Launch layers were 100% needed. With Classic Blizzard made a point to take those away and tell people they were doing it. There was a large segment of the population that did not want layers for Classic. In TBCC people assumed that it would be the same at first but Blizzard… forgot.
Here’s a post, note that the majority of replies are very happy that layering is getting removed:
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/realm-layering-update
I really think if they did the same thing in TBCC that they did in Classic we wouldn’t be where we are today. Have layers at lanch and then remove them when the population goes down enough. If people were worried about queues they wouldn’t completely dogpile a realm, because that stick is there.
We’ve always had what people consider big mega realms it’s just that in Classic those realms had about 10k raiders max not 30k.
It is too late now admittedly. Layers can’t be removed because that would be totally unfair to the people who have paid to stack servers so nothing is going to change. I’m not going to suggest things that would force people to split up or cause queues but that doesn’t mean I have to like layers or the current situation today.
Im not sure what the OPs problem is with them. He wrote one line. Even if I didn’t think layers took away from the game in general (especially on RP servers) I find they are really buggy for things like the current terrokar towers and even meeting up with people for enchants etc. So overall just not a great thing. Yes required now but not great.