So, uh...about that "Cross-Realm Zones" thing...

[Vephriel]

Mmm. Interesting viewpoints on it. While I was just in the "suck it up and get your camp on before it becomes a problem" mindset, I didn't stop to think that maybe it'll just be old world zones or only apply to zones that don't have major rare spawns or world bosses or something (Sha of Anger, Aeonaxx, TLPD...). I just figured that they would do it to all of the zones, even the new ones just to make sure that there aren't 1000 pandas in the starting area and 2000 level 85s in the starting areas, but instead phase them out so people can quest easier. :/ And then it's just up to luck who you get randomly set up with. It could be 50 hunters in one zone or you could be the only hunter hunting a rare. Or maybe you'll be in Storm Peaks with a ton of toons who aren't 80 yet and you're the only camper or vice-versa.

If they don't phase out the starting quest areas, while I'll be relieved that I won't be competing with "other realm" people, I'll probably be twitching as I push through the gauntlet of too many players trying to level at once.

Actually another perk of this feature is that they can use it to do the reverse as well - they mentioned if an area is too crowded they can spread out the population over different realms.

[Teigan]

Not so sure I like the idea of everything being as mashed together, anonymous and multi-server-therefore-can't-make-friends-with-people, as a dungeon PUG. It seems like it kinda ruins the "this is our server, low or high pop, good or bad" feeling.

[Shadow]

Exactly. xD It's good and bad.

And... with the WoW community... I don't even know. It'll encourage griefing, but... hey, at least our rare hunter pets can only be found by hunters? .-. Whoo. I'm worried that it will encourage bad behavior, just like LFG did.

At least they're introducing battle tags at the same time, so I'm not all that worried about the random friendships being missed out on... not that I have been for a long while. 3/4 of my bnet friend's list is off of my server xD Or it feels that way, at least.

[Maizou]

It's something they can change.

It's to populate areas.

If there's no one else in an area, it feels like there's no life in the area. More people means more chances to get help for things like Ring of Blood.

If there's a "right" amount of people in a zone, the game will change it so you don't cross-realm. (I had it zone out into just us mid-game before, then about an hour later, it zoned right back in after a bunch of people left) If there's "not enough" in a zone, it will merge you with other realms that don't have enough. If there's "too many" it will merge part of the people on your server into a zone shared with a realm that doesn't have enough.

Methinks Pandaria is not going to be cross-realm, no matter how low population, except maybe on the low-population realms like Onyxia, which only have a few hundred active players.

[Kurasu]

If the zones match those on PTR, then 'lower level' includes Northrend zones (both Sholazar and Storm Peaks were cross realm when I was checking things out). I don't know about Cataclysm locations yet, or MoP.

I was chatting with a French player from a different realm who was after Loque.

[Teigan]

I like being the only one in a zone. I like being able to "get away." One thing I like about my server being mid to low to is that I can. I have a toon on Area 52, which is crazy populated and heavily Horde, because that's where my gf's raiding guild is. I like the toon, but it stresses me out. Its so populated that I have a hard time dealing with it. Even places where I'm accustomed to being alone, there's people. I think I'm in the minority there. I'm sure most of you like have other players around most of the time. And I admit its nice sometimes. But I'm a bit of a hermit at heart.

[Novikova]

That's my thing, though. I like not having to compete for quest mobs or having someone run over and yoink a node because they waited for me to aggro the mob or things like that. I'm sort of in the same boat as Teigan. I don't mind other folks being there, but it doesn't add much to the atmosphere when Derpington the DK is spamming in gen chat about his fat doobie or BOY HIGH SCHOOL HIJINXLOLOLOL.

Don't get me wrong - I love making new and random friends, but I also like my space. It's peaceful not to have to dash frantically from mob to mob because there's a bagillion people or someone's kindergarten class clearly failed him and he can't share.

[Gimlion]

From what I understand, quest mobs and items are going to spawn at a rate that is determined by population. At least, that's what the initial idea was with this new feature. It's been a while since the first mention of it though, so I'm not sure if they changed they're minds or not.

[Ziarre]

From what I understand, quest mobs and items are going to spawn at a rate that is determined by population. At least, that's what the initial idea was with this new feature. It's been a while since the first mention of it though, so I'm not sure if they changed they're minds or not.

That's how it's been for years, in regards to quest mobs/items. I think one of the early incarnations of this was Isle of Quel'Danas.

"Q: I really don't see any reason to group with others when everything is so easy to do at the lower levels. All these other people will be doing is killing my mobs and taking my resources.
The game is specifically designed with variable respawns, and huge influxes of players on launches. Having very few people in a zone is actually not what the game is supposed to be."

[Myrrmi]

Any idea about how many people they think should be in a zone?

/still camping for TLPD...