Please close Asura

[Moonja]

Pretty self-explanatory.

Asura does not need any new characters. Nor do we need the people who do constant server transfers to sell things on Asura and further kill the already destroyed economy.

Just close Asura. As a bonus, make anyone that gets banned also have to move servers.

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

Asura is flooded with accounts that utilize gil farming bots. It's by far the issue that needs to be addressed on Asura.

[Alhanelem]

Honestrly I think the game is way better on any other server at this point. It was a mistake to get people to pile on asura.

[Sirmarki]

It is not a nice place to be for genuine players, especially players who played FFXI in the hay day. The community is dead and any kind of challenges have been taken out the game because people creating 'fake parties' by multi-boxing are selling everything and anything (Job points, treasure, EXP, clears, you name it).

Give FFXI the justice it deserves and rid of this culture of toxicity.

[Sirmarki]

First 15mins of logging into the game (GMT time)

https://i.imgur.com/mblrITu.jpg

PATHETIC!

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

Billboard advertising in /yell is being done by accounts using intrusive third party programs to either procure what they're advertising, spam the yell channel or both.

[ninja4life]

So you want to close Asura? If you dont like it then move! Nothing says you have to join the merc shouts. You can filter out the shouts and yells deemed spam in chat filter settings. I left Odin a long while back becasuse i wanted to get things done. There are so many people on asura that if you shout for real parties its really easy to get people to join. Also, there are a lot of peeps who are turned off by the mercs that if you advertise as free people jump to join too. Also, just because you multibox does not mean you are a merc. I tribox and I don't sell crap. I have a cor and bard alt to help me. If i want to spend my money made from crawling around power plants and keeping the planes in the air and the chemical facilities running, which i do, by the way, its my business. I have come across a lot of haters who snub multiboxers, and i laugh at them. You can make 3x as much gil from ambuscade with 3 accounts. But i pay more than you and have to gear 3 characters also. But you can still play the game with one account and be fine. Its soooooo easy to make gil but peeps are sooooooo freaking lazy. Its amazing. Sure there are a lot of mercs but SE is not going to do anything about it because they are understaffed and they are making money off them. Peeps have been crying about it for years but it won't change. Just let it go, move servers, or go play 14!

[Sirmarki]

So you want to close Asura? If you dont like it then move! Nothing says you have to join the merc shouts. You can filter out the shouts and yells deemed spam in chat filter settings.

No you don't have to join mercs, and mercs have always been around (in more of a hush hush way in the old days). Now its merc overkill, and instead of people getting together and doing stuff as they would be doing if mercs didn't exist, then the game would be far more enjoyable. People like the easy option of getting stuff from mercs, because they are there, but it is self-defeating and detrimental to the game.

Filter the screenshot I took. We have one content yell, where somebody is asking for well geared jobs. My blist is full, it caps at 100, I can't add anymore people (despite requesting the cap to be higher numerous times).

Mercing also encourages third party tools. Unless you are sitting surrounded by three PC's/laptops, you are running three instances of the game at once which would not happen in its native form and without the use of third party software.
The same third party software that opens up Pandora's box in terms of cheat tools, as we saw once again quite recently.

[ninja4life]

Well then, mr elite, i guess se should just ban 90% of the player rather than update the game! You are so blind to see your own ignorance. You just accept without question and take whatever crumbs se gives you and feel blessed. I hsve dumped thousands of dollars over the last 11 years and believe we are all being cheated. But whatever, some peeps like crumbs.

[Sirmarki]

Well then, mr elite, i guess se should just ban 90% of the player rather than update the game! You are so blind to see your own ignorance. You just accept without question and take whatever crumbs se gives you and feel blessed. I hsve dumped thousands of dollars over the last 11 years and believe we are all being cheated. But whatever, some peeps like crumbs.

Not really. I quit because certain things weren't being addressed and cheats/bots/JP/EXP sellers became widespread. I just came back after 6 months, and nothing seems to have changed.

As per OP's concerns and mine, the issues with botting and people selling content are people who are multiboxing/cheating. You can't do a lot of the battles that they are selling on your own as single player.

Your issue with the game and lack of updates is a completely different matter, and I do understand some aspects of your frustrations regarding that.

[Stompa]

I am on a smaller server, Leviathan, where I was placed in 2010 when my original server Remora was shut down.

There are actually zero Merc Shouts here, but there are the occasional RMT Gil-selling site link shouts. But it is very quiet, and most shouts are real players shouting for events and runs etc.

I love being on a quiet server. No queues. Easy to find good camps. Some occasional bargain prices for AH and bazaar stuff.

If you are on a quiet server, or you move to one, go to the Linkshell Concierge, and get a LS. Communicate with people on the LS, and make new friends! Team up with your new friends to do events and content clears!

I have all the gear I want, and I got it from either soloing with Trusts, or from teaming up with my friends, or even joining PUGs.

This game is designed to enable you to make friends and to team up with them, and to form bonds of trust with players you respect. Doing these core game things enables you to clear all the content you want to clear.

Sometimes on small servers you need to /yell a bit longer, or to postpone events / runs. It does require some extra patience, when the server is quiet.

More fundamentally, I would rather be naked and unarmed, than pay for gear and weapons. If I can't earn it myself, or with my friends, then I am happy to go without it altogether.

I have lots of nice gear that I farmed on this quiet server. I am happy. I don't need to cheat. If it was a straight choice, I would rather just wear my level one pyjamas and use an onion sword, than cheat to obtain gear.

[Sirmarki]

I have lots of nice gear that I farmed on this quiet server. I am happy. I don't need to cheat. If it was a straight choice, I would rather just wear my level one pyjamas and use an onion sword, than cheat to obtain gear.

