Which type of server come launch

[Bolty]

When we see the server names, we can pick one of each kind of servers and designate those as "Lurker" servers so that those Lurkers who want to try a certain type of server can find each other.

That's probably the best bet. Pick the Alliance PvP, Horde PvP, PvE, and RP servers to use. But I still think it's wise to at least match our PvE and Horde PvP choice with the Basin crowd's. My 2 cents.

For my part, I'm definitely going to play on a PvP server, because I've found that the level of play and the commraderie among strangers is much higher there.  The thing I haven't decided on is whether I'm playing Horde or Alliance.  I would like to play Horde, because I think the level of play and the commraderie is even higher there (newer players tend to play Alliance) and because I haven't played Horde for a while and want to see what their quests are like.  The trouble is, I really like how the racial abilities and special race-only spells fit with a night elf hunter and a dwarf priest.  I'll have to look over the horde abilities and race-only spells (for priests) and see if there's a combination there I like.

You Lurkers new to the game would do well to heed Mongo's words. He and lemekim have played this game more than any other Lurkers by far, on both PvE and PvP servers. He's quite correct regarding the PvP server - there is more of a "faction alliance" there where people will join with you based on your common hatred of players on the other faction, and simple questing can be more interesting. It's not like you're in danger all the time - only if you tend to do outdoor quests in contested zones a lot.

Also, it's true that newbie players tend to pick Alliance, mostly because the average casual gamer will pick Human. It's "familiar" to them. The Horde is definitely the "underdog" in the faction war, generally doomed to have fewer players, along with fewer quests and zones to play in. This generates an ever tighter "us vs them" mentality than on the Alliance side.

I'd find it hard to go back to the PvE server now, just because some parts of the game would be much more boring. That level 20 Warlock quest to get your Succubus becomes a real thrill when it involves you:

A) getting through Dustwallow Marsh, a level 35-ish contested zone and
B) running to the heart of The Barrens, a Horde territory, where you're dead meat if you get seen.

Still, the caveat is that there are a number of critical gameplay functions that need to be put into PvP and haven't. Neutral town guards don't really work to stop the massacres, and there is no anti-griefing system. If you choose to play on PvP, you're going on faith that these problems will get fixed at some point. Part of the reason I've been saying this game isn't ready yet.

But then again, when you play a character for a year or more, you have to think long term. And on the PvE server, what are you going to do with your char once you've seen all the content? Over on the PvP server, wars break out with huge armies of players attacking major towns. On the PvE server, those do happen, yes, but nobody cares to fight back because it doesn't impact them. I mean, why bother?

-Bolty