I think it's done deliberately and is a testament to Blizzard's story/lore department.

I can't stand people who judge others based on what faction they play on WoW.

Sure I don't like the Horde, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be rude to people who play Horde in real life for no other reason.

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Everything that is, is alive.

That's just the thing, I don't see that at all. I see a complex story involving two sides, both of which have done some honorable and dishonorable things at times.

Imo it's the players who choose to only find out about one side of the story, and further who choose to internalize this story to justify their aggression.

A lot of the fanboys who frequent the official WoW forums seem to have legit mental issues. Real Talk.

I had a guy verbally assault me for playing not only alliance, but a NE warrior. It started out with him just insulting the faction, but slowly turned into me being a horrible player and then a terrible person.

After about 20 minutes, 10 beers between the 2 of us, and a few contests of manliness we decided we were friends.

Airing of grievances, and feats of strength? Truly you experienced a Festivus miracle!

Sir, I present you the following:

I'm pretty sure the reason most people are A/H fanboys is a combination of two things.

1: People remember the bad things. I know very few people who play both Alliance and Horde. All they have is a negative experience with the opposite faction.

2: It's a combination of the anonymity of the internet and the theory people take on aspects of masks/costumes they wear.

So combine these things and of course there's this religious like fervor for factions.

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We are Sex Bob-Omb! And we're here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!

"By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth." - George Carlin

This on the dot. I used to frequent there, but it just got out of hand (IMHO) with the fanaticism. Now a'days I just go there to get a laugh in at how many people start insulting someone's intellect and deem all their arguments flawed based off of their faction choice.

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I definitely hear this one.

What happened to Ornhelm? He's an interesting case study.

Ehhhh... no comment.

He exiled himself again, so he'll probably be back spewing vitriol in a few days.

I think several factors are at play here.

Many WoW players spend hours upon hours playing the game, and in doing so they get to assume the role of a hero that is doing missions for respective faction and actively battling the other side. The immersion can be very palpable, especially when WoW in some cases takes over other socialization.

Many of these individuals may not themselves be highly effectual in real life, so the kind of escapism WoW offers is very appealing. As Randy Marsh said, “In the outside world, I am a simple geologist... but in here, I am Valkorn, Defender of the Alliance. I have braved the Fargo Deep Mine, and defeated the Blood Fish at Jarod's Landing.”

Plus, the factionalism ties into the sense of “tribalism” that exists in many people’s psyches. You can see it with sports teams and elsewhere. People identify with their faction, and develop a hatred for their rivals.

For some that get too involved with it, they start to believe they are, in essence, actually on the alliance or the horde.

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I'm not "on" the Alliance.

I AM the Alliance.

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"Damn, snowcone, what were you for Halloween, a bitch? You best be ready for this shit, Cranberry Juice, cuz you bout to get FUCKED." -L Dubba E

Wow, I cant believe how involved people get with this game. When I played wow we played to do bosses, level and just chill out. Sure, WoW has a pretty big story behind it, but seriously? I have never ever while playing wow actually experienced any...connection with the game or anything. There is like nothing there that strikes at my emotions, I just don't get how people can get so involved and...yeah...about their faction etc. God! I know people say this alot...mainly trolls...but seriously, Its just a game!

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I play Horde because it is different from other games where Orcs, Trolls and Minotaurs are only enemies. But I find Alliance quests interesting as well and don't think the player base is that different. I actually a few Alliance twinks(mostly on RP Servers).

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The holy trinity: The Tauren, the Troll and the Blood Elf (The hairy beast, the freaky cannibalist and the pervert sex monster)


(Yes, I am a Horde only player but I NEVER play Orcs)

The strangest thing? I didn't really see this level of fanaticism until WotLK. Back during Vanilla and TBC, yeah, it was there, but people were a lot more forgiving. Then WotLK comes, and with it, a focus on faction over individual races, and now all of a sudden we have a lot more people arguing about faction, especially in regard to cataclysm. Food for thought.

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Heh, my first thought was that faction loyalty isn't as serious as some make it out to be, and then I happened to glance at my right shoulder and notice the Horde symbol tattooed there.

I have a theory that it is the proximity. In Vanilla we all would hang out in a unique faction city, only among our faction. In BC, Shattrath was a neutral hub, but the extreme size of the city made it so few people "gathered" in one area in large quantities. Like I never ever noticed a large consolidation of players at any point in any locations.

Now we have Dalaran, and both factions are stuffed together. Yes, they each have a little section only they can go, but most instead gather in front of the two banks.

This, added with Wintergrasp, means the two sides are seeing more of eachother and the accomplishments of the other side on a day to day basis. It creates an odd "tension" I have noticed while playing my Horde and Alliance characters that I never had before.

Or look at it a different way.

During Vanilla, name the really big Horde/Alliance conflicts that really pit Horde versus Alliance.

I really can't name any.

During BC, name the really big Horde/Alliance conflicts that really pit Horde versus Alliance.

Again, there really wasn't any.

During WotLK, name the really big Horde/Alliance conflicts that really pit Horde versus Alliance.

Wrathgate/Icecrown (zone and raid) as examples.

During the leadup to WotLK, the factions weren't really at each other's throats like in WotLK. For the most part it was a Cold War with both sides not doing a lot to really make the other side want to go to an open conflict. Just little skirmashes here and there.

Then you have WotLK where we are literally fighting each other as soon as we get to Northrend. Howling Fjord and Forsaken/Alliance really come to mind. Hell, it took Fordring to make a tournement just to try to get the two groups to actually work with each other rather than trying to sabatoge each other and that fell apart when they both hit ICC, gunship battle anyone?

