Transfer Restrictions and Roleplayers

It'd be great if Square would just designate a server as an Official RP server. I understand that they never really expected there to be a strong RP population in their game, but after the whole thing with the Lore Books selling out within an hour of being put on the store for purchase, one would imagine that they'd understand they not only have a significantly larger RP'ing population than they'd expected, but that said population is quite ready to invest into anything that makes their ability to RP more accurate. Lore Books are just one such thing.

If Square wanted to get people to leave Balmung and Gilgamesh in droves, creating an official RP server would be the way to go for sure. You'd still probably find RP'ers on Balmung and Gilgamesh, but I imagine more would go to an official RP server.

Where there is a need, someone will fill it. I'm a little peeved that I can no longer bring friends to my server (I had started them on a smaller pop world so as not to overwhelm them with a massive amount of other players and the idea was that as soon as they reached the level cap on their free trials they'd sub up and transfer over so I could take them through higher level content) but I understand the need to do something about it.

If new RP players cannot move to Balmung for the foreseeable future, another (possibly temporary) home for new RP players will spring up to fill that need. In all honesty we should be encouraging population growth on the smaller servers anyway, many of them have grossly untenable markets in desperate need of some item production and competition. Rather than continue to allow overcrowding of one or two servers just because "it's the place everyone else is."

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Originally Posted by Velynea

Once more. I think you severely underestimate that there is no such thing as 'just' making another roleplay server.

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Trying is certainly out of the question I guess.

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Originally Posted by Kuroneko_Jutah

Where there is a need, someone will fill it. I'm a little peeved that I can no longer bring friends to my server (I had started them on a smaller pop world so as not to overwhelm them with a massive amount of other players and the idea was that as soon as they reached the level cap on their free trials they'd sub up and transfer over so I could take them through higher level content) but I understand the need to do something about it.

If new RP players cannot move to Balmung for the foreseeable future, another (possibly temporary) home for new RP players will spring up to fill that need. In all honesty we should be encouraging population growth on the smaller servers anyway, many of them have grossly untenable markets in desperate need of some item production and competition. Rather than continue to allow overcrowding of one or two servers just because "it's the place everyone else is."

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Someone mentioned Siren. I'm starting to think we need to promote that. Might make an alt over there just to see how the community is. I have too many connections on Balmung right now to leave it, too many of which have Houses they're not willing to lose because no matter how much housing another server may have, Balmung has perpetuated this instinct of Housing Rarity in players. Its like the Recession back in 2008; if you had a job, you clung to it no matter how crappy it was, cause there was nothing else.

Well you said it yourself, Balmung is an unofficial RP server and before the merge it was somewhere else. Someone took initiative back then and could do the same now, but it seems complaining about it is easier (as well as somehow taking this as a personal attack by SE on RPers). It's not seen as an RP server - it's seen as an overcrowded high-pop NA server, just like Gilgamesh - and that is the priority they have to look at.

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Originally Posted by Vanitas

This really needs to happen. If the community as a whole would make an effort to give birth to a new unofficial RP or even "Raiding" server, then there would be more options for future players.
Balmung ended up this way because this never happened. I mean its gonna have to happen now with it being closed off finally, but I'm sure people will just complain instead.

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This is not the same thing as creating another raid group or whatever. Players have characters with established backstories, relationships, and regular interactions with the entire community. It's no small thing to pack up and start a "new" RP community. What about the in-character connections you may have to leave behind? How will that affect your character? Will you have to start over? What if you are really enjoying the current plotlines but not everyone involved wants to move?

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Originally Posted by Vanitas

Trying is certainly out of the question I guess.

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Only because no one wants to throw out their investment in their current home to help establish one elsewhere.

Wait and see how this free transfer system they're doing in 4.0 works, I believe it's highly possible they'll be marking more than just the new EU worlds as eligible for free transfer, plus they're going to offer you full refunds on your houses and even (correct me if I'm wrong) a method by which an entire FC can transfer over almost entirely intact.

It's not perfect. But it's a step in the right direction.

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Originally Posted by Vexander

Someone mentioned Siren. I'm starting to think we need to promote that. Might make an alt over there just to see how the community is. I have too many connections on Balmung right now to leave it, too many of which have Houses they're not willing to lose because no matter how much housing another server may have, Balmung has perpetuated this instinct of Housing Rarity in players. Its like the Recession back in 2008; if you had a job, you clung to it no matter how crappy it was, cause there was nothing else.

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When last I was in Siren it had a small but budding RP community. That was some months ago, however. Also, at the very least, if they mark Siren as a server to transfer to for free come 4.0, not only will it cost you nothing up front, iirc SE said they're giving full refunds on housing and even allowing for entire FCs to transfer over if they wish.

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Originally Posted by artemos7

This player isn't by any means "new here", they have been around for a long time, and understands that this sort of restriction was there beforehand, but this level is a point which should never have been reached. They should have done something to lessen this long before now, and the fact that you acknowledged the length of time only proves that point. Just because someone doesn't post on the OF, doesn't mean they are new, some of us just prefer to look rather than post, especially with highly contrary folk around to add little to nothing to a discussion other than "obviously!".

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Was talking about forums not the game since you have a post count of 2 and why start posting now if always just lurked?

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Originally Posted by Kuroneko_Jutah

Only because no one wants to throw out their investment in their current home to help establish one elsewhere.

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Its more than that, its also the connections. I mean, what if you got married in-game and your significant other doesn't want to transfer servers? What happens then, exactly?

The real issue with trying to make a new unofficial rp server is the time and dedication already put in to creating linkshells, FCs alliances and all the housing and rp establishments created over the last 3 years. I know people who have paid 400 million+ to help build this community with rp establishments. Its a game played for fun and rebuilding something would turn into a huge job..

Balmung real estate is astronomical compared to other servers.