PvP or PvE server Advice

I've been struggling to decide which type of server I should focus on considering my goals

Goals:
Kill all city leaders on both factions

I think you answered your own question :wink:

Seriously though, leveling on a PvP server isn't too bad if you are leveling at the same time as most others, because largely people are too focused and too similar level to go out of their way to actively gank. People are just trying to rush to 60 so they can gear up and gank better :lol: I think just go PvP server if you are worried that PvE might be too restrictive for long term. I am torn with the same decision as you, although I am not as interested in killing city leaders. I wouldn't mind the slightly more relaxed option of PvE server, but I worry about the long term drawbacks.

True, with me kinda answering my own question, but aren't we only allowed to make one faction type on a PvP server?

I've been struggling to decide which type of server I should focus on considering my goals

Goals:
Kill all city leaders on both factions

I think you answered your own question :wink:

Seriously though, leveling on a PvP server isn't too bad if you are leveling at the same time as most others, because largely people are too focused and too similar level to go out of their way to actively gank. People are just trying to rush to 60 so they can gear up and gank better :lol: I think just go PvP server if you are worried that PvE might be too restrictive for long term. I am torn with the same decision as you, although I am not as interested in killing city leaders. I wouldn't mind the slightly more relaxed option of PvE server, but I worry about the long term drawbacks.

Goals:
Kill all city leaders on both factions
Raid Onyxia and get my T2 helm
Have fun in Battlegrounds
Join community shenanigans taking place in the world I can't normally do on BFA.

You'll be rolling on a PvP server. The difficulty of leveling on a PvP server is completely dependent on population and faction balance. Each and every one of us have had a different experience depending on those variables. I can say that leveling on a private server with 12k people online at a ~50/50 faction balance was a fucking bloodbath. Almost unplayable. Retail vanilla had around 3500-4500 people on high pop servers. Classic will have layers of 3k players. There is no doubt that Classic will be the easiest PvP leveling experience there has ever been, and even the harder variations of the game (Blizz like private and retail vanilla) that were more populated, werent that bad. The worst part of leveling on a PvP server is the potential to be camped for an extended period of time. Based on your schedule, this shouldn't be too much of an issue because you only plan on playing for short periods of time. Additionally, layering has potential for avoidance through layer hopping.

Don't be concerned about the difficulty. Based on your goals, play PvP! I will add that the world on a PvP server feels more alive. You mentioned that you're concerned people wont be flagged etc on a PvE server and you're right. Flagging just doesnt make sense for the most part. You are signing up for PvP while allowing your opponent to get the first hit.

Thank you Stfupperrcut and Selexin,

I didn't know about the 3k population limit with layering. That makes it seem a little less crazy and I can always layer hop if camping becomes insane or work on an alt. Thinking about it I think players will be more likely to party up to deter ganking and increase their survival chances thus building a tighter community.

Goals:
Kill all city leaders on both factions
Raid Onyxia and get my T2 helm
Have fun in Battlegrounds
Join community shenanigans taking place in the world I can't normally do on BFA.

You'll be rolling on a PvP server. The difficulty of leveling on a PvP server is completely dependent on population and faction balance. Each and every one of us have had a different experience depending on those variables. I can say that leveling on a private server with 12k people online at a ~50/50 faction balance was a fucking bloodbath. Almost unplayable. Retail vanilla had around 3500-4500 people on high pop servers. Classic will have layers of 3k players. There is no doubt that Classic will be the easiest PvP leveling experience there has ever been, and even the harder variations of the game (Blizz like private and retail vanilla) that were more populated, werent that bad. The worst part of leveling on a PvP server is the potential to be camped for an extended period of time. Based on your schedule, this shouldn't be too much of an issue because you only plan on playing for short periods of time. Additionally, layering has potential for avoidance through layer hopping.

