The game’s races are further divided into two warring factions: the Alliance and the Horde. Characters can only talk, group, and create guilds with players from their own faction. Certain zones and cities in the world are also friendly to one faction while hostile to the other. Additionally, certain quests can only be completed by members of one faction and not the other.
The Horde and Alliance are the two sides battling for control of the world. In years past, they fought brutal wars against each other, but today, they have settled into a tenuous stalemate. Occasional skirmishes still erupt between the two sides, but open warfare is no longer raging across the continents. Still, the Horde and Alliance are hostile to each other, and members of one faction are never welcome in the cities of the other.
The ten races you can play are split equally between these two sides.
Alliance: Draenei, Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Gnomes
Horde: Blood Elves, Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Undead
You can change switch character’s faction from Horde to Alliance or vice-versa for paid accounts and you can also have both factions in one account on the same realm.
One thing’s for sure, you can’t trade with one member of the opposing faction. In general, you cannot trade with players of the opposing faction. However, you can place items up for auction at the neutral auction houses at Everlook, Gadgetzan, and Booty Bay. Players from either faction can bid on these items, meaning you can buy and sell with opposing players at this neutral auction house.
You can also fight the warring faction, it is encourage in the game. Faction vs. faction combat is encouraged, particularly on PvP servers. You will have opportunities to fight the other faction in Battlegrounds, world PvP, Arenas, and even duels. On Normal servers, world PvP is consensual – players have to toggle their /pvp flag or attack a flagged target to participate.
