World of Warcraft is being played by millions of people worldwide; imagine a small room full of people doing different things simultaneously. What would you feel about that? Will you ever stay happy if ever you live in a small crowded room? In a world full of people minding their own things and trespassing your privacy?
Just like real world, World of Warcraft divides it into realms, to control the number of people and keep a harmonious relationship between each character playing the game. A world without order or without limitations is a chaotic world. Imagine how would players survive the game or level up if the number of players and monsters is in a ratio of one hundred is to one. I’m not being exaggerated, I’m just comparing facts.
With millions of people playing World of Warcraft, it is simply impossible for everyone to play together in the same place. This is the reason why the different “realms” were created. A realm is a game world that exists only for the few thousands of players within it. Each realm is exactly the same as any other in terms of the game world, but each realm has its own player characters that are tied to that particular realm. You can interact with all the players on your realm but you cannot interact with players on other realms. Characters also cannot normally move between realms.
Realms are defined by name and type. Choosing your realm is the very first decision you will have to make before playing World of Warcraft. In any case, you can speak with, search for, and group only with other players that have created characters of the same faction (Horde or Alliance) and on the same realm as you. Players on opposite factions cannot talk, group, or trade with each other on any realm; their most meaningful interaction will be on the battlefield.