Don't be concerned about the difficulty. Based on your goals, play PvP! I will add that the world on a PvP server feels more alive. You mentioned that you're concerned people wont be flagged etc on a PvE server and you're right. Flagging just doesnt make sense for the most part. You are signing up for PvP while allowing your opponent to get the first hit.

I didn't know about the 3k population limit with layering. That makes it seem a little less crazy and I can always layer hop if camping becomes insane or work on an alt. Thinking about it I think players will be more likely to party up to deter ganking and increase their survival chances thus building a tighter community.

To be clear, this is a preliminary estimate of layer populations from Blizzard but is not confirmed by Blizzard. Layer hopping is currently working on beta, but we aren't sure if that will make it into the final version of the game.

Either way, unless a massive shift happens before Classic launches, Classic leveling should be a cake walk in phase 1. If you're really concerned about being camped etc, play something with stealth.

True, with me kinda answering my own question, but aren't we only allowed to make one faction type on a PvP server?

That's right, only Horde or only Alliance on any single PvP server. You could always roll the opposite faction on another PvP server.

I was a bit of an altoholic in Vanilla and I did all my leveling on an active PvP server where Horde was fairly outnumbered (maybe 55/45 ally/horde) and the only character I encountered non-stop PvP on while leveling was my warrior, who was just getting into contested zones when the honor system debuted. All of my other alts were smooth sailing.

My first character was a druid, though, so my memory of PvP while leveling with the server might be tainted by the fact that I could run away from everything :lol:

If classic is gonna be anything like back in vanilla (which hopefully it is) I wouldn't worry too much about leveling. I played a lot of alts on a PvP server back in the day and to be honest the PvP aspect just made it more fun. Most of the time it's not a problem, then there's a few zones where the other faction is more prevalent and you have to be more careful, but really that just makes the world feel more alive and dynamic.

One way to counter camping is to level different alts at the same time so you just log on to another alt if one of them becomes unplayable at a certain point because the area you're in is overrun.

I can say that leveling on a private server with 12k people online at a ~50/50 faction balance was a fucking bloodbath.

My experience was actually quite different. I also leveled an alt long after launch, when my main was almost finished gearing for BWL. I don't remember having any trouble. Quite the opposite actually, those few bouts I had with similar leveled alliance were quite fun :)

These were my most obvious rules for alt leveling (I can only speak for Horde):

This thread made me go PvP after all. I really want a easy leveling experience but I also want to do/be part of cool PvP stuff later in the game/at max level.

I am in no rush to 60, and I guess the ganking back in the day wasn't too bad, so I should just go PvP and struggle a bit but have a better time eventually at level cap.

Will also be going PvP, while lvling on private servers I've had only a few problems with gankers, and could easily avoid them by just moving to different areas to quest / grind instead…

The worst ganking / griefing i've had was a same faction mage polymorphing all my mobs when they got low..... :mad: :mad:
If you do that to warriors you deserve die be corpse camped daily

I can say that leveling on a private server with 12k people online at a ~50/50 faction balance was a fucking bloodbath.

My experience was actually quite different. I also leveled an alt long after launch, when my main was almost finished gearing for BWL. I don't remember having any trouble. Quite the opposite actually, those few bouts I had with similar leveled alliance were quite fun :)

Bahahaha! Yes, I can imagine our experiences were very different based on all your self-imposed rules! You were like a bubble boy! Hahaha, but I love it.

I can say that leveling on a private server with 12k people online at a ~50/50 faction balance was a fucking bloodbath.

My experience was actually quite different. I also leveled an alt long after launch, when my main was almost finished gearing for BWL. I don't remember having any trouble. Quite the opposite actually, those few bouts I had with similar leveled alliance were quite fun :)

Bahahaha! Yes, I can imagine our experiences were very different based on all your self-imposed rules! You were like a bubble boy! Hahaha, but I love it.

You'd be surprised how much more bubbly you can get. A friend just went from grinding spot to grinding spot, avoiding questing in contested zones altogether, which is of course really shit XP/h since the efficient grinding spots are also quite well known :)