Should Blizzard implement a realm merge for Low populated realms, poll.

[ramaathorn]

Absolutely.

Used to play on Firetree US Alliance. There were two 25m semi-competitive guilds left at the end of Cata, both of which were forced to move to 10m to progress in heroic DS due to recruitment issues. Firetree has been dead on alliance since wrath. Both of these guilds came together and left the server in advance of MOP, and now have a solid 25m on Area 52, with no issues recruiting when needed! Firetree alliance was devastated as a result of the top two guilds leaving, at this point there is 1 25m left on the faction and it is not competitive by any means.

It was a sad day when I transfered off the server and I still miss it. I started there and played from Vanilla to Cata, I still miss it. However, it just wasn't a viable option to raid 25m there anymore.

In my opinion, 10m has done a lot of damage to a lot of servers. Without the strong incentive to raid 25m, it's very hard to maintain one on a low-pop server. Encounters these days are generally unforgiving and finding quality players for 25m is a nearly impossible challenge on many low-pop servers. I know through the experience I went through on Firetree that a lot of players that are veterans to a low-pop server will concede to raiding a 10m with the remaining group of their friends simply because filling a 25m is too much frustration. Not only does this kill 25m raiding, but the community on these servers as well, as these guilds will become introverted with 10 players that don't change, inciting no need for the group to reach out to the server community for support. Also, in my experience rivalry is much less frequent/intense between 10m guilds, again hurting a servers community.

TL;DR: Yes, merge dying servers! And also, IMO 10m plays a huge part in killing servers.

[Deleted]

I personally would think some choice, other than merging, would be better. For example, like someone said perhaps there should be some benefits for people who migrate from a high-population realm to a lower population realm.

[Deleted]

I personally would think some choice, other than merging, would be better. For example, like someone said perhaps there should be some benefits for people who migrate from a high-population realm to a lower population realm.

There were numerous free transfers from high to low pop realms, but it's not working any more. People realized that healthy server population is crucial to having fun in a MMO.

[Dezminion]

There were numerous free transfers from high to low pop realms, but it's not working any more. People realized that healthy server population is crucial to having fun in a MMO.

Indeed and what I have seen, there lately has been FCM from high ppl realm to another high ppl realm, due to realm balance... Sorta lame, I would say

[Lochton]

The title says it all, just want so see how the community sees this issue, myself I am still saying, that there are way too many realms at EU/US, they should be merged.

I would say, yes. If it wasn't for the fact that people have a chance of losing their names. It would be needed to fix some of them, but would you sacrafice a name that you've found good for it? (Many might just say yes, but Blizzard sees this as one of the major problems, losing the name)

Or the fact, what if your realm merges with a realm where you have full character slots?

[Pull My Finger]

I don't even know if my realm is a "dead" one. Some claim so, but people are constantly whining and talking smack anyway, so who knows. I can't say it bothers me either way. In any case: there's no way I'd be willing to change the names of my toons and I don't see Blizzard taking that route and just forcing people to do it.

[Galaddriel]

Right now the only options for players stuck on a dead/dying realm are so punishing.

1) Re-roll (lose all progression, gold, heirlooms, history, lose unique and hard to obtain items, lose all identity with your character, lose years of work on alts - start over from scratch)

2) Pay $$$ to transfer (gold limit, either pay an obscene amount to transfer your alts or lose them, pay even more $$$ to transfer bank alt guilds or lose it, etc)

It's no wonder many players are choosing to unsubscribe rather than take that punishment for a problem they didn't cause, a problem caused by Blizzard's fail on managing server populations.

This weak excuse of losing character names is just that - weak! There's many ways to get around this supposed problem, many suggestions have been made. Blizzard aren't idiots, they could come up with something brilliantly easy and they are just using it as an excuse.

[Rhaktor]

I used to play on Sporeggar-EU, many of you will know it epitomizes the low pop realm issue.

You all whine like Blizzard forces you to stay there, I don't see it. The costs of transferring are very low and the option has been there for ages. People acting like they'd love to play wow but they cant because they're on a low pop realm, just unsub for a month then resub and use the saved money for a transfer? Mindblowing?

I have a job so I guess that's why the costs seemed so insignificant to me?

[Galaddriel]

I used to play on Sporeggar-EU, many of you will know it epitomizes the low pop realm issue.

