Petition to Lift Balmung Server Lock / Impact of Server Lock on FFXIV RP Community

With the non-existence of queues on Balmung, no evidence of detrimental levels of excessive population, and the lifting of Gilgamesh’s restriction, the time has come for SE to lift the Balmung server lock.

The Balmung server lock has been detrimental to the vibrancy, health, and long-term viability of the FFXIV RP community. Yoshi P has stated during interviews that SE values the RP community and intends to release features in its support. The RP community is extremely grateful for this support, and unlocking Balmung is the single greatest act SE could do to support the RP community. Unlike PVEers, who can use the cross-world party finder to find others interested in PVE content, roleplayers rely on centralized locations and hubs to find roleplay. This is evidenced by Balmung’s vibrant population and by the fact that most RPers gravitate towards the largest RP community possible, as it provides the greatest frequency, breadth, and diversity of RP. Cross-world play features are not adequate for roleplayers, as in-game roleplay takes place in the same physical location in real time.

Below are several additional arguments in support of lifting the Balmung lock, along with several arguments intended to address common (and fallacious) counterpoints.

Argument in Support 1: Prohibiting transfers to Balmung divides the gaming community and discourages potential subscribers from purchasing the game to play with their friends.

There are no doubt dozens (if not hundreds) of players who recently purchased or considered purchasing FFXIV for the reason of playing with a friend. If friends happen to be located on a high population server where transfers are prohibited, the potential subscriber will be unable to join their friends and likely have little interest in purchasing the game. Prohibiting transferring also creates rifts in pre-established gaming communities, free companies, and contacts. Players are forced to pick and choose between groups to accommodate server transfers. This causes communities to become fragmented and increases the risk that players will grow disinterested in the game as others discontinue playing.

Argument in Support 2: There Is No Evidence That Balmung’s Current Server Population is Excessive or Detrimental.

There has been no evidence that Balmung’s population has caused server instability, or that the extraordinary act of barring all character creation and transfer to the server is necessary to abate any harms. There is no reasonable basis for anyone to conclude that there is a population problem on Balmung at the present time. SE has presented no data or information about the current population level. Some posters are acting like SE has released concrete information that supports its decision. It has not, and in many instances SE has struggled to accurately report data or made inadvertent errors (i.e. – “FFXIV has surpasses 10 Million Players press release”; 1.0; Diadem, etc.). If you want to believe SE has correctly continued to lock the server, you need more information to reasonably conclude that at the present time. For example, it could state: “There are X active accounts on Balmung within the last 30 days. A FFXIV server can presently handle Y active accounts before server instability becomes a critical issue. Over the past 3 months, Z active accounts have transferred from the server. At this rate, the server will likely be unlocked in U months.” It has not released such information.

It is likely that SE may be keeping the server locked based on a metric like total number of characters (without taking into account active accounts). It is likely that SE does not understand the full extent of how the server lock is harming FCs, dividing the FFXIV RP community, and creating stagnation, which will ultimately lead to a loss of subscribers. The point of this thread is to point these issues out to SE and give people impacted by these issues a place to voice their concern.

Argument in Support 3: Prohibiting transfers to Balmung is devastating to the long-term viability and health of FFXIV’s large roleplay community.

Roleplayers depend on the ability to access a centralized, large community of individuals interested in roleplay. The transfer prohibition threatens to further stagnate the Balmung RP community and divide roleplayers among dwindling populations on small servers. Unlike PVE communities, RP communities are far more entrenched in their server communities, and it takes a tremendous amount of work and planning to orechestrate RP activities. Roleplayers are among some of SE’s most loyal and long-term subscribers (and expect considerably less in terms of new content because roleplayers create their own content). If SE does not reverse the prohibition, the FFXIV roleplay community faces a substantial risk of further dwindling populations and disinterest in the game.

If SE believes Balmung’s population is excessive and requires a long-term lock, it should strongly consider designating an official RP server, and providing free transfer sot that server.

Fallacious Argument 1: “Balmung is over populated, and SE will lift the server lock when it decides to.”

This argument is rooted in speculation, circular logic, and is not an argument in the first place. The argument amounts to little more than the following tautological nonsense: "the server is locked because SE says its locked and SE is right because it says its right." This is not valid reasoning or the basis of any respectable opinion. The entire point of this thread (and others like it) is to apprise the development team of the need to unlock the server.

