Inspired by Ron's story about our current banner, we would like to invite anyone who is interested to share their stories of cooperative cross-faction interactions in WoW.
We have heard a number of stories of teaming up between Alliance and Horde, doing quests together, helping each other in other ways, or just having fun together. This is no small task, since Horde and Alliance cannot talk to each other (due to the fact that they speak different "languages") and clicking on an avatar from the other faction will result in immediate PvP combat. Please tell us your most interesting stories!
I've done quite a few quests "with" horde players - in areas where you have heavy mob density, it helps to have someone there taking mobs as well. I'll usually help someone that I see is getting really hammered, regardless of side.
My favourite episode was during BWL days, in the waiting area where everyone gathers. After some flirting, a undead player started dancing with me - what else could I do but take some noggenfogger, say "kek" and dance? That was fun.
http://ravven.wordpress.com/2006/08/29/yaay-for-holidays/
Posted by: Ravven | April 27, 2007 at 01:22 AM
I've helped a number of Horde players find peace and tranquility through death.
Hey - someone had to start it ;)
Posted by: Solok | April 27, 2007 at 11:40 AM
I had an Alliance toon reach Field Marshal and was starting my long grind to Grand Marshal. The "honour mafia", which I'd previously known nothing about and many of whom I'd grouped with in various battlegrounds, approached me and said they would be telling me how much honour to get each week so I wouldn't interfere with the players they had "lined up for GM". I told them that no one was going to tell me how to play - sorry.
I was no longer invited to group with them, a few were outright nasty, and life was not all that pleasant. I complained on our realm's forum (did not name names - not my style) and had quite a mix of replies.
The day after my post I went into Warsong and found myself against the most feared Horde group on our server. To my amazement they blew kisses and "I love you" gestures at me and would not attack me. After the battle one of them logged in with an Alliance toon and whispered to me that they supported me, thought I was an excellent player and adversary, and would love for me to come over to the Horde side. Could have knocked me over with a feather.
I have been Horde ever since.
I've been involved in some great "Horde and Alliance have fun together" times, but this was by far the most significant.
Posted by: Soosi | April 27, 2007 at 10:13 PM
I remember the first time it happened to me - I was in a cave in Redridge - saw a horde player and starting swinging away. He just stood there until I realized he was a skull to me. When I figured out that he could one-hit me any time he wanted to I stopped. Then he helped me finish my quest. I've done the same thing for lower level horde since then a few times and it is always fun.
Some however never get it - at some point you help them find a more peaceful plane of existence...
This seems to work better in enclosed spaces. In Felwood grinding furblogs it was pretty common for H & A to just let each other in peace until some a-hole came along. People would try to warn them - "horde friendly" but for hard core PVPers I guess they can't let it go even when everyone is just grinding trash mobs for rep.
An aside - when I'm getting ganked my favorite trick is to rez right inside the offending player. Freaks em out lol.
Posted by: Embir | April 28, 2007 at 07:19 PM
Player relations are always interesting regardless of faction. I've tended to find Horde players much more friendly than Alliance most of the time, though.
I've often found that while wandering though low level zones on a non-PvP server, that Alliance characters who are many levels above me will run up to me and kindly offer to duel, again and again, from one side of the zone to the other.
That said, I've had other amusing experiences with my rogue sneaking through Darkshire to reach Swamp of Sorrows. The guards were low enough level that I could sneak by, so I just went through in stealth. Near the inn, there were a bunch of Alliance players dancing with each other, so I did the only natural thing I could do, which was to break stealth and start dancing with them! I had to use vanish to avoid the swarm of guards that came after me, but the encounter was priceless.
Cheers!
Posted by: ashmore | April 29, 2007 at 02:49 PM
There has been a lot of discussion about Horde players being more mature than their alliance counterparts. I know that when I play my Alliance toon (PvE server) I am always looking to kill the Horde. I won't attack someone already engaged in PvE combat, but when they know I'm there I try my best to turn them into a ghost.
On my Horde toon though I've spared the sword plenty of times. I think for me I try to get into the character - the Alliance are the arrogant they will cleanse the world type, and the Horde is the "just let me live" type.
That and when I'm outnumbered I'm your best friend dancing and telling jokes ;)
Posted by: Solok | April 30, 2007 at 01:38 PM
I notice when you talk to players who play primarily alliance, they have the attidute that they are on the "right" side, while Horde players tend to characterize themselves as indigenous peoples abused by the colonizers.
I personally play both, and I find that I get challenged to duel much less on my Horde server. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that the Blood Elf areas on my server are "clothing optonal." Although I've seen stripping on my alliance server, it does not seem to be as widespread.
Posted by: Celia Pearce | April 30, 2007 at 09:05 PM
I haven't played in well over a year but had to post my experience as an Alliance Hunter with a fellow Hunter on the Horde side.
I was on the island outside of Booty Bay hunting "King Kong" (or whatever the giant gorilla's name is). I had made it past the stealthed panthers and finally spotted my quarry ahead. Problem was, he was already engaged by a Horde Hunter and his pet.
I watched him fight for some time before his pet was killed and he had to melee with the monkey. The fight wasn't going his way, and something about seeing another Hunter in trouble, Horde or otherwise, just didn't settle right. I sent in King Bang and then blasted the tar out of the big monkey before it had a chance to kill the Hunter.
