Regarding the crisis in Japan and the FF14 forums.

First of all, let me say that I am truly sorry for the crisis that is affecting Japan today.. Thousands have died, and millions have been inconvenienced. I hope that it gets resolved soon both for the people of Japan, and for the multiple industries that have been affected by the crisis.


BUT!


This is a gaming forum.. yes, the crisis in Japan is very much related to pretty much everything FF14. That doesn't mean every thread and every post has to convey their sympathies to the Japanese and SE.

For example, the notion that backup servers in other places would have prevented the total shutdown... You know what, I bet SE themselves are thinking this already. What exactly is wrong with pointing this out?

Raising complaints, offering suggestions, talking about the game.. This is what this forum was made for. Hey, I found something in the game that could use some improvement.. oh wai.., Japan got hit by an earthquake, is all right nevermind. Hmm, They should have had more failsafes if... whoops, tsunami.. Everything's good!! No worries here!

Again, This is a gaming forum.. We don't need 10 threads that convey how sorry we are that they got hit by natural disasters. You know what, terrible things happen everywhere ALL THE TIME. And we should always try and empathize and help people out if we can. This doesn't mean that we're not allowed to complain and raise suggestions that could improve the game.

You heartless bastard! (just kidding)

Seriously, I am truly in support of the crisis that hit Japan, and I am not in any way holding anything against SquareEnix because of that.

However, I will be a little disappointed as I believe this will affect development most likely, and possibly change their deadlines a bit. I'm not saying this is their fault, or that they should be concerned over it. But this is likely going to be the case.

These thoughts have also crossed my mind. Luckily the servers were still up and running. Also, the developers are humans too, they may have family or friends who may have been affected by the earthquake. Cut them some slack man. I'm not saying they should halt all FFXIV developments, I would just rather have them mentally and emotionally ready before they continue their work.

We also don't need 10 threads about bitching about people who just want to show their concern and support.

Seriously dude. You don't walk up to a woman attending her child's funeral and nag her about her electric bill, do you? Debate everything you want, make any comments you want about back up servers, which are probably valid comments, but for *** sake, you don't pour salt into somebody's wounds by saying "well, this inconvenience could have been entirely avoided if they'd have done such and such thing."

I am cutting them some slack..

I'm just saying that just because FF14 servers are shutdown and development is on hiatus, it doesn't mean that we players and forumers suddenly become these angels of mercy that don't tolerate anything remotely negative said about SE or FF14.

To further my example in my first post.. Everytime someone mentions the notion that SE should have had fail-safes and backup plans in case they had to shut down JP servers are almost always immediately called as "tactless" and flamewars ensue.. Thing is, as a business, I'm pretty sure this is what SE SHOULD have done, I don't see what's wrong with pointing it out. And I'm betting you that after they recover from this (and patched up FF14), one of the first things they will be looking into are ways to spread out their servers more.


Cutting SE some slack =/= not pointing out flaws in the game, etc. We're not expecting them to do much work, but we should not stop suggesting what could and should be done.

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Originally Posted by Malakhim

We also don't need 10 threads about bitching about people who just want to show their concern and support.

Seriously dude. You don't walk up to a woman attending her child's funeral and nag her about her electric bill, do you? Debate everything you want, make any comments you want about back up servers, which are probably valid comments, but for *** sake, you don't pour salt into somebody's wounds by saying "well, this inconvenience could have been entirely avoided if they'd have done such and such thing."

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1. I believe this is the first thread specifically made to address the issue of people who refuse to discuss anything negative pertaining to FF14 or SE.

2. I myself am concerned about the Japanese people.. and I have no intention of "pouring salt into the Japanese's wounds".. SE =/= Japanese.. Companies should always be held to a higher and relatively impersonal standard.

it is like saying if the airlines had better security or buildings had better construction it wouldn't inconvience ppl because of 9/11. The day it happen. Yes this is a game forum, but many of our fellow players may have died. Stop talking about fail safes when ppl are in morning over loss of friends.

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Originally Posted by raffyv

1. I believe this is the first thread specifically made to address the issue of people who refuse to discuss anything negative pertaining to FF14 or SE.

2. I myself am concerned about the Japanese people.. and I have no intention of "pouring salt into the Japanese's wounds".. SE =/= Japanese.. Companies should always be held to a higher and relatively impersonal standard.