Fallacious Argument 2: “The RP community doesn’t need one server, and can exist on multiple servers.”

The RP community is not large enough to sustain itself in the long-run across multiple servers in the long-term. Servers serve no purpose to the RP community, and their only function is to divide an already small community across a pointless technical barrier. When the RP community is spread out across multiple servers, like-minded RPers are not able to readily communicate with one another, and much of their efforts goes to finding and creating RP, instead of actually RPing. There is a reason why Balmung prospered as a RP hub: RPers require a centralized, organized location to RP. It is not reasonable to expect a segment of the gaming population to be burdened by the task of creating multiple alts, spread across multiple servers, and investing time into leveling those alts to surpass quest-locked content. This is a technical, wasteful facet of the game that causes players to lose interest and segments the community.

Conclusion: These are only a few reasons why the Balmung server lock is detrimental and should be terminated immediately. If SE will not terminate this policy, it should at least disclose more information about the problem, and a firm date when the prohibitions will be lifted, so players can plan and play accordingly.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

2. Argument in Support 2: There Is No Evidence That Balmung’s Current Server Population is Excessive or Detrimental.

There has been no evidence that Balmung’s population has caused server instability, or that the extraordinary act of barring all character creation and transfer to the server is necessary to abate any harms.

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I mean, you don't really have access to such information. SE does, and there's probably a good reason for the limitations.

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Originally Posted by Kitfox

I mean, you don't really have access to such information. SE does, and there's probably a good reason for the limitations.

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There. Is. No. Evidence. Of. Server. Instability. Related. To. Allegedly. Excessive. Population. Levels.

As mentioned above, I will decline to address this circular line of argument any further.

SE has not disclosed its decision making process or provided any meaningful information on the server lock. Until it does, there is no reasonable basis to conclude that the server should remain locked.

This again?!

Good grief, the amount of times this topic has been made just this week alone is ridiculous.

RP community has been doing fine on other servers from what I hear. Also square has the numbers, and they'll lift the restriction when they know the time is right. You're opinion does not and never will factor into this.

Also remember when you made this thread and people told you that you were wrong then? I do~
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...%80%9D-Servers

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Originally Posted by KaivaC

This again?!

Good grief, the amount of times this topic has been made just this week alone is ridiculous.

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Great. SE can alleviate the tremendous burden you surely incurred by intentionally clicking this thread and spending 10 seconds skimming it by simply unlocking Balmung. Everyone wins.

I'll construe your post as a resounding showing of support.

Thanks.

Why? Why another thread about this issue?
Do you really believe SE will give in if you just cry enough?

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Balmung will most likely re-open once SE is happy with the population on it. They've proven to do that with Gilgamesh but unfortunatly, Balmung hasnt reached their desired, healthy numbers yet. Once it does, it will most likely re-open. Since that depends on you, the people on the server (getting off the server), they obviously cant disclose a date when thats gonna happen.

it seems like the recent reopening of Gilgamesh proves that SE is keeping an eye on these types of situations and will unlock balmung when the server reaches whatever SE’s magic desired number is. Hopefully that happens for you guys sooner rather than later. It’ll happen when the numbers are right.

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Originally Posted by Velthice

RP community has been doing fine on other servers from what I hear. Also square has the numbers, and they'll lift the restriction when they know the time is right. You're opinion does not and never will factor into this.

Also remember when you made this thread and people told you, you were wrong then? I do~
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...%80%9D-Servers

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See responses to fallacious arguments 1 and 2.

I'll add that many paying subscribers (like myself) realize that SE operates a business, and business decisions are often influenced by consumer demand. When consumers demand something, businesses often listen to those demands.

That is the very function of a public forum like this: to apprise SE to subscriber requests.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

Great. SE can alleviate the tremendous burden you surely incurred by intentionally clicking this thread and spending 10 seconds skimming it by simply unlocking Balmung. Everyone wins.

I'll construe your post as a resounding showing of support.

Thanks.

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Ah, the passive aggressive post. Except it failed in even being passive aggressive. Balmung doesn't need to be unlocked....Balmung players just need to stop whining about this.

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Originally Posted by Vidu

Why? Why another thread about this issue?
Do you really believe SE will give in if you just cry enough?

