[Server Merge] Suggestions
As a player and a linkshell leader on Alexander today's server merge impacts on me in several levels. Whilst I understand utterly why server merges happen and am not opposed to them in general I think the whole process could be managed more effectively to minimise the impact on the playerbase.
The most important factors are as follows:
1) Before announcing or at the time of announcement remove the ability to buy and/or open new linkshells. Or at least reserve ANY linkshell names not in use on the destination server for those shells from the server being merged in.
This prevents what we think has happened to us. Whilst there is no record of our linkshell name for Shiva on FFXIAH or on the SE linkshell community, by the time we were able to get the gil together on shiva with newly created mules, our name and a common variant had gone. It is possible that both names are on dormant shells but when we asked whether this was the case, we were told it wasn't possible to let us know.
Even if there was no malice involved (which we doubt in this case as we're one of the top shells on our server) an enterprising person on the destination server can buy and create linkshells in the names of the top 10 linkshells listed on FFXIAH for example and approach the leadership for gil regarding names. This happens.
If you lock the buying and creation of new linkshells pre announcement you will limit an enormous amount of drama and distress.
Linkshell names are associated with a considerable history. We're losing ours after over 6 years of play under one name and one leader and possibly to malice or greed. All of which may have been preventable.
2) Before the announcement or at the time of the announcement stop all character creation. Do not do it hours later... leaving people time to create new mules on destination servers specifically to block others from using their long term character name. Players associate themselves with these names for years. There's a certain level of understanding about server merges you could limit the distress of players by preventing the malicious creation of mules soley for the the purpose of causing a player to use their much-loved character name.
3) Demonstrate some commonsense when dealing with such issues when contacted. For example we contacted SE support and as advised in game GMs. Whilst we do not expect you to give out personal details about other players we should be able to register an issue for investigation. It would be patently obvious where new linkshells were created on the destination server after the announcement, especially if they contain the names of long established shells on the source server. It would not be especially difficult in the recent case to work out that someone was behaving maliciously and take action to correct that.
At least, as a common courtesy, let us know when the shell was created. If the shell is establised or lapsed its considerably easier to move on rather than when you know that this was a malicious act, easily preventable at your end.
I am really disappointed about the way in which this appears to have been handled. You have given players the opportunity to effectively exploit and grief others they have grudges with or simply want to make gil out of, all of which could have been prevented with a bit more forethought.
We've lost our longstanding linkshell name and several of my members have lost their character names. Some of this is inevitable but the way in which it has been handled to date has made this process much worse than it need be.