Aug 27th 2009 at 11:43AM
As noted in my previous article on the subject, the new and improved Battle.net won't affect only StarCraft II -- among other things, the Real ID feature will allow you to see what other Blizzard games your real-life friends or acquaintances are playing, should they desire it. But that's apparently not the only perk for WoW players. Blizzard recently announced that migration of WoW accounts to Battle.net accounts will soon be mandatory, and posted a FAQ about it on the official website; one detail immediately caught my eye...
What will change in World of Warcraft after the forced migration?
The core gameplay experience will remain unchanged as a result of the migration. However, you'll be able to take part in all of the new Battle.net features, such as cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-game chat.
That's right. Got a friend that plays Horde and you play Alliance? You'll be able to talk to them from inside WoW, even if they're on a different server. Heck, even if they're playing StarCraft II or Diablo 3, you'll still be able to chat with them. How cool is that?
To quell some concerns that'll surely get posted in the comments, the extent that others can utilize your Real ID is completely up to you. You decide who gets to see what information and to what extent -- if you want your best friend to be able to see what game you're playing or what server you're on, you can do that, but you can also prevent your annoying cousin from pestering you to play StarCraft II while you're raiding. No, Jeff, I actually can wait for you to "pwn" me. Gots to get me some purps.
Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
morkuma Aug 27th 2009 11:50AM
and there if the end of the for the horde/alliance achievment
Dave Sharp Aug 28th 2009 10:27AM
Oh please like it's impossible to stop an opposite faction taking all four cities once we can chat to people cross server. Firstly once one city is attacked you know what's going on even if nobody tells you they're incoming. Secondly, you are always warned of an incoming attack! The point I am making is that the faction you are attacking almost always knows you are coming regardless, so this can only be interpreted as an awesome feature!
@DaveSharp
mre Aug 27th 2009 11:53AM
Don't really see a need for this. If I wanted to talk to those people I'd be on their server.
AutumnBringer Aug 27th 2009 12:46PM
I know, seriously. It's like telephones - if I wanted to talk to someone far away, obviously I'd just rearrange my life to make sure I live next door to them.
Email? Not needed either, I'll pass them a paper note under the door.
mre Aug 27th 2009 12:52PM
So why do we have vent?
ChaosPrime Aug 27th 2009 11:53AM
Holy ****!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Aeryk Aug 27th 2009 11:54AM
I'll finally be able to chat with a few of my RL freinds who play on the opposite faction and different servers without having to re-roll, woo :)
Ian R. (Orkchop) Aug 27th 2009 12:47PM
^This!! And I can feel fine rolling on the opposite faction, but seeing if any of my friends hop on, so I can hop back over.
Arashikou Aug 27th 2009 2:46PM
This is especially useful now that there are more races than character slots per server. I was already contemplating having to split my toons across two servers and dreading explaining it to my friends who have a hard enough time laying off when I go to play Horde instead of hanging around with them on the Alliance. If Battle.net 2.0 will let me keep in touch with my friends while I'm playing toons that can't talk to them in-game, that's justification for its existence right there.
It's not like this enables all horde players to talk to all alliance players, (can you IMAGINE that friends list?!?) just people who already know each other.
Beliam Aug 27th 2009 11:54AM
Greaaat.
I can deal with ganking, but now I have to put up with the 80 Rogues psting me all the time? To speak nothing of the griefing that will utilize this communication, no doubt.
Michael Sacco Aug 27th 2009 11:54AM
Read the article!
vune Aug 27th 2009 11:55AM
Read the rest of the post.
Terethall Aug 27th 2009 11:55AM
Did you not actually read the post? It was like 200 words, dude.
If you HAD read it, you would know that only people who know an ID that is at your discretion to give out will be able to contact you. Those 80 rogues that keep killing you won't be able to whisper you. And I doubt and serious griefing will occur. On my server, there are lots of people who hang out on cross-faction vent, so info about pvp and raids already travels pretty freely, and I can't see how this would really increase that very much.
Doffencrag Aug 27th 2009 11:55AM
Not unless you know those 80 rogues. Cross-server, cross-faction chat is a feature for you and your designated friends to enjoy.
That said, friends on opposite factions, on the same server, can indeed lead to shenanigans...
Moony Aug 27th 2009 11:56AM
Here's a thought, *read* the entire article BEFORE you start whining about something that *isn't going to happen*.
Or do you need it translated into a language you can understand, like Charades?
Beliam Aug 27th 2009 11:57AM
REAAAD?! ME NO READ! ME SMASH!
Okay, yeah.
Edge Aug 27th 2009 12:03PM
I would imagine cross-server/faction chat will just be available to people you are already friends with. Some random dude won't have your ACTUAL RealID, just your characters name, so I imagine he won't have any way to find you and start griefing you. I also imagine within the game (without the RealID) nothing will change, i.e you can't just start chatting with random Hordies who you don't know.
I think this is just a way for FRIENDS to be able to communicate and play together, it won't really change anything when it comes to factions. The RealID is the key to keeping it that way. So just don't start posting your RealID all over the interwebs and accepting random new friends.
Eddy Aug 27th 2009 12:17PM
Actually this is staring to happen with the removal of the faction restriction of PVP servers. A friend was enjoying some casual ganking, which I can't really vouch for, and the shaman he was ganking made a level one Horde toon in order to curse him out. Then it blocked him, logged off and went back on its main.
I think my friend took inspiration from that and now uses a toon from the other faction to /who zones to figure out where people are to gank (not specific ones, just to get a sense of which zones are populated at the moment.)
impurezero Aug 27th 2009 1:45PM
Ok, to everyone getting all, "READ THE ARTICLE, STUPID!":
Sure, he missed some important parts of the article there. But cut him some slack, because this still does make it technically easier for jerks and their friends to do what he's saying.
Sure...a ganker can't directly whisper you without your ID. But he can definitely ask his friend on your faction to relay a message on his behalf.
I'm sort of against this feature in a way. As far as I can tell, Blizzard included restrictions on cross-faction communication for several good reasons. Sure, people already use Vent and outside IM programs to get around that, but now Blizzard is putting a cross faction method right into the game itself. Just seems a bit backwards from their previous stance.
Jonathan Aug 27th 2009 3:39PM
@impurezero
And what exactly is stopping them from doing that now? I mean, do you know anyone these days without a chat client on their PC? It's just as easy to pop open MSN or Yahoo or AIM and IM said friend to have THEM grief people verbally for you. If someone wants to be a jerk, the extra half second of alt tabbing isn't going to stop them. The dude's just being melodramatic, this is merely a convenience feature.