Data Centre/World research

I'm heavily considering moving servers, as on Kujata I feel like the community is too small to get any enjoyment out of it. Meanwhile, I'll look at, for example, many YouTubers and they will have massive, always super active, super friendly communities, something that I just haven't found, even in my time on Tonberry. So I decided I would ask some questions here.

First question; is lag a severe factor in gameplay? Being from Australia, if I choose to play on an NA server, will the lag significantly hinder me?

If the answer should be yes, then what is the largest, most English speaking, most community-centric Japanese world?

If I could get some answers, that'd be great; while I'm in a nice FC on Tonberry, the rest of the community really bores me; mainly because it feels like there IS none

I can only really answer your first question. While not geographically the same, I have tried logging on from Hong Kong to my server (NA) before, and the lag was enough to annoy me. Meanwhile my BF plays on NA servers from Brazil, and he has to use things like WTFast and PingZapper to make it playable lag-wise for him. When he doesn't have that, he notices that he'll often get hit by telegraphs in battle that he sees his character get out of, but the server disagrees, or problems with casting, etc...

If NA servers were an option for you, would timezone differences be a factor for you as well?

The bard in my static is from Australia, plays on Aether, and doesn't really have any noticeable lag issues. She gets hit by the laser on O7S a lot, but that's because she has SLAD (Selective Laser Avoidance Disorder)

I play using the shoddier end of AU internet (no NBN for me yet) and lag was an issue in the more intensive end game raids. I reluctantly moved back to Tonberry early this year. Mudfish helped the lag but it was never perfect. As for what server...I thought it was Tonberry but I do know exactly what you mean. It definitely feels isolated there these days. We even have spare housing plots.

Hello, I'm on neighbouring server Typhon and we have a small-but-friendly English population here. There's a server-wide Discord (thread here) and my own FC is currently recruiting...

You can use the link below for checking size of population and preferred language of players.
In Elemental DC, Most of English Speakers are in Tonberry.
But I don't think Gaia DC, is good place for English Speaker.
While Masamune is good place for English Speakers in Mana DC.
http://luckybancho.ldblog.jp/wsurvey...world=Tonberry

The lag shouldn't be bad I'm in Japan currently for work and play on primal (NA data center) and have no lag what so ever all my savages have been just the same... So it's doable and very dependent on your ISP

I tried elemental but the "only jp" thing was just more than I would like to have dealt with...

I have same experience. Anyways, some Japanese are nice too. I paid a visit in Carbuncle. :)