Merging realms and changing rates

We analyzed online of Logon realms and decided to initiate 2 mergers and some rate changes.

Beginning with changing rates:

- 3.3.5a x100-300 realm will be now 3.3.5a x100 with appropriate rates. If you want to save client preferences and your macro you should rename folders in WTF folder after the server will be renamed.

Merging 3.3.5a x10 and 3.3.5a x15-20:

Important to know:

- Total amount of your characters at x10 and x15-20 must be 10 or less, if you have more - you will not be able to log into your account and will have to delete some of your characters in the control panel.
- No data will be deleted, you will have your items, achievements, post, auction, guild and guild warehouse.
- x15-20 players will have to change nicknames, they will also be able to change sex, appearance, race and faction.
- Instances cooldowns will be reset.
- If you want to save client preferences and your macro you should rename folders in WTF folder after the server will be renamed.
- Expected online after merger should be 5.000+ players, we expect some queues at peak time.

Merging 4.3.4 x10-25 and 4.3.4 x100:

Important to know:

- Total amount of your characters at x10-25 and x15-100 must be 10 or less, if you have more - you will not be able to log into your account and will have to delete some of your characters in the control panel.
- No data will be deleted, you will have your items, achievements, post, auction, guild and guild warehouse.
- x10-25 players will have to change nicknames, they will also be able to change sex, appearance, race and faction.
- Instances cooldowns will be reset.
- Realm will have x100 rates.
- If you want to save client preferences and your macro you should rename folders in WTF folder after the server will be renamed.
- Expected online after merger should be 4.000+ players, we expect some queues at peak time.

In both cases database will be cleaned from unused characters and optimized, we plan to:

- Delete all characters up to 49 level (including) that were not active for the last 4 moths.
- Optimize DB of these realms and reconstruct table indexes.

We plan deleting at about 25% of characters. If you have characters, that were inactive for 4 months and you need them, just log in with those characters once and they will not be deleted.

Terms:

- Rate and name change from 3.3.5a x100-300 to 3.3.5a x100 will be done in the morning at 13.10.15 and will last for 5-10 minutes.
- Merging 3.3.5a x10 and 3.3.5a x15-20 into one 3.3.5a x10 realm will be done at 14.10.15 and will last for the whole day.
- Merging 3.3.5a x10-25 and 3.3.5a x100 into one 3.3.5a x100 realm will be done at 15.10.15 and will last for the whole day.

After doing everything all Logon realms will be loaded up to normal delay and gaming process will be more interesting. A bit later, after some time we will analyze online and loading to equalize online of all lich king realms. This will be done with the help of limitations, events, additional services. Now we are working on core optimization, that will allow each server to accept 1 thousand players more, without delay increase.

We also have good news for players, that like playing at low rates, completing different quests, passing low level instances but want to do this at their realm. In the nearest future there will be a service in the control panel (for lich king and cataclysm), that will allow you to choose rates (experience, professions, skills) for your characters. For example, if you play at x100 realm, you will be able to customize your personal rates from x1 to x100 for experience or other basic values for profession-reputation-skills.

Information about every period of work will be published in this thread.