Balmung Character Creation Restrictions - Something Needs to be Done

Hey guys!

I can't create new characters on Balmung, where my Free Company is. I was up as early as 5AM EST to see that half the worlds were locked for character creation (on a Monday Morning, mind you, which is the most opportune time to be doing this), and I waited until 6AM when things changed over, and both Balmung and Gilgamesh are still locked.

Is there any way to fix this problem? I'm pretty sure Balmung is permanently locked at this point, largely due to the fact that it is THE unofficial RP server and will always be heavily populated. Is there some way to, I dunno, encourage players to transfer off Balmung and go somewhere else? Like, I dunno, free server transfers off of Balmung?

I'm starting to get annoyed here, and paying the $18 for a server transfer TO Balmung from another server on Aether seems silly.

posting in a troll thread

Balmung is the most popular server on the NA data centers. Thus, it is the hardest to get into.
Free transfers off would help but it's sort of hard to justify it as balmung and gilgamesh are the only real problems on Aether. It's actually kind of silly because the other servers would love to have more people yet everyone insists on flocking to the damn sword and red guy servers.

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Originally Posted by kyuven

Balmung is the most popular server on the NA data centers. Thus, it is the hardest to get into.
Free transfers off would help but it's sort of hard to justify it as balmung and gilgamesh are the only real problems on Aether. It's actually kind of silly because the other servers would love to have more people yet everyone insists on flocking to the damn sword and red guy servers.

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If it wasn't for the fact I am part of a solid RP FC on Balmung, I'd happily go to one of the lesser-pop servers. Like Mateus or something. But my FC is in Balmung, I am happily committed to my FC, and any and every alt I make will become a part of that FC.

You ain't missing out a lot on the balmung server. I know someone there and I used to be on it, but it kind of changed into a official cybersex server or something.

Those limits are in place to stop the server grinding to a hault.
Once the capacity has been reached it has to spread out among the days/weeks.


On beta/launch there were no limits and you could BARELY move an inch, it was an absolute nightmare.

So to avoid the misery of the entire server lagging out, it's limited until the next automated check rolls around.

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Originally Posted by HakuroDK

If it wasn't for the fact I am part of a solid RP FC on Balmung, I'd happily go to one of the lesser-pop servers. Like Mateus or something. But my FC is in Balmung, I am happily committed to my FC, and any and every alt I make will become a part of that FC.

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Try early morning GMT. So around 4-6 hours ago, I've never had an issue mid-week, early-morning GMT making a character on Balmung, Excalibur or Gilgamesh.

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Originally Posted by kyuven

Balmung is the most popular server on the NA data centers. Thus, it is the hardest to get into.
Free transfers off would help but it's sort of hard to justify it as balmung and gilgamesh are the only real problems on Aether. It's actually kind of silly because the other servers would love to have more people yet everyone insists on flocking to the damn sword and red guy servers.

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iirc, they did this in XI: They gave opportunities to move to less-populated servers for free.

They also gave you the ability to create buddy-passes that would guarantee you access to a friend's server.

I've created several characters on Balmung over the past few months. Almost every time I had to plan to be up around 4-6AM PST to do so, but it always worked somewhere within that timeframe. I'm sure it's not 100%, but it worked for me.

Also note that one of my characters was created immediately after a maintenance at 1AM PST.

I also used this page as a reference: http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...06d0909189e479

Good luck. :e

Try around 11 am EST. Though you may be up against everyone else who is trying to get in at the weird times now, too. :/ Also, I've heard right after a maintenance is good.

I can't help but wonder if all your characters (and mine or anyone's, for that matter) are what's clogging the server. Won't know for sure until a dev steps in and says what closes a server to new characters.

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Originally Posted by Sadana

I can't help but wonder if all your characters (and mine or anyone's, for that matter) are what's clogging the server. Won't know for sure until a dev steps in and says what closes a server to new characters.

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It's theorized it's based on the number of currently logged in players on a server - which is why Stupid O'Clock In The Morning is what everyone recommends for getting onto a server.

I still think the entire system needs to be looked at though. I imagine a lot of players have been driven away by two days of trying to get onto the server of the friend that invited them only to not be able to.

I ended up creating a character the other day on Balmung just to see what the big deal is. Made it without a problem it was around 7-8am EST. So no its not permanently locked.

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Originally Posted by Garlyle

It's theorized it's based on the number of currently logged in players on a server - which is why Stupid O'Clock In The Morning is what everyone recommends for getting onto a server.