It is refreshing to see a player like yourself who plays the game in the way I personally think it should be played. You are old school, and that's how I remember the good old days (maybe I'm just old and suffering a sense of nostalgia?).


Sometimes on small servers you need to /yell a bit longer, or to postpone events / runs. It does require some extra patience, when the server is quiet.

I know, I've been there, seen it, done it, worn the t-shirt. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that.

It is all about balance, balance of getting things done and life balance. If you eliminate mercs/RMT, the yell feed would be full of people asking for/creating content related shouts.
Unfortunately Asura is just 95% selling content. I quit back in September, and came back hoping, yes hoping that things might have changed but they haven't. My subscription has come to abrupt and short ending (10 days).
I see no other options Asura is 95% selling content, and the other servers are ridiculously quiet. I can't win, there is no happy medium as far as I can tell.

[Moonja]

Someone obviously doesn't see the point.

There are more than enough people on Asura, and no, I do not need to move servers. I have been on Asura since I started the game 9000 years ago. If you don't understand how medal duping and other people doing constant server transfers to sell items on Asura is bad for the economy then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Someone that supposedly doesn't merc or sell things shouldn't be so hugely upset about having Asura be closed.

I have no problem not joining merc shouts, I pretty much ignore yell altogether. That doesn't mean I don't want the prices of things I sell to make gil to go back to what they used to be.

There is no reason to keep letting more new accounts be made on Asura. Make new people play on a server where they actually have to play the game. And when RMT/bot accounts get banned, they can't just go make a new account in 6 hours and be right back doing the same thing.

[Isola]

You know how much money they would lose closing server jumps to asura and how many people would straight up quit because it would be impossible to get gear. How do you propose they make up that lost income? They aren't just going to do something that affects their bottom line without raising the sub price (LOL!) or adding a p2w shop.

[Stompa]

I know, I've been there, seen it, done it, worn the t-shirt. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that.

I have been following your posts, and I have read about your decision to quit FFXI rather than endure the Botting / Gilselling / Mercing epidemic on your home server.

As you said in your quote above, you don't have time for navigating these treacherous seas in 2020.

I also work two full time jobs, and have no family support of any kind. All of my free time is spent in Vana'diel. FFXI is my only hobby. I don't play other games, except table-top AD&D with my friends (a few times a year.)

So I do have time to play FFXI, since I don't have other interests.

We are different people, with different personal preferences.

And my own personal opinion is that I am not comparing FFXI 2020 to a Utopian ideal FFXI, or to FFXI in the busy server activity of the early years. I am comparing FFXI 2020 on a quiet server, to not being able to play FFXI at all.

And what I was saying, is that I will never quit FFXI. I am happy to play on a quiet server, and to enjoy the joy and wonder of Vana'diel, rather than quitting the game.

I'm not pretending that FFXI is as busy or fun as it was in 2004. I'm not comparing FFXI 2004 to FFXI 2020. I'm comparing the fun I have in Vana'diel today 2020, with the misery of not being able to spend time in Vana'diel. For me, there is no choice to be made. I will be in Vana'diel for as long as it is possible for me to be there, because Vana'diel is my home.

[Zehira]

The best way to avoid watching more yells from bots in the towns is to have a linkshell (not a social linkshell) that does specific things weekly. The developers are creating more "instanced" battles for the reason. If you ever have found one that fits your personal schedule you will realize that these yells mean nothing to you at all. We are just the different teams with different preferences. Of course, people would cry when other people want to run their own bots in Dynamis D. I mean who would enjoy healing/buffing people for two hours straight twice or more every week? Yes, it was very stressful.

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

Here's my solution: 8 Step process:
1>Declare or create a server designated as a "Traditionalist" server.
2>Bolster that "Traditionalist" server with a dozen champion tier GMs with bolstered data analysis tools for detection of adverse third party program/application use.
3>Require user acceptance of enhanced data analysis prior to access to the "Traditionalist" server.
4>With sufficient evidence any account in violation of FFXI ToS would be relocated off the "Traditionalist" server to a single declared "Anarchy" server.
5>Accounts relocated to the single declared "Anarchy" server would be barred from server transfers.
6>New "Traditionalist" server would allow for complimentary transfer for accounts in good standing from any existing server.
7>To access the new "Traditionalist" server, a one time lifetime purchase for access to this server of suggesting $240.00. This would guarantee lifetime access for one account including 16 unrestricted character slots and lifetime access to both wardrobes 3 and 4, standard, for as long as that account remains a resident of the "Traditionalist" server.
8>Modernize/Upgrade the seacom (/seacom) menu functions described or close to this description if possible;
{ Create communications channels based around the traditional /seacom categories. Can use /c or /w as a designation beginning.
Examples: /cExp /cBattle /cMission /cQuest /cItem /cLinkshell /cSocial /cOther

Upgrade + Enhance + Overhaul the /seacom interface to include instructions about usage, instructions about etiquette, and the ability to search for key words displayed in the /seacom entry of any character that is displaying a /seacom.

Allow a /seacom to be set for each individual category with a blank /seacom being designated as disabled for that category. In this way each player can enable and display a /seacom for Exp ~ Battles ~ Missions & Quests ~ Item ~ Linkshell ~ Looking for Friends ~ Others.

With the enhancement of the /seacom interface for quicker search results; create and allow for content tags to be attached to /seacom.
Example: a /seacom applied to the Exp category could be tagged with a level range bracket selection and desired vana'diel area.
Example: a /seacom applied to the Item category could be tagged with a item type selection, a crafting source selection, a battle content type selection, a level usage selection etc, a auction house inventory category selection.