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Balmung will most likely re-open once SE is happy with the population on it. They've proven to do that with Gilgamesh but unfortunatly, Balmung hasnt reached their desired, healthy numbers yet. Once it does, it will most likely re-open. Since that depends on you, the people on the server (getting off the server), they obviously cant disclose a date when thats gonna happen.

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See response to fallacious argument 1. Unlike the three actual arguments outlined in the OP, circular logic and blind deference to seemingly arbitrary business decisions made by SE is not an argument.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

See responses to fallacious arguments 1 and 2.

I'll add that many paying subscribers (like myself) realize that SE operates a business, and business decisions are often influenced by consumer demand. When consumers demand something, businesses often listen to those demands.

That is the very function of a public forum like this: to apprise SE to subscriber requests.

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You keep saying stuff like fallacious arguements 1 and 2, yet isnt insanity the act of doing the same thing (asking for Balmung to open) over and over again with no changes?

Balmung will open when it empties enough. There are servers with resources not in use due to lower populations. Move there, make RP communities, profit. I'm sure you don't know every single person, or RP'er on Balmung. If you think its stagnating, why not leave your FC, all your linkshells, and delete everyone on your friends list, and get new ones with people you haven't played with before? There, not stagnant anymore.

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Originally Posted by KaivaC

Ah, the passive aggressive post. Except it failed in even being passive aggressive. Balmung doesn't need to be unlocked....Balmung players just need to stop whining about this.

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I respectfully disagree, and believe that players who do not play on Balmung, do not understand the detrimental impacts of the server ban has had on the community, and have little to no vested interest in the issue should simply reserve judgment (or not click the thread). But this, sadly, is the internet, and reason rarely governs action. ETERNAL SADNESS.

No thanks.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

I respectfully disagree, and believe that players who do not play on Balmung, do not understand the detrimental impacts of the server ban has had on the community, and have little to no vested interest in the issue should simply reserve judgment (or not click the thread). But this, sadly, is the internet, and reason rarely governs action. ETERNAL SADNESS.

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The other NA servers outnumber Balmung...so what are these detrimental impact on the community? Because the rest of us are actually doing just fine on other servers. Or just wait, like the Gilgamesh players did.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

See responses to fallacious arguments 1 and 2.

I'll add that many paying subscribers (like myself) realize that SE operates a business, and business decisions are often influenced by consumer demand. When consumers demand something, businesses often listen to those demands.

That is the very function of a public forum like this: to apprise SE to subscriber requests.

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You're first argument is just you stamping your feet and saying "YOU CAN'T SAY THAT" and you're second argument is provably false since there are rpc's thriving on mateus and doing just fine on faerie. How very inconvenient for your argument.

Also your balmung bucks aren't worth any more than the rest of the playerbase, so if the playerbase at large is benefiting from balmung being closed, and smaller servers now thriving is a sign that they are, then closed balmung shall remain until it falls in line population wise.

Keeping more people off balmung has made RP flourish on other servers.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

I respectfully disagree, and believe that players who do not play on Balmung, do not understand the detrimental impacts of the server ban has had on the community, and have little to no vested interest in the issue should simply reserve judgment (or not click the thread). But this, sadly, is the internet, and reason rarely governs action. ETERNAL SADNESS.

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I was on Balmung from the moment it was born from Fabul and Besaid during 1.0 until 4.0's launch. I have no idea what you are talking about.

I wish people who only started playing the game after the character creation locks went full swing would stop posting their opinions as fact as they are part of the problem to begin with. How many chars did you pay to transfer on to the server?

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Originally Posted by Sylvina

Keeping more people off balmung has made RP flourish on other servers.

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No you see that can't be true because he said so

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Originally Posted by Oaken

There. Is. No. Evidence. Of. Server. Instability. Related. To. Allegedly. Excessive. Population. Levels.

As mentioned above, I will decline to address this circular line of argument any further.

SE has not disclosed its decision making process or provided any meaningful information on the server lock. Until it does, there is no reasonable basis to conclude that the server should remain locked.

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So where's your evidence? I mean you must have something to back your claims up that contradict SE?

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Originally Posted by Velthice

No you see that can't be true because he said so

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Absolutely ridiculous, theres a full linkshell of RPers on Coerl with regular events.

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Originally Posted by Velthice

You're first argument is just you stamping your feet and saying "YOU CAN'T SAY THAT" and you're second argument is provably false since there are rpc's thriving on mateus and doing just fine on faerie. How very inconvenient for your argument.

