r/classicwow • u/Dwarni • 1d ago

Classic 20th Anniversary Realms @Blizzard: Please implement zone wide layers

The current server-wide layering system creates a frustrating imbalance across Azeroth. While leveling zones like The Barrens or Desolace are practically deserted (where even 3 layers feel excessive), end-game zones are severely overcrowded.

This overcrowding particularly impacts valuable resource farming:

  • Winterfall Firewater farmers competing in Winterspring
  • Rich Thorium Veins in zones like Un'Goro and Winterspring
  • High-level herbs like Plaguebloom and Black Lotus
  • Valuable mob grinding spots for Essence of Water/Fire/Air

With everyone packed into the same few profitable zones, what should be enjoyable farming sessions turn into frustrating competition. A zone-specific layering system (allowing 10+ layers in high-traffic areas while reducing layers in quieter zones) would help distribute the population more effectively, making the experience more reminiscent of original Vanilla WoW where you'd regularly encounter others during leveling, without the current extreme overcrowding in farming zones.

38 Upvotes

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-6

u/Neugassh 1d ago

They use zone wide layers already.

4

u/Dwarni 1d ago

No they are server wide

-3

u/Neugassh 1d ago

no they are not

2

u/TheOmni 1d ago

They are either server wide or continent wide, they're definitely not zone wide. Are you thinking about retail and sharding? That's not a thing on classic.

1

u/Neugassh 12h ago

No, they implemented zone wide layers for player balance so a zone cant be horde or alliance sided that badly. How well it works is another question.

1

u/TheOmni 12h ago

Where did you see this?

1

u/Neugassh 11h ago

Blizz forum post.

1

u/TheOmni 10h ago

What blizz forum post? I haven't seen them say anything like this and haven't been able to find any reference to this. Everything I see still shows only doing server wide layers.

1

u/Neugassh 10h ago

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/wow-classic-era-pvp-realm-layer-behavior-change/2011945

1

u/TheOmni 9h ago

Ahh, ok, I see. That looks like it's how the game picks which layer you're on by zone, but the layers themselves are still server wide. They're not really clear about that.

2

u/bck83 1d ago

The same number of layers exist no matter where you are in the world. When you move from zone to zone, you stay on the same layer.

In what sense is that zone wide and not server wide?

1

u/Neugassh 12h ago

They implemented the server changes from era/sod. For zone faction balance. "What this means is that if one faction exceeds our balance threshold, any additional players attempting to enter that same zone will instead transfer to another layer." So its about faction balance not really overall player balance.