Detailed Example: Utu grip could be entered with text into the display of a /seacom under the {Item} category and then be tagged with {Omen} {LVL99} {Battlefield} {Grip} {Reisenjima}
Detailed Example: Sublime sushi could be entered with text into the display of a /seacom under the {Item} category and then be tagged with {Cooking} {Food} {Synthesis} {Meals} {Seafood}.
Allow for up to seven tags to be attached to each active /seacom. }

[Alhanelem]

I've found on Shiva, people actually help eachother out sometimes, and there's minimal RMT/merc shouts, but still enough people around to get things done when it comes down to it. If the BS gets too annyoing for you, come on down, we're pretty welcoming. >.>

[Moonja]

Yes, I know SE makes lots of money from people server transferring. Doesn't mean one still can't make another thread they won't read anyways. Something about if you don't ask or something...

[Selindrile]

I personally am of the complete opposite opinion about Asura, I was on the verge of quitting before I came to Asura, it really saved the game for me, I couldn't get any group content done back on Fenrir, (As I'm not much of a multiboxer, no judgment on them, just not the way I like to play the game, I like playing with others.) on Asura there are enough people I can get groups to get things done, the "drama/troll" shouts and congestion in some areas are, to me, a small price to pay for having so many people to do things with.

I love the active mercing community here (by and large, sure, there are some bad apples but generally mercs are just people trying to be efficient like everyone else), sometimes I buy things from mercs, sometimes I merc in return, it's convenient, some fights and activities I like doing so I don't mind getting a group for it multiple times, sometimes I will already have the drop, selling it makes good sense to sell those extra drops rather than to let them go to waste. Sometimes I don't like a fight so it's more convenient to guarantee I can get something and then stop doing it by spending some gil.

I have no issue with anyone preferring smaller servers but I just want to say there are some serious upsides to the largeness of Asura and the mercenary market, IMO.

That said, I do agree congestion is a bit much at times, and there are some unsavory practices that happen on our server (Using bots to corner a market or block out a location from anyone farming it but them.) whether it's done by RMT or not, I'm not a fan of these practices. I don't claim to be knowledgeable enough about the server economy to fully understand the effect the server transferring really has on it, so I'm a bit neutral there.

[Alhanelem]

I personally am of the complete opposite opinion about Asura, I was on the verge of quitting before I came to Asura, it really saved the game for me, I couldn't get any group content done back on Fenrir,You just have to find the right people. Most major linkshells on any given server, i.e. the ones that do stuff, put their pearls on the linkshell concierges. Sometimes unusual things can hook you up with people as well. I used player event support and threw a Ballista party. Initially no one showed up, but i messaged someone on my friends list, and first they came over with a bunch of mules (which was still entertaining lol) and then all of assuden half their LS showed up. Now I have their LS and we do stuff. :p

You couldn't pay me to move to Asura, doing ambu or farming stuff you need is an exercise in frustration at best.

The smaller servers are more close knit and once you get your foot in the door, you'll get stuff done.

[Selindrile]

You just have to find the right people.

That was easiest for me on Asura.


You couldn't pay me to move to Asura

And you couldn't pay me to leave, I left an underpopulated server, and I would never ever return, I get so much more done here, and I love it, the downsides to me, are nothing in comparison to the upsides. But again, this is all subjective, which is my whole point.

[Sirmarki]

I've found on Shiva, people actually help eachother out sometimes, and there's minimal RMT/merc shouts, but still enough people around to get things done when it comes down to it. If the BS gets too annyoing for you, come on down, we're pretty welcoming. >.>

That is not what people who moved from Shiva to Asura have told me. They told me that they moved because they couldn't get anything done whatsoever and had no choice.

[Alhanelem]

That was easiest for me on Asura.Then you clearly gave up too easily.




That is not what people who moved from Shiva to Asura have told me. They told me that they moved because they couldn't get anything done whatsoever and had no choice.
Well, they just didn't look around enough.

My experience is that anyone who says that is expecting passerby to pick them up. My first linkshell I actually joined via linkshell concierge. The second from speaking to others, and the th ird through my story above. The friends and the help are there. People just have to ask for it.

Asura is overpopulated. If people didn't conspire to pile on it a few years ago, everything would be more balanced now. Because Asura is overpopulated, it also has the most botting, the most RMT, and the most mercing. Oh, and the most item duping. >.>

I've never paid gil to get into content or get drops. I've been able to find help every time I really needed it. And I don't even play meta jobs (or meta playstyles). If anything I should be THE person to have the worst experience on a smaller server, but that's not the case.

Server populations need to be balanced. Asura absolutely should be closed and incentives should be offered to balance the population.

[Selindrile]

Then you clearly gave up too easily.

Well, they just didn't look around enough.

So you're claiming to be the arbiter of what is "enough" or "too easy"? I watched Fenrir slowly die for years, my linkshells grow smaller and smaller and die out, I got bored and almost quit myself, I tried plenty, it went from quite the struggle to easy to find tons of people to play and enjoy the game with.

Obviously that threshhold is different for different players, what's "enough" or "too easy" for you, is not the same for everyone, many, Many, MANY people were unhappy on other servers, and are happy on Asura, why in the world do you fathom that your way of "having fun" is objectively any better than anyone else's?



Because Asura is overpopulated, it also has the most botting, the most RMT, and the most mercing. Oh, and the most item duping. >.>


Sure, because it has the most players, if we spread out those players, and all of those players kept playing, the same amount of each of these things would exist, spread out through more servers, why does it matter what server they're on.


I've never paid gil to get into content or get drops. I've been able to find help every time I really needed it. And I don't even play meta jobs (or meta playstyles). If anything I should be THE person to have the worst experience on a smaller server, but that's not the case.

