New Realm Question

We're keeping a close eye on realm populations, both now and of course after the release of Cataclysm. While we can't rule out the possibility of new realms, we're also wanting to ensure that existing realms have the same healthy and active populations as most of our realms already do.

If you're looking for something like a new realm now, check out Magtheridon. Though it's not strictly a new realm, it was recently converted from PVP to PVE due to its low pre-conversion population and faction balance. It currently has a substantial and growing low level community on both factions, with an atmosphere very much like that of a new realm.

Errr Wryxian.. I love you and all, but it was changed from PvP to PvE.

D'oh! Fixed ;-)

It suffered the fate of Vek'nilash, now all we see is hugging bunnies where there should be death and destruction :/

Ahh, then you never knew the pre-conversion Vek'nilash -- where there was no death and destruction, since the Alliance side was already virtually dead and destroyed.

Oh no no, I've been there since vanilla - many good memories from giving the alliance a firm boot in the tushy which eventually led to all those yellow bellies running away ;-)

But you can still turn their shiny Alliance smiles upside down in battlegrounds and arenas!

But, we digress off-topic ;-)

So is there a chance that there might be a new server at cata release? (Or is there a chance that there might be AFTER release, like weeks or whatever?)

Sorry for being persistent, but it's all so vague :(

Sorry, I thought I made it quite clear. If opening a new realm isn't ruled out, this means yes there is a chance it could happen.

It annoys me that you would even entertain the idea of a new realm at this stage.

All I said was that it was possible. If the need for space on realms was that great that we needed to, we'd probably have to.

However, there's a few realms that need more population first and that's what we're most keen on ensuring takes place first. So, though you may think by stating a new realm is a possibility that it sounds like that's our first and foremost consideration: it is not. What we want first is to populate existing realms that need it the most.

Actually that's not true - at least on Vek'nilash the alliance population went up considerably, now we're (and this is coming out of my hat) around 60/40 or even closer to 50/50 in population but from what I've seen slightly tilted towards more alliance people leveling and Horde people already being on higher levels.

So yeah, you'll find alliance here - even if it's a naughty PVE server.

Yep, after converting to PVE Vek'nilash had a great increase of players on both factions, the most obvious was Alliance since there weren't many of them beforehand.

Generally the conversions have been successful in bringing life to realms that were low populated and poorly faction balanced. Now that Magtheridon's conversion period is over, and especially with Cataclysm upcoming, we're seeing what else can be done next for the remaining realms that need a helping hand.

If the Magtheridon "test" proves to be successful then it may prove a model for other realms, like mine which have very unbalanced populations. If that is what needs to be done then so be it, the people that don't want to play on a PVE server can migrate away somewhere else at no cost and the rest of us can stay and rebuild the realm.

Magtheridon was not a test: it's the third English EU realm that we've converted over this year so far. Though Magtheridon is still only freshly converted and still growing rapidly in population on both factions, the other two realms (Vek'nilash and Mazrigos) are already there. Both have relatively even faction balance now, and are greatly more populated than they were before the conversion.

Burning Steppes, and other realms that also need some help, are definitely on our minds.

We have no plans to open new realms while there exists realms that need greater population. Despite this, as I said, it is a possibility but again, we want more than anything to ensure our existing realms are healthily populated (and people on those realms do too -- it's made clear to us time and time again.)

We do not open new realms because people ask for them, irrespective of how many may ask. We open them when our existing realms cannot take on any more players and when we anticipate an influx of new players. Though we realise a fair group of new players and returning older players may come back to our realms in Cataclysm, they will find their homes on existing realms before we even consider the idea of any new EU English realms.

That's pretty much end of story, and though I'm sorry if this upsets people to hear, we are more concerned about those who play on realms that need a greater population, than those who just want a new realm. We've been telling people on low populated realms that we are wanting to help them out and we want to follow through with that, however we are able to.

If you want a new realm experience, roll on a realm like Magtheridon that's been converted to PVE -- the majority of the population on that realm are low level characters leveling up to endgame. Honestly, it really does feel like a new realm -- there's only a small amount of 80s there at the moment, the rest are leveling up and forming new guilds and behaving seemingly exactly as though the realm was new. By all means, go roll on there and check it out.

If you're wanting a PVP realm instead, roll on the New Player realm -- those realms also have a lot of space to take on lots of new players, and though they don't have that "new realm feel" that converted realms like Magtheridon have, they are as close as you can get to it on the PVP side.

I think people really just want to know what's planned so they don't feel like they've wasted time elsewhere, hence why this topic comes up again & again.

Though we're not going to reveal all our plans and ideas, considering what I've said in the thread already, it won't be surprising to hear that we will continue to recommend low population realms for new players until their population is healthy enough.

It's not quite the same rolling on a realm like Magtheridon, for those looking for a fresh start with the new expansion. it is a good option to consider though :)

Apart from the realm's name being new, what is different between an empty realm that lots of people are rolling new characters on and an empty realm that lots of people are rolling characters on?

I'm doubting there's really much need for more blue text added to this topic; it would seem I've been pretty clear.