the thing with factions is that they’re meant to be exclusive to each playstyle, if you want AH gaming you go MG otherwise CoF.
You are free to switch between them as a QoL, in case you really don’t like one or the other or your friend decided to play a different faction by mistake, and keep your current character progress, not to switch because you can’t get/buy the piece you need on X faction.
A good solution is removing non tagged items all together there wouldn’t be any “inbalance”.
And I’m also fine with that.
But my mind doesn’t work in the terms of ‘meant’ and ‘expected’ simply. Never did, never will.
‘Can I do it, I’m allowed to?’
‘Yes’
‘Ok, then I’ll do it!’
‘But it’ll hurt you’
‘What do you mean it’ll hurt me, you’re saying I’m allowed and can do it, you’ve clearly given me this specific made scenario so I can act freely inside it and enjoy myself, right?’
‘Yes, but it’ll still hurt you’
‘Well… it’s supposed to be fun… so why would it hurt me? Isn’t that against the point?’
*Yes, but it’ll still do.’
Kinda my internal monologue there for that topic 
But… that’s the point. I don’t get to keep my character progress. I loose all my favor. Also I loose access to possibly all my equipment.
So my friend choosing the other faction by mistake will have to wait for me to re-play up to that point, for however long it takes. Especially if I have not much experience yet for a long while! Kinda sucks.
And if we don’t have the same faction then the one playing MG will regularly be showcased things that would improve their character… but having no option to access it… despite us being supposed to share everything together while playing together! Kinda sucks too.
Not to speak of the personal solo reasons as mentioned.
So:
Yes, but not far enough. Why would someone do that then? It’s even feeling worse standing suddenly with a naked character around and having lost all favor for no darn reason! Can’t even go back since you will have to restart from scratch farming that up! A noob-trap simply. Sucks massively, not only kinda
So my suggestion is a full-scale separation of the system. No switching after any kind of ‘locking in’. Just the method of that locking in should be handled properly.
Either/or. No willy-nilly middle-way which does jack for anyone as it only causes frustration when done. Clear cut answers tend to go over better, people act inside the framework given… but if that framework incurs arbitrary weird outcomes that are absolutely out of the norm and also negatively perceived… they get pissed and frustrated.
That’s simply not good.
Maybe if you think of it in terms of jobs it will make more sense:
-You can leave your job whenever you want to. But if you simply decide to quit, you will have a hard time until you start your other job. If you decide to prepare beforehand (which takes some effort), then it won’t be as hard.
-You will also lose a lot of the standing you already gained in the first job and now have to earn it again in the new job. You will almost certainly even start on a trial basis.
-Likewise, you can’t take a lot of the tools that the previous job gave you. They’re the company property.
So yeah, you are allowed to switch jobs whenever you want to. But if you just jump into it, or if you want to do it every other day, then you will have a hard time.
Not really plainly spoken. I’ll lean back and enjoy some free time.
I would even be fine going factionless for that time hence.
Also a nice idea btw.
Forced factionless playtime as a friction method sounds decent to allow switching.
Good example.
Sure, I don’t mind.
The company is anyway mandated to give me my tools for my craft, so no issue!
And extra stuff is my own anyway, hawk-eyes on them so they don’t ‘disappear suddenly’.
Also not really, I still get to play the core game in that case. I’m acting as a contractor, on my own terms for both factions.
They provide a service for a service I give them in return.
Who fulfills the prophecies for CoF if nobody goes out to do that?
Who brings in equipment for the bazaar if nobody risks their life for it?
They better show the respect I deserve, and in return I’ll give them the respect they deserve and leave amiable. Maybe in the future I’ll contract for something again, they only profit from it, never loose after all!
Kinda like I see it. As a player, not lore-wise.
chuckled with this XD
A penalty is there because you are not meant to jump over and over between factions. The switch is there like a “in case of emergency break the glass”, nothing more.
full separation is something I can agree upon, a good place to start would be by giving people some sort of tutorial run on each faction from early on, a test run of sorts maybe, with quests and what not.