Great anecdote you have there, but the sheer volume of players on Asura proves that your experience is an outlier and not the general experience, I went from feeling very bored and alone to having tons of people to play with and tons to do, obviously if many people had the opposite experience, they'd be moving off Asura, rather than to it.

[Alhanelem]

Sure, because it has the most players, if we spread out those players, and all of those players kept playing, the same amount of each of these things would exist, spread out through more servers, why does it matter what server they're on.I'm not going to pretend that those things won't get worse for others if that happens, but it's better for it to be balanced than all concentrated in one place.

I really don't get it, yes, there weren't as many players as the heyday, but everything was just fine before somebody somewhere started telling everyone to move to Asura.



Great anecdote you have there, but the sheer volume of players on Asura proves that your experience is an outlier and not the general experienceIf it's an outlier its just a result of people thinking more is always better or them not trying to make friends, expecting them to just come to them. I knew how to look for help. I think most people just don't. I imagine most people don't even know about the linkshell concierges for example, or that each one is intended to promote linkshells with different purposes.

Regardless, this promotion of piling on Asura needs to stop. The experience for all players will just continue to get worse. Whether it's long waiting times for content or not being able to fight certain monsters because of RMT botting or getting harder to find friends or auction house supply issues, there are problems on both sides and the best way to solve them is to have balanced populations, not one huge population and a bunch of small ones.

Basically, by leaving the not-asura server you were on before, you made certain problems worse both for people on Asura and for people on the server you left.


----

I came back to the game and found two linkshells with several active players, and in fact all of whom do not merc or buy gil. If I can do it, you can too.

[Selindrile]

but everything was just fine before somebody somewhere started telling everyone to move to Asura.

Basically, by leaving the not-asura server you were on before, you made certain problems worse both for people on Asura and for people on the server you left.

Do you not see your own inconsistency here? Either it's fine to be on a low population server or not.

Anecdotally, things were not "just fine" for me, and many others, and they've gotten much much better for me personally since my move to Asura, and statistically, that holds up, or people would be leaving Asura rather than flocking to it. As to making certain problems "better" or "worse" these are not black and white true or false states, different people have different preference ranges, Asura is far closer in population to servers the way they were in the earlier years in XI, I think that appeals to a lot of people, for some of us, more is usually better, and that expectation of friends coming to me was met, and it is for many others, I've re-met MANY old friends from other servers that splintered off over the years on Asura, it's wonderful. You mention the problems "getting worse" but even Asura doesn't have the population levels we had back in FFXI's height, and I doubt it ever will, if things weren't catastrophic then, they almost assuredly won't be now.

To quote you on the Beastmaster thread: "Players shouldn't be strongarmed into a play style-" which is not unlike what closing off Asura would be doing, you could theoretically incentivize others to leave, but without closing the doors to reenter, I doubt incentives would be very effective, because again, this is what most players seem to prefer.

[Sirmarki]

Then you clearly gave up too easily.

I came from quiet server (I think Sel possibly even came from the same server to Asura).

It wasn't about giving up too easy. I had been on that server (Fenrir) for years. When I left (around 3~4 years ago), there were 300 people approx on at my time, and that is why I left. You could walk around zones and not see ANYONE for miles. Around 10 people I know left Fenrir too and went to Asura (and have been there ever since).



Asura is overpopulated. If people didn't conspire to pile on it a few years ago, everything would be more balanced now. Because Asura is overpopulated, it also has the most botting, the most RMT, and the most mercing. Oh, and the most item duping..

I wouldn't say Asura is overpopulated. It is populated with a fair amount of genuine players, however it has an equal amount of RMT/Bots/Cheats/Extreme Mercs (dare I say it). People multi-box which obviously makes up a bulk of that number too.

It is about balance, servers other than Asura are too small, and Asura has just steam rolled ahead in terms of population explosion. MMO's are meant to have lot of people running around and participating in content, more people = more subs, less people = possibly closure. This is why a lot of people moved to Asura because they like to see a thriving world with actual people movement.

[Alhanelem]

I wouldn't say Asura is overpopulated.Asura has more players on it now than most had nearly 10 years ago.



there were 300 people approx on at my timeThat's more than enough to do things. That's still thousands of users in total over a 24 hour period. As I said, I found linkshells on Shiva without much difficulty. Sometimes I have to plan things out ahead of time, but I can definitely still do them. Enough content is completable with trusts that there are still enough people available to do the things that really do require actual people. And I will take that situation over things like trying to out-pull RMT farm bots and long wait times for ambu vs. getting in essentially instantly.

Even with the lower population, up to this update every single server never failed to kill a domain invasion NM, there are still multiple dynamis-D teams out there, people still have fully augmented RME weapons, etc.

[Zehira]

About 2,000 online players. That's a normal number for one server however Asura has way more English speaking players so. Personally, I'd like to see something that would split up the population into two big servers and that should be about 1,200-1,500 online players on each server. I know we can't do anything about it. Only Square Enix can. I also would like to see if Square Enix could change the names of our servers to like Asura (NA/EU), Shiva (NA/EU), Bahamut (JP) etc etc.. So that the players would know where to go. Currently, 16 servers are too many for this small community.

[Sirmarki]

About 2,000 online players. That's a normal number for one server however Asura has way more English speaking players so. Personally, I'd like to see something that would split up the population into two big servers and that should be about 1,200-1,500 online players on each server. I know we can't do anything about it. Only Square Enix can. I also would like to see if Square Enix could change the names of our servers to like Asura (NA/EU), Shiva (NA/EU), Bahamut (JP) etc etc.. So that the players would know where to go. Currently, 16 servers are too many for this small community.