He came my way after the fight and gave me a couple of thankful emotes before sitting down to recuperate. As he sat, I stayed next to him picking off stray mobs that came to close to him. The monkey eventually respawned in the distance and the Horde Hunter gestured in it's direction. I acknowledged that I saw him but stayed local until he had healed all the way.
Once his health was back up he summoned his pet and pointed once more at the monkey. I gave him a bow and a clap and took off to engage the beast, all the while expecting him to trot off to Hordeville to turn in his quest.
To my pleasant surprise, he followed me into the fight, and once I had sicced the pet and unloaded a few rounds (and sufficiently burned down some monkey health) the Horde Hunter sent in his own pet and began pumping arrows. The monkey dropped in no time, I had completed part of my quest, and I was thanked again profusely by the Tauren.
It was one of the better moments of my experiences in Azeroth, but I can't help but to think of "Saving Private Ryan" and how this same Hunter would probably be smacking me silly on my next trip to the Crossroads :)
Posted by: Chris Volion | May 01, 2007 at 10:16 AM
Great story Chris. Interesting the way class identification transcends race in this case. Karl Marx would love that! :) You are also getting at an interesting altruism/loyalty feedback loop, what I would call a Karma Loop. If you help someone in a significant way they have a positive disposition towards you. (I guess what the game is trying to quantify with "reputation" points.) This can be reciprocated by mutual support. Particularly fascinating are these short-term, temporary interactions where you have a provisional bond that forms. To me this type of experience is what makes games like WoW most compelling: The REAL drama that takes place between people; much more interesting than the exposition by the "quest vending machines" known as NPC's.
Posted by: Celia Pearce | May 01, 2007 at 09:39 PM
My WoW tale takes place in Un'Goro Crater where I committed a traitorous act of which I am embarrassed. I hope your blog readers will learn from my mistake and be vigilant in the future. And through that somehow I mitigate my own mistake and regain honor.
I was close to level 54 and decided to grind my way home by battling the large apes that live in the cave in the north. This is a win-win for me as I collect loot, skins, mine ore, and level all at once. As I was working my way along I noticed a colorful elf priest who was also battling the apes. This I found quite curious as these apes in particular like to pile on and the fight is very much melee. Again, because of my friendship with another priest, I felt for this poor caster and could not resist striking an occasional blow against her mob. Or go after an add for myself, reducing the load on her. We continued this way silently for some time through the field and into the cave. She ran off occasionally but did come back to fight (perhaps low on manna?). Anyway eventually I pinged level 54 and let out my usual (lame human) "yes". And the priest started clapping too, jumping up and down and then tried to type something. It was at that point I realized this colorful elf was not a dark elf but a BLOOD elf. A member of the Horde! But she looked so much like a member of the Alliance. I was so confused. She ran off again and I thought it best for me to continue on my way back to Gadgetstown.
It is a shame that such a colorful race (Blood Elfs) is committed to their quest for "justice" in support of the Horde. Perhaps someday there will be reconciliation with the Blood and Dark elves. It is all too complex an issue for this simple warrior to be concerned with however. I think will not mention this to my trainer back in Stormwind.
Taelos, Human Warrior of the Alliance
Posted by: Taelos Katran | May 03, 2007 at 04:27 PM
Utterly untimely, but since I came across this page only a few weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it, here's an addition:
I was doing the Halloween 'Douse the Alliance's Wicker Man' quest with my level 11 Blood Elf priestess, and had already had two fatal encounters with Stormwind guards. I'd managed to creep into the back of the Wicker Man, hiding behind a huge tree, when this Night Elf druid in cat form walked around the tree trunk.
Being an utter noob (I've only played for a few weeks and druid cats keep shredding me in battlegrounds all the time) I froze, panicked, and when s/he didn't off me immediately, I dropped to my knees and beg-emoted, then lay down, hoping for the best and leaving the choice to him/her. It didn't even occur to me to fight - maybe it's not the game for me after all :). I also felt somewhat guilty for sneaking around in the Alliance heartland.
The cat prowled around me for a while, making grimaces I couldn't decipher, then bounded away to the group of Alliance characters hanging around the Halloween celebrants. I waited for a moment, but the druid didn't come back or bring their allies. So I managed to sneak up and douse the Wicker Man and get away without a scratch or pursuit.
I won't forget that generosity or that druid's name any time soon. Most amazing moment I've had playing the game so far, that's for sure :).
Posted by: Angela Fraser | October 22, 2011 at 08:25 PM
I was working my way along I noticed a colorful elf priest who was also battling the apes. T
Posted by: free lance writing jobs | January 10, 2012 at 12:14 PM
Man there are so many encounters to choose from, I mean how do i pick between the wierd and bazaar encounters to the hardcore OMG we are under attack encounters.
1 Wierd encounter i remember well is when i was on my Orc Hunter and was grinding in winterspring on the white yeti people, when out of no where came a Human Priest that used MC on me just to give me and my pet the sta buff. Even after i pulled to many he would do it again so he could heal and give me the shield buff. The reason he was so nice turns out was because on another server he was in my guild and he happen to have chars on my server which is Nathrezim. So it truly is a small world after all.
Posted by: Josh Dillion | February 01, 2012 at 11:21 AM