Breakfast topic: Faction fanboyism
by Allison Robert 
Oct 25th 2009 at 8:00AM
These guys are, for lack of a better word, awesome. Their emotes are fantastic. They sell an evil penguin pet and a cool fishing item (the Mastercraft Kalu'ak Fishing Pole) that probably won't be replaced for the duration of the expansion. Their ships are giant turtles traveling along beautiful coastline with a vendor on board (seriously, riding these at night = an endless series of Kodak moments). They get my vote as the faction that immerses you most thoroughly in what they need and what they're doing to survive in an increasingly hostile Azeroth, and I'm wondering if, given Northrend's various difficulties, they might be convinced to seek warmer climes just so we don't have to give them up.
Agonizing rep grinds have plagued the game since classic, but the Tuskarr are such a well-realized bunch that even at exalted I love hanging around their villages. What's your favorite faction, and is there anything about them you'd like to see repeated with future reputation grinds?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Factions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
RetadinMan Oct 25th 2009 8:50AM
Oh, I love the Argent Dawn/Crusade. Since I am a Paladin, it is almost natural for me to like them. They are pretty kickass. My second favorite has to go to the Ebon Blade, due to them being the undead version of the Crusade.
Nawaf Oct 25th 2009 1:47PM
Luckly for you (and me) the Ashen Verdict is going to be a new faction formed from the alliance of the argent crusade and the knights of the ebon blade (my two favourite factions). Will it have a role in catacaclysm? I hope so, but there was no mentioning of that, although I don't think blizz will make a faction like that just for icecrown catidal.
Evilmerc100 Oct 26th 2009 1:42AM
Well, the Ashtongue Deathsworn were made just for BT, so it could eventuate. Shame though.
Dam Oct 27th 2009 9:38PM
I'm somewhat your mirror. I'm a DeathKnight and My favorite is the Knights of teh Ebon Blade. After i hit northrend for the first time i leveled up in the west continant with thasarian, then a bit into dragon blight with Bolvar and then that little Ebon watch inthe corner before going with the ebon blade and Argent Crusade into Zul' farrack then straight to ice crown. Man I wouldn't mind doing that journy all over again. Just wish I had the time. Thought it was a sham that you could get a title for repping up with the argent crusade (providing you were exalted with the argent dawn) but no way of getting the tittle for the Ebon Blade.
Hrunt Oct 25th 2009 8:09AM
I really enjoyed Sons of Hodir. Not so much the daily grind once you reach friendly but the long quest chain involved in becoming friends with them.
I think it would be really cool if they added a long storyline to a new faction. Perhaps one long continuous chain along with some repeatable quests (dailies). So you have a long chain to open up dailies at friendly, and once you reach honored you get another long quest chain on your way to reaching revered adn then the same to exalted. The quest chain would reward a considerable amount of rep so the daily grind isn't as long, and your friendship with the faction feels like it grows as you gain rep by doing the quest line instead of just jumping at the next rep level.
Ametrine Oct 25th 2009 8:23AM
That would be spectacular. I love that idea.
Brakkas Oct 25th 2009 12:38PM
I loved how Blizzard did the Tranquillien reputation grind. There weren't any repeatable quests or dailies, you just did all the regular quests to get to exalted. And, like Timbermaw Hold, the last few quests that maxed out your rep finished up Tranquillien's story, which is a much better way of ending the grind then just doing more dailies.
Eternalmagic Oct 25th 2009 8:33AM
I know I might get hated on here but more of the Gnomeregan Exiles please! They've never had much of a role, here's hoping they invent something uber for Cataclysm.
In the final expansion where we confront Sargeras
http://www.wowwiki.com/Sargeras
I want to see all of the Burning Legion enemy factions combined (Ashtongue Deathsworn, Shattered Sun Offensive, etc) combined along with the Horde and Alliance into the Army of Light. And the Titans could make their return, and turn it into the biggest encounter ever.
