I've posted about this topic on the FoH forums, and someone copied it to the WoW general forums (links to follow), but I still feel there's a perspective and awareness being missed in the discussions so far.

The premise, I feel, is best summed up by Kreugen over at Fires of Heaven,

I don't see how there's any way to counter this line of thought. Arguing that it is easier to level up on a PvE server is null and void when the bulk of the game is loaded at the end of it. Likewise, the argument itself is suspect due the streamlined PvP process. I hope we can all agree it's much improved from the original days. But it is a system that has evolved over the course of 3 years to what it is now, and the mantra in place for preventing PvE to PvP transfers is outdated.

We haven't heard anything back from The Big Blue on why they continue to deny the option, only that they are not considering it. As a player, this is fairly frustrating. As a player stuck on a PvE server when I have levelled up many times on PvP servers, this is maddening. Given the reaction and general buzz surrounding the issue, I really don't think I'm alone here.

Can anyone here honestly see anything bad coming from the change to open PvE to PvP transfers? What do you think the impact on recruiting for your own guild would be -- would your own guild consider transferring to PvP if it is on a PvE server?

Relevant links,
WoW Forums -> PvE to PvP transfers are long overdue.
[WoW] PvE to PvP transfers are long overdue. - Fires of Heaven Guild Message Board

Having levelled and played entirely on a PvP server, I can safely say that the "pvp server leveling is significantly harder" argument is bunk. On a server like Siege Perilous or Darktide or Mordred, yeah, levelling difficulty goes up a couple notches. WoW doesn't have true "hardcore" servers, and there's no good reason not to allow PvE -> PvP transfers other than some whining from stupid people on WoW general, which is going to happen anyway.

Given the choice, I would choose PvE 100% of the time. I do not find random killing of the opposing faction fun at all, and getting randomly killed even less so. That said, I have friends on PvP servers and characters on PvE servers collecting dust. I've leveled to 60 on PvP, and don't think the average time to level is that far off from a PvE server.

IMO Blizzard should remove the PvE -> PvP restriction and collect their $25 per transfer. I really don't see very many people spending the time grinding from 1-70 on a PvE server just to transfer over to a PvP server. If this is a concern, just implement a playtime requirement similar to the gold limit. Level 70 characters cannot be transferred PvE -> PvP with less than 20d playtime, etc.

I find it kinda ironic that this comes from FoH, who managed to get an open PvE->PvP transfer from Hyjal to Black Dragonflight.

Please don't be confused about this point, I was the one who posted the original topic and have no affiliation with anyone inside Fires of Heaven outside of posting to their board. While it appears that topic is somewhat of a stickler to people, it was not the only PvE->PvP transfer ever made, nor should it be the focus of the discussion either. I think many people are more interested in the "why can't we still" rather than the "how come they did" aspect of it.

Why don't they just make all the servers uniformly PvP servers if there is no additional grief associated with playing on a PvP server?

While the leveling 1 to 60 is possible without too much griefing nowadays on a PvP server, it still remains possible to do daily quests, out door rep grinds, mineral farming, and mote farming on a PvE server without ever suffering time loss due to being ganked.

While I do agree that it's unfortunate to have a character stuck on a PvE realm, I do not think that PvP server players and PvE server players are on equal footing as far as the 60+ game goes. PvE server players can do all the out door level 60+ character advancement without any time loss due to PvP combat, whereas this is simply impossible on a PvP server (When my warrior is protection spec'ed doing his dailies, I'm pretty much fodder for anyone who decides to gank. If I could just save up 10,000 gold on a PvE server and then transfer to a PvP server, I think it would be somewhat imbalanced).

Half the player base actively chooses not to participate in world PvP by not being on a PvP server. If there's one thing Blizzard clings to (whether it's true or not), it's that they won't make decisions of this nature _for_ the player.

If you think half the player base is on a PVE server you're delusional.

The people that this stupid rule punishes the most are the ones that have been on PVE servers from the beginning, choosing to roll there because of horrid memories of EQ PVP or the uncertainty that PVP would end up being mostly fair and fun. Don't forget that when the game was launched, PVP death meant a durability hit and was a much more 'serious' thing than today.

I'm not talking half in terms of pure number of players. There are 99 US PvE servers and 101 US PvP servers - hardly a dramatic imbalance in favor of PvP.

Thanks for your meaningful contribution to the discussion, though.

Exactly what does player base mean if you aren't talking about the number of players?

Well put.

To add to this, If they did enable PvE to PvP transfers, I highly doubt that there would be many that would choose to level on PvE, then transfer to PvP at level 70. The few that choose to do so wouldn't be very disruptive in terms of server health I don't think.

Enabling the transfers would make the playerbase happy, and make Blizzard a few more bucks, a true win-win.

God, opening PvE to PvP transfers would enable some of my friends who made absolutely terrible decisions to like, rejoin the rest of us and play their main characters again.

In total agreement with the OP, anyway!