Transfer Restrictions and Roleplayers

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Originally Posted by MistakeNot

A single server can almost certainly accommodate all the role players - there are not THAT many of them.
What doesn't work is a single server handling (almost) all the RPers AND a large number of non-RPers - which is what Balmung is doing right now.

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I think you're missing the point. Even if Balmung was exclusively roleplayers, that still doesnt mean the server has infinite capacity. You would eventually reach a cap and be locked once more. Funneling all rp'rs into one server is just not realistic in the long term. Populations need to be split between more than one server. There's just no getting around that.

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Originally Posted by Nicodemus_Mercy

I think you're missing the point. Even if Balmung was exclusively roleplayers, that still doesnt mean the server has infinite capacity. You would eventually reach a cap and be locked once more. Funneling all rp'rs into one server is just not realistic in the long term. Populations need to be split between more than one server. There's just no getting around that.

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There aren't THAT many RPers. I highly doubt such a problem would crop up in any foreseeable future.

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Originally Posted by Naunet

There aren't THAT many RPers. I highly doubt such a problem would crop up in any foreseeable future.

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Even if the RP numbers aren't so many to fill a server, the fact is, Balmung is now capped.

What about choose an alternative where all new RP players can go today? I don't think someone buys the game, then willing wait months or years before Balmung open again, to play there because the "Balmung or nothing" I see here.

After literally reading all 35 pages of this *inhale deeply* a few things that I haven't seen pop up.

First up less antagonistic point. Tonberry i believe was the original player designated "Foreigner" server on the JPN data centers, so they have a similar issue to Balmung and Gilgamesh in terms of population growth reasons. Just exchange "RP" or "HC Raider" with "Non-Native Speaker".

Second, honestly this one surprises me, has no one realized the RP backstory goldmine that is a mass exodus? I mean seriously? Anyone? Like ARR is virtually based on this... Ok glad i got this off my chest considering the time I dredged through this I could pretty much come up with a unique on for nearly all of my characters... And a few more for ones a designed in the creator out of boredom.

Ok time for controversy... Why recommend RPers move in bulk to a designated new server. Simply speaking because you need A CERTAIN spot to go to unoike general players who really only need a portion of their core play group and can remeld almost anywhere. RP will flourish better among like minds, given that the community is logistically smaller in total (sure Balmungs could be as close as 50/50 or within 60/40 either way, but odds are when you take every real player in a datacenter, youd probably be lucky to hit 20/80 with the 20 being RP side). Now hopefully the free incentives will get some EU players who have been locked abroad due to the overcongestion of their frankly excessively lacking server amount to redistribute to those along with the mild across the EU datacenter movements which could bring some change everywhere.

Need at least 2-3 Official RP servers if they choose to go this route. Yes I can acknowledge that having all of tjis type of player can be beneficial in the short run, but long run its easier to merge the servers in 6.0 than to try to shrink them again in 8.0. This same amount would ne needed if they wanted to implement PVP servers. In the short run you can think of it as the ability to split the two into Lore Centric RP server and the Cosplay Centric RP (sorry if this seems ill fitting, but its kindof rough trying to designate the previously mentioned DBZ type RPers away while including the likely SAO, Naruto, Bleach, etc. types. Hopefully this can be accepted as tolerable). And possibly make 2 thriving albiet very different communities. Kindof wanna see a Samurai/Ninja shinigami army in black and white kimonos now, wont lie.

Why not designate server ____ as the official RP server. This is more of impression rather than results. Having a new server is more like telling a farmer "We found some fresh fertile farm land we'll help you move to if you want a more condusive environment" whereas making a current server RP is more like "Hey we're calling this bustling metropolis a national park so gtfo so we can make it look like one properly, well cover the move fees for you to be not here tho." Both arent exactly great, but being told moving somewhere better for you feels better than move somewhere else so here can be different better for someone else.

Either way the big servers are gunna need substantial amounts of all player types to find new homes so everywhere becomes healthier.

How do RPers have more benefit from moving somewhere as opposed to non-RPers moving somewhere. For one example "physical" community. RPers want this to a more personal extent than Non-RPers, and probably to a more expansive extent as well. For example when Kurogane opens up me and my friend will likely buy 2-3 houses right next to each other in the same ward, but honestly after that i could give a damn less who my neighbors are, if i like them great if i dont their excess pixels on my screen. RPers on the other hand may have interest in getting an entire street or a whole ward and possibly building sub-neighboorhoods with their friends or allied guilds. Having a completely blank slate for this is EXTREMELY valuable for this, its akin to having first dibs for an entire subdivision of 30 houses or so for you and the people you like being able to allocate among each other as you wish. And assuming large bulks of players in pre-existing social communities but less cohesive "physical" communities plan ahead of time, this is a very feasable. You could literraly find say 30 parties to say make a fisherman's wharf or swimsuit enthusiasts haven subdivision in the mists. A naturalist or eco friendly subdivision in the lavender beds. A burgoise district or a giant player run shopping center in the goblet. Or when Kugane opens you could have a sengokunera subdivision, a meiji restoration subdivision, or like with the cosplay type communities build a mini soul society in a subdivision. A guaranteed completely empty expanse of land us very beneficial to you, and assuming your community is as tight-knit as you trying to claim, this could be an extremely rewarding group endeavor with some really fun ideas. Dunno about some of the other Non-RPers/Part-Time RPers/Vacation RPers out there, buti for one would totally make an alt to see an LB ward converted into a giant player run chocobo racing/breeding/gambling facility. Which in turn may be an awesome form of advertising the fun of your playstyle and bring the fresh blood your society needs and seemingly wants to give it a go, in a way that was made as such from the get go.

