Are we getting a server merge soon?

[Diavolo]

The community isn't falling apart. It's growing, taking new shape.

Taking new shape, yes, but growing? No, the FFXI community as a whole isn't growing at all, nor are the server-specific communities. I assume you're playing on Asura which might explain why you might have such an opinion, but many of those returning players aren't sticking around very long and there is good reason for it.

I don't have anything against the more solo-friendly environment the development team has bred with FFXI over the last two or three years, but at its heart this will always be a massively multiplayer online RPG that rewards players for coming together and it would be nice if the new director kept that in mind going forward. It would also be nice if, after all was said and done, this game could be laid to rest without having sacrificed that which made it so appealing in the first place.