TL;DR Version:
We would have three Classic servers. One each for Original, TBC, and WotLK. Each server would have a PVP and a PVE layer for world encounters. Each character would have its own original name in the Classic group. Players can stay in the version of the game that they love the best, and/or they can choose to progress through them, at their own leisure, with a free transfer to TBC and then WotLK (all future transfers would cost a fee).
This is a vision for an organized and permanent existence of the earliest versions of World of Warcraft, that most players call the Classic Period of the game (pre-Cata). To be clear, we are looking at the Original Vanilla version of the game and the two expansions that came after it, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.
After seeing many points of view on this topic over the past year, I think that this plan would please the most players that would like to see TBC and WotLK remain in existence and also enjoy the classic atmosphere of these games.
Please be patient as you read through this, not getting stuck on any one thing so you can see the full picture.
Firstly, for the purposes of having a closer knit family on the Classic servers, there should be only one server of each version of the game. PVP or PVE? I’d like to see both on the same server using “layering” technology. One layer could be reserved for PVP, while the other for PVE when players are out in the world. Cities would not be layered, yet players are still flagged for PVP in cities, if that is their chosen version of the game. This way there is a wider player base for economic and social health, yet players can still play in the world environment that they prefer. If players group together, they will be flagged for pve or pvp depending on the group leader. A player would pick their preferred “layer” when they create each character.
For Classic Era, those current servers would either need to be merged, or a new fresh Era (Original Vanilla ) server would need to be created. If the current servers are merged, a renaming convention would have to be created. Perhaps have a checklist to see which players get to keep duplicate names. Something like this, and if tied, move down the list:
- the player with a current subscription gets to keep the name
- the player with more time logged into a character keeps the name, or
- players that log in first after the merge get to keep their name
For players with the same name on the same account, they would get to choose.
If a fresh server is created, then the old Era servers would have to remain their own entity outside of this plan and success in this endeavor would be at risk. I think the overall better endgame, for the longevity of the classic game genre, would be to have them merged.
Names should also be unique between the three servers. So if your name is “Erick” on the Vanilla/Original WoW server, then no one else can have that name, not even on TBC and the WotLK servers. This way a player is the only player with a given name and it will follow them if they should transfer (see below on transfers). Name changes would still be allowed.
For players that want to progress (or regress), allow for transfers between servers. Each player account should also have one free transfer from Vanilla to TBC, and a second free transfer from TBC to WotLK so players can progress at their leisure and enjoy the entire journey. Perhaps a token or counter for available transfers can be located in the lobby/character screen that players can use. If a player wants to regress, transfer to an earlier version of the game, then there would have to be a mechanic to allow for that. Perhaps the lost XP/or levels/items can be compensated with a boost left on that server? I am sure Blizzard could work out a fair system.
As for gameplay, it seems that the three versions of the world should be left as they are for the most part. That’s why we are here in Classic, because we like the game the way it was. The only realistic suggestion I saw was that Raid bosses should be boosted a little to make them more challenging, which sounds like a fair point.
Possible Paid services (Blizzard needs profits after all):
- Transfers from version to version (after the free transfers)
- Transferring a character from being PVP to PVE and vice versa
- Level boosts on TBC and WotLK servers (6 months after they go live)
- Gifting people server transfers
- Name changes, and
- the normal services we already have.
Players can exist and explore in an environment like this for many years with a great deal of replay value, forging relationships along the way. If Blizzard sets up this system, it would basically run itself and requires minimal upkeep since these are permanent servers and they are not prone to massive updates.
This was a little lengthy, so thank you if you got this far. I don’t necessarily like everything above. It just seems that it would be the most viable situation and compromises usually have to be made.
Failing something like this, I’d even be happy if Blizzard just half-butted this and put up a minimalist single PVP server for TBC and WotLK since PVP seems to have more players (I am usually a PVE player, but I would survive… as long as it isn’t HC 
).
