Why is the low population server situation not solved?

[Tipton]

Here is the exact quote from Ion at Blizzcon:

Ion, Yes! Yes that is something we absolutlety need to do. We have the Cross Realm grouping that helps with a lot of our gameplay. It’s not an adequate answer if you’re looking to do mythic raiding, or if you want a server economy that can support that and other things. We haven’t taken a look at balancing our realm populations in the recent past, and it’s something we need to do very soon. I can’t give you an exact timetable but it’s somthing I’m going to bring up with our server team and see what we can do in the next week when we get back to the office. I’ll bring it up in the next week and we’ll do it as soon as we can.

Still no luck, created a thread on the official forums.
https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...on-2019/126929

No response...

[BeepBoo]

I rolled on a low-op server because I wanted unlimited access to ez farming, ez mounts, etc. Then they implemented CRZ and removed the only BENEFIT to rolling on a small pop server. They should just remove the whole "guilds must be on same server HURRDURR" limitation and just move to mega server architecture altogether.

[getupkid55]

For the social aspect, Blizz introduced the community system, which helps alleviate that. So right now, guilds only exist to serve Mythic raiding and trading, to be purely technical. You can do every other guild activity (raiding up to Mythic, M+, conversation, have fun in discord) in a cross server community.

This doesn't negate the issues that small pop servers could present to some people, but they have access to "guilds" if they want them, regardless of how small their server is.

Communities are not even close to Guilds. Come on now...

Are Discord Servers like Guilds too?

[munkeyinorbit]

They need to like merge auction houses or start lumping shitty servers to well populated ones. Augment runes have long vanished on the realm that I'm on, and there was exactly 201 Zin'athid on the AH that I bought earlier today.

I don't want to conspiracy theory and say they like this situation because it forces people to transfer, but the amount of time that has passed without consolidation almost leads me to believe that this is the case. I suppose the only other reason for them to not acknowledge or change things is that merging servers is seen as bad press because it lends itself to servers dying. Most people I know will either transfer if they find themselves on a dead realm, or just quit the game entirely because they don't want to move over legions of characters that are stranded on that realm anytime soon.

Well populated realms are pretty much established at this point. Joining shitty servers with other shitty servers isn't the answer. Take those connected realms that already exist (and are dead), and join them with actually populated ones. It's not rocket science, and it won't cause those populated servers to be unstable.

The arguments they made at the time against it was due to world PvP. That is irrelevent now. They should connect a lot more servers.

[callipygoustp]

Unless you are raiding at a Mythic level, I never really thought it mattered. What server are you on that the AH is empty? I'm on Blackrock, which is a very low pop server these days, but the AH still has plenty of items listed; and plenty of competition for player made items.

[RoKPaNda]

I know that they do have the expertise to fix this situation, I know that deep down they're still competent.

I'm just puzzled as to why they haven't done it yet.

Low population servers are now basically desolate hellscapes devoid of any and all life. It is hard for most people to enjoy an MMO under such circumstances.

And yet they can't escape the situation. They have invested a lot of time and effort into their characters on this realm.

Why isn't the situation fixed? I know Blizzard aren't that greedy to let this be a problem just so they can get more money from realm transfers. Are they just too lazy or not willing to invest the development time for it right now?

Because the old school MMO players at Blizzard are still of the mindset that realm merges = dead game, because really up to a point in MMO history when MMOs started merging realms due to some realms being ghost towns that was the beginning of the end for that MMO. Blizzard has a huge management problem and this is why they devote too many resources to some things, not enough to others, and don't fix glaring issues. For as much shit as we give Activision, Blizzard really needs MORE oversight.

[Schizoide]

They did solve it in the open world, they CRZ current zones now. You'll see tons of players from other servers while flying around Boralus.

For instanced content, they allow cross-realm mythic+ dungeons, arenas, BGs, and raids. The sole exception is mythic raids.

So really the only impact is the economy and auction house.

[Azerate]

I'm playing on a low pop realm. I don't see the issue. Unless someone specifically wants to raid mythic, it doesn't really impact you in a negative way, and there are actually many advantages to playing on such a low pop realm.