Jamie Oct 25th 2009 8:34AM
As a Human Paladin, who loves to be the traditional knight in shining armour and is plagued by the constant onslaught cretins who play my race/class combination I'd say I'm pretty much tainted now to agree with the Scarlett Crusade.
Now if only we could put them all the "lolpaladins" in one room...
On a more serious note, I have great pride in the games implementation of being a human of Stormwind and a crusader of the Argent Dawn & Crusade.
Please feel free to ignore this mini-rant about being a frustrated Human Paladin who feels others around him don't quite live up to the classic RP feel his race/class should be.
Mr. Tastix Oct 25th 2009 12:22PM
I like the Argent Dawn/Crusade but as a Draenei Paladin feel the factions are better suited to races such as the Humans or Dwarves. I role-play my Paladin as fairly neutral anyway and whilst OOC I would generally attack all Horde I see, IC I have no quarrels with either race.
Malfurion believes their feud to be but a petty rivalry between factions and I can't say I disagree.
zweitblom Oct 25th 2009 8:46AM
I always liked the way the Scryer/Aldor rivalry was embedded into the game. It never felt like 'just another rep grind' to me. On the other hand I never could bring myself to pursue one of the reps in the Basin, and I do have a couple of chars at 80. I can't really give the slightest of damns about their problems, in my opinion they are the most pointless factions in the game.
Marcosius Oct 25th 2009 9:43AM
You heartless bastard! I've made it my life mission to kill every scourge and especially the wolvar I see in Sholazar. ESPECIALLY WOLVAR. DIE YOU MANGY BASTARDS.
""We gave shinies to the shrine...we not greedy....why this happened?" ;_;
snowleopard233 Oct 25th 2009 10:04AM
Yeah, the scryer/aldor rivalry actually felt more morally ambiguous to the point where you felt you could pick either side. The frenzyheart, on the other hand, just felt like complete expansionist jerk faces whereas the oracles are near impossible to feel sympathy for.
My favorite faction is probably the shattered sun. To see two different factions put aside their differences to finally fight a common foe felt pretty badass and the isle of quel'danas was just epic. There's probably little chance they'll bring such a unified, cross-faction group back in this day and age, but if the legion comes calling on back, I say we at least give them a call.
MrMindless Oct 25th 2009 11:43AM
I love how the frenzyheart and the oracles are a major parody on the horde and the alliance makes me smile everytime
(and if you havn't noticed...just look for the signs)
artifex Oct 25th 2009 2:35PM
Admit it, more of you would keep exalted with Frenzyheart if they had better loot, or the Oracles' loot wasn't as good as it is.
After I get the merc title for being exalted with both, I'll grind back to exalted with Frenzyheart...
Adam Oct 25th 2009 3:50PM
"That durn fool McGuggen let the chickens out again!" x200000.....
No. Never again.
RetPallyJil Oct 25th 2009 6:23PM
No, the Wolvar are hairy little assholes. Hate 'em.
To quote my Oracle homeboys, "So mean!"
tim Oct 25th 2009 8:43PM
As MrMindless suggests, there's more to Wolvar and Oracles than meets the eye. It's really, really well done, too. Most of my toons sided with Oracles for the epic flyer, but I gotta say I find Wolvar quite funny.
"Me best hunter... ever."
lol
Daniel Oct 25th 2009 8:51AM
Wyrmrest for me, I love dragons so the fact that dragons have been a big part of the xpac and looks like it will continue next xpac I'm thrilled
I try and do every dragon related quest i can find and i feel sorry for the poor girl every time I run nexus.
Gamer am I Oct 25th 2009 8:51AM
I wish we could see another faction like Netherwing. Awesome mounts at exalted, dailies that were actually fun, and a great place to level your gathering professions if you aren't worried about using the materials you collect to level a crafting profession (I went from 350 herbalism to 375 in no time at all by collecting herbs on that island). I'd also like to see another faction like Ogri'la/Shattari Skyguard, mostly because of their flying-mount-based dailies. I really enjoyed those.