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You're basically saying: trust SE because SE is right because it is right. That is your argument.

Why should customers show SE blind deference? We have no evidence of population problems whatsoever, but what is clear is that the server lock is harming the player base. What is likely is that SE has implemented an excessive, simple remedy to address remote, potential harms. They see this remedy as having no real impact on players because of the cross-world party finder function, when in reality -- it's very detrimental to the the RP community and other segments of the player base.

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Originally Posted by Sylvina

Absolutely ridiculous, theres a full linkshell of RPers on Coerl with regular events.

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But thats a fallacious arguement, he's not going to resond to it ever, hes so done with that. He only wants meaningful (read: agrees with what he says) discussion.

https://viralviralvideos.com/wp-cont...in-Germany.jpg










(Srsy, lol)

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Originally Posted by Oaken

See response to fallacious argument 1. Unlike the three actual arguments outlined in the OP, circular logic and blind deference to seemingly arbitrary business decisions made by SE is not an argument.

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...yes, sure. Lets go with that.

Except... SE themself is refering to your world as "congested" and wether thats because of the actual technical limitation they've discussed and that you can see for yourself or because someone once randomly wrote down an arbitrary number like 18796 and claimed that there shouldnt be more people on a world because thats their favorite number and no server should ever surpass it, doesnt matter to much. Also: It is the technical limitations, just so you dont focus to much on my little joke here.
They've explained why Balmung is locked - its full. Full is full. Not arbitrary, just a fact.
And once its less full or/and closer to their desired number, they will unlock it again. Your whining does nothing, but being annoying at this point.

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Originally Posted by Sylvina

Keeping more people off balmung has made RP flourish on other servers.

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I mean no offense, but you likely have no foundation, experience, or understanding of the RP community. RP does not "flourish" on other servers when its participants are limited to a handful of sparsely populated link shells that throw a RP event once in a blue moon. If you've never been a part of a centralized RP community, it might be difficult to understand the importance of having a centralized hub. The reason that RP tends to gravitate to a centralized location is that RP requires such a thing to exist in the first place. Without having access to a community, participation in community activities is substantially more difficult.

Free transfers off Balmung to preferred realms have been open for nearly 6 months now. The solution is right in front of anyone there. If you want to pout and call it unacceptable...well, the rest of us really don't care. Deal with it. Balmung will be fine once enough people have bled off of it, whether it's by quitting or transfers.

Oh, and before you go on a holier-than-thou "refutal" of what I've stated...I'm one of many who took a free transfer off the server, so you can spare me the arrogant drivel since I've done my part to help Balmung.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

I mean no offense, but you likely have no foundation, experience, or understanding of the RP community. RP does not "flourish" on other servers when its participants are limited to a handful of sparsely populated link shells that throw a RP event once in a blue moon. If you've never been a part of a centralized RP community, it might be difficult to understand the importance of having a centralized hub. The reason that RP tends to gravitate to a centralized location is that RP requires such a thing to exist in the first place. Without having access to a community, participation in community activities is substantially more difficult.

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If you can tell people they don't know what they've seen because they aren't experts or w/e, people can tell you the same thing. Cuz that is exactly what you are doing lol.

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Originally Posted by Kazgrel

Free transfers off Balmung to preferred realms have been open for nearly 6 months now. The solution is right in front of anyone there. If you want to pout and call it unacceptable...well, the rest of us really don't care. Deal with it. Balmung will be fine once enough people have bled off of it, whether it's by quitting or transfers.

Oh, and before you go on a holier-than-thou "refutal" of what I've stated...I'm one of many who took a free transfer off the server, so you can spare me the arrogant drivel since I've done my part to help Balmung.

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See response to fallacious arguments 1 and 2. As mentioned above, the roleplay community requires centralized locations for RP to remain viable in the long-term.

I don't care that you do not care. Not in the slightest. I do care that SE is notified of this issue, and understands the consequences of its policies.

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Originally Posted by Oaken

See response to fallacious arguments 1 and 2. As mentioned above, the roleplay community requires centralized locations for RP to remain viable in the long-term.

I don't care that you do not care. Not in the slightest. I do care that SE is notified of this issue, and understands the consequences of its policies.

