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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsNo PvE servers are under populated
by Adam Holisky 
Jan 9th 2009 at 11:15AM
We've been paying pretty close attention the server issues lately. From the missing mail a few months ago, to instability in instances, to the creation of a new U.S. PvE server.Zarhym has come out and said there are no PvE realms under populated, and that's the reason why Blizzard has introduced a new PvE realm, and not a new PvP realm. He goes on to point out that while some PvE realms are not having queues, they are only a few hundred people away from having to suffer through them every evening.
And while there are PvP realms that have queues, there are "several PvP realms that are a little too under populated."
So what does this mean?
First, it is a very clear indicator that people prefer to level their characters and immerse themselves in the game in a PvE style.
Second, it means that the game is going strong enough still to warrant new server openings; unlike Age of Conan which just combined servers. While the PR on combining servers is terrible for a company, the actual effect of isn't usually too bad. If it weren't for all the bad press combining servers would get for Blizzard, I have to wonder if they'd combine a few low population PvP servers.
Finally, I think this helps illustrate a significant reason why PvE to PvP transfers were finally opened up a few months ago. PvP servers need more population, and PvE servers seem to be what the majority of people want. If you think about it, a good way to get people to go to PvP servers is to open up transfers, thereby increasing the PvP servers populations overall and alleviating the stress on the PvE servers. Now since Blizzard is still having to opening up new PvE servers, one has to wonder if the PvP server transfer option is a success in this regards. My personal opinion is that is has been, due to providing more options for the playerbase, but I'm sure others might disagree.
Nonetheless, it's quite interesting to know that the PvE realms reign supreme in the Blizzard universe.
Filed under: Realm News, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 7)
percinho Jan 9th 2009 2:21PM
Thanks for that Brian. With that it would seem to indicate that there are more active players on PvE than PvP, assuming that there is no difference between desired population levels on PvP and PvE servers.
Not sure I'd go so far as to state it quite so certainly and emphatically as Adam, but hey, it's a blog and what's that for if not to express an opinion.
Cheers.
Morcego Jan 9th 2009 11:53AM
PvE being the default option is definitively a factor. However, there is more to that. Most people do prefer PvE servers, mostly because they are more friendly to casual players and, it seems, most players are casual.
I play on a PvE server for the simple reason that my mood decides my gaming. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to PvP. Sometimes I am. Sometimes I will avoid even BGs, and sometimes I will run around flagged. The PvE server gives me the option, without having to roll a second character on a different server to choose how I want to play that day.
One could argue that you will only have the "real Warcraft experience" on a RP-PVP server. But that is just not my thing.
Coco Jan 9th 2009 11:55AM
I could never do the Hodir frost chip quest on a PVE server. Not being able to kill the gnome that just stole your frost chip is fail.
ivan256 Jan 9th 2009 4:56PM
What's the difference? You're Horde, right? You can't kill the Tauren Druid that stole your chip on a PvP server...
And it seems to me like it's always a f-ing Tauren Druid ninjaing nodes and whatnot while you're still dismounting.
Dillon Jan 9th 2009 11:55AM
It's because the pvp server is a cool idea in theory, but utterly broken and retarded at all but the uppermost levels.
ALL Blizzard would have to do would be apply some of Warhammer Online's mechanics to the higher levels to make it an enjoyable experience throughout, but instead they've left it as is, and will continue to see stagnation.
Why should level 80's be able to sit in honor hold or thrallmar and kill everything without any way of being stopped other than more 80's going all the way to some remote location? That's just retarded. Turn anyone trying to attack someone >10 levels under them into a chicken. Give the pvp server ruleset at least some kind of point.
I've played on one for two years now and can count on one hand the number of times where it was fun because of it. The remainder of time it was just who can bring more people, or higher levels griefing.
The wildly unbalanced pvp right now is only exacerbating the issue. Even at 80 now, there are classes that simply don't stand a chance against most - whereas before 3.0.2, most people at max level could at least live longer than 2-3 gcds.
We lost 3 solid players in the last 4 weeks over how bad it's gotten - it sucks.
Narai Jan 9th 2009 11:57AM
This doesn't help servers with bad faction ratios. I play Horde on Elune, where we're outnumbered by 4 to 1 at the least. Maybe they should allow for faction-specific transfers to even things out?
Amaxe Jan 9th 2009 12:02PM
As I recall from the other article, some of the transfers were faction specific only.
Yoggie Jan 9th 2009 12:00PM
I play on Dragonmaw and the queues seem unexplainable. I have been on Dragonmaw now a few years so queues are no big deal to me but the SPIKE seems strange. It started on a week day for no reason. Went to a very small queue (50-200) all the way to over 1000.
BTW what constitutes a big or small queue?
Evi Jan 9th 2009 1:18PM
"BTW what constitutes a big or small queue?"
It depends on your server. The queue on my server has been pushing 1,000 during primetime evening hours this week. The last time I saw the queue anywhere near that high was right after the original game launched, when it was doubly bad. I hope to never see a 2,000+ queue again.
