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Updated as of May 1, 2020: Kaivax, the Community Manager, recently announced that one server will return to a single-layer technique. This is because the server's players have decreased, so it is no longer necessary to have multiple layers. Kaivax...
Updated as of May 1, 2020: Kaivax, the Community Manager, recently announced that one server will return to a single-layer technique. This is because the server's players have decreased, so it is no longer necessary to have multiple layers. Kaivax stated that there might be a small wait during primetime.
He also pointed out that the server's number of players is being closely monitored and that they are constantly trying to determine if other servers can offer the same single-layer experience that they have planned.
The original English version of the message:
Just a few seconds ago, the Earthfury realm had been successfully returned to one layer.
This is due to a recent decline in peak population on the realm, but it may cause occasional, small queues at night on Earthfury.
We will continue toMonitor realm populationsPay attention to opportunities to bring other layers back to the original single-layer experience.
Original newsOn April 16, Content Phase 4 in WoW Classic was released. It not only turned Silithus around but also unlocked Zul'Gurub. This caused a rush on Classic servers and extended wait times. It also led to a restriction on character creation on full servers.
Kaivax, Community Manager, spoke out on Friday night about the reasons behind the reintroduction. There are many other solutions, but they are not being tested or developed enough due to the Corona crisis. It is important to use the tools available to developers.
These are some other options:
According to Kaivax, they first tried to solve the problem through free character transfers. One could also assume that waiting times would be shorter if there were fewer players on each server. The success of this option is not as predictable, as developers would like, so it can't be relied upon alone.
Kaivax says that this option has been implemented and announced. However, it has the disadvantage that it prevents established players from playing with their friends. It would not solve the problem but only delay it. According to internal data, queues are mainly caused due to returning players.
The good news is that WoW servers don't have hardware limitations, so many players can transfer to more populated servers. The bad news is that this is not the case according to internal data. According to Kaivax this could be due in part to the social construct where players are embedded on their existing servers.
Another option is to allow more players on a single server. Kaivax stated that this would be harder to implement than initially thought. It would have a negative effect on technical stability and game design. This is why these restrictions were put in place.
One problem is that message traffic would increase exponentially when many players are gathered in the same place. Kaivax says that this is a fundamental problem of computer science that cannot be solved by "simply more hardware".
This would have a significant impact on server market economy design-wise. Although it is true that Classic servers are now more accessible than 2005, this also means that rare items (like Black Lotus) are less common per capita than they were 15-years ago.
Kaivax, community manager, believes that layering is only temporary to deal with the current rush. Kaivax says that developers believe that as many servers should run with one layer as possible - and they will do all they can to get back to this state as soon possible, even on the expanded servers (see table).
They know that layering technology is a major step and they are not taking it lightly. Based on the data available, the developers are carefully considering how to implement this step. The community will be informed about the next steps in any case.
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