Low Population Servers and Cross Realm Zones

[Irisel]

So, guildie got me thinking... The "new" technology they're implementing with MoP to cross low population server's zones together, really takes the BEST part about a low population server and takes a big wet dump on it: less competition farming.

• (imo) Biggest CON of low pop server: Not enough good raiders to keep a guild alive and shit economy
• (imo) Biggest PRO of low pop server: You can kill Time Lost Protodrake that much easier (less competition)

Correct me if I'm wrong (as if I had to ask) but, does this not pose a threat to those of us on low pop servers, at least getting easier nodes and rare elites?

[Deleted]

I doubt that's the reason most of those players play on a low populated realm.

This feature is absolutely amazing in my opinion, finally removing the feeling of "I'm the only loser playing this game".

[HeedmySpeed]

I think rare spawn mount camping was a retarded aspect of the game.

"I want my realms to remain empty so I can farm a mount easier" just sounds retarded.

[Lanthanum]

I don't really think the addition of the cross-realm zones does anything to address the problems of low population servers.

Granted, the world will feel more "alive" and you will be able to team up with other people to enhance your questing experience but as Blizzard has hinted at many times, a lot of the focus in this game is at max level.

On low pop servers you will struggle to PuG a raid and also have a poor economy. I know, because these exact reasons forced our guild to realm transfer in order to carry on with progression.

So, whilst I applaud Blizz for doing "something", I don't really think it is anywhere near enough.

[Deleted]

I don't really think the addition of the cross-realm zones does anything to address the problems of low population servers.

Granted, the world will feel more "alive" and you will be able to team up with other people to enhance your questing experience but as Blizzard has hinted at many times, a lot of the focus in this game is at max level.

On low pop servers you will struggle to PuG a raid and also have a poor economy. I know, because these exact reasons forced our guild to realm transfer in order to carry on with progression.

So, whilst I applaud Blizz for doing "something", I don't really think it is anywhere near enough.

I absolutely agree with you. It's a step in the right direction, but not even nearly enough to deal with the ''problem''. The biggest problem is that anything below maximum level simply doesn't matter, you outgear the content too fast to have some kind of a ''level 40-50 population'' in the first place.

Zones being empty and not enough people playing in them isn't the problem , it's the consequence. There's nothing to do in them for a longer period. Most players spend only about 5% (I'm making the numbers up, but from my experience) on leveling compared to 95% on maximum level. Hell, each expansion coming out increases the speed of leveling by 30%.

Zones are empty because people got nothing to do in them. Low population servers are low populated because the players had nothing to do in the whole game. People log in, teleport in a dungeon, buy some gear, and log out. You can't make them stop doing that.

[Jeleh]

Cross realm zones still don't address the biggest issues for low pop realm, guilds cant run, ah is empty, pugs don't run.

The cross realm zone addresses people levelling having people to hunt with in that zone only.

bad band-aid for a much bigger issue, empty servers, the reason why I and most of my friends quit wow.

[Osmeric]

CRZs solve the wrong problem. I think they added them because it was easy to do so, not because it was the right thing to do.

[Deleted]

CRZs solve the wrong problem. I think they added them because it was easy to do so, not because it was the right thing to do.

To be honest, I don't think it was easy to do. It must've been an enormous undertaking. To really solve the problem, they would have to throw their major design direction out of the window - the idea that everyone must see everything as soon as possible. No amount of tweaking will keep people longer in the game if they can still finish everything in a few months. But it's kind of unlikely that Blizzard will change that way of thinking.

EDIT: by ''players finishing everything'' I mean - anything that makes the player consider he is done with the game. Saw all the raids, or maxed all professions, or played every class, or got achievements. The only objective reason why people quit playing (aside from RL pressures) is because they get bored.

If you're being pushed to endgame as soon as possible then you gotta start grinding. And grinding sure is fun...

[Lological]

I play on a low to medium population server, there is alot of x realm activity going on. Theres people dueling Xrealm in front of org as well. I was farming TK for the mount on all my alts yesterday and there was ten alliance sitting outside TK:Eye just pouncing on people, every one of them from another realm. So if making the zones more active is their goal then I guess they achieved it. Unfortunately the price of having a bunch more people snatch up herbs and mines right in front of my face and the thirty people waiting for TLPD to spawn.

I am not a fan, please put it back the old way. You didn't need a bunch of people in a zone to quest and level ever.

[DreamCast]

@OP blizzard still makes a fair amount of money from people xrealming, infact xrealming and faction changing is the last thing people do before they finally quit because they blame the low pop server for the reason they bored of the game, which of course can be a truth.