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no this isn't the first. Mods been stoping threads.

ffxi and ffxiv being shut down is moot compair to other stuff. Ppl are trying to see where everyone is and hoping they are ok. The day it happen everyone was conserned on if yoshida was hurt.
In a small way I am happy you guys enjoy the game enough to be upset about not playing. But that shouldn't be on your mind atm. Let the dust settle before going on SE. Even if they had wide spread servers it might get shut down anyone due to biling being shut down.
on 9/11 my school stop all classes and my shop "graphic arts" made buttons and tshirts with use spirit.

sorry ran outa room. but we handed them out to everyone as away for us to be calm and united as american citizens. Infact it was my shops class clown who found out 9/11 happen and we told the school we all thought he was joking.

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Originally Posted by raffyv

SE =/= Japanese.. Companies should always be held to a higher and relatively impersonal standard.

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SE does equal Japanese. They are a Japaneses company with Japaneses employees and some have already said they have family and/or friends missing that lived up in that area. So you can go ahead and tell them not to worry about them because addressing gamers issues with a game on this forum and finding fault in how they have their servers is so much more important. *sarcasm*

I don't mind talking about the game, sharing ideas and stating problems. Its heartless comments that upset me... SE =/= Japaneses, they should have had a better back up plan, they are a company and must be held to an impersonal standard, bah whatever they are still humans and their country is a mess. People who have been though natural disasters or large scale tragedies understand... seeing that I had to deal though one I understand where they are coming from, and the problems in the game just don't seem as important as what they are doing.

This "SE isn't Japaneses, they should have had a better back up plan, they are a company and...ecc" line raising in the forum it's just retard. Stop with this madness, SE is an international company but don't mean they can afford to pay 3 server farm around the world. Furthermose since the main development in in japan. So stop bitching, gaming isn't the priority now

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Originally Posted by raffyv

[...] Thing is, as a business, I'm pretty sure this is what SE SHOULD have done, I don't see what's wrong with pointing it out. And I'm betting you that after they recover from this (and patched up FF14), one of the first things they will be looking into are ways to spread out their servers more. [...]

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And I'm betting they won't.

1. It would cost a huge amount of money and would not only make server maintenance more difficult but also more prone to errors.

2. In very rare exceptional cases like this one, when they have to shut down the servers in one location, they would most probably still have to suspend the whole service. They can't operate the game with only half of the servers. And they would get even more complaints if some people could play while others are put on hold for a week.

The main reason why other MMO operators spread out their servers is to reduce latency. This is certainly a valid reason, but in my opinion hardly worth the drawbacks for a PvE focused game like Final Fantasy XIV.

MMOs don't have back-up servers. It takes too much money to justify something that will only be used in case of a freak accident (like say a 9.0 earthquake). Go ahead do some research I'll wait...

See.

Where does that leave us then? Half of us want to talk about the game and the other half wants to derail and silence any discussion.

SE and other fan sites should shut their forums down because everyone wants to cry onto their keyboard over the events of Japan -INSTEAD- of talking to real people about the real events that have effected them. A computer isn't going to console one's emotion. Coming onto a game site and expecting people on the other side of the globe to understand the scope of the disasters is unfair.

Before we had phones and the internet none of us would even have a clue.

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Originally Posted by raffyv

1. I believe this is the first thread specifically made to address the issue of people who refuse to discuss anything negative pertaining to FF14 or SE.

2. I myself am concerned about the Japanese people.. and I have no intention of "pouring salt into the Japanese's wounds".. SE =/= Japanese.. Companies should always be held to a higher and relatively impersonal standard.

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Alright I'm not going to rail on you too hard because I agree with the general sentiment that life goes on, and you seem to have the best intentions, but you're kind of a social idiot.

Go talk to a mother attending her child's funeral and ask her about her power bill which is a day past due. I'm sure the response you're going to get is "yeah, I'll get right on that once I finish mourning the death of my 5-year-old." Congratulations, you're now an asshole to anyone who heard that exchange.

Now apply that to this scenario. Walk up to someone right after the fact and ask them about why you can't play FFXI or FFXIV and that they need to make global servers. "Oh yeah sure man, and once we're done finding our families and securing our property we'll get right on that.

If there was ever a doubt in the collective mind of SE that global servers should have happened, it's probably been moved straight to the forefront after all this, but they hardly need to be reminded of something like that right now. Once things have cleared and the adrenaline is done pumping, preventive measures can be discussed.

Otherwise, just keep discussing jump on the forums among other things, which to the best of my knowledge is what everyone else has been doing on the forums since Friday anyway.

It's not about silencing anyone's opinions, it's about god damned human decency.