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Not really seeing any consequences yet, other than smaller servers starting to thrive. Oh wait, thats a good thing. Balmung is still locked because there are still tons of people on it. That means people haven't quit in droves, which means your argument is invalid.

Luckily SE doesn't particularly care about what you consider fallacious and has no interest in your arguments because they have all the facts that they need at their disposal. This isn't something for you to decide on without providing any reasonable proof that would sway SE one way or another. They have data and they don't really need to show it to you and whether or not you believe their data or them on their argument makes no difference. If you want to discuss it then fine but just stamping your feet and saying people can't say something because you decided you don't like to deal with that response isn't helping your cause and it isn't going to prove anything to SE.

They'll open it when they decide it's reasonable to do so, this isn't us telling you this, it's them having stated this and you telling them it's fallacious isn't going to change their minds on it.

We were locked for reasons that SE has informed us of. They are under no obligation to publish the numbers that convinced them that Balmung needs to be restricted for the time being. If you feel the entire server is stagnating, that reeks of low reference pools and maybe you need to start getting to know more people. All this constant crying and whinging about it won't change their minds until they feel the population is at a stable amount.

I will say, I wish it would open up. I have friends that would like to play the game, but aren't really willing to play on other severs without me. I've been on Balmung back when it was Besaid in 1.0, I've got to much invested here and moving servers really isn't an option. I can't say how the RP communities in other servers are, but at this point for me, it doesn't matter. Do I agree with everything that the OP is saying? Not necessarily, but some of it. Generally I'd just like it to open so I can spend my time with friends and not worry about having to leave servers, or make alts.

Also, consider the aftermath. I know a good number of people that left Balmung when SB queue were bad and regret it. The minute Balmung reopens there will be a stampede of returning and transfering players, and if the server is reopened before it can accomodate those players all hell will break loose. I'd love to see the server reopened, but no mattef what state the server is in you can't put ten pounds of players in a five pound bag.

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Originally Posted by Edricane

I will say, I wish it would open up. I have friends that would like to play the game, but aren't really willing to play on other severs without me. I've been on Balmung back when it was Besaid in 1.0, I've got to much invested here and moving servers really isn't an option. I can't say how the RP communities in other servers are, but at this point for me, it doesn't matter. Do I agree with everything that the OP is saying? Not necessarily, but some of it. Generally I'd just like it to open so I can spend my time with friends and not worry about having to leave servers, or make alts.

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Hmm...that is a conundrum. Couldn't you make an alt on another server? Balmung probably won't open until sometime next year at a minimum.

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Originally Posted by Edricane

I will say, I wish it would open up. I have friends that would like to play the game, but aren't really willing to play on other severs without me. I've been on Balmung back when it was Besaid in 1.0, I've got to much invested here and moving servers really isn't an option. I can't say how the RP communities in other servers are, but at this point for me, it doesn't matter. Do I agree with everything that the OP is saying? Not necessarily, but some of it. Generally I'd just like it to open so I can spend my time with friends and not worry about having to leave servers, or make alts.

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Cross server friends and parties are a thing, with linkshells likely on the way.

Not sifting through the entire thread, but pretty sure SE will open up our server too eventually. Patience is a virtue many don't possess nowadays.

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Originally Posted by Valkyrie_Lenneth

Cross server friends and parties are a thing, with linkshells likely on the way.

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I completely agree with this statement. But you know it's not enough for that "community" feel of standing around in a crowded zone while people do their best to mimic Barrens chat while RP happens in nearly exclusively tells

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Originally Posted by KaivaC

Hmm...that is a conundrum. Couldn't you make an alt on another server? Balmung probably won't open until sometime next year at a minimum.

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I could, but that means I would have to split the time between servers. I've put a lot of work into my character over the years. I hate to whine, but making an alt is not fair to me, having to level it up just to get it on par with a main. That's also time I don't have. As for Cross server friends and Parties, that doesn't really help me when I want to RP in game with them.

let me clarify what you've not explicitly said then: You suspect the ONLY reason balmung is still locked is someone forgot to unlock it when the (totally arbitrary and nonsensical apparently) measurements fell within acceptable levels OR if not ,the ONLY reason they're keeping it closed is that they think it's going to keep the other servers alive.

You suspect (exceedingly strongly) the server is well within tolerances and could survive an influx of ALL the RP-ers who NEED to be on the same server for the RP community to thrive for the entire game?