Yep... This is brutal.

Devs, please don't lock out friends from playing with friends. There are some good suggestions for ways around the lore in this thread, try to make use of them or create your own. We can all understand the necessity for grinds and time-sinks, but PvP is not the place for it. The "magical PvP GC wizard who wipes your battle memory and turns you into a PvP noob again" comment made me laugh. It's a good point though, my experience is my experience and my GC should not reflect that, it's simply a crest I wear on my chest, a symbol of the nation I stand for. Just like the military in real life. Switching allegiance does not strip me of my skills.

An official response on this matter would be greatly appreciated.