Were realms connected or consolidated?

[AndaliteBandit]

Was it time to pull the plug on some realms? I can understand the reasoning for this, and I suspect that with some servers, Blizz could no longer continue to justify keeping a server online for only a handful of people. It's bad publicity for a MMO to start shutting down servers, so if our former dead realms were finally buried, it was pretty crafty of Blizz to partition destination realms for refugees, so characters got to keep their last names even after marrying.

Realms formerly of the Phoenix datacenters have been moved to Chicago and LA datacenters, some realms have experienced issues such as lost characters or mail, and then there's an interesting development with armories.

This seems to be the case for every batch of connected realms. When you pull up the armory of a character on a connected realm, the realm listed in the url is the character's original realm. If you view the url for the armory's character portrait, their character is designated as being from a different realm within that batch, unless it's the realm the other realms in that batch are redirecting to, and it's always the same realm within that batch.

If your WoW forum avatar is cloaked in shadows, like mine, check and see what the url for the avatar is, and that seems to explain why the avatar is missing. My avatar is trying to take a snapshot of Skrit from his original realm Azshara, but Skrit's armory picture is hosted on Azgalor now. So if your character has been ghosted for some time, it could be because the forum avatar is trying to take a snapshot of an armory picture that no longer exists.
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...avatar/5-0.jpg
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/5-0.jpg

If you copy the url and correct your character's new realm designation, you can view your avatar. Here's my dashing portrait, after changing Azshara to Azgalor-- http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...avatar/5-0.jpg

Aegwynn, Daggerspine, Gurubashi, and Hakkar
Daggerspine redirects to Aegwynn
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...Toxinzs/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/6-0.jpg
Gurubashi redirects to Aegwynn
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...C3%AFth/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-1.jpg
Hakkar redirects to Aegwynn
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...%C3%AEc/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/4-1.jpg

Aggramar and Fizzcrank
Fizzcrank redirects to Aggramar
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...vmachin/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-0.jpg

Akama and Dragonmaw
Akama redirects to Dragonmaw
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...a/Xukie/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/26-1.jpg

Andorhal, Scilla, and Ursin
Andorhal now redirects to Ursin
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte.../Xanril/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../class/6-0.jpg
Scilla now redirects to Ursin
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ustnana/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/1-1.jpg

Anetheron, Magtheridon, and Ysondre
Anetheron redirects to Magtheridon
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ron/Lap/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-1.jpg
Ysondre is redirecting to Magtheridon
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...olyomen/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../class/6-0.jpg

Anub’arak, Chromaggus, Crushridge, Garithos, Nathrezim, and Smolderthorn
Anub'arak redirects to Chromaggus
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...caldust/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../class/6-0.jpg
Crushridge redirects to Chromaggus
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ndotbro/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/7-0.jpg
Garithos redirects to Chromaggus
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...Demiano/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/6-0.jpg
Nathrezim redirects to Chromaggus
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...knocker/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/6-0.jpg
Smolderthorn redirects to Chromaggus
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...Etation/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-0.jpg

Arygos and Llane
Arygos redirects to Llane
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...Feldark/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/7-1.jpg

Auchindoun and Laughing Skull
Auchindoun redirects to Laughing Skull
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...n/Birra/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-0.jpg

Azshara and Azgalor
Azshara redirects to Azgalor
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte.../Zirion/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/1-0.jpg

Balnazzar, Gorgonnash, The Forgotten Coast, and Warsong
Balnazzar redirects to Warsong
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...rmunche/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/26-0.jpg
Gorgonnash redirects to Warsong
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...nwithme/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-1.jpg
The Forgotten Coast redirects to Warsong
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...csgopoo/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/2-0.jpg

Black Dragonflight, Gul'dan, and Skullcrusher
Black Dragonflight redirects to Skullcrusher
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ltotems/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/26-0.jpg
Gul'dan redirects to Skullcrusher
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...n/Beeps/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/6-0.jpg

Blackhand and Galakrond
Galakrond redirects to Blackhand
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...Maurkas/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/1-0.jpg

Blackwing Lair, Dethecus, Detheroc, Lethon, and Haomarush
Blackwing Lair redirects to Detheroc
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...idsauce/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/6-0.jpg
Dethecus redirects to Detheroc
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte.../Atrius/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/9-0.jpg
Lethon redirects to Detheroc
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ysdream/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/10-1.jpg
Haomarush redirects to Detheroc
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...egsmash/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u.../race/26-1.jpg

Blood Furnace and Mannoroth
Blood Furnace redirects to Mannoroth
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...mfuhrer/simple
http://us.battle.net/static-render/u...n/race/2-1.jpg

[Val the Moofia Boss]

More like consolidated IMO. The connections were done to balance out the realm or make them feel populated.

[Steampunk]

They were connected. However, you can put 2+2 together here and get that they're eventually going to consolidate/rename combined servers. EQ did something very similar years ago... just minus Megaserver tech.

The big issue is how WoW's design handles names. If they follow how Champions Online did it, you could name yourself anything and a unique tag would appear in a /who type of field to identify unique players. This would make server merges and connections MUCH easier to handle.

[Count Zero]

They're not going to do anything that's going to force name changes. Really, what they did was pretty damn smart.

[Zannis]

People need to move away from the mindset that an extra server or two is expensive to maintain. It isn't. It's a few server blades in an infrastructure that probably has the capacity to handle many more, going through shared bandwidth for that entire data center. Doesn't matter if the people going to that data center access 10 or 30 servers, they all have to line up to get through the same pipe.

