Now that phase 2 is coming out, it’s time to address the fact that there are servers that are extremely low population.
What are the biggest things we’re hearing are getting in the way of your fun, and what are the most impactful changes we could make to WoW today to fix that?
You said this in your recent announcement blizzard.
The most impactful change you can make to my server, and many of the smaller servers that honestly are at an unacceptable population size, is to do actually do something for these servers.
We only have ironforge.pro to go off of.
But I find it absolutely unacceptable to have a server with almost 17k recorded raiders, and have some servers with… <100 recorded raiders.
How is that sustainable for these servers?
Can’t recruit, can’t find groups, some don’t even seem to have enough folks to raid.
It’s ridiculous that we have to $$$ to transfer to actually play the game, just because we may have chosen the wrong server back when Classic first launched.
I agree that the server issue is a huge one. For many, many people on many, many servers. It’s a problem here in NA and it’s a problem in the EU.
Essentially they have created these super mega servers by refusing to disable layers or even acknowledge any wanting to remove layers. So you have these massively disjointed servers, which will all be a single faction within 6 months, and people just pay to move over to them and they chose these servers because they are afraid they will have to pay money again.
Now normally there would be a fear well if I go to the biggest server I will have to deal with a queue but with the layering well that’s not a problem anymore, there are just more and more layers, no matter how much that makes it feel like it’s not even the same server, so that fear isn’t there.
Blizzard doesn’t care because they want the transfer money. It’s the only thing that really makes sense.
I like medium-high pop and even my server is having problems now, ally side, horde side is fine but we all know what that means. I feel very bad for the people who like the tight community feel of low pop but instead keep having people leave their servers to be a no-name on a soulless super mega pop server.
The overall server issue is #1 my biggest issue with TBCC right now. Followed by concerns about PVP in general. I unsubbed accounts a few days ago and put server management as the reason for the unsub (I tried to use all keywords to trigger whatever algorithm because we all know nobody reads that stuff).
They have removed all the cons of being on a mega server through the use of layering and server population increase (instead of setting an amount and making a queue happen again).
And so what it does is it creates these mega servers without any real downsides to it (too much saturation out in the world, extremely high competition for resources, queues) which then takes those pros away from smaller population servers.
I talked with a GM about it (since the only response I ever get is from when I submit a but or ticket on it) and this is what they said.
Game Masters are unable to adjust server related issues, nor can we provide any information related to the servers. As someone that recently transferred from a server that went nearly full horde I get the frustrations. You best bet still is to continue posting on the community forums like you have been doing and providing feedback. https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/000021518
I know this has been frustrating, but I hope this information helps. May you otherwise have a good week and take care.
Sure would be nice to have Blizzard actually take a stance on this.
Queue times, for as much people hate them, were beneficial at the start of Classic for one reason: they pushed people to lower populated servers.
However, with layers and the ability to sustain much greater populations than in Vanilla, there is simply no reason for anyone to roll on a lower pop server unless they specifically like one. But people would rather have a high populated server and being the dominate faction. So we see a drain from these lower pop servers to a few high pop megaservers and therefore the current state of affairs.
There are no disincentives right now for someone to pick a megapop realm.
I’ve been on my server since classic started, have multiple characters at the end of class that were 60. Currently have 2 70s, and working on some more on my realm.
If my guilds decides to change realms, I’d have to pay 100$ alone for my main characters to swap, essentially the price of a 6th month subscription, to actually play the game.
And what gets me is that, Blizzard has addressed this both in the past (with connected realms) and with originally classic (connected realms for the classic era servers).
They have recognized it to be a problem, and have done some actions towards addressing it.
Yet they have refused to open their eyes on the problem today.
If a server is worried about it’s community (as Blizzard may say would prevent them) why not share a server and just have different layers then for the 2 different realms. Example: Using the RPPVP servers as an example, let there be a Grobb Layer and DD layer if they were connected.
Yet allow some way for there to be some way for the lower pop server (DD in this example) to be able to recruit, get parties, actually play the game.
Well what you are describing (merged servers but on their own layer) is essentially Cross Realm Zones. Though I suppose the only difference is it would be server wide instead of zone wide.
I suppose for lower pop servers CRZ is better than nothing, but still not really ideal. Partially because the phasing and stuff jars the player experience immensely. If they do this path I’d rather just have the lower pop realm connected entirely without no additional layer bullsht. But I’d rather see lower pop servers saved first with opening free transfers to them and designating them for new players to try to goad them there.
Honestly I just want them to lock off server transfers to the big mega-servers now.
That means lock off Whitemane, Faerlina, Herod (For horde only) and Grobbulus (For Ally only) or add in special rules like back then where if you were in an PVP server, you cannot transfer to an RP server. Grobb is being flooded with Herod and Kurinaxx’s rejects and it’s killing the server’s identity and turning it into their new cesspit. (Go away we’re closed. Go transfer and populate medium popservers pls.)
Once one server dies, the next one begins to die and its a domino effect. (ex:Herod’s Ally pop dying > Benediction and Grobb next.)
My only concern with locking high pop servers is that those fleeing low pop servers would just seek out the next highest pop server. So if you lock ally out of Grobb then they might flood Netherwind instead. I think this solution would only work if free transfers were opened up to lower pop servers alongside locking high pop servers.
Some people from Deviate Delight, guilds and individuals, have already transferred to Grobb. (Cult of Aurum Horde side and Twilight Legion alliance side). I reckon many more are to follow soon, unless there is some sort of intervention.
Spent the last few days leveling characters on High Pop servers…you do not want that if you are starting out Fresh or New. Leveled them up to 10 before hitting AH. Level 10 on a High Pop server needs 10 plus gold for Green gear. A level 10 will be level 15 or more before first gold just grinding grinding. High Pop servers are Main and Alt servers ONLY. Try it. No wonder people break the rules and buy Gold from Farmers. I have never done that but I can see the appeal to buy Gold.
Bump as well. Its a concern with our guild. We chose a PVP server (sulfuras) for world PVP. With the server now 95% Horde, and literally, only a handful of alliance, its like any other PVE server. Some solutions for World PVP servers:
The age-old ‘Merge a server.’ There are plenty of underutilized servers, or absurdly off balanced servers
Server Transfers for Free: I know blizzard is in this to make money, but losing a transfer fee here is better than losing a subscription fee for boredom. People are more inclined to take advantage of free server transfers. Realistically speaking, I dont know if it would be enough to balance the servers.
Phasing: Phasing in other populations to balance what is seen on off balanced servers. Maybe make a quota of alliance and horde in a given area ( High quota, but not crazy lag inducing…
FFA World PVP: Yup, try something new, and have horde be flagged themselves against other horde, except maybe in a capital or an inn (using the same ‘no combat within 5 minute’ rules before unflagging).
Blue: Is this even a conversation? If so, any progress or ETA for some sort of adjustment? Any kind of update would be great. If none, that knowledge would be useful as well. Many of my guildies are changing games, with server population being a major issue driving it.
So you moved to a horde heavy server for “world pvp,” contributed to driving off all the alliance by “world pvping” them out of the game, and now you’re upset and want Blizzard to fix the problem YOU created?
