Server merge inevitable?

[Mustybadger]

I've still got to say, logically, I'm the only one bringing up the right answer. Not merges. All a merge does is double the amount of afk players.

Open server transfers for free, with no 3 month waits. Log in today play on cerberus, log in tomorrow play on fenrir. See where all the people go and just stay there.

All the "oh that would screw up the economy" isn't it already beyond repair.

I'd be the happiest person alive if I could go to a "dead server" and not see a single other person clogging up my zone when I'm trying to accomplish something, then go to a "thriving server" and do group content.

While your idea if the most logical and would probably be the best approach for the remaining players, it's just not going to happen. Why would SE keep servers open for the occasional person to login to when they want to run solo content. It's just an un-needed expenditure.

Atleast, with a server merge, the few remaining active players would have combined focus. It would also prevent examples like above happening, where people come back to the game, ready to play, log in, see there is only 300 people on the server on a Saturday afternoon, log off, presume the game is dead and never log in again.

FFXI still has a relatively solid player base, it's just a shame it's currently bunched into little pockets over 16 servers...