It's your server

[Rooj]

Over the years, I've kept up with the game, via forums and places like Reddit and FFXIAH.com, even when I'm not playing. I actually came back after several years a few months ago, and throughout those years I still checked the site and forums frequently, since I do love this game. During that time I'd read through all of the complaints that people have about the game, and while some of them can't, I can safely say many of them can be rectified and stem from one main problem:

It's your server.

Transferring my characters to Asura was by far one of the best decisions I've made in FFXI. I wish I had done it years ago, I'd have probably quit the game a lot less. My old server took a deep nosedive in population around WOTG and it only got worse over time. During the Abyssea/Voidwatch era I basically no longer knew anyone who still played, and my server was small so meeting other players and getting content done was nearly impossible at times. One of the prime issues with playing on a small server I've noticed is that it's very segregated - the communities are already formed and are generally unwelcoming to new or returning players. They have their cliques, and to be fair to them despite my belief that cliquey style of play is detrimental to the game, they probably don't need new players in their LS anyway.

A major complaint I've found from those who do not play on Asura are in regards to not being invited to content due to the job they play. I honestly have not encountered this problem very often on Asura, and usually when I did a little communication was all that was needed to be invited. Sometimes people just don't know what certain jobs are capable of since they aren't played as often.

I don't know why SE won't do server merges. They claim that not enough people are asking for them. Well duh, they all quit the game because their servers are dead since they won't do merges and you can't post on the forums unless your account is active. And it's sad, because IMO, FFXI is currently the best it's ever been. 6 man EXP parties along with SCs and MBs are back, there is SO much to do, and content varies all the way from solo to full alliance and more. Travel times and experience points required have been significantly cut, making the game much more accessible to even those with little play time. However, your amount of playtime won't matter if you're spending that time on a server with so few people to play with - and who probably only play during peak times anyway. You'll spend most of your time LOOKING for players, whereas on Asura it doesn't take much shouting to get things going. So I think many returning players deserve to come back and experience the current FFXI, but they're not going to find it enjoyable on the majority of these low pop servers.

Do you remember what it's like to see people actively running around the 3 starting cities? To see players with ?s by their names, to see constant shouts looking for members for content and EXP? Heck, quite often I join parties for content at 4 AM in the morning on weekdays. That would NEVER happen on my old server.

If I sound like I'm trying to sell you my server... well, I am. As I said I have read many complaints - and had complaints of my own - over the years that were immediately extinguished once I gave in and made the move to Asura. Which, I'd like to mention is the first time in my 18 years of MMOing that I have transferred to another server. If you're like me, you are loyal to your home, as well as the people that you met there. It's something that I've always disagreed with doing and have never been able to bring myself to do before. But like myself, I meet people in-game and on various forums who also say that moving to Asura was one of the best decisions they've made. And I know there are others who both currently play and would definitely enjoy returning if they'd only take that first difficult step.

Enjoy FFXI again. Come to Asura. It's your server.

[BBWallace]

I don't agree with the having to pay to switch servers to have fun. End result of that is going to be a force server merge or some servers getting shut down because of the low population. SE need to stop being lazy and just merge the servers its going to happen if they keep forcing people on asura.

[Rooj]

Oh I think it's terrible that people are having to pay money to switch servers just to enjoy the game and actually do content with real people. It's a shame, but after dealing with my old dying server for too many years and finally moving to Asura, I realized my old server was what was causing me to keep losing interest and quit the game repeatedly. Glad that's over.