You all whine like Blizzard forces you to stay there, I don't see it. The costs of transferring are very low and the option has been there for ages. People acting like they'd love to play wow but they cant because they're on a low pop realm, just unsub for a month then resub and use the saved money for a transfer? Mindblowing?

I have a job so I guess that's why the costs seemed so insignificant to me?

Because no one likes being ripped off, man. All because Blizzard fails to manage server populations and has been dragging there feet for so long yet they certainly succeed in collecting fees!

Blizzard is sitting on piles of money and certainly has the resources to fix the goddamn problem. Expecting there custumers to pay is extortion.

[Dristereau]

@Rhaktor
Believe it or not, £15 is large amount of money for an automated service when many other games offer it for free. It's not so bad for one Character, but in my case I'm looking at 4. That's £60 right there. Why should I have to pay £60 to move Characters to a place where I do Sha or Galleon without waiting one/two hours for a Cross Realm Group to form, or the AH is missing enchants and gems? It's things like this. Lowering the cost of Server Transfers or adding a discount in Bulk should be done, that way more people may move.

Anyways, EU Thread here on the issue folks. http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/to...?page=239#4769
Throw your own ideas out, see what we get

[Rhaktor]

@Rhaktor
Believe it or not, £15 is large amount of money for an automated service when many other games offer it for free. It's not so bad for one Character, but in my case I'm looking at 4. That's £60 right there. Why should I have to pay £60 to move Characters to a place where I do Sha or Galleon without waiting one/two hours for a Cross Realm Group to form, or the AH is missing enchants and gems? It's things like this. Lowering the cost of Server Transfers or adding a discount in Bulk should be done, that way more people may move.

Blizzard could lower the cost or add a discount - and maybe they should. But i'm sorry, I don't think £15 is a lot of money and I'm sure it isn't to you either. If you go out for the night and spend £15 that's a cheap night in England. You're spending £15 for many nights enjoyment/increase in enjoyment. Seems pretty good to me.

I totally accept your quality of play is lower on a low pop realm, that's why I moved. But I don't agree that you are in any way forced to stay there - the option to move is there you're just too proud/stubborn/poor/whiny (delete as applicable) to take it.

[Aleksej89]

I play on only the biggest realms, so this does not impact my gameplay.

However i think that any realm below medium should be merged.

[Saphyron]

free char migration from a low pop server to a medium pop server would prop be the best.

[judgementofantonidas]

Not meaning overpopulated, just to make realms MEDIUM.

and that is my point. my server is happily medium pop and yet we have CRZ happening even in the newest zones on day one of launch bringing the hassle over resources that high pop servers have. the new world boss was glitched out through crz for an easy kill the other weekend. how you may ask? 400 players all drug to a low pop zone through Real Id invites. lagged out the area so bad that the boss never used any of his special abilities. No thanks I say.

---------- Post added 2013-03-16 at 02:33 PM ----------

Same at Haomarush EU, the realm is just utterly dead, now since they removed the option to do crossrealm raids to Oondasta and other world bosses they will be immortal at my realm

We are a raid guild on a medium pop server that has found a way to stay afloat for six years. We are happy to take applications.

INJ#1944 battletag

[Fenixdown]

Yes, but please merge these servers with servers that suffer opposite faction imbalances to try and fix the other issues most realms have. Not only low population realms have these kinds of problems, even full servers like Illidan may as well be "dead" if you roll the wrong faction.

[judgementofantonidas]

free char migration from a low pop server to a medium pop server would prop be the best.

I argue that it should be offered the other way round. Benefits be offered to transfer TO a low pop server to equalize into many medium pops as opposed to consolidating into a few high pops.

[Dezminion]

Yes, but please merge these servers with servers that suffer opposite faction imbalances to try and fix the other issues most realms have. Not only low population realms have these kinds of problems, even full servers like Illidan may as well be "dead" if you roll the wrong faction.

Indeed, the unbalanced realms are just as big issue here.

[Elian]

they want you to pay $30 to transfer to a high population server, that's why they no longer merge servers.

[Dezminion]

The reason they don;t merge servers is the reason the Blue poster said a few days ago. The amount of headaches/complaints it would cause from people losing names, guild names being forced to change, and a community becoming unrecognisable with a huge influx of new players is not worth the hassle for them, hence why they look for other options.

Why can't people stop flogging this dead horse, stop making up BS, and actually think with their heads rather than their asses for a change? :S

Do you honestly believe them?
Blizzard is a company, its main goal is to make profit from our wallets.

[Coldhearth]

I like the small server charm.