Originally Posted by
Tziva
If we're going to wishlist solutions to the transfer/dead server issue, I'd rather see the idea of characters being tied to a particular server go out the window. I think it would be desirable to have something where guilds are the things linking a player to a specific server rather than their character. You should get a 50 character list, and you should be able to log into any server in your region you want provided you're not currently a member of a guild. If your guild dies or you want to move to a new server, it's simply a process of leaving your guild, logging into a different server, and joining a guild there.
I think Blizzard needs to do something to solve the issue of server transfers soon, at least in the form of transfer multi-character package deals, but I really think it would be a good step to abandon the rigidity of servers in the first place. I realise this would have a lot of social and economic impact, but I think once the dust settled, it would be more beneficial to players and to Blizzard financially because although they'd lose the money made from transfers, they'd probably stablise or even regain subscriptions from the players stuck on dead realms, the players established on servers away from friends, etc etc. It's a lot more enticing for players to stick around if their ability to play with a friend doesn't require rerolling or transfer fees. And they could still make money from faction changes and re-customisation.
It's a controversial idea so I don't expect it to ever happen, but it's a pleasant thought.