I think all the excuses both from SE and players alike as to why merges haven't and won't happen (despite needing them YEARS ago) are just plain silly and groundless. I really don't get how SE doesn't understand that it's one of the biggest reasons for a dwindling population. Although population decline began during WOTG and Abyssea - a time when a lot of players agree that game was at its worst - everything done to the game after that era has been greatly beneficial to the game, and to me, FFXI is "back." They've fixed a lot of the problems of the past and it's actually pretty easy to get old players to return to the game they once loved. I've seen the same thing happen to other old MMOs, like Everquest for example - their "classic/progression" style servers brought back SWEEPING numbers of players to the point that their progression servers now have more players than their regular servers. So it's quite possible for an old game to bounce back. Not sure why anyone would want to deny FFXI of that though. :\

[OmnysValefor]

People bandwagoning to Asura rather than trying to put any effort into forming parties only makes the situation worse.

Yeah underpopulation sucks but overcrowding does too. At times, getting into Ambuscade can take a few minutes on my server with <300 people.

I say what I've said before: If SE just won't do merges, they should do a free server transfer campaign. They should take some of the burden of the skewed population distribution. I don't want to go anywhere leaving all of my friends behind, but it's annoying to look at shouts on FFXIAH and see, I'm not kidding, shouts from as much as two days ago.

[Zeldar]

I'm in a very active linkshell with a very skilled core group of members, so I really don't run into the under-population issue too much. That being said, I can see that it IS a real issue for a huge number of the players. Rooj already explained why, so just refer to post 1 and I say "ditto." As for charging for server merges I have no issue with this at all. It prevents people from hopping from server to server at their whim and manipulating the auction house system.

[Rooj]

People bandwagoning to Asura rather than trying to put any effort into forming parties only makes the situation worse.

Yeah underpopulation sucks but overcrowding does too. At times, getting into Ambuscade can take a few minutes on my server with <300 people.

I say what I've said before: If SE just won't do merges, they should do a free server transfer campaign. They should take some of the burden of the skewed population distribution. I don't want to go anywhere leaving all of my friends behind, but it's annoying to look at shouts on FFXIAH and see, I'm not kidding, shouts from as much as two days ago.

When people do try to start parties, no one joins them for 2 reasons: 1, there is no one to join, or 2, the few people that ARE on the server are in a linkshell that plays with the same people everyday. <--- These are the people that don't understand why merges are necessary, because they've been playing the game this whole time and already have a list of players to do things with. It's not the same for new and returning players. Usually the only way to get into a setting like that is to already be friends with someone in the LS. The days of posting recruitment posts and shouts are sadly long gone, so linkshells on small servers typically don't acquire new recruits because they don't need to. They're in their own little world, they won't even play the game if they have to play with "pugs." It's silly.

I like pugging, I like meeting people, it's how I got into my current linkshell and how I've met most of the good friends I've already made in my brief time on Asura.

And seriously, let's not act like "overcrowding" has been a thing in FFXI since 10 years ago... The few minutes wait to get into Ambuscade to EASILY get these AMAZING BIS items from joke content absolutely does not count.

[Castanica]

The main reason to move is if you want to come across lots of different people.

If you are moving because you think you'll be able to magically do Apex groups, VH Ambuscade and Escha NMs when you could not do it on your old server, that's not gonna work.

The big server is the same as the small server but on a larger scale, most people still won't take you if you don't have good gear or the proper job and the people with bad gear don't make groups.

As long as you come with the correct mindset it's great, if you think moving will solve all your problems form your old server. It wont work out that way.

[Siviard]

Thanks Rooj, but no thanks.....you can keep your server.

Some of the most rudest, meanest, angriest players I've ever had the misfortune of coming across either in-game or on various forums have all been from Asura, or have all moved to Asura.

I'm perfectly happy with where I'm at, as are many others who are perfectly happy with being on a low-mid population server.

[Rooj]

I'm perfectly happy with where I'm at,

Then this thread was not directed at you. Also have to say I haven't met very many rude people on Asura. And I get around. I found there were far more arrogant, cruel, and anti-social people on my old server. I did acquire 1 stalker though. :3

Have fun!

[Railer]

Might just be me but low server population = more $ for s.e. Everything from gil making to cp takes longer which in turn produces longer subscriptions. With the fee for world change its a win win for them.