In addition to the recent post on free transfer options for the Cata Release. I want to give some feedback what should be done in some cases as I feel like Transfers won’t work to benefit those servers that struggle and cause greater harm to players.
As an example, I’m focusing on the German PvE Realms, as those “Free Transfers” won’t help those servers who would need urgent help.
Here are some unofficial stats on the Server Population of those 3 Servers - Lakeshire and Razorfen recently dropped by roughly 2k Players being active.
As we can see, almost the entire population of Razorfen EU is Horde (roughly 85 %) - and both option offered have a giant alliance dominance. Choosing one of those servers would result for those horde players in effectively fewer players to interact with. Therefore, offering a free transfer to 2 server options would split the remaining horde player base in 2 factions and promote a further decline of horde players and kill any horde raiding on German Servers. (This is just an example, what damage Free Transfers can have on esp. none English region servers - any statement given should be considered for any of those servers in the same position)
To prevent a further decline of the horde player base and ensuring the stability of Lakeshire it would be a way better solution to merge Everlook EU, Lakeshire EU and Razorfen EU which would help to stabilize the Population. Additionally, it would also create some Faction Balance 60/40 roughly.
Everlook is currently the double amount of players to Razorfen and Lakeshire so offering it as a transfer option would never benefit Lakeshire in the way it would need help. For Razorfen Players transferring without a faction change comes near to a death sentence for Horde if they have to choose one new home of both.
Keep in mind, those numbers should be taken with a grain of skeptic. The most ideal solution would probably to merge all 3 realms, as Lakeshire is suffering from player decline and would be the next target mid cata to be shutdown.
EU RP Realms
Had a regrettable fate in WotlK one of them is already merged with a normal PvP Realm - after a free transfer was offered from Hydraxian Waterlords beforehand weaking its population. Now we see the last RP Bastion being abandoned. Therefore, I want to speak out for preserving RP in Cata and offering a home for all players from EU Realms with a free character copy on Hydraxian Waterlords with enabling free transfers to it from all Wotlk/Cata Realms. Neglecting an entire playerbase and banish them from the realm of existence just out of financial decisions is not a respectful manner towards the player base. These Situations were created and should be fixed accordingly in the interest of every RP Player. I still believe there is a core community who would like to see it nourish again - offering a fair retry with a backup plan would def. help more instead of closing it and not even giving it a fair chance. Most of the remaining RP Community is currently stuck on Giantstalker a none RP Realm they would like to move to a RP Realm if they could.
Questions from the EU Playerbase
The following Question got brought up by some EU Players of the realms closing down.
- How soon after the launch of Cataclysm will you be moving the remaining characters? Is it upon launch of Cataclysm?
Currently, the vagueness on the matter provides an incentive to stay on the closing servers until the last minute to get server first titles.
- Additionally, will the free transfers stop on the day Cata launches?