Amaxe Jan 9th 2009 1:48PM
On mine, I've never seen over 300. Waiting 15 minutes to get on in the evening is annoying, but I know it is not as bad as the multi-hour wait some have.
Dave Jan 9th 2009 11:58AM
I started on a PVE, rerolled on a PVP and finally transferred back to a PVE a couple weeks ago and I have to say I find it a totally superior experience in almost every way. (1yr no raiding PVE, 2 years PVP with raiding, now back to PVE)
If you're not on the ganking side, that's not a very appealing thing on a PVP server. unfortunately, that's the only thing that a PVP server offers.
I've found the raiders to be more competent in general, less likely to show up to a raid wearing 3 pieces of PVP gear and more people looking to do heroics and PUG raids at all times of the day.
Trade chat is just as useless and general chat almost as much, but there seems to be much more emphasis on the raid game and a lot less emphasis on the Arena which suits me perfectly. (and maybe the fact that I was on two BG9 servers before helped a little in the skew...).
I'll never play on a PVP server again. I've got better things to do with my time than gank lowbies or run around in a 3-man pack killing everyone solo questing/farming that I can find or grief people outside an instance, etc etc. People that find that fun, I've got no desire to play with anymore. Been there, done that, leveled 5 characters that way and it's just not fun anymore. It doesn't add excitement or danger to the game, it really just adds an annoyance factor that someone would really spend their time trying to kill you for absolutely no reward, and no real penalty for the other side except a minor loss of time. boring!
elprogramer Jan 9th 2009 12:01PM
What was the realm that was begging to be shut down because there were only 200 or so players?
Did they offer free transfers there or no?
Kage Jan 9th 2009 12:02PM
Anyone have any concerns that the queue times and population issues are going to get worse once they open the ability for Death Knights to be made on any realm once you have a level 55 character?
Maybe it won't be an issue, because the new has kind of wore off of that class since release, at least for me.
Any thoughts?
Amaxe Jan 9th 2009 12:05PM
I just use the DK to explore the other faction for now. Once it opens up, I may go back to a same faction DK on my main server and make my opposite faction on another server so if they fix DK tanking I can add a tank to our guild.
But whenever I have rolled on another server in the past, I always look for low population
y2fatboy Jan 9th 2009 12:02PM
People play on PvP servers for the extra fun/suspense/(other) of fighting other players in addition to the normal AI mobs, so as such they would desire servers that had a 'healthy' population so that they can actually encounter and fight those other players. I've tried leveling on a Low PvP server (Maiev-US) and one with a higher population (Emerald Dream-US) and it was much more fun on the higher population server than the lower (the lower seemed near identical to leveling on a PvE server).
Also, a few people I know who moved from PvE to PvP moved to the higher population servers rather than the lower ones, so that they could participate in more world PvP than on lower population servers.
Thomas Jan 9th 2009 12:54PM
oh Lord... Maiev. I played on that server for a while. It was probably the worst expirence I've ever had in this game. Just plain painful. No one to group with, AH disgustingly overpriced. Awful.
Killer Jan 9th 2009 12:05PM
I dunno if by opening transfers from pve to pvp it will really affect the pops on pvp servers.
I started my WoW career on a PVP server because my friends' were there. I leveled 1 toon to 60 and about 2 months after tbc came out I had that 60 to 70.
That's where the fun begins you see. Keep in mind the fact that you always have to be mindful of your location and surroundings on PVP. Everywhere I went, Horde were camping meeting stones and graveyards. It really came down to the fact that I wanted to raid and PVP servers are not friendly to PVE players. PVE players have PVE specs which turns us into cannon fodder for PVP specs.
I left PVP shortly after hitting 70 and haven't missed it at all in the last year or so.
I do have toons still on PVP and I keep them there for that reason. Though, I admit, they don't get played very often.
Dillon Jan 9th 2009 12:14PM
Really wish this would happen. Any of it.
So freaking simple too.
Liel Jan 9th 2009 12:16PM
I started on a pvp server when 60 was the max cap and before Battle Grounds were in the game. I used to work second shift and it was awesome playing during the day, there was no really ganking at all I used to /wave to horde they do the same so it was sort of "I leave you alone you leave me alone lets quest".
Then come 4:00pm and bam all the 60 rogues would come out.....
Lyraat Jan 9th 2009 12:17PM
The random ganking and other typical douchebaggery associated with PvP servers is why I don't play on them. I like doing dailies in peace.
However, I think it's a good idea for Blizzard to allow PvE-to-PvP realm transfers. Our server, Aman'Thul (PvE), had such a transfer a month before Wrath. Huge difference in population. We had had several PvE-to-PvE transfers that did nothing to reduce the population.
The argument that PvP servers are more realistic is flawed. Sure, we're at war with each other, but that doesn't mean we can't work together. Druids have found ways of ignoring race/faction; Cenarion Circle and Cenarion Expedition, anyone? Nor does it mean we have to kill every horde/alliance we see. The Scourge and Burning Legion are much larger threats than the other side. Let's deal with them first before turning on each other.