Server merging

[Deifact]

People shouldnt be asking for merges, they should be asking why only a few jobs are wanted for any content in this game, that's really what is killing this game.

These are two separate issues really.

Population will never increase from this point onwards because the game is old, there will be fluctuations but we are definitely at the beginning of the end. A server merge at least makes the game fun for the few people still playing.

Job preferences for events is inevitable, at least you can change jobs any time you like.

[Sfchakan]

Want more people to play with right now? Try moving to a more densely populated server. Odin seems good still, though I can't say anything about it's EU population.

I've always seen EU groups struggling to fill their ranks on every server I've been on.

[Olor]

People shouldnt be asking for merges, they should be asking why only a few jobs are wanted for any content in this game, that's really what is killing this game.

If you don't enjoy soloing content, then you better be a rng,mnk,sch,4song bard,cor, or a whm, or be making your own parties to do things. Over half of the 22 jobs offered in this game are pretty much shunned or have extremely niche roles.
Obsession with max efficiency and aversion to failure has narrowed down who you bring and what jobs are allowed to participate in content.

Ask yourself, how many people really want to login and play XI or hold out hoping their favorite job that isnt one of the favored ones i've listed is going to get a party slot with a 2-3x server merged populace still having the same narrow minded approach to who they play with?

I agree with this quite a bit. Part of what is making it so hard for people to complete content is how few jobs are usable in that content. If jobs were put on a more equal footing, it might actually be possible to fill slots easier. But all you see all day is shouts that say BRD3-4song, COR, STUN SCH, A/O PLD

People don't even shout for MNK cause there are so many Oats mnks that there is no trouble finding one. If underpowered jobs were given a boost, it would be easier to complete content and find people for groups. The fact that so many jobs are so far behind makes the low population problem even worse, because 80 per cent of players on can't do what you need in a group.

Still, been having problems even getting more than 5 people to do voidwatch of any kind with - even though the drops are actually worth a half decent amount - and of course, that's just the voidwatch battles that drop something worthwhile - most of it is not of interest to anyone. And that's a event that can use people on any job. Can't find anyone practically to do it with. Populations are a problem.

[Damane]

People shouldnt be asking for merges, they should be asking why only a few jobs are wanted for any content in this game, that's really what is killing this game.

If you don't enjoy soloing content, then you better be a rng,mnk,sch,4song bard,cor, or a whm, or be making your own parties to do things. Over half of the 22 jobs offered in this game are pretty much shunned or have extremely niche roles.
Obsession with max efficiency and aversion to failure has narrowed down who you bring and what jobs are allowed to participate in content.

Ask yourself, how many people really want to login and play XI or hold out hoping their favorite job that isnt one of the favored ones i've listed is going to get a party slot with a 2-3x server merged populace still having the same narrow minded approach to who they play with?

Thats a totally different issue.

The biggest issue is still low population, servers need to be merged together.
I started to accomodate a behaviour where I am not logging into FFXI unless there is a LS event up for sign up. I go do directly somethign different, because i have given up hope to do anything random-like via shouts/random people, because there arent any people to play with. I even started again to play FFXIV (ended last october) because of this.

No LS event in FFXI up: -----> automaticly starting to do anything else non FFXI related


after a while this behaviour might lead to the part where I dont even log in at all.


even in our LS events we struggle sometime to fill up our 6 man PT with the 1 Job we lack/need because 1-2 persons are missing.
Its getting to the point that you need to poor so much effort into being actually ABLE to enjoy the game with its content, that its frustrating at some times. I want to Enjoy the game, i dont want to put 1.5 hours effort into gathering people to get something going... because there arent any people on during my play time (EU prime time)

[Frankbrodie]

The figures are ok at JP prime time. It's a JP game.

Now reconsider what your chances are of getting server merges.

My advice? Start playing at JP prime time.

[detlef]

The figures are ok at JP prime time. It's a JP game.

Now reconsider what your chances are of getting server merges.

My advice? Start playing at JP prime time.

This. While populations are low during NA and EU prime times, your server's population may very well be over 2,000 during JP prime time. Should SE cater to the 800 NA's on during NA prime time or those 2,000 JPs during JP prime time? Even if you ignore that it is a JP game, far more players would be adversely impacted by the merge than would benefit.

You'd have to think that they'd be especially vocal about things like Ark Angel instances, colorless souls, and things of that nature.

[Brightshadow]

I thought these servers can hold up to 10k people at once.

[Mirage]

I can fit 6 people in my 5-seat car too. One of them needs to sit in the trunk, but as long as he gets to our destination, that doesn't matter, right?

Both your question and my answer is completely irrelevant to this thread, though. It's not server capacity that is the issue.

[Deifact]

What are the downsides to a merge BTW? I can understand JP master race and SE want to please them, but if there's no downside to doing it anyway...

[Mirage]

More crowded areas during peak times for regions that have a higher population. Merging two servers where the EU/NA primetime is at 800 and the JP primetime is at 2000 would change NA/EU primetime into a nice 1600 players that we all can enjoy, while japanese players suddenly have 4000 players trying to do the same things.