2000 is the very lowest. I tend to see it float around 2300~3000.

You can't really split up servers. People want to be with the people they know/friends. Ripping them apart from each other would be hugely negative.
Also, 2 servers would be far too little. Excluding Asura - Merging the other servers together would create a good balance I think. Asura is another matter altogether and should be left as is.

[Zehira]

2000 is the very lowest. I tend to see it float around 2300~3000.

You can't really split up servers. People want to be with the people they know/friends. Ripping them apart from each other would be hugely negative.
Also, 2 servers would be far too little. Excluding Asura - Merging the other servers together would create a good balance I think. Asura is another matter altogether and should be left as is.

I agree. Last year, I suggested them to merge their servers and all they said nay they prefer their quiet servers which is why more and more players are moving to Asura.

To the community, my name is not why people are moving to Asura. In Japanese, it could also mean "Please come if you care", "We have discussed right and wrong", and "It can't be helped." :)

[Alhanelem]

I agree. Last year, I suggested them to merge their servers and all they said nay they prefer their quiet servers which is why more and more players are moving to Asura.

To the community, my name is not why people are moving to Asura. In Japanese, it could also mean "Please come if you care", "We have discussed right and wrong", and "It can't be helped." :)
What you do is offer incentives to transfer from higher pop servers to lower pop ones. i.e. free transfer, transfer multiple characters, etc and/or offer additional perks like relaxed limitations on what you can take with you (if any exist in FFXI, in most games you can only bring so much money with you to another server, for example)

[Sirmarki]

What you do is offer incentives to transfer from higher pop servers to lower pop ones. i.e. free transfer, transfer multiple characters, etc and/or offer additional perks like relaxed limitations on what you can take with you (if any exist in FFXI, in most games you can only bring so much money with you to another server, for example)

That is all well and good, but it doesn't fix the crux of the matter - It is still going to be a 'dead' server that you end up on.

My suggestion would be to merge all servers (excluding Asura) 2:1. That I believe is a good balance and meets it in the middle. The 300 people on peak time will now become 600 people on peak times.

Regarding the Ambuscade queues on Asura, they are non-existent now since they changed the system so many months ago.

[Alhanelem]

That is all well and good, but it doesn't fix the crux of the matter - It is still going to be a 'dead' server that you end up on.

My suggestion would be to merge all servers (excluding Asura) 2:1. That I believe is a good balance and meets it in the middle. The 300 people on peak time will now become 600 people on peak times.

Regarding the Ambuscade queues on Asura, they are non-existent now since they changed the system so many months ago.
None of the servers are "dead."

Shiva has a concurrent pop in the hundreds, but you can still buy stuff on the AH, there's still people to play with, you can still get stuff done, and it doesn't have a lot of the problems that plague asura. As long as you're even a bit resourceful, you can have a better experience on these "dead" servers than Asura. Out of all the people punished for item duping recently, nearly all were on Asura (the auction house activity can show this). There is definitely a lot more mercing, and by conseuqence of that, almost certainly more gil buying too- and I mean percent wise.

Hell, even back in the day, I would have KILLED for my favorite EXP camps to always be available. If you look around enough, you will find helpful people. They should absolutely close Asura so that the population can balance out to the other servers more. Then they will be less "dead" (by your standard) and the problem will solve itself. Then they can open it up again.

We don't need server merges, we only need things to be balanced out. Asura is overpopulated, period. Even 10 years ago, many servers weren't as big as Asura is now. And you know, this is why we originally had the World Pass system- it kept server populations relatively balanced. Unsurprisingly, when that was removed, some servers grew and others shrunk. If it weren't for the fact that it makes it a huge pain to create mules/alts, I'd say they should bring that back.

[Kishr]

No. You are not at liberty to make these decisions.

[Alhanelem]

No. You are not at liberty to make these decisions.
Who said we were? This is discussion, not a vote.

You have no more liberty than I.

[icilies]

Interesting thoughts.

I will say I took the things I didn’t like about Asura and did my part to change. I started Nudawn on Asura. We are a highly active community now. I like to think we easily just ignore the bad stuff and focus on the good. Just my thoughts. Feel free to come chat with us on discord #plug

[svengalis]

ah nevermind.

[Beastorizer]

Was thinking about going back because Bahamut has nada on their AH or Bazaars.

On FFXIAH, Asura has nearly everything......I should probably just do crafting again since everything is easy mode under lvl 99.

[Alhanelem]

shiva's is surprisingly decent for its size. Can't *always* find what you need but it will show up eventually.

there's some really crazy ppl as well who will go to asura, buy up all sorts of stuff and then move back to another server to sell it lol.

[Cdryik]

This is getting ridiculous, ppl making money by using bots and lots of alt characters, it is rare to find an exp pty as everyone is jumping into mercenary one.
And when you finally get an exp party, you'll have to fight over an army of bots using all the best camp.
It is easy to recognize ppl using automated action.
A GM Call wont do anything as they are unable since STF to do something, we have to rely on a website to report and not doing it in game...

Please, Square Enix...

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

SE business plan is to retain the sub payments being paid by these scoundrels. So they won't punish accounts that are clearly performing harmful conduct many players have reported on numerous topics involving numerous transgressions. The real solution is to separate those who value honorable conduct from those who do not. Again; I call for a "Traditionalist" server so those who do not wish to share a server with these miscreants can have a safe harbor to inhabit.

[Zehira]

Peeps have been crying about it for years but it won't change. Just let it go, move servers, or go play 14!

Exactly. Wait until free-to-play is inactive.


Again; I call for a "Traditionalist" server so those who do not wish to share a server with these miscreants can have a safe harbor to inhabit.

He may understand no one is interested but try it even though his suggestion might not be perfect.