The only way Blizzard would and could save money on server consolidation would be to remove an entire data center or two, which they haven't done.

[Deleted]

You know which MMO dont shut down servers? Those that use channels.

[AndaliteBandit]

They were connected. However, you can put 2+2 together here and get that they're eventually going to consolidate/rename combined servers. EQ did something very similar years ago... just minus Megaserver tech.

My hunter's original realm is Azshara, which had the IP address of 206.18.149.25. Now Wow.exe's active connection is 206.18.98.156, the IP address of Azgalor, our connected realm.

- - - Updated - - -

The only way Blizzard would and could save money on server consolidation would be to remove an entire data center or two, which they haven't done.

Actually...

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/10949384905

The Phoenix servers have been relocated to Chicago and LA.

[Bullettime]

The main annoyance with the entire thing is that toons I have that were part of the connected servers have much higher pings than pre merger. On Arygos, was at 20 MS pre merge and now sitting at 100 post.

[Zannis]

The Phoenix servers have been relocated to Chicago and LA.

Wasn't aware of that, but my point still stands. The cost isn't in individual servers. The cost is in the datacenters themselves.

[AndaliteBandit]

The main annoyance with the entire thing is that toons I have that were part of the connected servers have much higher pings than pre merger. On Arygos, was at 20 MS pre merge and now sitting at 100 post.

Arygos's IP address has changed from 199.107.7.54 in New York to an address in Chicago, 206.18.98.201. If you're closer to New York than Chicago, that could explain your drop in performance.

[MoanaLisa]

It's bad publicity for a MMO to start shutting down servers

It's also somewhat annoying to keep reading stuff like this when the last two or three years have been nothing but bad publicity on the subscriber front as the statement pretends as if interested parties are unaware and Blizzard has some secret plan to fool them into thinking that everything with the subscriber base is fine and hasn't changed considerably. It's not as if World of Warcraft's publicly reported subscription numbers are some giant secret or anything.

Blizzard is doing the smart thing by starting to manage their capacity, upgrading their network capabilities and technology and planning for a distant future when the game may go with a somewhat different revenue model.

For those who have wished to maintain some connection to their realm identity that has been provided. Meanwhile, connected realms are hardly different from merged realms and everyone who cares about it knows it.

[Spazzer]

They did it for so many reasons and I think the biggest one is the dying servers kept losing people who 'quit' because of inactivity on their servers... Blizzard was more opted to do this transition because it stops them from potentially losing money than the latter.

~Spazzer

[Bullettime]

Arygos's IP address has changed from 199.107.7.54 in New York to an address in Chicago, 206.18.98.201. If you're closer to New York than Chicago, that could explain your drop in performance.

Yeah VA to NY. Unsure of why it jumped as high as it did (100 is about the average with jumps as high as 250) but it's quite frustrating after playing for years on 20-30.

[Paula Deen]

It's also somewhat annoying to keep reading stuff like this when the last two or three years have been nothing but bad publicity on the subscriber front as the statement pretends as if interested parties are unaware and Blizzard has some secret plan to fool them into thinking that everything with the subscriber base is fine and hasn't changed considerably. It's not as if World of Warcraft's publicly reported subscription numbers are some giant secret or anything.

Blizzard is doing the smart thing by starting to manage their capacity, upgrading their network capabilities and technology and planning for a distant future when the game may go with a somewhat different revenue model.

For those who have wished to maintain some connection to their realm identity that has been provided. Meanwhile, connected realms are hardly different from merged realms and everyone who cares about it knows it.

Stock Holders don't know or care, they hear a word and freak out. They are like the doom sayers of this very forum. For the record I am on the side of "its bad publicity," which is obviously why they did it/are doing it, the way they are doing it. I am happy to say to that I have been positively effected on my Realm Icecrown with the Connection to Malygos, the realm feels populated again likes it AQ/BC.

[SlippyCheeze]

Wasn't aware of that, but my point still stands. The cost isn't in individual servers. The cost is in the datacenters themselves.

Off the central topic, but this is only kind of accurate. Individual servers still cost money: the rack space they take up is expensive, power, cooling and hardware maintenance have pretty high costs, and they contribute to sysadmins workload. The last is one of the most significant costs of each server.

These days, too, each IPv4 address is going up I. Price thanks to running out of the things. That bumps the cost of a server up too.

So, yes, Capitol costs are already paid (unless you lease the hardware, which suits companies with strong reoccurring revenue), and the connectivity itself is only a few hundred dollars a port, but there are plenty of flow-on costs to the hardware.

Source: it's my job.

[ReleaseDay]

I'm assuming this is US servers. On EU Talnivarr - Trollbane - Chromaggus - Shattered Halls - aswell as 3 more got connected few days ago.

[Deleted]

With all of the IPs rooting to one realms host-server instead of their own once the realms have been connected I would say consolidated.
Even the ping changes as if you logged into the realm of your new host-server prior to the connection unless server have been relocated entirely.

[AndaliteBandit]

I'm assuming this is US servers. On EU Talnivarr - Trollbane - Chromaggus - Shattered Halls - aswell as 3 more got connected few days ago.

Yep, though it's likely EU realms have gone through something similar. I don't know what's happened with EU datacenters or IP addresses, but I checked a EU-Chromaggus armory real quick, and the armory portrait is redirecting to Shattered Halls. Armories of players from other realms connected to Shattered Halls will probably do the same.

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/characte...eamlike/simple
http://eu.battle.net/static-render/e...n/race/7-1.jpg