Mentally zoom out for a second. I was just saying for the piece of text he quoted, DJ was right and “dead wrong” was… just wrong. Given the quote, he has tremendous confidence and nothing else.
I was doing a drive-by to try to encourage him to quote better, or apply critical thinking skills.
I wasn’t actually engaging with the conversation, just encouraging a bit of humility.
Yeah, that’s something I would definitely love to see.
It then feels like a proper choice. Seeing how the factions work, having a chance to properly decide between them. You aren’t thrown in unsure of the details hence.
Trial time… or as DJ would say… the trial time of a job I can go and try it out, if it’s not for me it’s better for me and my boss to part ways anyway! 
That can only happen if you prepared beforehand. Otherwise you don’t have the finances to support it. And you especially won’t have it if you switch every month.
The example was simply to show you that there are plenty of things in life you’re “allowed” to do, but that if you do them without preparing, it will hurt. Some will hurt a little even if you prepare.
Sure, in real life.
Once more, it’s a game. Games are not supposed to copy those things 1 to 1 for a reason.
People play games to unwing from reality, or to escape reality for a while. Games provide success easy where it’s hard in reality.
Also… the factions? They never gave me anything. They allowed me to use their stuff in return of killing monsters and going through timelines. I have to do all the work, in MG I pay for stuff… in CoF I fulfill the prophecies for them.
So they darn better make sure I get paid, because if I leave and they withhold payment for my done work then I should plainly spoken kick their ass.
My equipment is my payment DJ… not the favor, not the rep… my equipment is my value in the game. No company takes my money away, companies give me money in return for my effort.
I actually don’t see it that way. The rank rewards are your payment. And you get them while you work for them.
If you leave without notice, they will definitely take your money away. In most places you have a contract. If you break contract, you have to pay restitution to the company you leave.
Also, many companies will give you clothing to wear to make your job easier or for other reasons.
McDonalds gives you a uniform you must use. When you leave, you have to return it.
Construction companies will provide you with a hard hat and safety goggles. When you leave, you have to return them.
But I do agree that this is a game and you don’t have to replicate things 1 for 1. But that doesn’t also mean you get to have everything given to you.
As Klainhz said, faction swap is supposed to be a “break glass in case of emergency” only.
So EHG had 2 options:
1-Make it so you can’t switch factions at all. This would make people quit if they chose the wrong faction.
2-Make it so you can switch, but lose some progress. This will allow people to break the glass when it’s an emergency. They will lose some progress, but at least they won’t lose it all and won’t leave.
Even though your mind frets at #2 existing, most people will prefer #2 to #1. Because in EHG’s mind, the choice is between those 2 and not a third one.
Then again, mastery only had #1 and now they’re adding a #2. So who knows? Maybe in the future we’ll have a #3 where you can switch both at will without any cost. I wouldn’t like it, but their recent stances certainly point to that being a possibility.
I can’t take em home.
My payment is to take home, I don’t leave my money in the company
Then give me an amicable way out.
There is none, it’s our only option.
So provide that and I’m fine with it, but if it’s not there then another ass-kicking simply.
Here you don’t, clothing is not returnable. If they want me to wear work clothes outside of a government institution then the company can’t demand return of those things. I get to keep em. Hygiene.
The hard hat though ‘yes’, the googles also ‘no’, because of sweat. Seemingly my head doesn’t sweat I guess? 
He also mentioned a very good option with the trial stage with quests and so on to then choose accordingly after, so you get a sneak-peak. That would be great.
Or as mentioned the factionless time could also be viable.
Just don’t take stuff away, all which was asked from the beginning.
Ever heard of a washing machine?
If they were giving you underwear to wear, sure. But it’s not intimate clothing, just regular one that can be washed.
Even clothing stores allow return of clothes because they wash them afterwards. They don’t allow return of underwear, though.
Sure, that would be great. Like my suggestion for turning the dummies area into a simulation one where you can respec at will and try all masteries before deciding.
