Besides the release of classic in August 2019, there hasn’t been a better time to launch a FRESH classic server cluster. Not SOM, not Classic+, just a new un-progressed classic server that matches the timetable of classic in '19.
Let’s take a closer look. For those that would be primarily interested in classic, we’ll look at the current state of classic WOTLK. Personally? I’m having a blast raiding. Ulduar has been fun, hardmodes have been fun, even pvp has been entertaining. That being said, we are in the biggest raid log period of WOTLK, with no end in sight. Trial of Crusader is actually one of my favorite raids, but the reality is that it’s a filler raid and it’s not difficult. After the first 2-3 weeks of it’s release most guilds will be doing a full TOC and Ulduar Hardmode clear in one night. Also, with the ilevel boosts most people will be BiS by the time TOC comes out and they’ll only need a handful of pieces. Raid logging is already crazy because to be perfectly honest, there isn’t much else to do. Most people don’t need gold, heroic+ helps with gear, achievements are starting to run out.
Let’s look at retail. I’ll be upfront, I don’t play retail. My understanding though, is that they are also at a raidlog stand point. I don’t know when the next major content patch is. The point is, there’s free time.
The reality is that Mankrik and Whitemane and all the connected servers are POPPIN’ right now. More and more people are logging into Classic Era. People LOVE this stuff. It makes all the sense in the world to launch a new pve/pvp/RP server and strike while the iron is hot. People WANT to play classic era, and everyone knows there’s no better feeling than a fresh server. After people get their fix and the cycle ends, allow them to transfer to classic era realms and keep mankrik and whitemane alive. It’s a no brainer!
Blizzard it just makes sense. SOM was a blast. I was in the NA first BWL clear. I had so much fun. I can’t wait for SOM 2, but you need to think long and hard about how you’re going to do it. In the meantime, just launch some fresh classic servers. It would take nothing for you to do, and it would keep soooooo many people subbed. Far more than the faction transfer sales your getting right now.
This is the absolute PERFECT time to release it. It won’t interfere with classic WOTLK or Dragongflight. It just makes sense.
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Have a 
friend.
Sadly, I don’t think Blizzard is listening.
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Blizz couldn’t care less what the classic community wants unfortunately.
I would keep an eye out though for content droughts in wotlk classic and retail. That should be the perfect time to keep an eye out 
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Hah, I’m sure people don’t have much need for anything in Wrath now due to so many buying gold to dump on GDKP. I wouldn’t mind hopping back in but with the apparent death of Maladath (which was the biggest haven from all that nonsense) and the bots running the show- I was just waiting for a fresh/SoM but settled for Era at this point.
Actually, using this logic I completely disagree. This would kill what is making these servers pop.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of one fresh per server type, but this would actually hurt the servers you are citing as growing.
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That’s kind of a false positive though. These servers are popping because people are sick of retail and bored of WOTLK. They’re literally just killing time. I’m leveling a priest, but I’m never going to raid or do anything endgame with it. If fresh was released I’d max out a new toon and raid. The population of the servers are increasing, but not in a manner that will sustain these realms.
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Those who want FRESH/SoM are begrudgingly on Classic Era and would abandon ship IF that became available, thus killing all the progress that Classic era has made in the last couple of months.
I stopped playing Classic Era after TBC launched because there was no PvP BGs. I have returned and stuck around because there is some BGs going on. Without that, what’s the point, for me anyway.
I do not like the idea of “FRESH” and SoM because it will become “Unfresh” and then abandoned quickly. I do NOT see FRESH or SoM being a good thing for the playability of Classic Era.
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Honestly, it sounds more like sour grapes on your part. You don’t want to start over because you’re geared and you want others to have to catch up to you. I have fully Naxx Geared warrior with MoM on Whitemane from classic. I have ZERO interest in playing it. That character is DONE. There is nothing else to do. That being said, I’m leveling another toon because I want more classic. Sorry if you can no longer lord your status over new people on the realm. The influx of toons on these realms are not sustainable long term. They’re literally playing because they’re hoping SOM or Fresh drops and they’re just scratching the itch in the mean time. Sorry to break it to you.
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I literally have full 2.5, rank gear, lokamir, mishundare, tidal charm, zg trinket toep, every engineering item available, zg raptor, and I still would play fresh regardless
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Vanilla private servers also have a few thousand playing daily. I’m sure that community would come around too.
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I don’t know what to say to that. Truly. I bet they care about their people. I’ll shut up now.
I’d rather not spend 6 weeks leveling to 60 just to have all the content maxed out and then have a new fresh or SoM drop which would make it a waste of time.
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I mean I don’t want to raid naxx over and over for no reason and also you guys blacklist and ban people from all the discords for killing people with wbuffs or any sort of wpvp. Lol
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Wrong! but that’s not important. I am on a DEAD server. Thalnos was DEAD before TBC launched. The cluster it is a part of Earthfury et al. cluster (PvP east 2) is pretty DEAD. There are many times I am the ONLY person on. There is plenty of room. I “won” STV fishing 7 weeks in a row, starting after 3 PM. Name a rep farm it’s all yours. When I say DEAD I mean DEAD.
WHY do people need NEW servers when there are servers already online with NOBODY on? Their expressed intention is to play, then abandon the server, thus creating MORE dead servers?!?!
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Give us fresh or well storm the capital!!!
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Honestly, community engagement (discord or what have you) would do more to grow the population than fresh, imo.
Get a server discord going, set up dates where people will be on for bg/world bosses/____, and go from there. Sadly the majority of the games population will just follow whats “new”(ironic given these are all rereleases), but that just leads back into the eras where massive amounts of population started dropping off.
Just say no to cata, kids
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They use Classic releases to patch holes in subscriber counts. Right now Dragon Flight and Wrath are doing -okayish-. They’ll probably wait until June or so to announce another Classic Season. We all know Trial of the Crusader is a zzzZZZzzzZZZ 4 months, and Dragon Flight’s 2nd raid tier isn’t going to have the magnetism that it’s first (launch) tier had. June, July, August or so will likely have demonstrably lower subscriber counts than February has currently. They really have to optimize release dates around quarterly earning reports too and they have big daddy Diablo 4 propping up earnings in June. That could, potentially, push the next SoM back to another quarter.
You have to realize it’s 100% about the financial sheets and has nothing to do with what players want. They live and die by quarterlies right now.
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this guy gets it. suck it up and play on era boys.
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Everlook is even a way better option than Era.
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ERA! 