This is where I get confused. I thought once you picked a server, that's the server you were stuck with. How do you go about changing servers?

For the most part, you are bound to the server you choose when you make a toon. There are ways around this.

You can make multiple toons on multiple servers, be they PvP, PvE or RP. Sometimes when a server population gets too high and/or new servers are added, Blizzard will allow transfers. Sometimes free. Sometimes not. Sometimes, Blizzard opens a paid transfer window where you can pay a fee to have so many toons transfered to another server.

I've also heard rumors that if one asks really really nicely and has a really really good reason, Blizzard can be persuaded to transfer toons for free.

The fee used to be $25 per toon. I'm not sure what it is now.

You can also make horde and alliance toons on the same server. However, you cannot mail or buy and sell items between your toons of different factions be they on on the same server or not. You CAN mail between your toons of the same faction on the same server.

So how many toons are you limited to?

More than you can ever hope to play. Nine per server. If you had 5 Horde, you could have 4 Alliance. Or you could have all 9 be the same faction. Or 6 of one 3 of the other. Or 8 and 1. Or whatever. I don't know if there is a limit to how many servers (aka Realms) one account can use but, I have toons on 3 servers; 2 PvE and 1 PvP. I could have 27 toons right there.

There is no way a person is going to keep 27 toons played. I have 11. Not counting 2 bank toons, that's 9. Out of 9, I play 2. The other 7 are no higher than level 40, mostly 20 something. Some of them I have had over 2 1/2 years. WoW is too involved and time consuming to max out every toon combination on each of the 3 server types. I wouldn't be surprised if someone has done it but, they didn't do much else with themselves for quite a while if they did. And they sure don't play all those toons regularly.

Bank toons are toons created to make use of their inventory storage slots. They are usually kept in a major town to run between the mail box, auction house and bank. We use them to hold items we may want later but don't have room for on our main toon. They also serve as salesmen. We use them to post items to auction rather than always bringing our main to a town with an auction house. The term bank toon is a player created term and concept. As far as Blizzard is concerned, a bank toon is a toon just like any other toon.

having kicked my 'habit' of playing Everquest a year or so ago.. I say.. careful.. lol... my son and I play the PC version of Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and soon, Oblivion. Similar game without other people (and so, chat).

The best part for me was that I have rl friends who live all over the US who got me into EQ and so when we played it was soo much fun.. way better than just a phone call. Eventually it was the 'virtual to real life' drama that freaked me out to the point of not playing anymore.. that and the amount of time I would play... habit-forming it is...

I have never played Runescape, but I know the graphics are inferior to WoW.

Yeah I agree with you there. However; RS just did a major upgrade to their system, and the graphics although are still not as great as Wow I believe are great.

I also play on a MMO sometimes, but it is full of kids or at least teens, so it can get irritating at times. If you enjoy an online game for what it is, then you have to learn to live with the irritations, and perhaps hopefully make friends with more intelligent people on there.