Yes, you probably won't make billions playing the AH, because apart from the newest raid consumables it's dead, but otherwise there's no problem.

[Schizoide]

there are actually many advantages to playing on such a low pop realm.

Like what? Unless your realm is RP so it isn't CRZ'd there are only disadvantages, as I see it.

[themaster24]

Communities are not even close to Guilds. Come on now...

Are Discord Servers like Guilds too?

The two things that Communities can't do that guilds can is Mythic raiding and trade facilitation (i.e. Guild Bank/Guild Crafting). However, outside of that, Communities can do everything else. So I'd say that's pretty close to guilds.

If you're bothered by the fact that it doesn't hold a faction identity, that is a personal issue. That doesn't prevent you from being social with the members, raiding or doing M+ with them, like you would with a server based guild.

[smityx]

They're banking on you paying for a server transfer or rerolling on a new server thus extending the sub months you may pay for to get back up to speed.

[DarkAmbient]

They did solve it in the open world, they CRZ current zones now. You'll see tons of players from other servers while flying around Boralus.

I feel the same way about those CRZ'd players as I do about the people at an airport cafe: they provide a backdrop of sorts, and it's possible to talk to them if I want, but instead I sip my coffee and observe, knowing that this conjunction of our lives is fleeting and never to be repeated.

[Volatilis]

Like what? Unless your realm is RP so it isn't CRZ'd there are only disadvantages, as I see it.

Mount collecting? Getting rares?

Is that hard to think about?

[Schizoide]

Mount collecting? Getting rares?

Is that hard to think about?

You should be asking yourself that question as I specifically addressed that in the post you responded to. All non-RP realms are CRZ'd, so there is no benefit to being on a low-pop realm.

[themaster24]

Mount collecting? Getting rares?

Is that hard to think about?

Being on a low pop server that is still a part of CRZ doesn't impact those much, as you will be lumped in with others in the same way anyone else is. If that area just happens to be deserted, than it just works out for you at that specific time, but you could come back and find 50 people there, in theory.

The problem they are getting at is that being a on a low pop, world wise you are on the same level as the rest due to CRZ, but there are things that CRZ doesn't do anything about, such as potential economic issues. It's not like you get to trade off risking a poor economy for better farming of rares, mounts, mats, etc.

[Volatilis]

You should be asking yourself that question as I specifically addressed that in the post you responded to. All non-RP realms are CRZ'd, so there is no benefit to being on a low-pop realm.

Yeah except CRZ is not some magical fix. And is in fact quite random. Most of the time i play (on a low pop server) i am in fact on a low pop server with no one around.

Pop into a zone like org and it merges with other realms sure. But waiting in storm peaks for proto drake, I dont see shit.

- - - Updated - - -

Being on a low pop server that is still a part of CRZ doesn't impact those much, as you will be lumped in with others in the same way anyone else is. If that area just happens to be deserted, than it just works out for you at that specific time, but you could come back and find 50 people there, in theory.

The problem they are getting at is that being a on a low pop, world wise you are on the same level as the rest due to CRZ, but there are things that CRZ doesn't do anything about, such as potential economic issues. It's not like you get to trade off risking a poor economy for better farming of rares, mounts, mats, etc.

Do you guys actually play on a low pop server? Doesnt seem like you do.

[Schizoide]

If there's nobody around that means nobody in the entire region is in that same area. Or, I suppose, the CRZ'd instance filled up with 50 people or whatever and you just got lucky to be in the next instance by your lonesome.

[Volatilis]

If there's nobody around that means nobody in the entire region is in that same area. Or, I suppose, the CRZ'd instance filled up with 50 people or whatever and you just got lucky to be in the next instance by your lonesome.

Side note but CRZ is really really annoying.

Nothing feels worse than having a rare randomly disappear as you are fighting it.

Or you run/fly to a node and it fades into thin air as you are looting it.

[vsb]

What'ya talking about mon? In EU all servers are connected to there's no problem of small servers.

[Schizoide]

Yeah, it's terrible. Everybody hates it.