Had an idea of how to perhaps find an alternative approach.
Layers could act like sub realms. You pick a layer and it works just like a realm, except they share names and such so they can be merged easily when needed, but are not exactly merges because they are connected through having to share the pool of names, avoiding the “omg server merges ze game is DYING!!11” PR BS. (which btw, i think the complete opposite will happen, where there will be way more players than they anticipate now)
The cluster of permanent, locked layers could be called “realm groups” or so.
For example, you could have 1 realm Group, the “Dragonflights”.
- Within that group is Bronze Dragonflight , Blue Dragonflight, Red Dragonflight. (3 realms, each with a normal vanilla realm pop cap)
All of them are basically their own realms, except they share name options. There could be a “warning” that because it’s a realm group, names are shared, and if absolutely necessary, these realms would be merged/connected together.
They still can counteract the tourist dropoff in case it’s necessary like this, stabilizing realms as needed while everyone gets to keep their name.
During launch, they could see the hotspots for realm groups, and open up more realms where needed adding them to the groups of realms just in case.
They could even very early on start merging realms together where there are big signs of tourist dropoff, to minimize the negative effect of a merge on the community since they do it early on.
All the while, unlike layering, allowing each community to form on their respective realms and have the vanilla experience.