It's been simmering for a while, WotLK just kicked it up a notch and Cata looks to make it even more.

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Meanwhile.... back at the

When playing wow it's incredibly easy to assume a role in your faction and a dislike for the other faction.

When playing online players do so with anonymity, it may be wise to hide your real life identity on the internet, so many people will assume the identity of their character threw out the game.

It's been made very easy to be patriotic for your faction; the inclusion of battle cries; faction iconography and the community spirit of guilds that will always be your faction, if you're not patriotic for your faction, you may well be patriotic for your guild; which is a representative of your faction. It's very easy to take the role of a faction member as a player. Who here has ever uttered the phrase 'For the Horde' while playing?

The opposing faction to is dehumanized to the player. They can not talk to you, and when they do it's often the spit emote. The most of the encounters you have with your opposing faction will be ones where they're have the objective to kill your character. It's even better if the conflict takes place when your in the company of your guild members.

In WotLK and WHOLLY LORD Cataclysm the opposing faction is portrayed as being antagonistic to you. The other faction's iconic members are often designated enemies of not just you, but your guild in city raids, battlegrounds and the Gunship Battle. In Cataclysm the two factions will hear and see different sides to stories (EG: the Tauren camp in S. Barrens) meaning blizzard can show your enemies as being far more dislikeable now.

At the cost of the mess on forums, Blizzard has given you an enemy you can dislike and an excuse to assume the role of your character. Leveling threw Cataclysm might be a very strong experience, as with every win and loss of your faction to the other plays with some investment of identity you have in your faction.

Back when I played WoW (Actually played it) I was an Alliance only; roleplaying; PvPer and Guildmaster or officer. I LOATHED the horde (Only in game mind) and hating them was probably some of the best fun I had in the game.

I recall when my former guild on a non rolyplaying server raided Tarren Mill for fun. We were splurting out slander to the Horde with every spell we casted, at first we were just embracing the event, but then when the level capped horde members came and picked on our weaker members we hunted down those horde players shouting for vengeance for our fallen friends.

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I'd root for this and most of Whowho's post.
I'd also "blame" the game changing over the years (in before "u mad about casuals").
I'm speaking from personal observations, so add your flavor if you feel compelled to.
Vanilla had a rather demanding PvP system and despite the time and effort we had to dump in the BGs and open PvP to climb the rank ladder, it usually felt more like friendly rivarly than bitter competition.
I fondly remember the Tarren Mill tug o war and all the head hunting that went on, trying to pick that certain rogue out of the crowd to kick his ass. I remember provoking all out war in Booty Bay through killing some guy from the roofs, I never had that much fun again in WoW, the battle raged for hours. I had a Vent recording of one of the Alliance premades cheering and looking forward to fighting us after spotting us in the BG. Of course there were black sheep and "ragequitters" but not nearly as much as today. You had a reputation to keep, you faced off against people not just a mass with a distinct color scheme.
BGs and TBCs stronger emphasis on PvE turned the focus on PvE competition. And looking back, I get the feeling that competing indirectly via a 3rd party, like mobs, leads to more spite than competing directly mano a mano. Arena and cross sever BGs also added their very own poison to the whole atmosphere by stroking the wrong egos and granting people more anonymity (both brought, of course, also some positive change).
WoTLK changed the focus even more to PvE, everything became more of a "participate and you get something" snoozefest, more faceless masses, more instant gratification. I remember only rarely engaging in open PvP, I made no new "arch nemesis" to butt my head against but struggled with gankers, even creating new, lasting connections to other players of my own faction has become more difficult and rarer. Everything has become quicker, short lived and expendable and I think this encourages people to think in simpler, broader patterns, a quick, bile filled post under a pseudonym, decrying and generalizing people doesn't have any repercussions, at all.

But that usually sticks to friendly rivarly. My city houses two soccer teams and everytime I got stuck between two hordes of fans on the subway after a "derby", both parties would just stand several meters away from each other and thump their chests and try to be louder than the other group, no actual dangerous fighting ever ensued. I think it mostly gets out of hand when people who are either really bored, unhappy with theirself or plain stupid get involved.

EDIT: I got a bit carried away, sorry. I blame my lack of sleep.

Oh I miss friendly rivalry.

The Battle group forums where probably my favourite place on the internet. I've not visited them since the end of BC so I can't tell you what they're like now but it actually felt like a community (At least my one did) it allowed you to humanize your opposing faction players.

I remember this one chap that had both Alliance and Horde characters in the group and I loved playing with him as much as I loved fighting him. And I remember the most infamous horde rouge on the group and how we would make bee lines for each other in the Battle ground.

There was victory brags and such, but it was all with the joking tone of 'hay, let's do this again some time.'

That's probably why I'm always in favour of keeping the Battle Groups tight. Still, I'm hoping the support for PvP guilds will help this. They should give you the ability to challenge guilds of the opposing faction, I know they're allowing 'War Games' between guilds of the same faction.

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What about Hellfire Peninsula, there was quite a lot of back and forth going on there, the technology just wasn't there yet to make it as ambient as in Wrath/Cata. Though what might've helped in BC is that in the end, we still united(under the Shattered Sun flag) to fight the greater evil. Yet in Wrath, there was no happy ending between the two factions, we fought eachother in the very last raid. Fighting, to be the ones to kill that greater evil...While Saurfang's intentions in Icecrown were still good(bring back Bolvar alive to the Alliance), Bolvar 'died' so it was in vain.

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