Historically, RP servers have had a more mature playerbase. That’s the most obvious difference I think when playing on them.
Once upon a time Blizzard used to enforce their own rules, and prohibited non-RP names on these servers. So you didn’t have Smokeweedeveryday, Urmom, and Warlockobama running around yelling in LFG. They stopped enforcing this (and basically anything it seems like including botting) when the 2019 reboot happened, unfortunately.
You had designated spaces where players came together to RP on a realm-wide level. This didn’t mean you had to RP yourself. But you had to respect it at least. You had to honor that you’re the outsider if you’re not RPing.
Where as people RPing on a PvP realm… they face ridicule for their existence, they contend with random names that “ruin immersion”, and in general have to deal with a more immature playerbase.
Sure there’s RP folks there, but you’re mixed in with the lot of players. Where as RP realms sort of gave us a corner to go to and consolidate our like minded players in.
Now… 2019… I’d say we still had the RP feel for most of 2019-2021 on the RP realms I played on. Blizzard stopped enforcing things but whatever, it was as fun as ever on Grobb and I watched a lot of RP curious people “get it” by playing there. It was mostly respectful of the RPers. OG Deviate Delight (not the 2024 reroll) had the same feel too.
Sometime towards the end of 2021 Classic into TBC, I feel RP realms started to enter a deathspin of sorts. The popularity of Grobbulus and the community we had there attracted a lot of players… but it was players like streamers and their legions who didn’t respect it who flocked to be tourists there.
We saw in SoD with the at the time unnamed RP PvP realm, Crusader Strike, be designated by the strangers as their server to roll on. These streamers and their legions had no intention to respect the RP culture. It’s why blizzard actually removed the RP designation on it. I’d argue even if the streamers came intended to respect it… streamers and their followers are sort of antithetical to the ethos and immersion that RP realms stood for.
So here we are today. No RP realms. RP is now this shiny server type that beckons people back to the Grobbulus lore and people want a chance at that again. If blizzard added an RP realm to Anniversary… I would bet money it would end in the same fate as Crusader Strike. It wouldn’t feel like an RP realm, and players would flock to it without any intention of respecting the ruleset or culture or vibe that an RP server provided in the past. I think this is why they killed Crusader Strike and didn’t give us an RP type here.
It’s sad, and I’m sure I sound like I just don’t want people on an RP server. But the opposite is true. Everyone starts somewhere with their RP journey. When I rolled in 2004 I had no idea what RP was. I just went to a realm because a friend did. But then I started to watch and eventually join into it and develop my character and create the “world” and immersion with everyone. It was joyful!
So I hope we can see an RP realm again one day, but I suspect it will be a while. The “hype” around RP (which is antithetical to RP imo) needs to die off. Then we’ll see one. And then I hope lots of players join it with pure intentions, who respect the RP community, follow reasonable naming rules, and overall help create the vibrant and mature communities that RP realms have fostered.
i can imagine grob getting a resurgence of players if only this option was reinstated. come on, blizzard.
if we were clustered, it wouldn’t have the same vibe here. We’d be another run of the mill guild in Whitemane. Which we also have free character moves to, but do not take because we enjoy it here.
