This report from several days ago was very helpful (Census numbers for Horde on Defias Pillager - #3 by Bk-area-52)
I’m wondering how this has changed / what the new numbers are?
I was going roll a troll hunter on Skull Rock, but I’m wondering if I should just roll on Defias Pillager anyway since the overall numbers seem to be much higher.
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yessireebob.
I appreciate the help but can you elaborate on this?
You’re saying for both Horde AND Alliance, best to just stick to DP?
I’m sure Skull Rock is great, but it’s always better to be on a busy server, imo. And DP looks to be busy the longest.
If you look at the overall populations for SoM, everyone ended up going to Jom Gabbar. Will everyone want to be on the same server for HC? 
Who knows, but “yes” would be my answer.
Even if Horde is 35% of population on DP? (The report I linked said 32%)
You don’t think the “initial wisdom” of SR being the Horde server will stand?
I am also interested in this. I have not seen any late game activity on SR Alliance yet. I know it is silly to think about end game when I just hit 28, but I also do want to do leveling dungeons and am worried there will not be a big population of alliance in the 40s/50s on SR.
Has anyone been in a similar boat? I am wondering if it is worth rolling a fresh toon on DP to have a backup on the popular realm if SR dies. Does anyone have updated census numbers since like Sunday or Monday?
they need to just merge the US hardcore servers at this point. they are only delaying the inevitable.
they need to merge the 2 US servers, imo.
SkullRock has a pretty strong but chill alliance crowd to it as well. Go make your troll hunter on both and see what you like most.
So, neither one of you are currently playing Hardcorpse.
Gotcha.
Pretty sure SR is best for hordes, but empty alliance.
I have started alliance on DP and it’s always been crowded. I did a couple hordes on DP it eas empty
Would the increased ping matter in HC living on west coast and playing on east defias pillager?
no impact. it’s Chicago datacenter I believe.
Yup.
I’m almost exactly twice as far from the Chicago servers and my ping differs by 5-10 ms.
This is false.
There aren’t as many alliance racing to 60 on Skull Rock but the zones are packed with multiple layers.
since its hardcore, you might want to consider whats the ping… on DP my latency is 15ms on SR its 68-75 (which is still very playable)
I mean they have a point. I generally have spent 1-2 hours trying to find a group for a level 60 dungeon any day of the week. Horde is pretty dead. I don’t see why they wouldn’t have just made one server and put more layers in
With layers, why not only have 1 server?