Where's OUR discount?

[Llana_Virren]

As large a scale operation as this is, it's reasonable for most any IT person to see there would be clusters assigned.

I'm not an IT guy, but I am a techie at heart.

Wouldn't this also be apparent (or at least "implied") in that maintenance can be isolated to specific zones rather than the entire in-game World?

[RAIST]

not really, as it is all interconnected at varying points for various reasons. Lobby servers, registration servers, etc--all that has to be linked and synchronized as well.

It took a while to dig it up, but here is an article written a while back about SE's messaging system. This is just for messaging (layout of the hardware is on page 3). Compare this to how many businesses manage to house everything on one single server--I'm talking email, website, accounting, customer data, file server...EVERYTHING about their orginazation on one server with a large disk array. I have seen resorts manage to put EVERYTHING on a single server and only use a second one as a mirror for failover purposes.

FFXI is a HUGE operation that hosts a TON of data (in that article, they mention that they may one day hit the petabyte mark on storage needs for SE's development channels) and it all has to stay synchronized to each other in various ways, as well as the need to have it backed up continually. For large scale projects like this, they aren't backing up to tapes---it's too slow. Sometimes they opt to actually mirror the servers, so you have a 2:1 ratio for at least every critical server involved in the project. Otherwise, they may have server(s) and massive storage arrays dedicated to just the backups--sometimes they will still have this type of backup that takes a backup from a mirrored server as a failsafe.

In short....it's a huge complicated web of hardware.


{edit}

Oh yeah, and here's an old pic of the racks they use over at FFXIVCore for their forums, sites, and stuff:
http://www.ffxivcore.com/index.php?a...attach_id=6574

[Llana_Virren]

[Technical Mumbo-Jumbo Ramblings]

This is why I'm not an IT guy. I like soft-code, not hardware.

[Yinnyth]

Neat stuff, that's seriously just for their forums? I'd love to get a look at what the servers look like for FFXI... but yeah, pipedream.

[Prothscar]

A bunch of these soldered and scotch taped together.

[Camiie]

A bunch of these soldered and scotch taped together.

It's nice to see they upgraded from the PS1s they were originally using.

[Alhanelem]

"Designed for Windows CE"

Did it really say that on the console?

[Camiie]

"Designed for Windows CE"

Did it really say that on the console?

Yup! Lol I had a DC and I loved that lil' machine. I do miss SEGA being in the console wars.

[Dragoy]

Yeah I guess they caught me with their deal/scam/marketing ploy/whatever lol. I admit I feel a bit guilty going for it, but what the heck. I guess if it turns out too badly I can always go on the XIV forums and make a (TOS compatible) fuss like I do on this one!

Heh, I know the feeling, though I wouldn't feel too much about it.
If there is any likeliness for you to play it in the future, it would just be smart to take advantage of this opportunity.

Too bad they got rid of the server name Selbina.
I liked it there. >.>

First change I noticed there was that they added an icon '>>' for showing you that you are running, and '>' for walking, and nothing when idle. Just... why?!


But yeah, that is as they say, that.
And that is off-topic!

I still think we could use a discount, even if it has to be tied to XIV even, now it would work for me teehee. :>


Ominous post-count for the topic, too!

[Karbuncle]

Discount makes zero sense for FFXI beyond entitlement. I also found the "skeleton crew" thing funny, since people payed $20 for a beta of Minecraft which had far less people than XI ever has/will have.

I'm sorry that this is so many pages behind, But, other than the fact you're wrong, There is a difference between a monthly fee of 12.95 to a company that is at current giving a game the bare-minimum required to pump out semi-new content every so often, and a one time fee of 20$.

Thats a vast difference. VAST difference. They aren't even in the same ballpark as far as comparisons go.

As far as this whole topic?

I don't really mind either way. 12.95+1$/mule is a bit steep for a game basically functioning on Bare-minimum staff, But the game has a lot of content to offer. Despite what the SE Chocobowand-riding Fanboys will have you believe, You can't cut your production and quality in half and expect customers to continue paying the same price, without any sort of complaints.

If nothing had changed in the last 10 years as far as development goes, asking for reduced pay would be arrogant. But as it stands, They've removed the majority of the dev team, and new content is mostly re-hashed old content. We're not getting our moneys worth, and while some of you are perfectly content paying 12.95 for a 6.95 product, These people aren't, and while some may certainly base their complaints in self-entitlement, A lot of the argument is very valid.

Theres two sides to this though, and this is ultimately the reason they will be unlikely to reduce pay. They, Square ENix, aren't going to attract any new customers being a pay-by-month 12.95, 10-year MMO with a skeleton crew, But they have nothing to gain by dropping the price. Chances are any of you complaining about price drop will continue to pay regardless of it still costing 12.95 or 6.95, or 3.95. You're going to continue paying, so the only thing they gain by dropping the price would be a loss in their bottom line.

You'd all still complain everytime an update hit, you'd still complaing the jobs are adjusted how you want, They'd gain absolutely nothing from it. You guys have doomed yourselves by bitching about everything that ever happens, they have no reason to appease you on something like this, because in the end it won't matter in any positive light, because You'll just move on to the next thing to focus on complaining about.

I think a better solution would be to openly give us more Dev members. Show us you're giving us more commitment to the game, that'd slow down the complaints. Showing 3 people in a room that looked like it used to house 40 just makes FFXI Players realize how understaffed this game is.

To be honest, That is a giant c*ckslap to the face for loyal customers. We didn't pay for 10 years just to have you throw bare minimum resources to keeping us mildly entertained in the end. I know its an old game, But SE has the resources to devote, They're just focusing it on FFXIV.

And, I think this needs to be said, to Analhelm... When the man compared FFXI and FFXIV "Release", He was saying that "They had a SE MMO, FFXI, Then they released FFXIV Online, Which made no sense... FFXIV players now have to live with the fact some time down the line, FFXV, FFXVI, Etc, Could potentially be another MMO thats going to give "FFXIV" the "FFXI Effect"... Less Staff, Dying playerbase, People selling off accounts/gil due to anticipation of said game killing FFXIV....

Do you understand that now? He wasn't saying that the next FF game will be another MMO, He's saying that since FFXIV, Each new FF title holds that chance they may pull another "FFXIV" on FFXIV, and release yet another MMO to replace FFXIV the way they hoped FFXIV would replace FFXI.

So... I don't know where i stand on this, But i think I'm closer to "Cut the Monthly Fee down a notch". A pay drop would be nice, But from a company standpoint, they have no reason to do it, it won't solve any problem, or ease any complaints, and will only eat into their money. - And i apologize if i sound jaded, I'm just tired of this company throwing sh*t in the customers face, and people still continuing to defend the endlessly like everyone else is just acting self-entitled.

Its a tough topic to handle, and i agree with points on both sides of the argument. But both sides are being overly critical of one another. IN the end, The Company is giving us less than half the commitment we used to have. Our Dev team is a shadow of its former self that has to work overtime to release content 2 months behind schedule. Continuing to pay the same price for a product that has undergone such drastic changes in dedication and development resources is outrageous at best.

But again... SE gains nothing from cutting the price, and will likely ultimately just lead to LESS resources devoted to FFXI. So its a catch 22. Sorry . And if you're like me, You can see I kinda jump to both sides of the argument. Pointing out Complainers just complain, and pointing out anyone defending SE at this point is just a fanboy. Yah, I don't know where i stand....