I still think the entire system needs to be looked at though. I imagine a lot of players have been driven away by two days of trying to get onto the server of the friend that invited them only to not be able to.

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Activity at the time seems to be the key, you're right. But what is SE supposed to do? Can't have 100k on one server and 10k on 10 others (picking random numbers) :/ Even looking beyond server strain, a dead server will drive people away too. What is y'all's solution?

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Originally Posted by Sadana

Activity at the time seems to be the key, you're right. But what is SE supposed to do? Can't have 100k on one server and 10k on 10 others (picking random numbers) :/ Even looking beyond server strain, a dead server will drive people away too. What is y'all's solution?

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The objective is to persuade players towards lower-population servers, but when it comes to locked servers, players intent on getting in will get in anyway - those who don't have specific targets will just go for whatever's available.

So just update the systems used to suggest servers to new players and characters, and let those who actually know where they want to go where they go. Because they'll do it anyway, or they'll just take their time elsewhere entirely.

At this point, all servers have pretty established communities, even the smallest ones. A system trying to force divert players at this point is not a fraction as necessary as it was on release, but it's still there, unchanged.

I'm just curious, but why the need to make alts on the same server anyways?

Everything about crafting seems to say it's best to level all professions on one character. While getting all DoW/DoM classes isn't needed, you still tend to want to get a few of those up there to support the main class.

And I know, RP, but in my experience best to concentrate on one character for RP as well, as alting between many different ones tends to not have people even get attached to them.

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Originally Posted by Korilynn

And I know, RP, but in my experience best to concentrate on one character for RP as well, as alting between many different ones tends to not have people even get attached to them.

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Not in RP. >.>
The whole point is to be able to play as different characters. WAY more fun than "sticking with one". It's not about the levels or gear, it's about the story and interactions with other characters. And, I can't speak for others, I'm VERY attached to my characters.

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Originally Posted by Sadana

Not in RP. >.>
The whole point is to be able to play as different characters. WAY more fun than "sticking with one". It's not about the levels or gear, it's about the story and interactions with other characters. And, I can't speak for others, I'm VERY attached to my characters.

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People often are attached to their own character. The comments was more along the lines of "If you have 2 (or more even) characters you're splitting time between them." When that happens, people are less likely to really care about the characters they see once a week versus the ones they see every day.

Also, with FFXIV's glamour system, to really help get them into their own, they need level 50.

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Originally Posted by NoahArks

You ain't missing out a lot on the balmung server. I know someone there and I used to be on it, but it kind of changed into a official cybersex server or something.

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If that's the case, I think you're missing a lot for moving away from Balmung. :D

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Originally Posted by Sadana

Activity at the time seems to be the key, you're right. But what is SE supposed to do? Can't have 100k on one server and 10k on 10 others (picking random numbers) :/ Even looking beyond server strain, a dead server will drive people away too. What is y'all's solution?

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They could reinstate the AFK auto log out; it might help if restrictions are based on current players logged in. I don't know how many people stay signed in while sleeping/at work, but it always looked like a lot on Excalibur. It's also possible not enough stay logged in for it to matter. However, this doesn't adress dead servers.

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Originally Posted by Priya

They could reinstate the AFK auto log out; it might help if restrictions are based on current players logged in. I don't know how many people stay signed in while sleeping/at work, but it always looked like a lot on Excalibur. It's also possible not enough stay logged in for it to matter. However, this doesn't adress dead servers.

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True.
Unfortunately, the auto log out had a ridiculously easy work around of interacting with the FC coffer or starting a craft and leaving the menu open. :/ If folks want to stay in game so that they wouldn't have to deal with log in queues, they will find a way. So, sadly, I'm not sure that would make any difference.

Mabye if SE actually banned those 55 Black Mages at the Aetheryte in Ul'dah you'd be able to get in.

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Originally Posted by Sadana

True.
Unfortunately, the auto log out had a ridiculously easy work around of interacting with the FC coffer or starting a craft and leaving the menu open. :/ If folks want to stay in game so that they wouldn't have to deal with log in queues, they will find a way. So, sadly, I'm not sure that would make any difference.

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Login queues..... they don't last 30 seconds on Balmung on the worst of days and they only occur (occasionally) at peak times. I really hope that's not peoples' reason.

I'm confused. Why is Balmung so popular? (out of curiosity)

Because it's where all RPers go to.