Ok time to read my post myself and see where i can go from here.

Eternal foot-note: I'd fall somewhere between Part-Time RPer to Vacation RPer leaning more to the vacay side. Seriously can't do it non stop, but to me RP is simply an artform, no different than being a novelist, painter, scultor, or carpenter. Creative endeavors should be encouraged! But try to admit you better off making a creative district in a city in and empty expanse of unused land than taking over a half dead shopping mall or trying to empty the other half of a currently thriving one.

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Originally Posted by OcieKo

Ok time for controversy... Why recommend RPers move in bulk to a designated new server. Simply speaking because you need A CERTAIN spot to go to unoike general players who really only need a portion of their core play group and can remeld almost anywhere. RP will flourish better among like minds, given that the community is logistically smaller in total (sure Balmungs could be as close as 50/50 or within 60/40 either way, but odds are when you take every real player in a datacenter, youd probably be lucky to hit 20/80 with the 20 being RP side). Need at least 2-3 Official RP servers if they choose to go this route.

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I agree with most of your post, but SE need only designate one official RP server to alleviate the population problem on Balmung.

Creating just one RP server (or designating a small server like Maetus as the official RP server) would solve the population problem on Balmung single-handily within 1-2 weeks (assuming SE implements the promised transfer incentives that repay for housing, etc).

RPers need a centralized hub to ensure that their community does not stagnate, and to allow RPers (who have vastly different tastes and interests) to have a sufficient population to find the RP they value.

Designating one official RP server is the most feasible solution to the high population problem on Balmung and would not require a significant amount of resources for SE to implement.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

I agree with most of your post, but SE need only designate one official RP server to alleviate the population problem on Balmung.

Creating just one RP server (or designating a small server like Maetus as the official RP server) would solve the population problem on Balmung single-handily within 1-2 weeks (assuming SE implements the promised transfer incentives that repay for housing, etc).

RPers need a centralized hub to ensure that their community does not stagnate, and to allow RPers (who have vastly different tastes and interests) to have a sufficient population to find the RP they value.

Designating one official RP server is the most feasible solution to the high population problem on Balmung and would not require a significant amount of resources for SE to implement.

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While I can agree that with the likely current population doesnt need 2 servers, its more of a long term health option. Causing the current RP players to choose out of 2-3 homes and building up all of the communities means another one of these issues could be delayed longer or indefinitely. And I think part of why they want to make it FREE TO rather than FREE FROM, is to encourage going there for anyone. So say they make 2 RP designated servers, you could likely use Balmungs bulk group and possibly pick up some of those 10-200 or so player groups from other servers like Mateus and others whove are/have tried to make unofficial RP Homes. If you can get both to 4-5k stable rather than one to 8-9k stable its just better down the road. And could help alleviate a repeat of TRANSFER HERE FOR RP by having options.

Fracturing the RP community when its more 80/20 or 90/10 in favor of RP will hurt waaay more than the current outrage, and the outlet of non-RP presence will be hard to use with the "want to play with friends" arguement, since most of those non-RP groups on an RP servers are there because they joined a friend who is big on the RP.

Tho I still stand against using a previously existing server as the RP spot, itd just start a small scale recreation of the current issue. A completely new and empty server is a better option. Also if they have it ready for when transfers open, I would like to say locking ALL housing on the new servers until the Shirogane wards open for purchase is advisable. Not so much needed for designated small pop servers, just the BRAND NEW ones.

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Originally Posted by OcieKo

If you can get both to 4-5k stable rather than one to 8-9k stable its just better down the road. And could help alleviate a repeat of TRANSFER HERE FOR RP by having options.

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But is 8-9k stable? Somebody was quoting the devs at 7500 for the log in cap.... the question is if that has been extended since then.

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Originally Posted by savageink

But is 8-9k stable? Somebody was quoting the devs at 7500 for the log in cap.... the question is if that has been extended since then.

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Not really, but the current bal/greg issues are 12-26k total with about 7-13k stable. Thus why im more on the side of 5kish stable pops

Also im using stable here and in the quoted point in reference to the populations growth and decay rates, not the servers stability itself.

Another thing to note is that even with an RP designation, that won't prevent non-rpr's from playing on a server. Like people who transfer to Balmung and Gilgamesh simply for the bigger populations, the same can happen on an RP designated server. That's yet another reason we can't just funnel all the rpr's into one server.

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Originally Posted by Nicodemus_Mercy

Another thing to note is that even with an RP designation, that won't prevent non-rpr's from playing on a server. Like people who transfer to Balmung and Gilgamesh simply for the bigger populations, the same can happen on an RP designated server. That's yet another reason we can't just funnel all the rpr's into one server.

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I still do not believe that all RPers will take up an entirety of one server. But I'm curious. If you had to put a number on how many RPers there really are in this entire game (not just Balmung, but Gilgamesh, Mateus, et al), what would that number be?

Considering all of this, I am all for an RP-designated server/world. Have just one for now. But if it does become too crowded someday (though I doubt that it will), perhaps they can create another world.