568 average active players on server ..... Is that enough ?

[Vivivivi]

While it's sad to see players shout occasionally for NNI and not be able to get a group (due to low numbers), I do have to praise SE for recognizing that new content moving forward is designed for 6 people, or if it's designed for more (like the new walk of echoes), allowing for people to freely come and go. Since changing delve to 6 person+ groups, I never see shout groups disband for lack of interest. If the content is currentish, 6-person content feels like the right number in 2014. On Quetz during NA primetime I usually see 600-800 people, and on the weekends during JP/NA overlap time I still see 1200~ people which honestly hasn't changed much in the past two-three years.

In my opinion, a server merge would be nice just for the liveliness feeling, and maybe a more well stocked auction house, but it would be annoying for things like Dynamis. I don't think it would affect 6-person content in the slightest.

I'm all about SE continuing their direction in FFXI, and maybe tweaking some older things like NNI by adjusting the lamp stuff to allow people still trying to clear it the ability to do so.

[Malthar]

A server merge won't fix the problem... It's been said many times in this thread. All that does is add more people to compete with (already have tons camping ontop of me for job points) and a large /sea all number. You can practically 3 man everything in this game now, so I don't see why you need that many people.

Didn't you hear Dray! They're coming out with an exciting new event that linkshells can actually do together! Yeah! You enter, and other people can enter too, and you fight monsters and such progressing to a boss, then you kill the boss. And the most amazing thing is what it's called! Walk of Echos II!

Wait... I'm having a sudden sensation of Déjà vu.

[Karbuncle]

well at least theres Incursion, which while specialized for 6 man, has a reward system than can reward every player, and you can bring up to 18 with nothing more than an HP boost to the enemies.

Hopefully the HP boost isn't so stupid that it outweighs the benefits of bringing more folk.