[Cdryik]

SE business plan is to retain the sub payments being paid by these scoundrels. So they won't punish accounts that are clearly performing harmful conduct many players have reported on numerous topics involving numerous transgressions. The real solution is to separate those who value honorable conduct from those who do not. Again; I call for a "Traditionalist" server so those who do not wish to share a server with these miscreants can have a safe harbor to inhabit.

keep they sub on, dont ban them, but dont allow them to earn exp/capacity point anymore and lock it to their group so no one in their group can earn Capacity / Exp point.
Erase theirs gils to 0, downgrade their stuff to NQ. So that they can still play their char but gonna be limited, and then, they get what they deserve.

[Venat]

Don't think there is much that can be done. Large factor why this is happening is there not enough people to play with and Trusts aren't exactly good at cp parties when you don't already have a rema or fully geared and have at least 500+ job points. Plus this exp campaigns make it so people don't want to exp when there aren't any campaigns going on.

Plus large factor of camps in the game where the mobs don't agroo, link or use skills to allow for very static combat to happen.
Another factor is you can't really play the game at lv99 unless your 1500+ in job points or you can't find any groups to do endgame content for progression. That's why we got dominion points so new players can get gear from xiv style of fates.

I have seen my fair share of new and returning players hit tha lv99 1500 job point requirement for stuff like ambu, omen and so on and just quit the game again when they're done with RoV. They need to dial down the OP of remas and the high lvl ambu content so new comers at lv99 can get groups so there is less of a gap between players. Plus if there isn't any new content being added to this game there really isn't a point in caring. Think SE about to move us all on ffxi mobile at least.

I see this mmo ending like ff14 1.0 did. Free rema weapons for every job in the final month of this game then server shutdown.

[BurnNotice]

Don't think there is much that can be done. Large factor why this is happening is there not enough people to play with and Trusts aren't exactly good at cp parties when you don't already have a rema or fully geared and have at least 500+ job points. Plus this exp campaigns make it so people don't want to exp when there aren't any campaigns going on.

Plus large factor of camps in the game where the mobs don't agroo, link or use skills to allow for very static combat to happen.
Another factor is you can't really play the game at lv99 unless your 1500+ in job points or you can't find any groups to do endgame content for progression. That's why we got dominion points so new players can get gear from xiv style of fates.

I have seen my fair share of new and returning players hit tha lv99 1500 job point requirement for stuff like ambu, omen and so on and just quit the game again when they're done with RoV. They need to dial down the OP of remas and the high lvl ambu content so new comers at lv99 can get groups so there is less of a gap between players. Plus if there isn't any new content being added to this game there really isn't a point in caring. Think SE about to move us all on ffxi mobile at least.

I see this mmo ending like ff14 1.0 did. Free rema weapons for every job in the final month of this game then server shutdown.

Honestly, this game is not going to slowdown no time soon. Already new plans in place for this game to carry it for another 5+ years. As for FFXI Mobile, yeah...you can just forget about that. SE put out so many mobile games before and after that announcement, some where even "napkin ideas" like DFFOO (DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY OPERA OMNIA) was created, published, and very successful. Not to sound bitter, but I don't see FFXI happening at all.

[Alphie]

I cannot comment on the economic part of things, but I would like to address the other points the OP and others have brought up in this thread.


Asura does not need any new characters. Just close Asura. As a bonus, make anyone that gets banned also have to move servers.

Asura is flooded with accounts that utilize gil farming bots. It's by far the issue that needs to be addressed on Asura.

Honestrly I think the game is way better on any other server at this point. It was a mistake to get people to pile on asura.

It is not a nice place to be for genuine players, especially players who played FFXI in the hay day. The community is dead and any kind of challenges have been taken out the game because people creating 'fake parties' by multi-boxing are selling everything and anything (Job points, treasure, EXP, clears, you name it). Give FFXI the justice it deserves and rid of this culture of toxicity.

So, just by going with the first few comments here, there seems to be an issue with gil/RMT bots and "mercs" which are players who box multiple accounts at one time (boxxing is a term I am more familiar with from EverQuest).

1. If there is to be a decision to close down Asura, then there needs to be a decision to possibly merge servers to raise up the populations. There have been complaints on how the others servers are "dead" compared to Asura. EverQuest and other MMOs have done server merging in the past, and it can help to some degree.

2. In regards to gil farming bots. This is an issue that plagues many MMOs, FF14 included. There needs to be; a. An easy way to report said bots, b. A good system to find and remove them.

Both are things FF14 still struggles with. Because they can ban thousands of bots (which they have) and they are back in droves the next day. This is all on SE's side of things. FF14 has a small Special Task Force that deals with botters etc, so who knows how big it is here (or if they have one).

3. I'm not sure if it was SE's or the playerbase's decision to "pile on Asura" but I can tell you that for myself and my husband, when we were looking for a place to come to after 11 or so years, many guides and posts we found online said "Asura was the place to go for population/activity". And for the times we are active, Asura fits the best.

4. Multi-boxing has been around since the original EverQuest days, though back then it was much harder to do. Now, with better software and hardware to use, any Joe-Schmoe can buy multiple accounts, a few key pads on the cheap on E-Bay, and slap a few macros together with possibly a 3rd-party program to use it with. This is nothing new at all, and still goes on in tons of MMOs to this day.

5. On the point of the community is "dead" and challenges are "taken out", when Trusts were placed int he game, that is pretty much where a lot of it possibly happened. Think about it, no reason to wait long queues to get flesh and blood people. Just slap a few NPC Trusts on and BAM quest is done. So that is less the player's creating the issue than SE creating it.

