That argument falls flat because in both scenarios you end up with dead servers that can only be fixed with server merges. You can have 6 realms with +10k players or 12 realms with +5k players and if realms stagnate you can always merge.
Only that in the first option you will have overfarmed and oversized realms (like we do now) for no reason but to alienate most people to the game. The world was not designed for so many people in it.
The world was not designed for so many people in it.
Yet the fourms were complaining non-stop on how layering is ruining Classic WoW during Phase 1 and 15k+ players on a single layer is no problem - The constant complaints about being stuck in queue etc.
People come to the forums to complain and vent their frustration, fair enough. But most of the time they provide terrible suggestions. Once BG come out, people will complain about pre-mades, BG queue times and win-trading. 
Ye they complain but that does not mean every complaint is invalid. Anyone who played vanilla or even PS knew the issues would arise just as we have em now. There is no reason why blizz did not double the severs and just cap em like they did in original vanilla which was 3k, which was also the amount of people each world could handle.
We could have had twice the server amount and if one of em or two died you could just merge… but no. they made a big fuss to have as few as possible, releasing 2-3 on launch day because they obv. underestimated the numbers and instead of having a solid plan on how to max cap servers (btw this is with the knowledge that we have crossfaction bgs!!!) they just put as many ppl on em as their awful cloud can handle, which it btw can not as has been proven many times on youtube.
All we have now is either servers that have WAY too many players on one realm or not enough on the “medium” servers. We are at a point where its impossible to decide what server to pick when you want to roll a new toon, because most of em are either too filled with horde (compared to alliance) or the playerbase itself is too big, because its +10k ppl on the high servers. You cant do anything on there.
On the other hand you cant pick “medium” either because its not enough people there either. And instead of providing a census or a nudge to the players on where to go, which servers have sweetspots or might need more/less people, they just flat out ban any census.
Every new server you roll on is a damocles sword and I do not understand why. Its easy to blame us players but they have the stats and we do not. And instead of just being transparent they cloud everything they can so nobody knows anything and every server you roll on is 100% a gamble.
I don’t think the cap is much higher than the original vanilla cap.
It just feels higher because there are more high level people of both factions because of the leveling knowledge we have at our disposal.
So instead of having 3500 people spread around 41 zones. You have 3500 people spread around a dozen or so, making it feel like its higher than it actually is. I bet its slightly higher than vanilla, maybe 4k, but not the 10k+ some people are claiming.
You might have 20-50 people per zone during primetime in the sub 45 zones, but then you have 2-400 in the 48+ zones. Where it was inverted the first few weeks.
Free server transfers are to eliminate queues. As they are eliminated … not needed anymore.
they were vanilla-sized to begin with, now they are larger
They’re not eliminated yet. I expect them to be around for another month or two… and then come back for a few weeks when BWL drops.
Also… if people were gonna do it, saying they had plenty of time is an understatement.
This. Classic servers will shrink by 90% when Shadowlands hits and when BC is announced.
Crossing my fingers that this doens’t get ruined too…
blizzard always closes free transfers in advance of patches, presumably to avoid any complications. its not rocket science. they’ll be back in some form in a couple weeks.
Question - has there ever been a server merge in WoW?
Its a serious question because I cannot find any reference to it ever being done.
no, just ‘connected realms’ which was a fancy way to merge servers without admitting they did so. anything that didnt get connected though has been left to rot. see: stormreaver retail.
Did they connect the big servers like Illidan?
no - you can see which are connected if you look at the list of retail realm forums.
Well we all know Classic is dying. Why layers where removed. Why transfers where closed. PvP realms have become carebear servers for the dominate faction.
Private servers where great having 15k+ on at any given time. Since they used a thing called dynamic spawans.
Since no dynamic spawns, classic is dead.
subtlety is key to good trolling, you went a little too hamfisted here.
When did they removing dynamic spawns?
But they’re bringing paid server transfers, you are asking them to give up free money, corporations don’t like doing that.
Yes, there are numerous reasons why Blizzard didn’t double the servers - They’ve given their reason out numerous times on Youtube interview, articles and forum posts. Would you like them to personally send you a letter next time?
We could have had twice the server amount and if one of em or two died you could just merge…
Again this issue has been directly addressed by Blizzard - merging servers is a terrible idea.
instead of having a solid plan
The plan was layering - it worked well.
they just put as many ppl on em as their awful cloud can handle
Not true, they but a queue on servers even tho they could allow more people to enter. This was an incentive for people to offload or move to unpopulated or fresh servers.
All we have now is either servers that have WAY too many players on one realm or not enough on the “medium” servers. We are at a point where its impossible to decide what server to pick when you want to roll a new toon, because most of em are either too filled with horde (compared to alliance) or the playerbase itself is too big, because its +10k ppl on the high servers. You cant do anything on there.
I completely disagree with this. It’s overdramatic and heavily embellished - I play on a server that has a high population / Full during peak times with a queue. I don’t have a problem and I can certainly do everything. I think that most of the players are used to having more of a single-player experience on retail that it’s jaded them when people actually contest for resources.
On the other hand you cant pick “medium” either because its not enough people there either.
Yet people keep going on and on about how “medium” size servers have more active players then any of the highest populated OG Vanilla realms? You are literally complaining about “High” population realms having too MANY players and not being able to breathe and now you are complaining about “medium” realms for not having enough??? 
instead of providing a census or a nudge to the players on where to go
This would be a disaster if they did this !!! People would actively start moving to certain servers and you’ll see ratios like 60/40 turn in 80/20 which would trigger a snowball effect and completely ruin the servers while adding unnecessary queues to others.
Its easy to blame us players but they have the stats and we do not.
Exactly - you don’t have the stats. This means your assessment of the situation could be completely wrong!