EHG clearly doesn’t agree. Or they just think it’s way too much effort. They’d rather let you make a mistake and then pay for it. 
Don’t tell me! It’s law here. Everything which is expected to come into direct contact with skin is not returnable. Guess hair doesn’t count as skin-contact?
Even underwear here, 14 days to be exact. Any paid product is returnable for 14 days in the EU actually. No exception unless it’s perishable. Unused obviously, used is a different case.
Only counts for goods, contracts (like a license) have different rules.
Yes, that would be a good option, absolutely!
And hence I’ll hold it against em
That is not totally true. I live in the EU and clothe stores will tell you right away that they don’t allow underwear returns.
Eu laws:
Underwear - with exceptions specificed - can be returned within 14 days.
The seller has to be informed of the return within those 14 days.
The seller must refund shipping costs on the returned goods.
Excempt are personalized goods (initials and so on)
Perishable goods
Underwear and swimwear if the packaging has been opened. Unopened they can be returned. Sorry for the late edit above.
This, yes. But many shops sell underwear without packaging (or with “open” packaging, where it’s not sealed). So once you buy them, they’re non returnable.
Hard NO it is not Ur item faction does not what so ever make up u characters identity.
Class, mastery, skills and there trees, passives are all what make up ur characters identity
The whole point of item factions is about the player not ur character. The poll on this wasnt about ur character. It was to find what types of players
Player preferences dont make up a characters identity
Dude, whatever. I’m done arguing with you. You don’t make an effort to try to understand the other side and just dismiss it out of hand.
At least Kulze tries to, even if he doesn’t always succeed. Much like I try to, even if I don’t always succeed.
I do understand the other side of this. I get why the friction is there. I also understand depending on the change to the friction can cause a meta to form.
So in what ways could the issue of progress being reset be lessened or even removed with out creating some sort of meta? My feedback post on this friction was about this. At least that was what i was trying to do with the post
One thing i thought about last night which would alleviate the pressure of the progress reset. Is giving each character 1-2 choices to pick what gear they have equiped to take with them. This would be a one time thing and per character. And if u only take one piece of gear the 2nd choice goes away. Now if u switch again the current friction would still apply. Not trade able tag would still apply with this 2 choice thing
Items having a lvl requirement will help with stopping players from just creating characters and bringing gear over to the other faction. Would need to play the character for a bit to make this worth the time.
This could aslo work with ur 2 tokens thing. Which honestly only fixes the safty net part. Allowing the switch in the first place is in case one doesnt like thier choice of faction. Token idea imo is good for the safty net part. It doesnt fix or alleviate the progress u have already achieved from being a wasted effort.
Character identity is one thing player preference is another. Item factions imo is a preference. Not character defining.
No, you don’t. Despite being told that there are players that will never use MG, you just dismiss that and say that’s not true, even though it’s demonstrably true.
And, FYI, character identity isn’t a fixed thing. It changes from player to player.
For many people, mastery isn’t part of their character identity. They see their Paladin as a Sentinel, not as a Paladin. To them, there is no difference between their Paladin, FG or VK, which is why they asked for a mastery respec.
For others, it’s part of the character identity.
Is one wrong and the other right? Or is it simply a subjective term that changes from player to player?
For some players, character identity is the sum of all meaningful choices that can’t be easily undone. As a meaningful choice that can’t be easily undone, faction choice falls under this definition.
For others, character identity is only choices that affect their build.
Is one wrong and the other right? Or is it simply a subjective term that changes from player to player?
And yet, you simply dismiss it as not being true without even considering that it’s not true for you but might be true for others.
So yes, you do not understand the other side and aren’t even trying to, just dismissing that side as lies.
Like I said before several times (but you seem to not even read all the posts):
If you want to change the current system so it doesn’t feel as bad but is still an emergency-only switch, that’s fine. Go ahead.
If you want to change the current system to where you can switch between them at will and play MG one day and CoF the other day, then I’m against it.