[NA] Congestion Prevention for Heavensward Release (Updated Jul. 9 3:45 a.m. PDT)

With the official launch of the expansion "FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward", we anticipate that certain areas on certain Worlds will get congested. In order to make gameplay as smooth as possible for players, we will be implementing tentative measures for congestion relief and load reduction.

We apologize to our players for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

■Details
To ease area populations and login restrictions due to congestion when service starts, we will be implementing multiple Field Instances of the following areas.

The Dravanian Forelands / The Churning Mists / Coerthas Western Highlands

A Field Instance is one of many copies of an area that you can travel to when changing areas.

These instances will be distinguished with a number at the end of the area name, such as "The Dravanian Forelands 1", "The Dravanian Forelands 2", and so on. Each Field Instance will be the complete area, albeit separate copies.

Depending on each World's congestion, there may be Worlds that do not separate areas into Field Instances. Please check the "Worlds Currently Using Field Instances" section to see which Worlds are currently utilizing Field Instances.


■How to Choose a Field Instance
When changing areas on foot or by mount to one of the areas listed above, a window will appear that will let you select which instance you wish to travel to.

When using Teleport/Return, a Field Instance will be chosen at random. You can check which Field Instance you entered by checking your Chat Log or using the "/instance" command.


■Restrictions in Field Instances
Characters in different Field Instances of the same area will be able to send Tells to one another, but will not be able to see each other.


■Entering the Same Field Instance as a Party
Unfortunately, if a party enters an area via Teleport/Return, they may not enter the same Field Instance. You will need to enter the area by foot or mount and select the same Field Instance number to ensure that you stay together.


■Worlds Currently Using Field Instances (Updated Jul. 9 3:45 a.m. PDT)
- None

*Because congestion has abated and population levels have returned to normal, this feature is no longer being implemented. (Updated Jul. 9, 2015 3:45 a.m. PDT)