The point where they will have a proper solution in place is when they at a risk of server merges taking place, at that time they won't worry about money they making from xrealming at the risk of server merges aka the game is dying.

Wow is still the only game that charges for server transfers as far as I know. Rift and GW2 are currently free.

[Osmeric]

To be honest, I don't think it was easy to do. It must've been an enormous undertaking.

No, I get the impression it uses technology they'd already added for other reasons (for phasing and scenarios and instances), and that the extra work wasn't much.

[Deleted]

No, I get the impression it uses technology they'd already added for other reasons (for phasing and scenarios and instances), and that the extra work wasn't much.

Hmm, well, you could be right. X-realm BGs/dungeons/raids + phasing. The servers were already 'communicating' with one another, so they had the base already.

[Kazlehoff]

The op isnt just talking about Mounts though people. Herbs, Mining, Leather....

all it really means for me is more douches trying to gank my lowbie alt.

[Metta World Peace]

Cross realm zones still don't address the biggest issues for low pop realm, guilds cant run, ah is empty, pugs don't run.

The cross realm zone addresses people levelling having people to hunt with in that zone only.

bad band-aid for a much bigger issue, empty servers, the reason why I and most of my friends quit wow.

Similar reason why myself along with most of the people in my guild quit as well. For recruitment purposes, it was difficult trying to get someone to transfer over to a low/dead realm with little to no activity outside of raiding. Low pop erver forums itself these days are filled with recruitment ads.

Finally packed it in after DS only because we owed it to ourselves.

But since, we're the fundamental problem of this game, It's not Blizzard's fault that a server went from High/Full to medium/low over the course of a year. You essentially have to transfer over to a large server such as Illidan, Sargeras, Mal'ganis to survive. Especially if you are a 25m guild. Quite rare to see a 25m raiding guild in a medium/low pop server.

@OP blizzard still makes a fair amount of money from people xrealming, infact xrealming and faction changing is the last thing people do before they finally quit because they blame the low pop server for the reason they bored of the game, which of course can be a truth.

The point where they will have a proper solution in place is when they at a risk of server merges taking place, at that time they won't worry about money they making from xrealming at the risk of server merges aka the game is dying.

Wow is still the only game that charges for server transfers as far as I know. Rift and GW2 are currently free.

I always see that argument made whenever a "x realm is dying, please save x realm!" thread in the Blizzard forums. People are still paying for the server/faction transfers. It's like saying Blizzard hates money if they do things like a server merge or a free transfer off the server. All Blizzard can do is place a band-aid which is what this cross-server zones have accomplished.

[Kioshi]

people play on low population servers because when we join they were high population server, Example I have 9 hordes on Medivh started in Vanilla, there was alot of Hordes there, then when WOTLK came out que times were 30-45min to enter, and blizzard did a free transfer to Garrosh... 90% of the horde population left, now on the weekends we have 4-5 in Org, when alliance attacks Garrosh we have 3/5 people defend. Can't transfer out now cus it will cost $225 for all my 85 toons (There so much more I can do with $225 than give blizzard it for having their computer do a 5 min transfer)

BTW if I wanted to start over/pay I rather spend that money/time of joining/trying a new game Rift/GW2/Tera, or even just buying BF/COD I mean it doesn't make sense. but I guess if people are paying for it why not charge right?

[Osmeric]

It's not Blizzard's fault that a server went from High/Full to medium/low over the course of a year.

Of course it was.

[roflmfao]

For me it's a backwards fix...I like being on a low pop server for farming, questing, and low AH prices, but as far as raiding goes we have 7 excellent raiders that make every raid and a horrible time trying to fill the other 3 spots with solid players which makes it hard for progression since we are carrying people that cant commit to raid times if we use guildies, or rolling dice on pugs if we don't.

The true problem isn't a cross realm fix for the sake of guild progression, it is still the same as it has been for years, Blizz needs to balance some servers via merging.

If popuation problems were like an OP class Blizz would break out the nerf bat, so get with it Blizz!!!

[Holtzmann]

Cross-Realm Zones seem to be just the first step in integrating the realms even further. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the features of the next expansion ends up being region-wide Auction Houses and cross-server guilds. Then servers become basically just a way to make sure people are always in the same cross-server "phase", for those highly-populated areas.

[Darmalus]

That would be interesting. Effectively merge all servers of the same type together, but only use servers as a way to spread people out to prevent crushing your video card. Imagine a million characters packed into Stormwind at the same time.

[Khaza-R]

Cross-realms weren't implemented to "fix" low pop servers. They were implemented to give new and old players a more lively experience while leveling up. Because most characters are clumped at max level.