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Originally Posted by MilesSaintboroguh

Because it's where all RPers go to.

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I wouldn't last 2 seconds.

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Originally Posted by Yutsimaki

I'm confused. Why is Balmung so popular? (out of curiosity)

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ERP, that's why

ERP is there, most definately, but the RPers are a MASSIVE community.

Also, for some reason, any FFXIV fan who uses tumblr is pointed towards Balmung. I know a great many players who are Balmungers that have nothing to do with RP, but use a tumblr blog for their GC site or just to post goofy stuff they do. The FFXIV tag is always filling up, so, that's another relatively large community of players all hopping into Balmung.

I literally stayed up all night just to get into Balmung..I have no regrets.

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Originally Posted by myahele

ERP, that's why

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Why am I not on this server!? D:

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Originally Posted by HakuroDK

Hey guys!

I can't create new characters on Balmung, where my Free Company is. I was up as early as 5AM EST to see that half the worlds were locked for character creation (on a Monday Morning, mind you, which is the most opportune time to be doing this), and I waited until 6AM when things changed over, and both Balmung and Gilgamesh are still locked.

Is there any way to fix this problem? I'm pretty sure Balmung is permanently locked at this point, largely due to the fact that it is THE unofficial RP server and will always be heavily populated. Is there some way to, I dunno, encourage players to transfer off Balmung and go somewhere else? Like, I dunno, free server transfers off of Balmung?

I'm starting to get annoyed here, and paying the $18 for a server transfer TO Balmung from another server on Aether seems silly.

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----> http://world-alerts.com/

One idea that would help in making alts, is what world of warcraft did. If a server got so full that they closed character creation on it, people who already had characters on that locked server, could still make an alt. It was only locked to new players trying to create a character on the server for the first time. If they did that, it would help folks like myself. Another thing that would help, just last night during RP, poof, 15 tiny lalafell black mage bots appeared in the inn room in drybone, they all jumped over to a phased npc creating a weird after image effect, then jumped to the end of the bed, then vanished again. Happened multiple times in the course of that RP. SE gets rid of those, the server would be open more.

I've been on balmung since the start of the game =) also have 2 alts. I'm not even there for the RP, it's just the server me and my friends started the game on.
But I will say, I find it entertaining when I'm out in the wild and I come across a group of RP people, I'll sneak around and pretend to fish/mine/woodcut and listen to the crazy conversations. There have definitely been some weird ones.

Many MMO's have free transfer weekends from time to time and this is something SE should do with FF14.

Not all the time but once a while now and again would be a good thing to do. It would not damage the ones paying to move much because most people would not be willing to wait weeks or months for a free weekend to pop up, they would just pay like normal. The free ones would be beneficial because it would help move FC's and groups of friends rather than targeting the individuals who would normally just pay to move and not wait as they do not have such a large reason not to do so.

There is very good reason why servers get locked from new character creation and that should stay. If anything it should become permanently locked until the server population drops significantly at that stage because trying to squeeze everyone in by bypassing the lockout making characters at off peak times which are not intended to be played during that period and instead played during peak hours is a problem. I think the occasional free weekend of transfers would help resolve that.

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

Also, for some reason, any FFXIV fan who uses tumblr is pointed towards Balmung. I know a great many players who are Balmungers that have nothing to do with RP, but use a tumblr blog for their GC site or just to post goofy stuff they do.

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I do not RP and I have a Tumblr, and I'm willing to follow more people there. A very bad misconception in general online RP is people heavily ERP or that's the basis of it all. Very unture, as you said, it's there...I bet...I know those 2 male Miqote in loincloth weren't hugging up together for nothing but the community
is incredibly friendly! I moved back and forth 3 times just to finally settle in Balmung. Very entertaining seeing people go on dates underwater falls or RP in Ul'dah.
I literally sat in Camp Bronzelake the other day, watching 2 people have a date in the waterfall, and a FC just sit talking on the green water spa thing, and decided to leave once it began thunderstorming.
^^ There's a lot of welcomed walk-up RPs too so you can usually see people RPing in the open. A lot of fun to read while afkin' or DFing.

I love Balmung and will never leave it again. The random Snow guy with the hat that gave me a Vivi cookie and tea sealed the deal for me about a year ago. <3

Sargatanas has the same problem, and it's just a server. I'd love to be on Balmung for the RP, but pretty much everyone I know RL who plays the game is on Sarg, so that's where I stay.