I feel for the moderators on these boards. Having to read insensitive bs after their country has experienced this catastrophic event must be uberistically demoralizing. Who cares if they should have had back up servers? Maybe in the future they will but right now that is the least of their worries. When hearing they were bringing down the servers, the first thought that wasn't in my head was whether or not they should have planned better in case mother nature decided to kick their teeth in... The first thought was, "Good for you SE - good for you for supporting your country by doing what was requested to help your people rise above this as soon as possible." Why is it that people like you think about trivial things such as this? Who... gives... a.... f***? I and my fellow ls-mates were discussing personalities such as this and just find ourselves disgusted and appalled by the apathy present with some of you folks. Learn to be human then learn to be selfless, unselfish and supportive of our fellow human beings caught up in this s*** storm in Japan. If you can't do this then get the frick out.

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Originally Posted by Malakhim

We also don't need 10 threads about bitching about people who just want to show their concern and support.

Seriously dude. You don't walk up to a woman attending her child's funeral and nag her about her electric bill, do you? Debate everything you want, make any comments you want about back up servers, which are probably valid comments, but for *** sake, you don't pour salt into somebody's wounds by saying "well, this inconvenience could have been entirely avoided if they'd have done such and such thing."

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THIS! The game is the last thing on their minds and should be... family members dead or missing. Homes destroyed.. Yeah.. the game needs work but now is not the time. Try having a lil bit of compasion ass.

Prehaps we require a sticky.

Its a win-win. Put all the people that want to cry about how sorry they are and the people who want to moan that they can't play the game in one place. That leaves the rest of the forum clear to be used for its intended purpose.

I'd make it myself but I'd probably get banned with all the white knights around here.

Being ignorant does not give you the privilege of making insensitive comment. There are more important things than keeping this game running. and seriously no one mind if you want to discuss the content of the game and how the game could be improve, but to complain needlessly about something that clearly is out of SE control and is wholly unpredictable is not prudent.

If you think it is more important to complain about temporary losing your access to a game than to sympathise and show some sensitivity and compassion on a devasating disaster, then i think you should sort out your priority.

By all mean, cry onto your keyboard over the loss of access to your entertainment -INSTEAD- of showing compassion to real people about real event that have caused so much grief. A computer game that allow you to fight virtual monster and gain virtual item isn't going to save people life. Coming on here just to complain about how a disaster on the otherside of the planet shouldn't affect your life is distasteful and uninform.

This is all rather disgraceful. =/

Please don't take my words out of context to push your twisted agenda. Thanks in advance.

Everyone needs to chill out. Japan deserves our love right now. But all this spazzing out over people who aren't crying their eyes out... Not cool. Just because you can't process someone who doesn't think exactly the same way as you. No right to judge.

...JP still have earthquake's after shock in underground and volcano may kaboom.... and in tokyo have problem about food and water...plus Electricity in one day every zone will cut down power for share power zone by zone coz it not enough to everyone coz 4 Nuclear power plants already stop coz risk of after shock and got damage. with this happen do you think ppl still work like normally? even u move sv to other country what about man power to set it up and cost .. leak program to outside in this situation for hard core gamer... my friend who working in JP tell me like this.. i feel upset when read this topic and think about humanity

I don't think out of context means what you think it mean. I have to quote you to take your words out of context. I simply use your writing style to say that perhaps you could be more sensitive and compassionate and that there are more important things than to keep the server running.

Seriously, I don't *** care about the game right now.
As I see it, the game most likely could and will be shut down for a longer time than just one week...

IF, and thats a BIG IF Japan is gonna be hit by THREE Core Meltdowns...the country will suffer a huge deal and prolly won't recover for decades. This game is one of the last things they should care about and other then that...if there is even ONE person in the SE building right now, working to improve FFXIV...I would hit that guy. I can even see FFXIV being shutdown completely.

@raffyv: I don't know where you live at...but just imagine your country is as big as state in the US or a normal sized country in Europe...and your country suffers a 9.0 earthquake, which is easily one of the biggest earthquakes a country got hit by in the last centuries...PLUS may have to deal with 3 Core Meltdowns due to the earthquake...you wouldn't be on this *** forum debating about this game...you would be out and prolly scream and cry that your whole damn country might be history after this.

SE doesn't have back up servers so get over it....Seriously though are you surprised? Do you people have a clue about how the japanese operate? Most(if not all) don't just go throwing their tech at other countries. Which is probably why their tech is more advanced compared to other countries.

Honestly though why waste so much money to make a bunch of *** happier to play my game while my family and I are holding on for dear life? Only thing I slightly agree with is making a million threads based on the earthquake but hell people care and the non-compassionate just chill. I'm sure their are enough fan sites bashing SE so go there.