6. Much of the issue is found int he /yell channel, so I just turned mine off, got a friendly LS on Asura, and had zero issues from there. Now granted, the /yell is used for everything here (blame the poor UI choices for chat) so that can be a pain, sure, but sometimes one has to decisde what is the "lesser of two evils" so to speak.

So what can be done about these first few points? Here are my suggestions.

1. Close down Asura to all new players and transfers.
2. Possibly look into merging some of the very low population servers.
3. Look into creating a few "Preferred" servers. These servers would welcome new players and transferrs, possibly giving newly created players bonus exp to a certian level (FF14 has a Road to 70 buff on certian servers).
4. Create a better way to report gil spammers/bots. I've always been a fan of the good old "right click to report as well as blacklist" combination after picking the correct selection from a r-click menu.
5. Players need to realize that multi-boxing is part of MMOs now. Heck, EverQuest tried to curb it by making a special "no-boxing" server and that did next to nothing to stop people from doing it. /shrug

Players need to find what is best for them. Figure out your playtimes and how the server you are on or want to go on works with that. That is the ultimate descision, is it not?

[Sirmarki]

4. Multi-boxing has been around since the original EverQuest days, though back then it was much harder to do. Now, with better software and hardware to use, any Joe-Schmoe can buy multiple accounts, a few key pads on the cheap on E-Bay, and slap a few macros together with possibly a 3rd-party program to use it with. This is nothing new at all, and still goes on in tons of MMOs to this day.

It has been around, but it was more underground. Now it is just overkill on Asura. I understand people like to play with themselves using 5 other characters, just don't sell everything under the sun.
FFXI can't be run in multiple instances on the same machine - It would require 3rd party software (unless said person is sitting around 5 physical PC's). That, at the very least breaks the terms of service, and for a reason.

[Alphie]

Billboard advertising in /yell is being done by accounts using intrusive third party programs to either procure what they're advertising, spam the yell channel or both.

I have been on Asura since I started the game 9000 years ago. If you don't understand how medal duping and other people doing constant server transfers to sell items on Asura is bad for the economy then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ That doesn't mean I don't want the prices of things I sell to make gil to go back to what they used to be. There is no reason to keep letting more new accounts be made on Asura. Make new people play on a server where they actually have to play the game. And when RMT/bot accounts get banned, they can't just go make a new account in 6 hours and be right back doing the same thing.

This is getting ridiculous, ppl making money by using bots and lots of alt characters, it is rare to find an exp pty as everyone is jumping into mercenary one. And when you finally get an exp party, you'll have to fight over an army of bots using all the best camp. It is easy to recognize ppl using automated action. A GM Call wont do anything as they are unable since STF to do something, we have to rely on a website to report and not doing it in game. Please, Square Enix...

1. How do you know 3rd party software is being used? Yes sure it could look like it, but how do you know for certain? Reason I'm saying this, is right now, there is a big converstaion on FF14 about 3rd party software being used to remotely place waypoints in battles, and SE decided to do a blanket change that really fubars all types of players because of a teeny tiny handful of jerks.

Some players have brought up the point of "What about using something like EasyCheat" to catch those who do it? Well, SE is against it, and I'm not sure how many people here would like to have some program sniffing around their pc and screwing stuff up (it went over VERY poorly on FF14 forums).

2. I don't know about medal duping, but if SE has not stopped it being done, they they personally don't see it as an issue IMO. As for transfers, I am of the likemind that you should only be able to transfer servers once in a 30 day period. Or heck, just once over all per character or something.

3. One needs to understand how bots/RMT account work. When an account gets banned, they completely abandon it, get another credit card number (usually stolen from those who bought gil through them or other means) and just create another account with that. So they will be back to doing what they do in less than an hour.

4. We have the same issue in FF14, where we can clearly see botting is being done, but nothing seems to be done about it no matter how much we report it. Those same botters are around months later, and even to this day they still are years later (no joke).

So what can be done about it? Hm ...

Honestly, these few concerns/aggrivations are all on SE's side to deal with. But one can at least try with bringing down the prices on the AH. It is different than what I'm used to but if you see the prices go up, do what you can to bring them down.

Overall it's frustrating. But it seems to be the norm in many MMOs of the times. Remember, that as much as the devs do to stop these things, hackers and RMTers will find ways to get around it .. and the circle continues.

[Alphie]

It has been around, but it was more underground. Now it is just overkill on Asura. I understand people like to play with themselves using 5 other characters, just don't sell everything under the sun.
FFXI can't be run in multiple instances on the same machine - It would require 3rd party software (unless said person is sitting around 5 physical PC's). That, at the very least breaks the terms of service, and for a reason.

Yup, and like I said, it's easy to get around it. Laptops are hella cheap in many places, so you don't need to jump all crazy to get what you want. So no extra software needed.

EQ's new server was to stop people from using the same pc/3rd party software from doing boxing, and I kid you not, there wer pictures of players who bought 6 laptops and keypads, hooked them up with a long pole to press the same button along with macros, and BAM, got a 6 man party right there.

If a player wants to do it, it can be done.

As for the selling thing, heh, this here is nothing. EQ had people training each other (forcing a mob to attack others by pulling said mob and feigning death so the mob attaks the intended victim in range) just to kill a mob for Efreeti Boots and sell at exuberant prices in channels. Why? Because players know what items sell and what other players are looking for! And it's the same thing here.

Unless SE makes those wanted items useless, it will continue. But then, of course, another item will be chosen and the circle continues.

[Alphie]

I wanted to just pop back on here and say that I'm not trying to bash the idea of closing Asura. The main issue is it has to be SE's choice.

A lot of the concerns here and what I see in a few other posts, are all things SE has to do something about. So until then, we as players have to find a way to play the game we enjoy around those few annoying things in game.

