Is it time to start merging realms?

#0 - May 11, 2007, 12:01 p.m.

More and more people nowadays seem to be posting that they're finding it hard to get groups (other than the endgame) and I wondered if it's time to start merging or shutting down realms?

I can only speak from my own play experience on the realms that I have characters on:

Earthern Ring
Really populated at the endgame Outlands zones, but on recently dinging 70 and flying back to Honor Hold to get the Shattered Halls quests I was shocked to see no one there - I mean the whole zone seemed to be deserted.

I've not got any alts on this server apart from this main (well I have a 14 who I never play) so I can't speak for the earlier zones - whenever I pass through them they seem deserted.

I know that ER is an old server, so I guess most characters would be concentrated at the end-game.. but I'd hate to start a new character on this server, I have to admit.

Steamwheedle Cartel
I'm levelling my main alt here, a 55 human priest and again much the same story though not as bad as ER

The starting areas have a few people in, but not much... levelling my priest the 45+ areas are nearly deserted with hardly any instance runs - everyone seems to be solo grinding to get to Outlands.

Most of the time the characters you see levelling up are draenei and belves - about half I'd say.

I have no idea what Outlands is like on this realm, but certainly less and less people seem to be levelling nowadays.

The Sha-tar
A new server, still seems pretty empty when I play it.

Darkmoon Faire
Have some belves all around 20 - seems pretty fine even at low levels and feels a nice server to me and still alive in the pre-Outland zones.

What about everyone else?

Do you think that a lot of the realms need to merge?

Would Blizzard re-doing the old 1-58 content bring new life back into Azeroth?

Or is it that we need - gasp - new realms?

I'm just curious...

Thundgot

#14 - May 11, 2007, 3:54 p.m.

Closing realms is absolutely not needed, and merging realms would create realms with frequent and long queues. Opening new realms at this time would just thin out the population, which I don't really see a reason for. While one might find it easier to find groups at lower levels on a new realm for some time, it'd make it harder on realms "losing" players to the new realm. Opening new realm should always be based on the total population on the realms of the same language and type (e.g. English PvP, French RP, German PvE).

I definitely agree on the observation that it can be hard to find groups at lower levels on older realms, but this does in no way mean the population on the realm is low. In addition to not many new players starting there those leveling up alts are sometimes rushing, having guild mates (or their own main on a different account) pull them through quests and instances. On younger (young, but not brand new) realms many might be busy leveling their first character, and thus alts are not that numerous yet, while the realm is old enough for the initial rush of low-level characters to be over.

When starting on an older realm I would definitely encourage joining a guild, as they'll often have alts they can team up with. Another possibility is looking for others wanting a fresh start and joining one of the Recommended realms together.