Dev response to Server Merge please.

[InpendingDeath]

Over the past month I've noticed the game being less populated, /sea all during NA prime time on week days are 400-500 people and /sea all during JP prime time is 700-900 people. Now we KNOW these are not all active, most are asleep or at work just on game to bazaar items. Most are peoples second even third accounts. Realistically speaking we can assume 200-250 are active people. Or 350-450 during JP times and I'm pretty sure that's being generous.


This is a MMORPG right?


I know a lot of people are ok without the server merge because they prefer less people to compete with over certain NMs, and some people do everything as a linkshell so they could care less. But what about the people who rely on making their own shout groups and joining the public runs? No reason for a MMORPG to be dead during prime times and SE not say anything about it. Will it be this way until more and more people quit playing until you can't do anything without shouting for 5-6 hours?

Feel free to make a similar topic instead of posting in this one, maybe if 20-30 people do we'll get a response.

[Zarchery]

What good would that do? A response I mean. 2 weeks later nobody's gonna know it's there and start asking again.

[Tidis]

I agree, would be nice for more stuff to be going on, surely any excuse to cut costs by reducing the amount of active servers can't be too bad either?

[InpendingDeath]

What good would that do? A response I mean. 2 weeks later nobody's gonna know it's there and start asking again.

Sorry I've just joined this community a few days ago. I've tried using the search function to find "Server Merge" topics but did not see any with official responses. If you could link them I'd love to see there reasons for not doing this if there have said no. If they have said they will maybe a new dev response to get a timeframe on when this will happen.

[InpendingDeath]

I agree, would be nice for more stuff to be going on, surely any excuse to cut costs by reducing the amount of active servers can't be too bad either?

After reading other topics about peoples payment errors and not being able to pay I think SE just decided they have too much money and would rather lose money so cutting costs doesn't seem like a good argument with them, tho I do agree with you.

[Stompa]

Even with low server numbers, I see a lot of people soloing with trusts and doing the RoE "timed events" like "vanquish lizards" etc. I see people soloing these EP lizards with trusts, and competing with other solo people also with trusts and also chasing after the same handful of EP lizards, lol. They could team up and still finish the vanquish timed event, but they solo because they probably think it saves time and means they don't have to send tells or w/e. I wonder how this already cramped situation would be if there was a merge and suddenly the number of people competing for those raptors etc. was quadrupled lol. Yes you can fight tougher mobs in seekers and still clear the timed "vanquish" pages, but people want to save time by killing EP, or they want beastmens seals or kindreds seals instead of KC/HKC/SKC. And because it is timed, that means you do tend to get a lot of people heading to the same areas at the same time, to kill the same mobs. It isn't a huge problem by any means, but I wonder how it would work on servers with 3x the people.

In short, the trust system and the timed vanquish events seem like a system designed for lower server numbers, and so I doubt that SE would add these systems if they planned to merged servers. I don't really have a horse in this race, I don't mind if they merge or not, I'm just wondering if players would adapt to maybe not using their trusts, and actually partying up with other players in RoE runs etc.

[InpendingDeath]

Even with low server numbers, I see a lot of people soloing with trusts and doing the RoE "timed events" like "vanquish lizards" etc. I see people soloing these EP lizards with trusts, and competing with other solo people also with trusts and also chasing after the same handful of EP lizards, lol. They could team up and still finish the vanquish timed event, but they solo because they probably think it saves time and means they don't have to send tells or w/e. I wonder how this already cramped situation would be if there was a merge and suddenly the number of people competing for those raptors etc. was quadrupled lol. Yes you can fight tougher mobs in seekers and still clear the timed "vanquish" pages, but people want to save time by killing EP, or they want beastmens seals or kindreds seals instead of KC/HKC/SKC. And because it is timed, that means you do tend to get a lot of people heading to the same areas at the same time, to kill the same mobs. It isn't a huge problem by any means, but I wonder how it would work on servers with 3x the people.

In short, the trust system and the timed vanquish events seem like a system designed for lower server numbers, and so I doubt that SE would add these systems if they planned to merged servers. I don't really have a horse in this race, I don't mind if they merge or not, I'm just wondering if players would adapt to maybe not using their trusts, and actually partying up with other players in RoE runs etc.

Just today I was leveling monk in qufim and there was another player of the same level there, we were both fighting over monsters around the pond for an hour. I did ask him if he wanted to Team Up? but I got no reply, maybe it was a language barrier or something but I do know what you mean. Some people like to solo and that's fine, there is a ton of zones in the game to do said objectives so I don't think it'd be a real problem and if it was I'm sure people would figure out doing in a group would be better for not only themselves but everyone at the location. And hey maybe with twice as many shouts half the people would be doing something rather than soloing, although I suppose that's wishful thinking.

On the flip side this has the potential to do great things, what if level sync wasn't useless anymore for strangers, think about seeing shouts "In 30 mins xx objective begins why not level sync with me @ xx location". Now I know that IS wishful thinking seeing as most people have every job level 99 but for those who might not have access to abyssea, who don't want to solo or fight over the common camps, for those who like helping others while still benefiting themselves (since there are people who still enjoy leveling the old way but your never going to see a level sync party now days among strangers via seeking party or shouting) and for those who might just like playing the game. This could also help people farm CQ/IS points. I only see server merge doing good things for this.

[Stompa]

I was on Remora 2004~2010 until the server was merged with Leviathan. Admittedly server numbers were higher then, the game was different etc. But even so the server merge made no difference to me as a player really, I still did my fishing and Pup stuff on the new server and it didn't really affect me. Obviously we all felt sad to see Remora die, and have nostalgia for it etc. but that is all it is - just nostalgia. In practical terms that server merge didn't spoil the game for me or anyone I know.

Also I've been stuck on the final Seekers battle for a while, none of my friends or fellow LS members do Seekers missions, and it seems that people who wanted that win did it in the week after update (when I was snowed under with work!!!) and are too busy to join shout for it now. So server merge would help with things like that, more people doing missions or having the mission-clear KI so they can enter the fight again, makes mission fights easier to group up in.

I don't mind at all if they merge servers, tbh I'm happy with w/e they do that keeps the game online and retaining its basic FFXI essence as much as possible. I have a lot of admiration for SE for many of the positive changes they have made to the game in the past year or so, and for soldiering on to keep the game fun after all this time. If they want to merge servers I won't say anything either way, they do what is best for their product and hopefully the customers too.

[Zarchery]

Sorry I've just joined this community a few days ago. I've tried using the search function to find "Server Merge" topics but did not see any with official responses. If you could link them I'd love to see there reasons for not doing this if there have said no. If they have said they will maybe a new dev response to get a timeframe on when this will happen.

Sorry I wasn't accusing you. I was saying that someone would do it.

Devs haven't responded to this topic yet, but there are plenty they have and which people continue to inquire. H-P Bayld being one off the top of my head.

[Deifact]

I would really love a server merge! I recently came back after a year or so and the population is really depressing... The game is still fun, but it feels lonely, I guess I have Trion and Ayame to talk to...

They could make some good things happen by running a welcome back campaign, along with server merge and maybe a permanent 50% off the sub price (let's be honest the sub price is extortionate). I think the QoL changes since coming back are amazing and I think players who left a year or two ago would be pleasantly surprised too but they'll be put off (like me) by the low population and high sub price.