[TooTallTaru]

Asura is the Capitalist server.

[Pixela]

I'm not in favor of this, but they could possibly remove Asura from the half price server transfers they have.

This would make it more expensive to server swap just to sell items from smaller servers on Asura (sucking up all the supply of big ticket items on those smaller servers) and also create the possibility of a player movement to make an Asura mk2.

[Alhanelem]

I'm not in favor of this, but they could possibly remove Asura from the half price server transfers they have.

This would make it more expensive to server swap just to sell items from smaller servers on Asura (sucking up all the supply of big ticket items on those smaller servers) and also create the possibility of a player movement to make an Asura mk2.
Much as I don't like the asura situation, I think it's more often that people go to asura to exploit its economy and then bring stuff back with them to their main server to sell or use.

[Mokdur]

Hi all.
So I am a returning player having played last time some 13-14 years ago. From what I see from this discussion is not really clear in which server I should end up. I have a free trial character in Asura but can’t really tell what’s going on.
I am looking to find some of the old glory of the community when you had friends all over and active linkshells helping out. I am in Europe GMT +2.
Any suggestions on where to go?

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

https://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Quickstart_1-119_Guide

[Alhanelem]

Hi all.
So I am a returning player having played last time some 13-14 years ago. From what I see from this discussion is not really clear in which server I should end up. I have a free trial character in Asura but can’t really tell what’s going on.
I am looking to find some of the old glory of the community when you had friends all over and active linkshells helping out. I am in Europe GMT +2.
Any suggestions on where to go?

It's really up to you. Asura is the biggest and for some that's all that matters. Wherever you go though, ask around enough and you'll find willing people to get you on track. The guide linked above should also help you get an idea of early progression.

[Kawar]

Asura is flooded with accounts that utilize gil farming bots. It's by far the issue that needs to be addressed on Asura.

its easy if you see a bot or think you find a bot just file a special task force report or a gm report and they will work it out. its the best way to deal with them.

[TullemoreAsuraFFXI]

I would invite you to click on my profile name. Go to view profile. Go to }Find all started threads{ .
Click there and enjoy the particular post about special task force.

[Poorenglish]

I think Asura is like /pol/ in this instance, you really need a server to contain anything you don't want spreading onto other servers.

[Beastorizer]

Isn't Asura the server they do the fan streams on? One of the chicks I watch on Twitch was on Asura I think, during the last stream.

Anyway, I feel like Asura is the least of FFXI issues, because mercs are heavy on Bahamut too, and Bismarck when I was on it years ago. My issue is updates. Justifying paying for this, when you can play stuff like PSO2, Lost Ark, Kritika, Guild Wars, and Black Desert Online for free; or simply a low priced purchase of the game & you are good to go forever (With true updates...).

I feel like mercs are magnified, because there isn't really much going on in XI in terms of development. It is akin to the twitter people canceling everyone because they have nothing better to do due to the quarantine......Tropic Thunder is a 12 year old movie.......If you are just now discovering something funny style about it.........

.....Merc is a very old concept.

Asura is not the only server that mercs, or the only server with destroyed economy. Asura is just better at it than everyone else......

When has XI economy ever been good? With the 10 million Ochiudo's Kote & Fuma Kyahan? & the same people were selling the item every-time? Cross-Counter & Spartan's?

But like the SoA era, that was when the main game was updated, so we tolerated it. It is magnified now due to the lack of development. Delve was pretty much the only way to attain the best gear, and mercs were advertising this on FFXI Ah for several servers.

Old news, magnified by a lack of attention to the game. Also, thanks for letting me still post while not having an active character.....
(Think I said too much)

[Alhanelem]

Anyway, I feel like Asura is the least of FFXI issues, because mercs are heavy on Bahamut too, and Bismarck when I was on it years ago. My issue is updates. Justifying paying for this, when you can play stuff like PSO2, Lost Ark, Kritika, Guild Wars, and Black Desert Online for free; or simply a low priced purchase of the game & you are good to go forever (With true updates...).It's not to say that other servers don't have these problems at all, they do, but its disporportionately more severe on asura, because that's the server the bulk of the population decided to start transferring to one day (I really don't understand how that happened), and so now it's more crowded than any server was in FFXI's heyday. Of course, a lot of people don't understand there are significant downsides to an overpopulated server, and this is one of them. (Then there's also the potential for more lag, queues for content, harder to find good CP camps, etc.- Except on like the first day of an update, have never had to wait more than like 10 seconds for ambuscade on Shiva)

Everyone would benefit from a more balanced population- it forces the RMT to spread their wings too, which means lower stocks (on asura for sure) and higher prices, potentially deterring some people who might consider going down that path. This is why FFXI originally didn't let you choose your server without a world pass.

[Pixela]

I feel like mercs are magnified, because there isn't really much going on in XI in terms of development. It is akin to the twitter people canceling everyone because they have nothing better to do due to the quarantine......Tropic Thunder is a 12 year old movie.......If you are just now discovering something funny style about it.........

.....Merc is a very old concept.

REMA weapons cost many hundreds of millions of gil to make, there simply aren't good ways to make that kind of gil without mercing.

Since REMA are the main avenue for hardcore players to progress they have to merc now, and Asura has the most new players.

Some think it's RMT or something, it's really not. REMA just cost stupid about of gil to fully 119.

If you goto a smaller server you can easily make a REMA in terms of the starter parts, because so few people are doing them. Without mercing there are far fewer players willing to do the entire thing. Only on Asura are they widespread.

The answer is actually pretty simple, add a new type of content players can do in order to get upgrade mats in a R/E form. Then they won't have to merc.