Poisonenvy wrote:

This is true but you can also muck up the digital upgrade, although I don't know how.

As long as you use the link in the email you receive then all is well and good as you will have the "Add Product Key" option in Account Management. Some people seem to somehow not use the link and the Accounts are then not linked (I'm getting tired of saying link!).

But if it does happen, you're right, Accounts and Payments will sort it providing they can see that the RaF request was sent.

Kathrella wrote:

I think it is worth that side of things being looked at fairly carefully - I've seen a few people make the mistake of buying the game upgrade from a shop, and then using it to create a new account, rather than upgrade their original one. If that does happen though, apparently as long as you ring Blizzard accounts team fairly quickly, they will be able to link them up for you.

Thanks for the info Kath

Poisonenvy wrote:

Well you'll be happy to know it does not work like RealID in game.

You still have to add each other to your friend's list so if you use RealID (or Battletag when it is eventually enabled in WoW) then your "friend" will be able to see you at all times, otherwise it is just a character by character basis so you can keep characters that the other person doesn't know about.

When you do have your recruit on your friend's list (and vice versa) an icon is added to their character's name in your list which can be clicked to use the "Summon Friend" ability allowing you to summon your friend to you (and vice versa) so that you can play together and benefit from the 300% XP bonus. Just as an FYI, due to the reworking of all the starting areas, if you and your friend are not the same race there are limitations on being able to do starter area quests together due to all of these now having a faction-specific edge to them. Non-Forsaken players, for example, cannot receive any quests in the Forsaken starting area.

Now, I cannot recall but I am almost certain if the game detects you and your linked-account friend in the same zone on new characters it will automatically add you to their friend's list and vice versa. This is most likely to assist in lifting the block that trial accounts have in which they cannot /whisper people who do not have them on friend's lists. To my knowledge, it does not automatically add veteran characters (those created before the RaF link was established).

It may also be worth noting, while we're on the subject of RaF, the recruited account will be severely gimped for a period of 8 to 48 hours if it is upgraded through Battle.net. Trial accounts have restrictions such as not being able to use in-game mail, some chat functions, join guilds, use the Auction House, trade between characters and one or two others. A store-bought product key, when activated, will immediately lift all restrictions but Blizzard's security systems will only lift some restrictions on accounts upgraded to full versions online. This could be important as you can easily hit level 20 before you have enough money for the mount and you will not be able to transfer the money to the recruited account for a while.

Poisonenvy wrote:

It gives them the name that the account is registered in which is the same as your RealID. For instance, if your name was Jane Doe the email you receive would read...

Kathrella wrote:

What does it give them? Your real name, account name, character name or your RealID?

I'd be interested to see, if it was the RealID thing, how that works with those who have it switched off via parental controls?