Not accepting any more new characters..

[Roegadyn_Bear]

It should be easy as long as you wake up early after maintenance. Unless it's Balmung in which case...I have tried to get on even after maint, but if you wait more then 3 minutes it will be closed again. :/

I've made new characters on Balmung, amusingly.

However, as you said, the window of time is EXTREMELY short before you get locked out.