How Blizzard monitors realm populations
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 26th 2007 at 2:26PM
This forum thread from Pepe on Zuluhed is a little more than a "QQ need moar realm pls" post, but only a little-- he's wondering why a relatively empty realm like Zuluhed isn't added to the "Recommended Realms" list. Drysc answers to say that while Zuluhed might be low population, there are others which need more help. And then the conversation get a little deeper, and Drysc reveals more about how Blizzard monitors and controls realm population.First, another player quotes the Warcraft Realms stats page, and says that Zulu actually has less players on it then Azuremyst, a realm that was chosen as recommended. But Drysc answers that by saying Blizzard doesn't take "total players created" on a realm as a sign of population-- they're looking at percentage full (actually logged in) on any average night. Azuremyst is 35% full on average peak, and Zulu is 45% full on peak. He says once they fill those lower pop realms up a little more, they'll change the recommendations, and try to keep player populations as even as possible.
He also says (and he wouldn't lie, right?) that player numbers are actually seeing a "steady increase" since the expansion, but with the free transfers before the expansion and all the new landmass, servers might seem a little emptier. If you're cynical enough to think Drysc would twist the truth about player population, then you basically just heard him say "up is down."
But the strategist in me sees a mischievous idea here-- if Blizzard is watching actual logins during peak and not just created characters, reroll locusts could affect the recommended realms list. If you somehow got a big group to jump off of Zuluhed during peak, and on to Azuremyst during peak for a week or so, would Blizzard switch the two servers around? Could you actually game the realm population system?
Filed under: Realm News, Analysis / Opinion, Tricks, Realm Status, Blizzard, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kas Apr 26th 2007 3:21PM
As a horde player on Azuremyst who transferred from Proudmoore, I say please, please, please! everyone transfer over. It's terrible. I was already 70 when the free transfers came down, but I'm now trying to level a new toon and short of getting a guildie to run me through an instance, I can't get a group at all. And PVP is an even bigger joke. The entire Cataclysm battlegroup is dead. I'm a member of Radiance, one of the largest Horde guilds on the server, and we're having a tough time getting enough players together with the same play times to make regular Kara runs. Believe me when I say i'm glad I moved from Proudmoore. Being on a new server that doesn't have 1 hour wait times to log in is nice, but that's beginning to be counteracted by having nobody online to quest with
Jason Apr 26th 2007 3:53PM
I think it's definitely possible to 'game' the recommended realm system. However, I don't think it's nearly quite as easy as you make it sound.
From reading through Drysc's comments on the issue, this isn't an overnight occurrence. It's something that could take weeks or even months to affect.
Robert Apr 26th 2007 4:20PM
If you can coordinate the activities of several thousand players, there is a LOT more interesting things you could do than 'game' the recommended servers list. Think about it.
Dozan Apr 26th 2007 4:14PM
If there are so many low population servers, then why don't they just combine the two lowest ones after so many weeks / months. It would solve a lot of problems and free up some extra servers for Blizz.
Martineau Apr 26th 2007 4:44PM
Anyone know what servers are open for free transfers, if any, and what rules there are to switch to there.
garyh Apr 26th 2007 4:52PM
"If there are so many low population servers, then why don't they just combine the two lowest ones after so many weeks / months."
A good idea for players, not so much for blizzard. Besides a few technical issues (mass name changes), the main issue is that it's bad PR. Whenever a mmorpg starts closing realms news spreads everywhere that the game is dying.
Brian McBride Apr 26th 2007 6:12PM
I wish they had dynamic server instances. Where you really just "log in" in general. You will be directed to a server that your guild is on first, but if that server is full you move to another one. You can then pop over to your guild server when it frees up space through a dialog box. Like a standard queue.
The current highest ranking guild member can request that the guild be moved to a lower pop instance when things get too nuts and members are waiting too long in the queue.
In the end, server names would be non-existant. You log into PvP, PvE or RP servers. Three choices and the balancing system takes care of you.
Of course, other options is that if you are not in a guild, it would stick you on the server with the majority of your online friends. Also, guilds could "friend" one another or make requests to jump to the same instance for a while.
And last, when a server instance is too full, people willing to jump to an emptier one (guilds especially) would get some sort of 1-2 hour buff that would be encouraging enough. Like a "free extra flask buff" where you choose from a list of buffs upon login to the new instance.
It is a very different way of thinking, but I would like it better. Like I am a late night player, it would be great if at 2am server times the instances merged so there is enough people online to play. Then at peak times the instances are spread back out.
Wartooth Apr 26th 2007 6:19PM
First, another player quotes the Warcraft Realms stats page, and says that Zulu actually has less players on it then Azuremyst, a realm that was chosen as recommended.
You mean Than Azuremyst.
ajpally Apr 26th 2007 6:24PM
I personally think that there should be now low population and if there are I think they should merge them with another or three in some cases of other low pop realms.
If a realm gets over populated, then open one new server at a time and repeat the process.
I don't think it's fair to players when they can't progress in the game because their realm is under populated.
Screw server firsts. Wow should re-evaluate population rates and perform server mergers.
Jeff Apr 26th 2007 7:14PM
This is how the servers should be in my opinion:
-runescape.com
-click Play RuneScape
-select a detail mode
-look at how Jagex manages servers
ajpally Apr 26th 2007 7:51PM
runescape - what a joke of a game!
Vizzad Apr 27th 2007 10:21AM
@ 7 and 10, the reason you log into an individual server is because thats were your huge savefile is, WoW isnt ONE huge computer (server) its a bunch of computers connected to one computer (that you login at)
From inspection, rune scape is a small game that has a small save file which is easily moveable, they might be able to do that if blizzard was a crappy small game that was so pathetic you dont need a client.
Another thing, the question of why dont they just move the save file each time you log in is 1. they charge $25 bucks for that 2. how much lag would be created just transfering megabytes of data.
Tolento Apr 27th 2007 6:03AM
To #1: We haven't had a wait to get into Proudmoore in a long time. It's much more stable than it was back in the days when they were offering those free transfers. Thanks to people like you who took the free cruise to Azuremyst, Proudmoore is in good shape again...err, that probably didn't make you feel any better...sorry.
Eien Apr 27th 2007 6:04AM
well the game itself is kinda meh, my younger bro plays it. But i do like the cross-realm system that is being applied there
Morax Apr 27th 2007 7:19AM
Why are the recommended servers based on total amount of players? It makes more sense when creating a new char you choose Horde/Alliance. At that moment the recommended server should be a server with a above avarage low population of that choosen faction.