Last week, Mythic sent out the Producer's Letter for April. It was mostly about what they have been up to this month. At the end, they did reveal an interesting plan: They want to allow players to have Order and Destruction characters on the same server.
My initial reaction to this was not a very positive one. With this kind of news, I like to hold off on posting and let it sink in. It has been a few days and I'm still not sure if this is a good or bad change. Here is my thought process:
Cross Realming
[ - ] Players will abuse this ability to gain intelligence and other advantages on the opposing realm.
[ + ] This already happens with trial accounts and multiple game accounts. I was actually surprised to learn how much this actually occurs now. In the letter, Mythic does say there will be a significant lockout timer.
Realm Pride
[ - ] Playing both sides will make realms lose their meaning. Fighting against my own side (Order) just won't feel right.
[ + ] Immersion and Realm Pride are different for everyone. How many of us play the opposing realm on different servers? No one is going to force me to roll a Destruction character on Badlands.
Flipping
[ - ] Players will push one realm to the city and then hop on the opposing realm and repeat the process. It will increase the amount of RvE in the lakes too.
[ + ] I wouldn't put anything past our carrot following friends. Hopefully the lockout timer will discourage this type of behavior. Personally, I have some self control and won't hop realms just for virtual items.
Expansion
[ + ] This could be part of the groundwork needed for a 3rd realm! It would make sense, as this change seems to have come out of no where. In my WAR-view, I didn't think this was something players have been asking for.
[ - ] Sadly, there is no real evidence to support this yet. Mythic has yet to admit they are working on anything that could be considered an expansion. I do think they are though :)
Balancing
[ + ] Being able to switch realms will allow players to help balance the server. If one side is losing all the time, opposing players who want a challenge can just switch sides for some time.
[ - ] I don't think a lot of players are actually looking for a challenge. In a game like WAR, challenge is often a limiting factor when it comes to advancement. You're more likely to get the good gear if no one shows up to fight you.
[ - ] I could see this balancing happening in reverse. Players on the losing side are tired of losing and they switch to the winners realm.
Fun
[ + ] Players will often want a change of scenery and switching realms is a good way to accomplish that. Fighting against your friends can also be a lot of fun.
Accounts
[ - ] If server transfers are allowed, this move may cause Mythic to lose some accounts. Players with multiple accounts would likely not need them anymore.
Is this a good or bad change? I'm not sure. Right now, I am leaning towards this being a negative step. That is just from my viewpoint though and Mythic has to consider the entire player-base. Unless this is leading towards some form of 3rd realm, I wouldn't mind seeing it shelved.
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