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Originally Posted by MarkH

I don't think out of context means what you think it mean. I have to quote you to take your words out of context. I simply use your writing style to say that perhaps you could be more sensitive and compassionate and that there are more important things than to keep the server running.

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By all means please quote where I talk about the servers at all. I was being honest by saying the scope of Japan is beyond me. I don't prance around forums pretending to be a white knight.

Let see.... most devs are japanese... who are in japan.... where the country is hit by worst natural diaster of 2 centuries... yeah... I'd worry coming into work and keeping the server up and running instead of my (family and friends) very survival.

Japan needs our love right now. YES.

SE needs a break and we should give them space. YES.

The people in Japan need to focus on more important things. YES.

I'm just saying that that doesn't mean that we are not allowed to express anything even slightly negative about the game or the company.

Jeez, do any of you guys even read.. What I'm ranting on about is that people just see some post with some negativity regarding SE and FF14, and they immediately counter with EARTHQUAKE, TSUNAMI!! STFU! TACTLESS!

If I think they should work on resizing the monster sizes, I will say so.. I know they won't be able to work on anything at all for a few months.. but that doesn't mean we should just forget about talking about the game.. good things AND BAD.

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Originally Posted by raffyv

Japan needs our love right now. YES.

SE needs a break and we should give them space. YES.

The people in Japan need to focus on more important things. YES.

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Nobody cares if you want to give feedback or talk negatively about the game. That's fine. It'd be nice if it were constructive negative feedback, but nobody's losing any sleep over shit talking.

It is however insensitive of anyone to say something like "well if they put global servers everywhere, this kind of shit wouldn't have had to happen and now I can't play my game." What you're saying is true enough, but it's a more than a bit insensitive to say it AT THIS SPECIFIC TIME. They don't need "I told you so" right now.

Now if anyone is preventing any actual debating on other game issues and using the earthquake as an excuse, well then that's gotta stop as well.

I got to love when people that know absolutely nothing about how a MMORPG operates flap their gums pretending to know.

"Backup" servers in another location (read in another nation) would solve nothing. Servers are useless without all the data of the characters inside them.

Transferring sensitive character data between one server farm and another is not a risk-free operation, it requires several days of preparation, and further days for execution. It's been done before (when a regional service of a game closed for good and operation had to be moved to the main server farm, not in case of natural disasters) and it was never instant.
This means that it's a completely useless operation unless the service outtage is very prolonged, because if the outtage is a week most or all of it would go just preparing to move character data to the backup farm and doing it.

This not to mention that, after the crisis, it would require a further outtage to transfer service back to the main server farm.

Let's not even talk about the costs of mantaining this backup server farm, since every FFXIV server (and every major MMO server) isn't just a server, but a server cluster made of several servers together. Servers that don't have only to be bought and installed, but also costantly mantained (because you can't just leave them locked up in a room waiting to be used).

So congratulation, not only you started a quite inappropriate thread for the time, but you also advocated a quite irrealistic idea. Good Job.

Server farms are rendered useless without a data backup to port over.. At best we'd all be playing the game with our characters at their progress a week ago..

A great philosophy to live by and follow:

Haters gon' hate.

Simple enough, yet true.

So what if development is halted? It's only gonna be a week or two. The world is a big place. Time is a long process. Go rent Dragon Age II and stop whining!

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Originally Posted by Abraxai

So what if development is halted? It's only gonna be a week or two. The world is a big place. Time is a long process. Go rent Dragon Age II and stop whining!

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Actually there's no word about development being halted. As far as i know workers in tokyo still go to work, and while there may be obvious and totally justified delays, I'm pretty sure that Yoshida and the others will pull up their sleeves and work hard to make the days out outtage bear at least some fruit.

Japanese are a die-hard people, and demonstrated it time and time in their history. I can easily guarantee that while the servers may be shut down, the development team will not remain idle.

"if" was a bit of a key word in what I was saying, to be fair. But I take your point.

Hmmm, Mega you are right, you are not complaining about the server being shut down unlike a lot of people here. That's good, please by all mean keep talking about how the game could improve, we need that.

I guess your choice of words tick me off and in my mind I've lumped you with all the rest, and I do think that just because one doesn't know or doesn't understand doesn't give one the right to feel entitled, be demanding and complain that SE had inconvenient them.

Like other have said, it would be very difficult and costly to keep a back up server farm outside the country, especially when corresponding server from both have to in sync in real time as you play. I just do not see it as reasonable to expect them to do and complain that they don't. FFXI run fine enough for almost a decades with the system that they have.

^Thanks for hearing me out Mark. Look forward to future posts with you.